REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS VOLUNTEER SECURITY VETTING SERVICES

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS VOLUNTEER SECURITY VETTING SERVICES 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee 430 South Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee 1900 Market Street 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA April 15, 2016 Submittal Deadline: April 29, :00 PM EDT

2 Page 2 Contents I. OVERVIEW... 3 II. III. IV. INSTRUCTIONS... 4 A. Communications Regarding this RFP... 4 B. Evaluation Process (Subject to Change)... 4 C. Intent to Propose... 5 D. Proposal Preparation Costs... 5 E. Proposal Submissions... 5 F. Selection Process... 5 G. Selection... 6 H. Project Schedule (Subject to Change)... 7 SCOPE OF SERVICES... 7 Proposal... 9 A. Services... 9 B. Experience... 9 C. Key Personnel... 9 D. Organizational and Background Information E. Cost of Services F. Additional Information Exhibit A Diversity Policy for DNCC Contracting and Purchasing Programs Exhibit B Solicitation and Commitment Form Exhibit C Best and Good Faith Efforts Form... 13

3 Page 3 I. OVERVIEW In July 2016, the City of Philadelphia will welcome over 35,000 guests to the 47 th Democratic National Convention (the Convention ). The 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc. ( DNCC ) and Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee ( Host Committee ), all non-profit corporations, work together to plan and organize the 2016 Convention for the official nomination of the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The Convention will be held the week of July 25, 2016, at the Wells Fargo Center ( Arena ) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Host Committee and DNCC will utilize a corps of approximately 10,000 volunteers to support various needs leading up to and throughout Convention week. Security is tantamount to the Host Committee and DNCC s efforts to put on a safe and enjoyable Convention experience for visitors and residents alike. Thus, individuals who have applied to be volunteers will need to undergo security background checks prior to acceptance. Through this Request for Proposals ( RFP ), the Host Committee and the DNCC seek proposals for the services of an experienced background screening vendor that can provide tiered security vetting services, safely store and transmit sensitive data, and provide reports ( Vetting Services ) for the entire corps of prospective volunteers. The vendor selected ( Vetting Firm ) must be able to technologically integrate with the Host Committee s existing volunteer portal, which is provided by The Registration System, LLC ( TRS ). The scope of services ( Vetting Services ) is described in detail in section 3 below. The Host Committee will select the vetting firm and enter into a contract with the selected firm. It is the policy of the Host Committee and DNCC to provide equal opportunity to all business enterprises to participate in all aspects of the contracting and purchasing programs for the 2016 Democratic National Convention without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex, national origin, ethnic identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected basis. Each Proposer, as well as each subcontractor and/or sub consultant proposed for this project, should have experience in large scale, fast-track events and should itself be, or have a proven history of working with, minority- owned business enterprises ( MBE ), women-owned business enterprises ( WBE ), business enterprises owned by persons with disabilities ( DsBE ), veteran-owned business enterprises ( VBE ), disadvantaged business enterprises ( DBE ), NGLCC/LGBT businesses ( LGBTBE ) and unionized workers. Please see the Diversity Policy for DNCC Contracting and Purchasing Programs attached hereto as Exhibit A. If you are awarded the contract(s) pursuant to this RFP, you and your subcontractors, if any, will be required to comply with the DNCC s diversity policy. After reading and assessing the requirements set forth in the RFP, firms wishing to propose for the opportunity to provide Vetting Services must prepare a clear, concise, and

4 Page 4 comprehensive proposal on company letterhead which bears the signature of an authorized official. The proposal should follow the structure specified in this RFP and should not exceed ten (10) pages in length, not including specified attachments. II. INSTRUCTIONS Your proposal must include all information requested. A. Communications Regarding this RFP Proposers are to direct all communications regarding this RFP to: Lila Rose, COO Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee lila@phldnc.com B. Evaluation Process (Subject to Change) Date April 15, 2016 April 20, :00 PM EDT April 22, 2016 April 29, :00 PM EDT May 4, 2016 Week of May 9, 2016 Event RFP Issue Date Vendor Intent to Propose and Questions on RFP Due Host Committee Answers to Questions Issued Vendor Proposal Due Date Host Committee Follow-up Questions to Proposers, if any Intent to Award Contract Issued

