— Domani Spero
[twitter-follow screen_name=’Diplopundit’ ]
On September 29, the State Department issued a “Sources Sought Notice” via fed biz.gov to “identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support a requirement developing and validating a pre-employment physical fitness assessment for Special Agent (SA) candidate selection.” The announcement says that there is no incumbent contract:
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Contracts and Procurement Division is issuing this Sources Sought Notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support a requirement developing and validating a pre-employment physical fitness assessment for Special Agent (SA) candidate selection. This includes, but is not limited to: identifying the physical requirements for successful completion of the course and all required training associated with assignments directed by DS; measuring the relevant physical abilities required upon entry into the SA position; and, compliance with the Title 5, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations “Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures,” the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
The results of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement and assist DOS in developing and further defining procurement, acquisition, and development strategies.
Below from the Draft SOW posted online:
The contractor shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of DS’ entry-level training for GS-1811 and FS-2501 skill codes, known as the Basic Special Agent Course (BSAC), with a primary emphasis on identifying the physical requirements for successful completion of the course and all required training associated with assignments directed by DS. Additionally, the contractor shall develop and validate a pre-employment physical fitness assessment for Special Agent (SA) candidate selection. The assessment shall accurately and objectively measure the relevant physical abilities required upon entry into the SA position. The development and validation procedures shall comply with the Title 5, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations “Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures,” the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Due consideration shall be given to professional guidelines such as Standards for Education and Psychological Tests (published by the American Psychological Association) and the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures published by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
[…]
DS recognizes the value in selecting the right men and women to serve its law enforcement, protective security, and security management mission critical occupations. Thus, DS is committed to enhancing its selection and screening procedures for selecting applicants into these positions in order to ensure continued success of the agency’s mission to provide a secure environment for the conduct of diplomacy. As part of this commitment to our mission, DS recognizes the need to ensure that each individual selected into its law enforcement ranks is able to meet the physical training requirements and physical demands required to effectively perform the duties of the job. The implementation of a validated pre-employment physical fitness assessment should result in cost savings associated with training recruits who will meet minimum physical fitness standards. Developing a workforce of more physically fit personnel should enhance productivity, and reduce injury and illness-related work absences. The assessment will also provide maximum safety considerations for applicants and Diplomatic Security during training.
[…]
DS is seeking a professional company to assist in the development of a job-related pre-employment physical fitness assessment that will meet our goal of effectively screening applicants against validated physical fitness requirements for successful completion of the Basic Special Agent Course (BSAC) and all required training associated with assignments directed by DS. Our goal is to implement a valid assessment that will allow for the selection of highly qualified applicants while minimizing adverse impact to the greatest extent possible.
The requirement for a comprehensive pre-employment assessment has multiple deliverables; announcement says the services required of the Contractor shall be completed within 120 calendar days of the contract award date.
* * *