SOURCES SOUGHT
Q -- PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
- Notice Date
- 1/19/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 621112
— Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists
- Contracting Office
- Department of State, Office of Logistics Management, Acquisition Management, P.O. Box 9115 Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA, 22219, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-RFI-001-2007PL
- Response Due
- 2/21/2007
- Archive Date
- 3/8/2007
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE This is a Request for Information ONLY. No award will be made as a result of this submission. As used herein, Provider refers to the entity that performs the psychological assessments and Contractor refers to the prime Civilian Police (CIVPOL) contractors. BACKGROUND The Department of State (DOS), through the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs? Office of Civilian Policing and Rule of Law (INL/CIV), has responsibility for international civilian policing programs. INL/CIV currently works with three contactors ? Dyncorp International (DI), Civilian Police International (CPI), and Pacific Architects and Engineers-Homeland Security Corp. (PA&E-HSC) ? to recruit, train, equip, deploy and support U.S. law enforcement officers (current or retired or separated from service within 5 years) to serve as civilian police (CIVPOL) in international peacekeeping missions. Most CIVPOL programs are sponsored by the United Nations (UN), but they are also sponsored by regional security organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) or by coalitions of interested countries. The U.S. currently has more than 1,200 total CIVPOL participating in missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Haiti, Liberia, Sudan and East Timor. CIVPOL responsibilities vary by mission. They may be in uniform, armed and have executive authority; serve as trainers and/or mentors; act as monitors or some combination thereof. INL/CIV also provides criminal justice and corrections experts and advisors to some of these locations through the same three contractors. Living and working conditions vary. In many instances, individuals will face rudimentary infrastructure, including a lack of the most basic items such as potable water. While each mission is unique, officers may be required to be armed with a service handgun (9mm) and automatic rifle (5.56mm). They serve in localities with political and civil unrest, and, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, with on-going insurgent hostilities. In some missions, security threats may restrict freedom of movement or require officers to live on locked-down compounds and travel in armed convoys. CIVPOL personnel must be capable of working long days for long periods of time. These are unaccompanied assignments, so there is the added stress of being away from family and friends in an environment that may make communication difficult and sporadic. Currently, each of the three companies on contract with INL/CIV is responsible for the psychological testing, assessment and evaluation of applicants to programs for which they have the respective task orders. Applicants for the CIVPOL program are pre-screened prior to arriving at a central selection and training site, and then undergo further screening at the training site. Psychological evaluations are performed during both phases of the selection process. The common practice is to sub-contract that work. INL/CIV seeks, through this request for information, to gauge the interest of potential providers of psychological services if there were a requirement for all three CIVPOL contractors to utilize one provider to perform psychological testing, assessment and evaluation of all applicants to all programs. REQUIREMENTS: There shall be three separate and distinct components to this request for information, and responses shall address each component separately. COMPONENT 1 The Provider would provide psychological testing, assessment and evaluation services to screen CIVPOL applicants prior to their employment with one of the contractors. Such testing, assessment and evaluation shall determine the applicant?s suitability and adaptability for civilian police work overseas under conditions such as those described above. Psychologists performing the evaluations would determine the psychological suitability of an individual for deployment on a CIVPOL mission and so advise the contractor and INL. The provider would have to be prepared to defend that determination if so requested by the contractor or INL. The provider would also make a determination, based upon professional expertise and customary and accepted standards as to the period of time which must elapse before an individual deemed unsuitable is eligible to reapply. Specific areas that would need to be assessed as part of the evaluation include propensity for violence, safety awareness, integrity, substance abuse, attitude toward supervision, cultural sensitivity, judgment, problem-solving ability, adaptability/personality, stress management and risk avoidance. This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but is instructive. A written assessment would need to be conducted and completed (this could be conducted on-line), and a preliminary evaluation made, prior to an applicant being invited by the respective contractors to participate in final pre-deployment selection and training. Each candidate would also receive a face-to-face evaluation with a psychologist at the training site. The psychologist doing the face-to-face evaluation would be provided with a copy of the written evaluation prior to meeting with the applicant. The provider would prepare and maintain a written report on each applicant. Provider would work with the three CIVPOL contractors, DI, CPI and PA&E-HSC, to provide appropriate individuals with written test instruments in a timely manner that allows time for the applicant to complete and return the test(s) and for the test(s) to be scored no later than 2 weeks prior to the scheduled start of the pre-deployment training. Firms responding to the RFI should make recommendations as to the testing instrument(s) which should be used, with an explanation of the benefits of such instruments for this population and purposes. Provider would be responsible for the scoring of the written instruments and would coordinate with the appropriate Contractor to ensure that all applicants attending the pre-deployment selection and training have satisfactorily passed the written testing, assessment and evaluation prior to such attendance. Firms responding to the RFI must be able to demonstrate the ability to process up to 600 written instruments per month. Provider would work with the appropriate Contractor on any other matters necessary to fulfill the contract requirements. Firms responding to the RFI must be able to demonstrate the ability to perform up to 200 face-to-face psychological interviews during a 2-5 day period, up to twice a month. Such interviews would be conducted at the pre-deployment selection and training sites, currently located in Leesburg, VA and Fredericksburg, VA. Suitable office space for the interviews would be provided at the training site by the Contractor. Such office space would need to allow for confidential interviews and be sufficiently furnished with chairs and desks to enable the performance of administrative functions necessary in conjunction with the interviews. Electrical outlets capable of supporting a computer would be provided in each interview room, but computers would not be provided. Provider would have access to the office space used by the Department for telephones, fax and high-speed internet connections. Provider would be consulted with respect to scheduling of such interviews, but would not have control over the scheduling. Provider would receive a minimum of four weeks advance notice of the scheduled interview dates. Firms responding to the RFI must be able to demonstrate that psychologists who would be performing the testing, assessment