DHS Wants Help Modernizing Its Management of Foreign Exchange Student Records

The Homeland Security Department’s principal investigative arm is on the search for contractors interested in providing records and information management support.

Such services would help Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations freshen up and standardize data- and records-handling processes across its Student Exchange Visitor Program, according to a request for information published Tuesday.

“[SEVP] acts as a bridge for government organizations that have an interest in information on nonimmigrants whose primary reason for coming to the United States is to be students,” officials wrote in a draft performance work statement attached to the RFI. The program is responsible for capturing comprehensive information regarding foreign students and exchange visitor participants during their time in America.

The contractor for this work would help officials move records management to a completely electronic environment, enable full search capabilities across all the “artifacts” or archived documents—and more. Interested parties are invited to respond with details regarding existing applications that could do the job and share examples of relevant records management training they’ve supplied to the government.

“Responses to this RFI will be used to identify potential DHS Strategic Sourcing vehicles and set asides for specific small business classifications,” officials wrote. “Therefore, while not responding to this RFI does not directly preclude a vendor from participating in a future solicitation, not responding to this RFI could impact procurement decisions that affect a vendor’s ability to participate in a future solicitation as a prime.”

The deadline for responses is set for April 14.