5 Page 5 C. Intent to Propose Proposing firms must notify Lila Rose by of their intent to bid by 5:00 PM EDT on April 20, 2016 at lila@phldnc.com. RFP Inquiries In the event that modification or additions to the RFP become necessary, Proposers that have notified the Host Committee of their intent to bid will be notified of said changes by the Host Committee. If any information in this RFP appears to be unclear to Proposer, it is the Proposer s responsibility to request clarification. All inquiries regarding this RFP must be ed to lila@phldnc.com by 5:00 PM EDT on April 20, All questions received from all Proposers and answers to all of those questions will be sent to all Proposers by April 22, D. Proposal Preparation Costs Each Proposer will be solely responsible for all costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of its proposal. E. Proposal Submissions Proposer shall submit an electronic copy of its proposal to Lila Rose at lila@phldnc.com no later than 5:00 PM EDT on April 29, All supporting materials and documentation should be included with the proposal. Failure to submit a proposal by that date/time may result in disqualification of the Proposer from the competitive process. Proposals may be included by the Host Committee in whole, in part, or by reference in the final contract. All responses, supporting materials and other documentation submitted with each proposal will become the property of the Host Committee upon submission. F. Selection Process The Host Committee anticipates that a notice of intent to award the contract will be issued the week of May 9, Contract negotiations may be undertaken based on the proposals of selected Proposers. Neither the issuance of this RFP, nor the submission of a proposal or its subsequent receipt and evaluation by the Host Committee, nor the invitation to submit or the submission of a final proposal commits the Host Committee to award a contract or any business to any Proposer. A proposal in response to this RFP constitutes an agreement to waive any and all claims against the Host Committee, the DNCC, and any of their officers, directors, employees, or agents with respect to this RFP and the proposal process. A final proposal constitutes: (i) an offer to do business on the terms and conditions stated in the final proposal and (ii) an agreement to waive any and all claims against the Host Committee, the DNCC, and any of their officers, directors, employees, or agents with respect to this RFP and the proposal process. Only execution of a written contract by an authorized signatory of the Host Committee will bind the Host

6 Page 6 Committee, and then only in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract. The Host Committee strongly views this Convention as an opportunity to protect the environment. We strongly encourage all Proposers to join us in our efforts and to consider this green mission when submitting their response. G. Selection The selected firm will be chosen based on the proposals determined by the Host Committee, in its sole discretion, to best meet the requirements of the Host Committee. The Host Committee is not bound to accept the lowest offer or any tender submitted. The factors used in evaluating responses to this RFP will include: Ability to meet the requirements and scope of services; Proposed solutions and processes for the specified business requirements; Relevant expertise, reliability, experience and history of the Proposer and demonstrated success managing volunteer vetting services for an event of this magnitude and scope; Key personnel who will be directly assigned to the project; Cost of services; Ability to meet proposed project schedule; Relationships to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding area; Participation of MBEs, WBEs, DsBEs, VBEs, LGBTBEs, and/or DBEs; Local resources to support the endeavor; and, References. These factors, along with the final proposals, will be used to award the contract. The Host Committee encourages the submission of responses by Proposers who contract with persons who belong to an organized labor union as well as those Proposers owned by MBEs, WBEs, DsBEs, VBEs, LGBTBEs, and DBEs. Accordingly, please include any information regarding certification as, ownership by or collaboration with MBEs, WBEs, DsBEs, VBEs, LGBTBEs, and DBEs and union labor designations. The Host Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and/or to award

7 Page 7 any and all contracts requested herein, either in part or whole, at the Host Committee s sole discretion. At no time prior to the execution by the Host Committee of a written agreement with a Proposer, shall the Host Committee be considered to be under any obligation or commitment to contract or purchase any proposed service or product from any respondent to this RFP. The Host Committee reserves the right to conduct negotiations with one or more of the selected Proposers. The Host Committee reserves the right to request best and final offers. H. Project Schedule (Subject to Change) Date Week of May 9, 2016 Event Volunteer Security Vetting Services Contract Awarded; Scope of coverages and recommended program structure finalized Week of May 16, 2016 Vetting Firm integrates with TRS volunteer portal Week of May 23, 2016 Vetting Services fully integrated, established, and operable III. SCOPE OF SERVICES A. Background Screening Services The vetting firm will be required to: (i) Perform background checks for 10,000 to 20,000 prospective registered volunteers; (ii) Perform checks in a timely and efficient manner, providing results and recommendations to the Host Committee and prospective volunteer within hours; (iii) Conduct thorough and updated checks that include but are not limited to nationwide, multijurisdictional criminal history, 50 state Department of Justice sexual offender registry, Social Security trace and driving records; (iv) Track and search for different names and multiple aliases that may be associated with a prospective volunteer; (vii) Provide the Host Committee with multi-tiered screening options, including the addition of a la carte items on an as-needed basis;

