Inactive

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. This RFI is issued for developing a viable solicitation that will best c... THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. This RFI is issued for developing a viable solicitation that will best communicate the Government's requirements to industry. Response to this RFI is strictly voluntary and will not affect any firm's ability to submit an offer if, or when, a solicitation is released. The requested information is for planning purposes only and does NOT constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued. No entitlement to payment by the Government of direct or indirect costs or charges will arise as a result of the submission of information in response to this RFI. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations; formal notices will be on the SAM website. **GENERAL INFORMATION: Department of the Army is in the process of determining the acquisition strategy for Records Management Services and Electronic Records Management (ERM) Solutions. The Government anticipates awarding a Basic contract with four (4) option periods, under PSC code: R699 and NAICS Code 541611. The size standard associated with this; NAICS code is $16.5M. The Government is considering a Firm Fixed Price. Additionally, the Government is considering a sixty (60) month contract for this service that may include, a base period of twelve (12) months and four (4) twelve (12) month option periods. System for Award Management (SAM) will be mandatory for this contract (see SAM website at https://sam.gov). Unique Entity ID information will be mandatory for this contract. (See https://sam.gov/content/entity-information for more information). Please complete the Contractor Information below and return with your capability statement. The Government requests comments from interested parties to the following questions: 1.Have you ever provided Records Management Services and Electronic Records Management (ERM) Solutions for the Government? a. If yes, number of contracts within the past three (3) years? 2.What type of work has your company performed in the past three (3) years in support of the same or similar requirement? 3.What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the tasks? 4.Can or has your company managed a task of this nature? If so, please provide details. 5.Include in your response a statement of your company's ability to meet the Facility and Safeguarding requirements. 6.Please note that under a Small?Business Set?Aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219?14, the small business prime must perform at least 50% of the work themselves in terms of the cost of performance. If you are a small business under the specified NAICS code, provide an explanation of your company’s ability to perform at least 50% of the tasking described in this draft PWS for the base period as well as the option periods. 7.Does your company offer these services under a MATOC/GSA Schedule and/or another contract that U.S Army can order from? The Government encourages you to submit any additional comments or suggestions that you would like to share with us regarding Records Management Services and Electronic Records Management (ERM) Solutions. We welcome your participation to making the Records Management Services and Electronic Records Management (ERM) Solutions a model acquisition. *The received information will be consolidated, and all inquiries will be routed to the appropriate person(s). Any questions /comments received from industry will NOT be posted on the public website. DRAFT PWS Army Performance Work Statement (PWS) Federal Records Storage and Records Management 1.0 Introduction This is a single-award for non-personal services for Records Management Services and Electronic Records Management (ERM) Solution, NAICS code 541611 Document Storage and Warehousing, for the storage and servicing of Army records at a location other than Army owned or operated property as specified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Contractor shall provide all cleared management, supervision, labor, facilities, and materials necessary to perform this contract. Statement of Work Background The Army maintains temporary and permanent file repositories of records during transacting government business that meet the Federal definition of a record, as described in 44 U.S.C. Part 3301. Most of these records must be maintained for a period after they are no longer used for current business, which is defined by the record schedule. The record schedule is a mandatory instruction, approved by the Archivist of the United States, for the retention and final disposition of Federal records. The Department of the Army is considering digitization and professional solutions for multiple classification levels of records in preparation for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) strategic goal to no longer accept physical records. By December 31, 2022, NARA will, to the fullest extent possible, accept records only in electronic format and with appropriate metadata In order to comply with regulations, and to preserve Army records for the duration of the record’s required preservation period, Army seeks to digitize records in a suitable environment that meets the requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 1236, The scanning services must be accredited to scan and support up to Top Secret Records. The Army requires the records to be scanned and to be available for Army only requestors for the purpose of Continuity of Operations (COOP), Litigation, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses, or other legitimate Army needs. The Army requires services in shipping and sorting of record boxes sent to NARA Federal Records Centers. Objective The objective of this Performance Work Statement (PWS) is to support the Department of the Army with compliance under federal laws and regulations governing records management stored, scanned, and shipped off-site in a NARA compliant/NARA-approved commercial facility. Through the PWS, the Army incorporates the standards in 36 CFR part 1234 and 1236 and allows for inspections by NARA to ensure compliance. The contractor must