RFI-Human Resources PAR, Pay and Benefits Processing Service

Request for Information (RFI) / Market Research

This announcement is a Request for Information (RFI) from industry to conduct market research for HR Services related to Personnel Action Requests (PAR), Payroll, and Benefits (PP&B). The Department of Commerce (DOC) is seeking a third-party vendor to deliver these services to the majority of DOC bureaus and the Office of the Secretary (OS), including support for transition, implementation, operations, and ongoing enhancements. This RFI does not constitute a formal Request for Quote (RFQ) or Proposal (RFP) and is not an indication that a contract will be awarded.

The DOC is requesting feedback on the following areas:

• Sufficiency of information in provided attachments for proposal development.
• Proposed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and methods for measuring performance and timeliness.
• Key personnel descriptions.
• Adequacy of information for providing per-transaction cost estimates.
• Pricing structures for mass PAR actions versus individual PAR transactions.
• Feedback on the evaluation approach.
• Industry experience with integrated HR services of similar size and complexity, including pricing methods used.

The following attachments are provided to support market research:

• Draft Program Requirements and Evaluation Approach

• Draft Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

• Draft Key Personnel Descriptions

• Draft Projected PP&B and Call Center Workload Volumes

• Draft Pricing Template

• Draft Staffing Model

• Responses are limited to 15 pages (excluding cover page).

• Specific company information (name, address, contact, business size, NAICS, years in business, employee count) is required.

• Questions and comments are due by December 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST to cpalmer@doc.gov.

• The DOC is not responsible for any costs incurred by responders.

• The government may contact respondents for further information.

• No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses.

• Information provided may be used to develop requirements and acquisition strategy, and will be publicly released if used in this manner.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a draft template for bidders to complete a staffing model for the Payroll, Payroll, and Benefits (PP&B) functions. It includes instructions for two main sections: Transition Services and Transactional Services.

• Instructions: Bidders must complete all yellow-highlighted cells. Rows for additional labor categories can be added, but formulas in non-highlighted cells should not be altered.
• Transition Services Tab: Requires bidders to use Labor Categories (LCATs) from the Rate Card, identify Key Personnel, determine transition hours per month, and consolidate resources by labor category (e.g., one row for multiple Senior Process Consultants).
• Transactional Services Tab: Similar to the Transition Services tab, it requires LCATs from the Rate Card, Key Personnel identification, and alignment of LCATs to SOW sections using a provided mapping table. Bidders must complete sections for Payroll, Personnel, Benefits, and Technology operations. Resources should be consolidated by labor category.
• SOW Mapping: Provides a table linking functional areas (Payroll, Personnel, Benefits, HRIT Operations) to specific SOW sections.
• Example Data: The sheets include example entries for labor categories, key personnel, and monthly/annual hours to guide bidders.

This template is crucial for bidders to detail their proposed staffing plan, including labor categories, hours, and alignment with the SOW requirements. Completing this accurately is necessary for proposal submission and will likely be a factor in evaluation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This Excel file, "Attachment 4: DRAFT Projected PPB and Call Center Workload Volumes," provides projected workload volumes and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) counts relevant to the opportunity. It is intended to help bidders understand the scale of operations for Payroll, Benefits, and Call Center services.

• PP&B Estimated Volumes (CY 2026): Details projected annual volumes for Personnel Action Requests (PAR), Payroll, and Benefits, broken down by semi-annual periods.
  • Total Projected PAR: 57,046
  • Total Projected Payroll: 20,056
  • Total Projected Benefits: 6,340
• FTE Count by SHRO (as of 9/30/2025): Lists the number of FTEs by Servicing HR Organization (SHRO).
  • NOAA: 11,285 FTEs
  • OHRM/Talent Support: 3,455 FTEs
  • Census: 6,999 FTEs
  • Total: 21,533 FTEs
• Contact Center Volume (2024): Provides historical HRIT service volumes (eOPF, HRC, webTA, Access Requests) and HR contact volumes (Calls, Emails, Portal) for the period January 6 - December 11, 2024.

This document offers critical data for bidders to estimate the scope and resource requirements for potential contract work related to Payroll, Benefits, and Call Center operations. The projected volumes and FTE counts can inform resource allocation, staffing models, and overall proposal strategy.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a draft pricing template (Excel spreadsheet) provided to assist bidders in preparing their cost proposals for the Payroll, Payroll, and Benefits (PP&B) program. It includes instructions for completing various sections related to labor rates, transition pricing, and transactional pricing.

• Instructions Tab: Outlines overall instructions, including which cells to complete (highlighted yellow) and which to leave untouched (formulas). It provides specific guidance for the 'Rate Card' and 'Transition Pricing' tabs.
• Rate Card Tab: Requires bidders to input yearly increase factors, their 738X schedule labor category names, and discount rates. Columns for Year 1 through Year 5 rates will auto-populate based on bidder input and government formulas. It lists specific labor categories (e.g., Senior Program Manager, HR Subject Matter Expert, Senior Payroll Specialist) with descriptions.
• Transition Pricing Tab: Bidders must use LCATs from the Rate Card and Key Personnel from the draft RFP. This section requires inputting Year 1 and Year 2 rates, and monthly hours for the transition period. It also includes example entries for 'Transition Lead' and 'Senior Process Consultant'.
• Transactional Pricing Tab: Bidders need to provide a fully loaded cost per transaction for services like Payroll, Personnel (Mass and Individual Actions), Benefits, and HRIT Administration. These costs should align with SOW sections and the staffing model.

