Introduction

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking a contractor to provide an Enterprise Training and Resource Management System (ETMS) that will support the training and development needs of its workforce. The ETMS will be a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that will integrate with existing DHS systems and data sources. The ETMS will enable DHS to plan, manage, deliver, track, and evaluate training activities and resources across the department.

The ETMS contract is a competitive, best-value tradeoff procurement that will be awarded to the offeror that provides the most advantageous proposal to the government. The solicitation number is 70B06C24R00000002 and the estimated value is $20 million. The duration of the term is 5 years base plus 3 x 2 years options.

GDI Consulting is a leading provider of capture and proposal services for government contractors, with a proven track record of winning federal contracts in various domains and agencies. GDI Consulting has the expertise, experience, and resources to help you prepare a winning proposal for the ETMS contract. In this article, we will explain why you should partner with GDI Consulting for this opportunity, and how we can help you with the following aspects of your proposal:

  • Historical background
  • RFP description
  • Participation criteria
  • Challenges and solutions
  • Conclusion

Historical Background

The ETMS contract is a follow-on to the previous contract awarded to Booz Allen Hamilton in 2016 under solicitation number HSHQDC-16-R-00012. The previous contract was for a period of one year base plus four one-year options, with a ceiling value of $11.4 million. The previous contract required the contractor to provide a comprehensive training management system that would support DHS’s training governance framework, training standards, and training evaluation methodology.

The previous contract was part of DHS’s efforts to improve its training and development capabilities, which were identified as a high-risk area by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2015. The GAO found that DHS lacked a department-wide strategy and oversight for its training programs, resulting in duplication, inefficiencies, and gaps in training delivery and outcomes. The GAO recommended that DHS develop and implement a comprehensive training strategy, establish a training governance board, and improve its training data collection and analysis.

The ETMS contract is intended to address these recommendations and enhance DHS’s training and development functions. The ETMS contract will build on the previous contract’s deliverables and expand the scope and functionality of the system to meet the evolving needs of DHS’s workforce.

RFP Description

The RFP for the ETMS contract was released on October 1, 2023, with proposals due on November 15, 2023. The RFP consists of three volumes: Technical, Past Performance, and Price. The Technical volume has four factors: Technical Approach, Management Approach, Staffing Plan, and Transition Plan. The Past Performance volume requires offerors to provide three relevant contracts performed within the last five years. The Price volume requires offerors to provide a fixed-price proposal for the base period and each option period.

The RFP states that the ETMS contractor will be responsible for providing the following services:

  • Designing, developing, testing, deploying, hosting, maintaining, and updating the ETMS solution in accordance with DHS’s requirements and standards
  • Providing user support, help desk, training, documentation, and change management services for the ETMS solution
  • Integrating the ETMS solution with existing DHS systems and data sources, such as HR systems, learning management systems, financial systems, security systems, etc.
  • Ensuring the security, privacy, accessibility, availability, reliability, scalability, and performance of the ETMS solution
  • Providing quality assurance, quality control, risk management, and performance measurement services for the ETMS solution
  • Supporting DHS in conducting user acceptance testing, operational testing, and evaluation of the ETMS solution
  • Complying with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards related to the ETMS contract

The RFP also specifies the minimum qualifications and certifications that the ETMS contractor and its personnel must possess, such as:

  • A Top Secret Facility Clearance
  • A FedRAMP Moderate Authorization
  • A Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
  • A Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certification
  • A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certification
  • A Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) Certification
  • A Certified AWS Solutions Architect (CASA) Certification
  • A Certified Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect (CMASA) Certification

The RFP also provides the evaluation criteria and scoring methodology that DHS will use to assess the proposals and select the awardee. The RFP states that the Technical and Past Performance factors are significantly more important than the Price factor, and that DHS will conduct oral presentations and discussions with the most highly rated offerors.

Participation Criteria

The ETMS contract is a great opportunity for any contractor that has experience and expertise in providing cloud-based, SaaS solutions for training and resource management. The ETMS contract is especially suitable for contractors that have:

  • A strong understanding of DHS’s mission, vision, goals, objectives, and challenges
  • A proven track record of delivering similar solutions to DHS or other federal agencies
  • A team of qualified and certified professionals with relevant skills and experience
  • A robust and innovative technical approach that meets or exceeds DHS’s requirements and expectations
  • A competitive and realistic price proposal that reflects the best value for the government

GDI Consulting meets all these criteria and more. GDI Consulting has:

  • Over 10 years of experience in providing capture and proposal services for government contractors, including DHS and its components
  • Over 100 successful contract wins in various domains and agencies, totaling over $10 billion in contract value
  • A pool of over 500 experts and consultants with diverse backgrounds and qualifications
  • A proprietary methodology and toolset that ensures quality, efficiency, and effectiveness in proposal development and delivery
  • A customer-centric and collaborative approach that fosters trust, transparency, and satisfaction

Challenges and Solutions

The ETMS contract poses several challenges for the potential offerors, such as:

  • Designing and developing a complex and comprehensive system that can handle the diverse and dynamic training needs of DHS’s workforce
  • Integrating the system with multiple existing systems and data sources across DHS’s components and functions
  • Ensuring the security, privacy, accessibility, availability, reliability, scalability, and performance of the system in a cloud environment
  • Providing user support, help desk, training, documentation, and change management services for a large and dispersed user base
  • Complying with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards related to the contract

GDI Consulting has the solutions to overcome these challenges. GDI Consulting can:

  • Leverage its extensive experience and expertise in providing cloud-based, SaaS solutions for training and resource management to design and develop a system that meets or exceeds DHS’s requirements and expectations
  • Utilize its proven integration capabilities and best practices to ensure seamless interoperability between the system and existing systems and data sources
  • Apply its rigorous security standards and protocols to ensure the protection of the system and its data from unauthorized access or use
  • Deploy its dedicated user support team and help desk staff to provide timely and effective assistance to the users of the system
  • Deliver its customized training programs and documentation materials to educate and empower the users of the system
  • Implement its agile change management process to accommodate any changes or updates to the system or its requirements

Conclusion

The ETMS contract is a strategic opportunity for any contractor that wants to establish or expand its presence in the DHS market. The ETMS contract will enable DHS to enhance its training and development capabilities and improve its workforce performance. The ETMS contract will also provide a long-term revenue stream for the contractor that wins it.

GDI Consulting is your ideal partner for this opportunity. GDI Consulting has the experience, expertise, resources, methodology, approach, team, qualifications, certifications, track record, reputation, customer satisfaction and quality assurance to help you win this opportunity. Contact us today at www.gdicwins.com.