dispose of temporary records after determing scanned quality is suitable as a record copy only after receiving written authorization from the Army Records Officer and no longer; except as provided for in 36 CFR § 1226.18. The Contractor must apply Army disposition schedules and document final disposition actions (destruction or transfer to the National Archives of the United States). All procedures must ensure that temporary records are destroyed in accordance with Army disposition schedules and that NARA-approved changes to schedules, including the General Records Schedules, are applied to records in commercial records facilities in a timely fashion. Authorization for the transfer of permanent records must be obtained by the Army Records officer. Procedures must ensure that the commercial records facilities transfer permanent records to the National Archives of the United States as individual series spanning one or more years and in accordance with the provisions of 36 CFR part 1235. This PWS sets forth the requirements and conditions under which the contractor will transfer, store and service records that remain in the legal custody of the Army. In carrying out its responsibilities to store and archive federal records 36 CFR part 1234 Subparts B, C, and D describe facility standards related to quality, effectiveness, durability, and safety; the handling of deviations from NARA’s facility standards; and facility approval and inspection requirements. These standards are applicable to all records storage facilities that federal agencies use to store, service, and dispose of records. To carry out these responsibilities, NARA developed an internal policy directive that outlines the procedures its officials should use to ensure the compliance of scanning records. The contractor’s facility (or facilities) must be NARA-certified and meet 36 CFR part 1236 requirements. Scope The primary scope is for the scanning, storage, servicing, re-boxing and disposal of Department of the Army holdings at a location other than a NARA-operated property. The Department of the Army will remain the legal custodian of all holdings, and the Contractor will assume physical custody and maintenance of the holdings. The Contractor shall supply storage location(s) within reasonable proximity to the legal custodian in order to meet the customer requirements for shipping, and scanning of Army records to its internal digital repository, and provide a method to return the holdings to the Army when requested, either whole or in part, provide a method to dispose of eligible temporary holdings, and to transfer permanent holdings to NARA as appropriate. Applicable Documents Compliance Documents The following documents provide specifications, standards, or guidelines that must be complied with in order to meet the requirements of this contract: AR 25-400.2 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM DA PAM 25-403 ARMY GUIDE TO RECORDKEEPING 36 CFR 1234 - FACILITY STANDARDS FOR RECORDS STORAGE FACILITIES 36 CFR Part 1236 - ELECTRONIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT 2.5 Contracting Officer’s Representative: The Contracting Officer’s Representative will be identified by separate letter. The Contracting Officer’s Representative monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration The Contracting Officer’s Representative is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies. A letter of designation issued to the Contracting Officer’s Representative, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the Contracting Officer’s Representative, especially regarding changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The Contracting Officer’s Representative is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting task order. 2.6 Service Contract Reporting: The Contractor shall report ALL Contractor labor hours (including Subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this contract via a secure data collection site. The Contractor is required to completely fill in all required data fields using the following web address: www.sam.gov. Reporting inputs will be for the labor executed during the period of performance during each Government fiscal year (FY), which runs October 1 through September 30. While inputs may be reported any time during the FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year. Contractors may direct questions to the help desk at: www.sam.gov. Specific Task Requirements The following subsections describe the specific task requirements that will be provided by the Contractor for each capability area. Scanning The Contractor shall sort and/or prepare hard copy records for document scanning. Scan hard copy files to electronic images ensuring a quality image follow production procedures and completing internal documentation & tracking indexing. Accept (shipping) boxes/pallets of Army records existing in various formats, to include but not limited to Paper / Hardcopy materials; Electronic Media; and Special Media. These records may be sensitive to environmental controls, such as light, humidity or temperature. The contractor shall assume physical custody and be responsible for the appropriate care of the records storage for the duration the records are in the Contractor’s custody. The contractor shall submit an implementation plan for receiving Army records for approval within 30 days of award. The implementation plan will provide facility addresses, detailed schedules, and other logistical information that will describe how and when they will start receiving new temporary and permanent records for storage. The implementation plan will also include a description of how the Contractor will remediate issues experienced during the initial receipt such as damaged materials, missing records, or incorrect labels. The contractor’s facility must be able to accommodate Next Day retrieval requests and a 4-hour emergency retrieval request for physical boxes to the Pentagon and any other designated Army commands in the NCR. Records stored outside of the NCR must accommodate a 4 Day physical retrieval request. However, if the record is provided electronically, the contractor must accommodate a 1 Day retrieval request. The contractor may need to provide pallets (if necessary) for the physical delivery of boxes to be loaded and taken to their designated processing place within the facility. Any communication challenges must be reported to the COR for immediate resolution. 