425 I Street, N.W., Room 2208, Washington, DC 20536

58 -- COMMUNICATIONS POC Jim Bannister, Contracting Officer, 202-514-0017. The Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) has identified a need to establish a one (1) year pilot project to support the naturalization process. The pilot will support the Department of Justice Laboratory, Citizenship USA, throughout the New York City Metropolitan area. The pilot will provide INS with multi-lingual, culturally sensitive phone hotline assistance in informing immigrants and citizens about the naturalization process. The following areas are being considered in the pilot and companies must: 1) Be in the New York City metropolitan area or must ensure that an 800 service is in place to service the NYC area. 2) ensure call center agents have the following language capabilities; English, Spanish, French, and Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese). Additional language capabilities are a plus. 3)posses existing call center experience in responding to telephone inquiries and requests for assistance and/or referrals from the public. 4) operate during the hours of 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and have a message system in place for after hours and weekend traffic. 5) possess an existing program that assess' customer satisfaction and quality of service. 6) maintain a record of performance measurements and track at a minimum program data such as call volumes, call answering rates, average que time, and average call handling time. 7) have prior experience with the Government and have experience in preparing the necessary paperwork for employee security clearances. 8) must be prepared to start operations and service within 30 to 45 days after award which will include obtaining proper security clearences, (i.e have a turn-key operation). 9)possess prior interface with immigrant community is a plus. 10) provide all staff, space, services, equipment, and other resources needed for the pilot project. As part of the Acquisition Process. the INS requests that all interested parties respond to the following survey questions: 1) Where is your call center located in the New York Metropolitan area? 2) How many telephoneagents do you have on staff in your company and how many of them are located in New York City? 3) What are the language capabilities of your telephone answering staff, and how many phone agents speak each language, (provide languages)? 4) How long has your company been in the business of operating a call center? 5) Describe experience in responding to telephone inquiries and requests for assistance from the public. 6) Provide experience in responding to inquiries concerning immigration and naturalization matters. 7) Describe training process if your company does not have immigration and naturalization experience or dealing with the public,(provide training curriculum to include how long the curriculum will be). 8) Describe your automated call answering system and its capabilities. 9) Describe Management information report capabilities. 10) What is the existing ratio of telephone lines to call center telephone staff? 11) What are current hours or operation? 12) Provide the last two years (95-96) statistical data from call center reports: incoming call volumes, call answering rate, average abondonment rate, average queue time, and average call handling time. 13) Provide process in assessing customer satisfaction and quality of service. 14) Provide 1995 and 1996 quality performance measurements. 15) How much time after contract award before your service to callers can be implemented? 16) Provide information on agents background in immigration and naturalization issues and what additional training would be provided to meet the 30 to 45 start criteria,( how long will the training curriculum be). 17)Provide list of resource material on immigration and naturalization you have on hand. 18) Do you have a database of information regarding immigration and naturalization support services in the community that potential naturalization applicants can obtain and if so how often is it updated? 19) Explain experience in providing information services to the immigrant community in New York City metropolitan area. 20) Provide any information about contracts you have or have had with federal or state governments providing multi-lingual, culturally sensitive, telephone hot line assistance. The Government does not intend to pay for any information submitted in response to this notice. Proprietary information is not being solicited. Interested parties should apply to this announcement by mail, no later than 5/30/96, to: Immigration and Naturalization Service. 425 I Street NW, Room 2208, Washington, DC 20536. Attn: J. Bannister. Replies may also be directed to Mr. Bannister by facsimile at (202)514-3353. NO telephone replies will be accepted. (0142)

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