8 Page 8 (viii) Comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. B. Integration The vetting firm will be required to technologically integrate with the TRS volunteer portal. This integration must be as seamless as possible and provide for secure and direct transmission of sensitive data. Each proposal should describe the Proposer s experience in, and capability of, technologically integrating with other systems. Such integration includes but is not limited to: Possessing a two-directional, open API; Ability to query a completed registrant ID via TRS s API; Once queried, needed information must be able to flow back into the TRS portal. The vetting firm will be required to oversee and coordinate with TRS regarding integration processes. C. Reporting Results of conducted background checks should be reported back to the Host Committee and the prospective volunteer. Such reports should indicate types of checks conducted, results for each check, and recommendations for approval or subsequent review. For those checks that warrant further consideration, the vetting firm will provide explanations. If a prospective volunteer has questions about his/her individual report, the vetting firm will directly handle those queries and disputes. D. Storage and Transmission All transmitted data must be held in a secure, encrypted database that is frequently backed up. Upon conclusion of work, private identity information needs to be properly and safely removed or deleted. The vetting firm must treat all information as confidential and private. E. Billing and Payment The vetting firm will charge the Host Committee for conducted background checks, with varied price points based on the security option selected for a particular prospective volunteers. The vetting firm should also provide a system through which individuals can elect to pay either in part or in full toward the cost of their own background check.

9 Page 9 IV. Proposal A. Services Please describe your ability to fulfill the vetting services specifically addressing how you will meet each requirement described above. B. Experience Please explain your experience with an approach and methods in providing background vetting services to large-scale volunteer events. Provide five project examples that demonstrate expertise in implementing and managing vetting services on a scale reasonably comparable to the convention. Provide for each project accurate and up-to-date contact information for each person proposed as a primary client contact or relationship manager. C. Key Personnel Please provide the following information: Who in your organization will be the Host Committee s primary contact/account manager? Provide his/her resume; direct, mobile phone and fax numbers; address; and a corporate address if different from the address above. Who in your organization is authorized to negotiate a contract with the Host Committee? Please provide his/her name and contact information. Describe the proposed members of your team, including the organization and the location and responsibilities of each member proposed. Describe your current and projected workload and explain how this project will be managed given your firm s obligations to other clients. Provide the qualifications and licenses of the firm and individuals who have been identified in the proposal. Include resumes for each with the history of employment, education, experience, length of time with the firm and any other information the Host Committee might find useful in evaluating your qualifications. Diversity efforts: All Proposers are required to make their best efforts to achieve diverse participation in employment opportunities at substantial and meaningful levels in accordance with the Diversity Policy attached as Exhibit A. Each Proposer must submit a diversity implementation plan specific to the delivery of services described in this solicitation. The successful Proposer's diversity implementation plan will become an enforceable provision of the Contract. Please follow the directions in connection with completing the Diversity Implementation Plan as it pertains to workforce utilization:

10 Page 10 Proposers must provide a detailed Diversity Implementation Plan specific to this RFP. Proposers plans must include levels of diverse participation in workforce utilization. The Diversity Implementation Plan must briefly describe the workforce utilization indicating the employees who are within a diverse category who will be assigned to this project and indicate their status by category, i.e., management, hourly, full- time, part- time etc. Proposers workforce utilization can be in a narrative format. Identify any firms, including key principals or personnel, proposed to work within your team. D. Organizational and Background Information Please provide the following information: What is the full legal name and Federal tax identification number of your company? What are the corporate address, mailing address, and phone number of your company s main offices? What is your company s legal and financial structure? Provide certification as, ownership by or historical collaborations with MBE, WBE, veteransowned businesses, NGLCC/LGBT businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities and/or disadvantaged business enterprises. Provide any union designations and any relationships that your company has within the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and surrounding region. Claims and Suits a. Has your organization ever failed to complete any work awarded to it? b. List all civil and criminal legal actions in which your organization was a named party currently or in the past five (5) years, providing state, case number and disposition for each. E. Cost of Services Please provide proposed fee structure. F. Additional Information Please provide details regarding your security protocols and/or what other procedures and steps you take to ensure the privacy and security of confidential information. Provide any additional information about the Proposer.

11 Page 11 Exhibit A Diversity Policy for DNCC Contracting and Purchasing Programs

12 Page 12 Exhibit B Solicitation and Commitment Form

13 Page 13 Exhibit C Best and Good Faith Efforts Form