3.2 Transportation of records to and from NARA The Contractor shall utilize vehicles and processes suitable for the transportation of Army records. Vehicles shall have appropriate security features (e.g., anti-theft devices) and shall remain secured at all times. The Contractor shall ensure that vehicles are equipped with fire suppression capabilities. All contractor vehicles utilized in this contract shall be insured and maintain current state vehicle registration. The Contractor must ensure that all vehicle operators possess a valid state driver's license with any necessary endorsements for operating the contractor’s vehicles as well as ensuring drivers have undergone appropriate background investigations. The Contractor and the contractor’s employees shall not use personal vehicles in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall track and trace at all times (point-to-point tracking and verification) in the contractor’s records management system to permit retrieval of records between staging, relocating, and storing of inventory. The Contractor shall obtain Army approval to replace any boxes damaged prior to being retrieved from contractor’s storage location and before delivery to Army locations. 3.3 Security The contractor will be required to store up to Top Secret Records as well as maintain, dispose, or transfer when eligible 3.3.1 Inventory Management Application The Contractor shall provide a web-based Inventory Management Application adaptable to Microsoft SharePoint online that will enable Army personnel to track records, monitor receipt, movement, control, and accuracy of the entire transaction process from initial receipt of boxes at the Contractor facility(s). All Contractor locations servicing Army records must be fully integrated within a single Inventory Management System. The system shall be available to the Army personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days per week/ 365 days per year, including holidays. 3.4 Record Services The Contractor shall provide a method for the Army to retrieve scanned records. The records can be requested by individual record, units of records, or entire container of records. The Contractor shall perform, capture, and document chain of custody controls throughout the scanning process. The Contractor shall retrieve, package, and hold for pickup records requested by designated Army locations in the NCR by Next Day or within 4 hours for emergency requests. The Contractor shall retrieve, package and ship records located outside of the NCR within 4 days from receiving a request. The Contractor shall provide additional security measures such as “banding” or “wrapping” boxes that are requested for pickup by Army personnel. The contractor shall implement a comprehensive verification and authorization access process for Army personnel who schedule visits, request and/or pick up records held in custody at the facility. Authorizations will begin 30 days after contract start and expire on December 31st of the following year. The contractor shall contact Army 90 days prior to the expiration of the current authorizations to request an updated list of authorized individuals. If no updated list is received from Army by December 31st of each year, the contractor shall not grant access. Continuity of Operations Support: The Contractor shall accept and respond to requests for emergency support within 4 hours of the emergency request by Authorized Army Continuity of Operations personnel or the legal custodian of Essential Records. This requirement is related only to emergency access to Essential Records as defined by 36 CFR Part 1223; during a government reconstitution, recover event, or exercise only, and is not related to after-hours requests or rush requests for routine records. Operational needs may require additional options/timelines for retrieval based on the urgency of the request. Those requirements will be addressed by each Component in the standard operating procedures. The Contractor shall make electronic means of completing the retrieval request available for the Army, such as scanning and transmission, electronic mail, and fax. The Contractor shall provide reading rooms / viewing areas for file auditing or reviews. 3.5.9.1 If only a portion of the holdings have been retrieved, as opposed to a complete container, the Contractor shall return the portion of holding to the same location within the container in which it originated. 3.5 Disposition The Contractor shall have the capability to remove and destroy, upon approval by the Army, Records/boxes as they become eligible for authorized destruction. 3.5.1 Secure document destruction must be provided. Temporary records (36 CFR 1220.18) shall be destroyed in accordance with guidance identified in 36 CFR 1226.24. Confirmation of destruction must be provided to the Army. 3.5.2 The Contractor shall notify and provide a list to the Army via electronic mail, 90 days in advance of the eligible disposition date when records are due for destruction and complete the action when the Army returns records owner concurrence, and Army Records Officer approval. The Contractor shall ensure that any records that the Army has determined must be retained beyond their disposition date are retained and not destroyed. 3.5.3 The Contractor’s Customer Portal/Inventory Management System shall provide a workflow that will enable the Army Records Officer or designated personnel to review and dispense for concurrence to record group owners those eligible records for destruction. The workflow must allow the Army Records Officer to authorize final destruction and or transfer. 3.5.4 The Contractor shall be certified, bonded, and insured according to the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID). 3.5.5 The contractor shall ensure the destruction is sufficient to render the original source material incapable of reconstruction. 