8221 - Statement of Work
Materials Management Department
901-B Texas Street
Denton, Texas 76209
Background Check Services
STATEMENT OF WORK
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Name of Project: Background Check Services
1.0 Introduction/Background:
The City of Denton (the City) is seeking a term contract for the supply of Pre-Employment and
Post-Offer Background Check Services as well as Volunteer Background Check Services to
be purchased as needed over the term of the contract. The City is seeking a solution to
evaluate job candidates and volunteers prior to appointment for a variety of pre-employment
and post-offer checks, with an interest in criminal history records that may disqualify them from
employment or volunteering. Services must be readily available through web-based access.
The City conducts approximately 1,500 pre-employment and post-offer checks each year. This
does not equate to the number of new hires because multiple checks are required for full, part-
time, and seasonal employees before confirming the selection of the new employee. In
addition, the City welcomes the services of approximately 1,300 volunteers to serve in the
Parks, Library, other departments, and at city-wide special events.
2.0 Objectives:
As outlined in City Policy (102.00 Eligibility for Employment), background checks will be
conducted on all post-offer applicants for full-time, part-time, as well as seasonal and
temporary positions. Additionally, background checks are conducted on volunteers before they
are permitted to volunteer with the City. A review and evaluation of the results of a background
check is done on a case-by-case basis, and factors such as the job applied for, time lapsed,
frequency, age of the applicant at the time of infraction, and circumstances surrounding the
offense are considered.
The successful company must be engaged in the business of providing criminal background
checks for post-offer employment/volunteer screening services for a minimum of five (5) years
within the last seven (7) years.
3.0 Scope of Work:
Provide a detailed Work Plan for accomplishing the work and services to be provided to the
City. The work plan must describe:
A. The firm’s methodology, including a detailed project plan and time frames from the award
date to implementation.
B. If there are any technology requirements, they must be specified.
C. The pre-employment and/or post-offer check procedure shall provide details for the
research and reporting.
D. Clearly articulate the requirements for permission from the applicant/volunteer, transmittal
of request to the provider, and anticipated time needed for the response.
E. The work plan shall clearly distinguish the firm’s duties and responsibilities and those of
the City. Absence of this distinction shall mean the firm is assuming full responsibility for all
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tasks.
F. Please detail the “turnaround” time frame to deliver a background once requested by the
City.
G. Vendor shall provide a workflow of its pre-employment/post-offer/volunteer screening
process, how it ensures currency with Federal and state laws affecting employment
screening, and how it will ensure legal compliance of those laws.
H. The vendor shall describe its security and data protection practices and how it ensures
compliance with the Federal Credit Reporting Act.
I. Vendor shall supply and online method to request background checks that allows an
additional field for the City to provide internal account identifier codes.
J. Vendor shall exercise good-faith and due diligence in checking backgrounds to ensure the
accuracy of all information provided to the Human Resources representative, and Vendor
will provide a detailed monthly billing report of invoices directly to the City Human
Resources representative in an Excel spreadsheet by email or have access available on
the website which includes, but is not limited to:
a. List full name of new hire/volunteer and type of checks performed.
b. Name of each county with any additional costs, if applicable.
c. City supplied internal account identifier code, if applicable.
4.0 Task Identification:
The vendor shall:
A. Provide non-legal guidance and interpretation regarding background checks to the
designated City Human Resources representatives. Conform to Fair Credit Reporting Act
(FCRA) while performing under this contract. Work with the City Human Resources
representatives to design and coordinate report formats.
B. Provide a single, secure website using encryption and authentication standards to protect
the confidentiality of web transactions. The website should incorporate a mechanism for
detecting any alterations in transit, so that eavesdropping on or tampering with web traffic
is impossible. This is essential for the safe transmission of confidential personal information.
The website should be user friendly and efficient in the ordering of criminal background
checks and receiving detailed reports by designated City Human Resources
representatives.
C. Maintain the website throughout the term of this contract and ensure that the website is
available during normal Human Resources business hours. These hours are: 7:00 a.m.
through 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), Monday through Friday.
D. Provide an interface that will allow designated City Human Resources representatives to
create between three (3) to four (4) user IDs for additional City Human Resources
representatives to access the system. The system should generate a unique password for
each user ID and then require that the new user modify this password the first time they
use this system. The interface should include an auditing function that allows the City to
identify the individual responsible for creating a user ID in the system.
E. Provide a turnaround time for pre-employment/post-offer checks within 72 hours. If this is
not a reasonable expectation from your experience, please indicate your typical turnaround
time and what impacts the turnaround. We understand it may take multiple days to conduct
an out-of-state or multi-state check (please refer to F below).
