State looks to consolidate citizen services

The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is looking to replace the existing suite of passport and U.S. citizen services systems with a new set of information management tools.

State has issued a Request for Information to identify commercial solutions that satisfy portions, if not all, of the expected functionality of a Global Citizens Service System and determine the availability of potential businesses that have the capabilities to perform global citizen services.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs is responsible for the issuance of passports and other documents to U.S. citizens and nationals, and for the welfare and protection of U.S. citizens abroad.

Consular Affairs officials want to automate these functions and are seeking industry input on the planned development and implementation of a consolidated consular services system.

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GCS is intended to consolidate, enhance and replace the functionality currently provided by a suite of applications. Critical to the success of GCS is an ongoing segment architecture effort that will culminate in the transition to a service-oriented architecture (SOA), according to the RFI.

Numerous systems and applications currently support the delivery of citizen services across three distinct domains: overseas posts, domestic passport processing facilities and headquarters operations, the RFI states.

GCS will consolidate the functionality of these discrete software elements to provide Consular Affairs personnel with a cohesive and integrated set of tools to deliver services to U.S. citizens globally. The preliminary project scope includes, at a minimum, the current systems supporting U.S. citizens in the Office of Overseas Citizen Services (CA/OCS) and the Office of Passport Services (CA/PPT).

The purpose of the RFI is to supplement market research efforts and inform a planned analysis of alternatives. Although the primary goal of the RFI is to identify off-the-shelf solutions relevant to GCS, vendor input on any aspect of the system's design, development or implementation will be considered, the RFI states.

All responses to the RFI should be provided in electronic format (PDF preferred) and submitted no later than 4 p.m. EDT, Sept. 15, 2010, to Reid-SmithSJ@state.gov.