3.5.6 The Contractor shall maintain a complete and auditable chain of custody of records being destroyed and or transferred to the National Archives. 3.6 Invoices/Billing Invoices will be billed as the final purchase agreement states based on the type of contract awarded (fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, incentive, time-and-materials, labor-hour) etc. Invoices will be delivered monthly, within 30 calendar days of the billing period invoiced. 3.7 Transition Out Support The contractor shall provide transition out support at the end of the performance period. Transition out support will include the transfer of all records back to the Government or to the successor contractor. This is factored into the Permanent Withdrawal CLIN on the pricing spreadsheet. Contractor Personnel 4.1 Qualified Personnel The contractor shall restrict access to documents provided by the Army under this contract to their employees who have been/are recipients of a favorable National Agency Check (NAC) (i.e., a background check). All contractor personnel/employees shall complete the Non-Disclosure forms provided by the U.S. Army representative prior to being granted access to any documents. The contractor shall identify and disclose the names and nationalities of any/all personnel employed to perform work under this contract. Contractor must provide the following information for contractor employees that will be performing on this contract: Name (last name, first name, middle initial) Social security number Date of birth Place of birth Citizenship 4.2 Staffing During the performance of this contract, legal documents, including documentary and testimonial evidence and PII will be reproduced. Due to the sensitive nature of the documents furnished, all materials must be kept confidential. This material is not for public consumption and should be handled with extreme care. The contractor shall not release or sell to any person any information or materials received from the Government under the contract; nor shall the contractor use the information or materials for any purpose other than that for which it was provided to the contractor under the terms of the contract. NOTE: It is the contractor’s responsibility to properly safeguard PII from loss, theft, or inadvertent disclosure and to immediately notify the Government of any loss of personally identifiable information. 5.0 Identification 5.1 Identification Badge – Visiting Army and Army Contractor Personnel The Contractor shall implement a comprehensive verification and authorization access process to ensure that visiting Army and Army contractor personnel who schedule visits, request and/or pick up records held in custody at their facility have the approved access. Authorizations will begin 30 days after contract start and expire on December 31st of the following year. 5.1.1 The Contractor shall contact Army via electronic mail 90 days prior to the expiration of the current authorizations to request an updated list of authorized individuals. If no updated lists are received from Army by December 31st of each year, the Contractor shall not grant access. The Contractor shall provide Army with a copy for validating its most current list of authorized individuals. 6.0 Other 6.1 Applicable Conditions 6.2 Facility Requirements Upon award, the contractor shall have space ready and processes consistent with the NARA storage requirements of 36 CFR part 1234 subpart b, with no exceptions made for waivers. The contractor shall provide NARA certification documentation for any facility used as part of the contract. The Contractor’s facility must be compliant with 36 CFR part 1234 and the certification documentation delivered to the Army prior to any materials being shipped there. The contractor shall maintain compliance with the referenced NARA requirements at all times. 6.2.1 The contractor facility clearance (FCL) shall be suitable to accept and store all Army Unclassified Records. 6.2.2 The Contractor shall control physical access into records facility(s) through all controlled entry point(s). Visitors are required to sign in and out at the entrance and state the purpose of their visit. A log shall be kept of all such visits. Persons that do not have a legitimate business need related to the facility operation shall not be allowed access. 6.2.3 The materials being stored at the Contractor’s location are the property of the Army and shall at no time be construed to be the property of the contractor. Any labeling and embedded information on labels that are part of boxes or records received by the contractor shall be the property of the Army. The term “security incident” means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to or loss of Army assets or sensitive information, or an action that breaches Army security procedures. When a security incident occurs, the contractor shall immediately notify the Army of any known or suspected security incidents or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. Within 48 hours of a security incident, the contractor shall provide to the Army a security incident report, which shall address all relevant information concerning the security incident, including the nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access) and description of the event. If during the period of performance of the contract, facility remediation activities are required, the contractor cannot bill for, nor will the government be obligated to reimburse and / or compensate the contractor in any way for, any corrective actions such as environmental control deficiencies to include natural disasters. 6.3 Period of Performance This contract will have a one-year base period plus four one-year option periods included a 6-month extension in accordance to FAR 52.217-8. Base Period 12 months period 60 days from the date of award Option Period One 12 months from the end of the Base Option Period Two 12 months from the end of Option Period One Option Period Three 12 months from the end of Option Period Two Option Period Four 12 months from the end of Option Period Three Option Period Five 6-month extension 6.4 Place of Performance The primary place of performance will be the Contractor’s facilities. 