and evaluation have a thorough understanding of and experience with the candidate population (law enforcement), the job environment (dangerous, multi-cultural, high stress) and the living conditions (third-world conditions, away from family and friends). All psychologists must have experience in interpreting the written (on-line) assessments proposed to be used. All psychologists must have and maintain a current license to practice psychology in Virginia. The Provider would be required to maintain records for a minimum of five years with respect to all persons to whom the written testing, assessment and evaluation instruments are sent, including those who do not pass the written instrument and those who do not return the written instrument for scoring, and provide that information in a timely manner to INL and the appropriate contractor. The Provider would provide administrative and logistical services necessary to support the psychological testing, assessment and evaluation. The Provider would be required to consult with INL/CIV officers as appropriate and necessary to provide guidance on respecting operational environments and other parameters relevant to the selection of CIVPOL officers for missions. Provider may be required to travel to mission areas in order to fully appreciate the conditions under which the subjects will be working. The Provider would be required to ensure that psychologists performing the testing, assessments and evaluations have appropriate and sufficient malpractice insurance, and abide by American Psychological Association confidentiality guidelines, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the relevant state psychology board regulations. CIVPOL programs fluctuate constantly. It is impossible to accurately predict how many psychological instruments and interviews would be required during the contract period. For purposes of responding to this request for information, potential providers are requested to propose the method by which they would price the requested services. Responders are encouraged to propose more than one pricing method. Responses submitted pursuant to this request for information shall identify the written instrument(s) that will be used for the initial assessment and the experience that the prospective provider?s psychologists have in scoring and interpreting it/them. Prior to submitting responses to this request for information, potential providers may wish to consult with one or more of the Contractors to gain an understanding of the average failure rate and rate of non-return for the written psychological instrument. The Contractors are PA&E, contact Phil Stewart at pstewart@paegroup.com; Dyncorp, contact Dick Cashon at richard.cashon@dyn-intl.com; and CPI, contact Rita Sartori at rita.sartori@civilianpolice.com. COMPONENT 2 Provider would, upon request of INL/CIV, provide licensed psychologists to provide: 1) expert services to monitor and evaluate CIVPOL operating, working, living and social environments as they relate to individual and group psychological health and ability to perform effectively; and 2) psychological counseling as appropriate to CIVPOL officers in the aftermath of a traumatic incident in mission. This may require travel to mission environments, travel to military or hospital facilities in third countries and/or domestic travel on short notice. Multiple trips may be required with respect to the same incident. Both group and individual counseling may be required, as determined by the psychologist. Such counseling is not intended to be the sole mental and emotional health support for officers in the aftermath of such events. Nor is it intended to support long-term therapy/counseling needs. It is intended to: (1) provide an assessment as to the individual?s ability to remain in mission if the individual is physically able to do so and expresses a desire to do so; (2) provide an assessment as to whether the individual requires additional counseling and/or regular counseling in order to cope with the incident; (3) provide an assessment for INL/CIV as to any special needs that should be addressed, both with respect to individual officers and to the contingent as a whole. The Provider would work with INL and the Contractor to determine and meet the needs identified in the assessments. Travel costs are typically cost-reimbursable items subject to limitations established in the Federal Travel Regulations. Per-diem would be paid subject to maximums established for Federal travelers. COMPONENT 3 Provider would create and conduct a Post Critical Incident de-briefing workshop that could be offered multiple times a year. The workshop would be offered to officers returning from missions and their immediate families. No decision has yet been made whether participation in this workshop would be voluntary or mandatory. The workshop, or a modified version thereof, would also be conducted after significant incidents in mission involving death, serious injury and/or significant trauma ? such offering may be in the mission or in a nearby country, rather than in the U.S. The workshop offered on a more routine basis to officers returning from mission would be in the continental U.S., but would not have to be in the same location time after time. Providers should propose an agenda for such a workshop, including the changes that would be made from the ?regular? workshop for one tailored to a specific significant incident in mission. Valuable information would include the criteria that would be used to select instructors/facilitators/group leaders/counselors or others participating in conducting the workshop; how prior mission veterans might be utilized to assist with conducting the workshop and the criteria that would be used to select those officers and the training that would be offered to them; what role, if any, State Department program officers could serve in such a workshop; and any other relevant details. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Pricing and capability should be based on a one (1) year base period and two (2) one-year option periods. DELIVERABLES Providers should include the following deliverables when submitting their information: 1. After each day of psychological interviews during a pre-deployment selection and training session, the assessment for each interviewee with respect to psychological suitability for deployment and a summary and explanation of the interview results; 2. A quarterly report that details the total number of written instruments sent to applicants, the failure rates on the written instrument and the non-return rate of the written instruments 3. Proof of valid, current psychology license and malpractice insurance for each psychologist performing services pursuant to this contract. This shall include those psychologists evaluating the written instruments as well as those performing face-to-face interviews and counseling. 4. In the case of post-incident counseling, a list of individuals counseled, and the psychologist?s assessment with respect to the individual?s ability to remain in mission if the individual is physically able to do so and expresses a desire to do so; whether the individual requires additional counseling and/or regular counseling in order to cope with the incident; and any special needs that should be addressed, both with respect to individual officers and to the contingent as a whole. SUBMISSION INFORMATION DATE/TIME? Submissions are due on or before February 21, 2007 at 3:00 pm EST. Proposal may be submitted to P.L. Diggs via email at diggspl@state.gov or via fax at 703-875-6006. POINT OF CONTACT ? Questions concerning this requirement shall be addressed to P.L. Diggs in writing via email.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Primarily Washington DC Metropolitan Area and various locations within the US and Overseas.
- Zip Code: 22219
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 22219
- Record
- SN01215340-W 20070121/070119220543 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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