This template is crucial for bidders to accurately calculate and present their pricing in accordance with the government's requirements. It dictates the format for labor rates, transition costs, and transactional costs, directly impacting proposal evaluation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment 3: Key Personnel Descriptions," provides detailed role descriptions and requirements for key personnel needed to support PAR, Payroll, and Benefits services, including contact support services. These descriptions and requirements have been updated to reflect current needs.

• Program Manager: Requires 15+ years of Program Management experience and a Bachelor's Degree. Preferred skills include shared services and Federal HR experience.
• Operations Director / Center Lead: Requires 15+ years of Operations experience and a Bachelor's degree. Preferred skills include Federal HR and shared services experience.
• Transition Lead: Requires 8+ years of Shared Services Design and/or Implementation Experience and a Bachelor's degree. Preferred skills include Federal HR experience.
• Quality Control Lead: Requires 8+ years Operations Experience and a Bachelor's degree. Preferred skills include Federal HR Experience.
• End-to-End Federal HR SME: Requires 10+ years of Federal HR Experience and a Bachelor's Degree. Preferred qualifications include Technical IT systems experience and experience with specific HR systems.
• Benefits Lead: Requires 10+ years of Federal Benefits experience and strong interpersonal skills. Preferred skills include a Bachelor's degree and experience with specific HR systems.
• Payroll Lead: Requires 10+ years of Federal Compensation experience and strong communication skills. Preferred skills include a Bachelor's degree and experience with specific HR systems.
• PAR Lead: Requires 10+ years Federal HR Experience and strong supervisory skills. Preferred skills include experience with specific HR systems and a Bachelor's degree.
• Records and Document Management Lead: Requires 5+ years of work experience and strong attention to detail. Preferred skills include a Bachelor's degree.
• Contact Center Lead: Requires 5+ years of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) or shared service experience and proficiency with Microsoft Office products. Preferred skills include a Bachelor's degree and leadership/management experience.
• HRIT Lead: Requires 10+ years of Federal HRIT experience and demonstrated proficiency in project management. Preferred qualifications include Technical IT systems experience and experience with specific HR systems.
• Communications Lead: Requires 5+ years of relevant experience and demonstrated proficiency in the English language. Preferred qualifications include Federal HR Experience.

This document is crucial for bidders to understand the specific qualifications and experience required for key personnel positions. It helps vendors assess their ability to staff the contract with qualified individuals and tailor their proposals to meet these requirements.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document provides draft Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for the opportunity. These SLAs are subject to change, calibration, baselining, and final agreement. Some SLAs highlighted in blue are draft fee-at-risk SLAs that may have financial implications if not met, with details to be determined during negotiations.

• Contact Center SLAs: Speed to Answer, Tier 1 Resolution, Overall Contact Resolution, and Customer Satisfaction Survey.
• PAR Processing SLAs: Timeliness and Quality.
• Payroll Processing SLAs: Timeliness and Quality.
• Benefits Processing SLAs: Timeliness and Quality.
• eOPF SLAs: Transmission Timeliness (case file upload within 10 business days) and eOPF Quality (accurate and complete documentation).
• Reporting SLAs: Operational and Performance Reporting accuracy and timeliness.
• HRIT Data SLAs: Data Maintenance (consistent information across systems) and At Fault No-Pays (timely payment processing).
• SINQ Processing Timeliness: Correction of PAR, Payroll, and Benefits actions in suspense.

This document outlines the performance standards and metrics that will likely govern the contract. Bidders should review these draft SLAs to understand the expected performance levels, potential financial risks associated with fee-at-risk SLAs, and how their performance will be measured. This information is crucial for proposal development and understanding the operational requirements of the contract.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "Attachment 1: Draft Program Requirements and Evaluation Approach," outlines the proposed requirements and the evaluation methodology for a solicitation related to Personnel Action Request, Payroll, and Benefits Services (PP&B) for the Department of Commerce (DOC). It serves as a foundational document for potential bidders to understand the scope of work and how their proposals will be assessed.

• Program Requirements: Details the need for a third-party vendor to deliver PP&B services, including transition, implementation, operations, and enhancements. It describes the DOC's human resources model, technology landscape, and key partners.
• Functional Requirements: Outlines two phases of work: Transition Services (Phase 1) and Operational Services (Phase 2), detailing specific tasks such as transactional processing (payroll, PAR, benefits), operations management, and HRIT administration.
• Technical Requirements: Specifies the need for the contractor to be SLA-compliant, adhere to data ownership policies, and manage incident response.
• Management Plans: Requires the development of Quality Control, Emergency Preparedness, Contractor Financial Management, and Records/Document Management Plans.
• Staffing Plan: Mandates a detailed staffing plan, workforce analysis, and retention strategies.
• Evaluation Approach: Describes the multi-phase acquisition process (RFP, discussions, award) and the evaluation factors: Technical Approach (weighted most heavily), Past Performance, and Cost/Price. Specific elements within the Technical Approach include Transition Plan, Technical Solution for Operational Services, Program Management Plan, Key Personnel, and Staffing Model.

This document is critical for bidders as it defines the scope of services required, the operational environment, and the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated. It provides insight into the government's expectations for transition, ongoing operations, technical capabilities, management, staffing, and past performance. Understanding these requirements and the evaluation approach is essential for developing a compliant and competitive proposal.