F. A written request for additional time (outside of what is outlined in E above) to complete the
service for out-of-state or international searches, which includes a justification, shall be
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submitted by the vendor to the designated City representative requesting the service. The
designated City Human Resources representative will approve the request in writing before
services are performed.
5.0 Vendor Requirements:
Must be a company engaged in the business of providing criminal background checks for post-
offer employment/volunteer screening services for a minimum of five (5) years within the last
seven (7) years.
Accreditation with the National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) is
highly preferred. Company must have a Texas Department of Public Safety Certificate of
Licensure as an Investigations Company in accordance with the Occupations Code Chapter
1702.
Vendor must provide references for similarly successful projects from three (3) governmental
agencies. For each reference, include the dates of service, name of the agency, contact name,
telephone, and email address.
6.0 Deliverables:
At a minimum, required checks for this RFP should include a State of Texas and Federal
criminal history background check, to be inclusive of an address history check; a social security
number (SSN) verification; and a motor vehicle report. City also requests that vendor response
contains examples of vendor’s reporting format.
REQUIRED:
1. Post-Offer/Pre-Employment Background Checks:
a. State of Texas and Federal Criminal
b. SSN Verification
c. Complete Address History
d. National Sex Offender Registry
e. County Level Searches (Be specific, for example, does price include unlimited
counties, up to three counties, up to five counties, etc.)
f. Terrorist Database
2. Post-Offer/Pre-Employment Background Checks with Motor Vehicle:
a. State of Texas and Federal Criminal
b. Texas motor vehicle report, or from applicable/requested state (Will there be
additional fees based on state requested?)
c. SSN Verification
d. Complete Address History
e. National Sex Offender Registry
f. County Level Searches (Be specific, for example, does price include unlimited
counties, up to three counties, up to five counties, etc.)
g. Terrorist Database
3. Volunteer Background Checks:
a. State of Texas and Federal Criminal
b. SSN Verification
c. Complete Address History
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d. National Sex Offender Registry
e. County Level Searches (Be specific, for example, does price include unlimited
counties, up to three counties, up to five counties, etc.)
f. Terrorist Database
OPTIONAL:
1. Employment verification
2. Educational background verification
3. Other pre-employment/post-offer services (a la carte). Provide a listing of each individual
background check, credit reports, validations, verifications, and other services (not including
drug testing) your company provides and the associated cost/fee.
Services must be readily available through web-based access.
DEFINITIONS:
1. Credit Report – This will be to determine (on an as needed basis), as a minimum, the
financial stability and any judgements rendered against the applicant. The City anticipates
that only certain positions will require this particular report. This report must be in
compliance with all requirements of the Federal Credit Reporting Act.
2. Criminal History Background (Required for this RFP) – Physical searches of criminal
records shall include, but not limited to, the State of Texas, Texas counties, and out-of-
state counties based on the known current and multi-jurisdictional searches including, but
not limited to, statewide and country databases and the National Sex Offender database.
NOTE: Applicant/volunteer addresses that exceed seven (7) years shall not be included in
the search unless vendor has received a written request from the Human Resources
Department or Human Resources representative to perform a search for the past ten (10)
years and then applicant/volunteer address from more than the past ten (10) years shall be
included in the search.
3. Educational Background – This report should confirm attendance, diplomas, degrees,
certifications, specific training from any school, or licensure and verification of highest level
completed.
4. Employment History – This report should include an extensive verification of employers
provided on the application, with an attempt to discover discrepancies and/or gaps, while
ascertaining performance ratings and rehire eligibility.
5. Motor Vehicle Report (Required for this RFP) – This report will be for any new hire that will
be operating machinery or a City-owned vehicle. This report should include all traffic
violations, automobile accidents, and current licensing information.
6. Personal References – This report aids in the investigation of the credibility and character
of the applicant by a standard (City and provider agreed) list of comprehensive questions
asked of each reference in a telephone interview.
7. Social Security Number (SSN) Verification (Required for this RFP) – This report should
confirm that the SSN provided by the applicant is valid and is affiliated with the individual.
8. Terrorist Database (Required for this RFP) – Government Sanctions from, but not limited
to, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Government Services Administration (GSA),
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and
the Bureau of International Security and Non-Proliferation.
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8.0 Price Structure:
The City is interested in understanding a complete listing and pricing of pre-employment, post-
offer, and volunteer check services your firm provides. When responding to this RFP, please
refer to 6.0 Deliverables. This will ensure that the City and vendor are in agreement on the
services provided.
At a minimum, required checks for this RFP shall include the services listed as Required in 6.0
Deliverables.