6.5 Hours of Operation Hours of operation are relative to the time zone in which the government offices are located in relation to where the records are stored. Government personnel observe the following days as holidays and the Government facilities will be closed and unavailable to Contractor personnel on the following days: New Year’s Day January 1st* Martin Luther King’s Birthday Third Monday in January President’s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19th* Independence Day July 4th* Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11th* Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th* *If the date falls on a Saturday, the Government holiday is the preceding Friday. If the date falls on a Sunday, the Government holiday is the following Monday. In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days: • Any other day designated by Federal Statute • Any other day designated by Executive Order • Any other day designated by the President’s Proclamation It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that observance of such days by Government personnel shall not otherwise be a reason for an additional period of performance, or entitlement of compensation except as set forth within the contract. In the event the Contractor's personnel work during the holiday, they may be reimbursed by the Contractor, however, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, other than their normal compensation for the time worked. 6.6 Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price 6.7 Post Award Conference The Contractor shall attend a Post Award Conference with the Contracting Officer and the COR no later than 5 business days after the date of award. The purpose of the Post Award Conference, which will be chaired by the Contracting Officer. The Post Award Conference will be held via teleconference. 6.8 Business Continuity Plan The Contractor shall prepare and submit a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to the Army. The BCP Plan shall be due 30 days after the date of award and will be updated on an annual basis. The BCP shall document Contractor plans and procedures to maintain support during an emergency, including, flooding, natural disasters and acts of terrorism. The BCP, at a minimum, shall include the following: • How the Contractor will communicate with the Army during emergencies • A list of primary and alternate points of contact, each with primary and alternate telephone numbers and email addresses Individual BCPs shall be activated immediately after determining that an emergency has occurred and shall be operational within 4 hours of activation or as directed by the Army and shall be sustainable until the emergency is resolved and normal conditions are restored or the contract is terminated, whichever comes first. In case of a life threatening emergency, the contractor shall immediately contact the Army to ascertain the status of any Army personnel who were located in contractor facility affected by the emergency. When any disruption of normal daily operations occur, within 48 hours, the contractor shall provide a report on damages and remediation to the Contractor Project Manager. The Program Manager shall then promptly open an effective means of communication with the Army and verify: • Key points of contact (Army and contractor) • Temporary work locations (alternate office spaces, telework, virtual offices, etc.) • Means of communication available under the circumstances (e.g. email, webmail, telephone, FAX, courier, etc.) • Essential Contractor work products expected to be continued, by priority The Contractor Project Manager shall continue contracted functions to the maximum extent possible under emergency circumstances. 6.9 Training The Contractor shall provide training related to performing the task of scanning, storing, and servicing records off-site including a live demonstration of the Contractor’s web-based Customer Portal and Inventory Management System and reporting capabilities. The Contractor will provide all labor and systems at no additional cost to the Army. 7.0 Required Monthly Reports 7.1 Master Inventory Report. This report lists all records stored in Contractor’s compliant records storage facility(s) as of the date of the report. Data shall include the Contractor barcode number, and records transfer number, affixed to the box and the Army box description, to include fiscal year, , actual volume, number of containers, agency contact information, charge account, container type, customer reference number, date accessioned, date approved, date disposed, date received, date shelved, disposition authority, disposition code, disposition date, freeze code listing, inclusive start date, inclusive end date, record group number, records facility location, retiring Army office, address, contact name and phone number, status, status date, transferring official contact information, type of records, source service code for storage. The contractor must have the ability to auto-generate on a monthly basis and on demand a master inventory, quarterly disposal, and annual transfer reports that can be delivered via electronic mail. 7.2 New Box Acknowledgement Report. This report is an acknowledgement by the Contractor that specific boxes have been received through the receiving and entry process by the Contractor and have been recorded in the Contractor database. The report will list each box, the Army’s identifying number, and Contractor barcode number. 7.3 Refile Box Acknowledgement Report. This report is an acknowledgement by the Contractor that specific boxes have been received through the refile process by the Contractor and have been recorded in the Contractor database. The report will list each box, the Army’s identifying number, and Contractor barcode number. 7.4 Disposal Report. This report lists all records/boxes eligible for destruction by the Contractor during a set time period. 7.5 Permanent Withdrawal Report. This report lists all boxes permanently withdrawn by the Army from Contractor’s compliant records storage facility(s) during a requested time period. 7.6 Invoice Summary Report. The Contractor shall ensure a payment request includes appropriate contract line item and subline item descriptions...