REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - Department of Justice (DOJ) Justice Management Division (JMD)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

REQUIREMENT: DOJ Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) – Intranet Modernization

This RFI’s specific purpose is solely for market research and planning purposes only, to obtain market information on viable sources, industry best practices, innovative technical approaches/solutions, potential costs and answers to specific questions. This request does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposal, or Request for Quotes nor does it establish a commitment by the DOJ to issue a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract.

Interested parties are advised that the government will NOT pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested partys expenses. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if issued. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to keep up to date on information pertaining to this requirement.

The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the government. No commitment is being made to procure any of the services discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as a commitment or authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.

The Government is not required to respond to any questions submitted in response to this RFI. If the Government chooses to respond to any questions, the questions and answers will be posted to www.sam.gov after 08 December 2023, the due date for responses to this RFI.

Responses to this RFI are completely voluntary and will be treated only as information for the Government to consider. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. In addition, responses received will not enhance or adversely affect any responses to any resulting solicitation if such solicitation is issued at a later date. There is no competitive advantage gained by responding to this RFI.

All submissions will become the property of the Government and will not be returned. Those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback concerning their submission. Proprietary information, if any, must be clearly marked on all material(s) submitted. All information received marked Proprietary will be handled in accordance with 41 USC 2101- 2107.

1. Purpose: The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Justice Management Division (JMD) is soliciting information regarding Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Intranet platforms that can be utilized for enhancing internal communication and for employee engagement purposes. Our primary objective is to procure the services of a highly competent vendor who can offer a robust, secure, and dependable solution that aligns with our specific business requirements.

2. Background: The DOJ is a federal agency responsible for enforcing the law and defending the interests of the United States according to the law. The DOJ has a complex organizational structure that includes various departments, offices, and bureaus spread across the country. Since its launch, DOJNet has served as the Department’s primary intranet providing a centralized location for news and announcements, access to shared documents and databases, calendars and scheduling tools, and training resources. It is accessed by personnel across all DOJ components, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, BOP, etc. through a virtual private network (VPN). In its current state, DOJNet provides a secure and reliable platform for information sharing among DOJ personnel. However, the site has not been reimagined since 2015 and lacks the capabilities and functionality to encourage collaboration, foster productivity, and most importantly is not responsive on mobile devices.

3. Requirements: To this end, DOJ will design and implement a modern, purposeful, and mobile-ready SaaS intranet platform named "Justice Hub" that delivers a personalized user experience for staff to access information easily. Justice Hub will be designed with a modern user interface that is in line with the eight principles established in the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), the US Web Design System, and leading social media and office productivity tools.

• Of paramount importance, the solution must be 508 compliant ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to accessing vital information.

• The platform will be mobile-ready, ensuring that staff can access it securely from their mobile devices.

• The platform will include federated search capabilities spanning multiple repositories such as the intranet, SharePoint, Service Now, and others. Justice Hub will integrate metrics with actionable data, allowing staff to access relevant information easily. The platform will be easy to use, and everyone will be able to manage their content.

• Auto-governance will be implemented to ensure that unused or old content ages out automatically, keeping the platform organized and up to date. The platform will leverage AI and/or ML to tailor the user experience, delivering relevant content to each user. Integration with common business platform information will be delivered on the intranet using APIs.

• Finally, the platform will be rebranded with a new identity to differentiate it from the old intranet. The new identity will be "Justice Hub," which will deliver a more modern, relevant, and engaging user experience to staff.

4. Scope: The scope of this requirement covers all development and support to deliver this functionality. It includes requirements definition, design, configuration, testing, deployment, and content migration activities to support this scope.

The DOJ is in search of industry capabilities and a vendor that offers and can provide a SaaS platform that includes the following requirements.

• A leading intranet as a service SaaS platform for internal communication accessible to all Departmental personnel.
• Real-time sharing of Departmental news, updates, and announcements.
• Compliant with the 21st Century Digital Experience Act (IDEA) that leverages the US Web Design System (USWDS) framework.
• User-friendly content creation, editing, and publishing without requiring IT assistance or specialized experience.
• An intuitive and customizable interface.
• Seamless integration with other DOJ software tools.
• Integration with identity and access management systems, e.g. Okta and ADFS.
• Strong security and privacy measures that can meet federal standards, NIST SP 800-53.
• A reliable, scalable, and cloud-based infrastructure.
• Around-the-clock technical support and customer service.

5. Response Guidelines: Information provided in response to this RFI must be submitted to the Contracting Officer, Kim Sakura Higa via email at sakura.higa@usdoj.gov, no later than 08 December , 2023 in the form of an electronic document using portable document format (PDF) or Microsoft Word. The page limit for all responses is not to exceed fifteen (15) single-sided, 12-point-font size, Calibri font, 8½ x 11-inch pages, including a two-page Capability Statement. It is the respondent’s responsibility to verify that the Department received and can view the email.

Respondents should include the following information:

1. Company/Organization name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone, website address (if available), and the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with Government representatives.
2. Platform Features – Describe the features and functionality of the recommended platform, including the ability to deliver tailored content, integrated search capability, governance strategies, and ease of use.
3. User Experience – Please describe your approach to designing a modern, user-friendly, and mobile-ready user interface, including any examples of previous work. Also include your approach incorporating usability reviews into ensuring an optimal user experience.
4. Security and Compliance – Please describe the security measures in place to protect the intranet platform and data, including any relevant compliance certifications or accreditations.
5. 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) – Please provide information on how the recommended platform aligns with the principles and standards set forth by the 21st Century IDEA and the US Web Design System. Include details on how the recommended platform supports mobile responsiveness, accessibility, and a consistent and user-friendly design in accordance with these guidelines.
6. Accessible Design – Please provide examples of how your intranet platform complies with Section 508 standards, specifically the 38 WCAG Success Criteria, and how you measured against those standards.
7. Project Approach – Describe your technical approach on how you would meet the requirements. Due to the scope of the project, what are the phases and major milestones to accomplish the desired end state?
8. Implementation Process – The Department envisions that this would be a project that would require a cross-functional team of product designers, user experience designers, usability experts, and developers to prototype, implement, and test over time. Please provide an overview of the implementation process, including timelines, resources, required, and any potential challenges.
9. Pricing and Support – Please provide any cost drivers and factors that would define or affect cost or pricing for the recommended platform, recommended professional services, and any ongoing support and maintenance services. Please include adequate labor categories you believe necessary to execute this requirement.
10. Contract Vehicles – Detail any existing contract vehicle(s), GSA FSS or GWAC your product/solution/services are available on. Please provide the specific GSA contract number or other identifier for any contract vehicles on which your product/solution is available.
11. Certified Integrators – Please provide companies, if any, that you have worked with to integrate your product into customer’s environment. Provide any acquisition vehicle that the Department may be able to leverage to access the integrator.
12. Provide a list of previous contracts where similar services were provided. Provide customer/Government Agency contact information where these services were provided including: contact name and organization, telephone number, and email address.
13. What risks or challenges does your company anticipate in performing this requirement? Please identify any risks and potential mitigations or concerns. Provide best practices for acquiring the same or similar scope of products and services that you recommend DOJ consider. What additional information do you recommend the Government provide to propose on this requirement?

6. Evaluation Considerations: The DOJ will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity for support consistent with the scope described in this RFI and otherwise anticipated based on the following:

• The industry’s ability to meet the DOJ’s business requirements.
• The total cost of ownership.
• The project approach and recommended implementation process.
• Compliance with the 21st Century IDEA, US Web Design System, and 508 accessibility.
• Compliance with federal security and privacy standards.
• Technical support and customer service capabilities.

At the Government’s discretion it may schedule demonstrations with vendors, as time permits, prior to or following the close of this RFI. Additionally, Industry is encouraged to advise the Government of additional information it needs to better understand the Government’s requirements, to reduce the risk contingency built into pricing, and to reduce barriers to competition.

All prospective Contractors are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.11 they shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database and shall complete annual Representations and Certifications in SAM prior to any offer. SAM is located at http://www.sam.gov and consolidates the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS.

There is no cost to use SAM.

Determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

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