SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS AND VALIDATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS STURCTURE, STAFFING ADN MISSION AND WORK ASIGNMENTS AND RECOMMEND NECCESSARY CHANGES IMPORVEMENTS
- Notice Date
- 6/10/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Procurement Management Division, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Mail Stop 0741, Washington, DC, 20250
- ZIP Code
- 20250
- Solicitation Number
- RQ-31ME-2-0007
- Response Due
- 6/24/2002
- Point of Contact
- Tammy Winters, Contract Specialist, Phone (202)692-0307, Fax (202)692-0235, - Ann Mitchell, Contracting Officer, Phone 202-692-0109, Fax 202-692-0117,
- E-Mail Address
-
twinters@rdmail.rural.usda.gov, amitchel@rdmail.rural.usda.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Very Small Business
- Description
- THIS WILL BE A COMBINED SYNOPSIS AND SOLICITATION STATEMENT OF WORK Conduct and Independent Analysis and Validation of Information Resources Management Organization Structure, Staffing, and Mission, and Work Assignments and Recommend Any Necessary Changes and Improvements Necessary to Improve the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Rural Development Information Resource Management and Information Technology Support Programs 1.0 General 1.1 Background Information technology (IT) in both the private and public sectors has undergone a significant transformation within the past several years which has expanded and altered the type of automation support activities now delivered by organizations assigned this responsibility. The emergence of web-based applications and systems has expanded automation support activities by emphasizing the need for increased telecommunications capabilities and improved security processes to protect information assets. The deployment of mainframe applications has been superceded with the design, development, and implementation of web-centric applications hosted on servers. Organizational constructs such as ?web farms? have been introduced. New automation technologies have been introduced such as firewalls, intrusion detection, public key identification (PKI), electronic data interchange (EDI), data warehouses/data marts, imaging and workflow management, fully automated call centers, automated mail handling, and many others. New software tools have been introduced which has and continues to alter the landscape of IT organizations as they struggle to keep pace with the accelerating availability of new automation technology. Organizational structures that, in the past, supported a mainframe environment and a limited array of tools, operating systems, and data base management systems are no longer effective to responding to the automation support demands of today. In addition to this technical evolution, congressional mandates have emerged that require government agencies to better plan and manage IT capital investments. IT managers must now be knowledgeable in financial management concepts such as the computation of present values, pay-back period computations, and the computation of return on investment. Performance goals must be defined and measured continually throughout the life of an investment. The Department of Agriculture has developed and deployed an Information Technology Investment Planning System (ITIPS) to monitor the performance of agencies in the accomplishment of all capital planning activities. Annual reporting and review processes are coordinated through the Department with the Office of Management and Budget. These new capital planning activities have been absorbed by IRM but not efficiently integrated into the organization. Over the past several years, like most organizations within the federal government, the Information Resources Management organization has been impacted by staffing cuts and decreased budget allocations. In some divisions and branches reductions in supervisory staff has increased supervisory-to-employee ratios above 25 to 1 while other parts of the IRM organization experience significantly lower ratios. Although this allows IRM to maintain an overall acceptable ratio, realignment of managerial and supervisory ratios is imperative to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of managers in IRM divisions and branches with the extremely high ratios. Secondly, as a result of hiring restrictions and budgetary limitations, the IRM organization has been unable to transform itself to keep pace with the changing technical environment as well as the emerging legislative and Departmental mandates impacting on its mission. New mission and work assignments have been made to divisions and branches based on the availability of personnel and not necessarily on assigned mission. This has resulted in much overlapping of work assignments and conflictsin carrying out assigned missions. Thirdly, the reduction in staff has caused many tasks performed within IRM that are directed to monitoring and improving IRM efficiency and effectiveness have been abandoned and the performance of other tasks has been reduced in frequency. Some examples of such tasks include the constant monitoring and analysis of cost reports related to National Information Technology Center billings, strategic IRM planning efforts, and the analysis of National Finance Center costs. 1.2 Objective This Statement of Work (SOW) is directed toward the completion of an analysis of the current organizational and staffing make up of Rural Development?s Information Resources Management organization. This includes the development of recommendations that will allow the Agency to build an IT organization better able to provide the automation support required by the Agency and better positioned to meet the ever changing automation technologies that are rapidly emerging through out the industry. 1.3 Scope The Agency requires the analysis of current mission responsibilities and workload assignments throughout the IRM organization both in Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Mo. The organization structure of the Rural Development IRM should be studied, evaluated, and compared to the structure in other government agencies and in private industry. Recommendations for organizational and staffing changes should be based on an assessment of ?best practices? throughout the IT community. Interviews of key IRM managers including the Chief Information Officer, Deputy Chief Information Officer, all division directors, and selected branch chiefs should be conducted. The Agency requires this analysis and the resulting recommendations in order to effect changes in the IRM organization that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of automation support program throughout the Agency. 2.0 Description of Service The contractor shall provide services necessary to perform a review of all RD Information Technology (IT) programs and organizations including the Information Resources Management (IRM) and Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and other RD organizations performing IT related work. The review will analyze organization mission, structure, tasks and functions and provide a blueprint for moving RD IT to a structure that better serves the changing technology needs of the RD community. Services will include - Conducting an Independent Analysis and Validation of the RD IT organization structure, staffing, mission, and work assignments and recommend any necessary changes and enhancements necessary to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the agency-wide information technology program. The contractor will follow an approved work plan in the conduct of this contract and the work plan will become part of the contract upon approval. The deliverable will be a final approved report outlining the results of the study and recommendations for improvements in the IRM organization structure, staffing levels, and work assignments. A kickoff meeting will be scheduled by the contractor within five (5) business days after the award of this statement of work to request documentation and background information, agree on milestones and to ensure the contractor understands the objectives and scope of this effort. The COR and government representatives will provide necessary information. The contractor will prepare final meeting minutes, with action items for both parties that result from the meeting, within two (2) business days of the meeting. The government can provide changes to the minutes during the period of performance. Within ten (10) business days the contractor will submit a work plan for the completion of this statement of work. The work plan will include a Microsoft Project schedule detailing tasks and milestones and will prepare a narrative of the approach and tasks necessary to accomplish the SOW. The government will review and comment on the plan within ten (10) business days of receipt. The contractor will submit the final plan within five (5) business days after government comments are received and the government will approve a final acceptable plan. The contractor will identify and propose, at a minimum, two federal agencies and two private companies that will be used to establish the ?best practices? in the information technology industry and that will be used as the base against which the current Rural Development IRM organizational structure and staffing levels will be measured. This proposal will be reviewed and approved by the government. The contractor will conduct interviews or fact-finding meetings of identified government staff in the performance of this study. The contractor will publish meeting minutes from these sessions as described above. Weekly progress reports will be submitted by the contractor to the Chief Information Officer, the Deputy Chief Information Officer, and all IRM division directors. This report will outline contractor activities and accomplishments against the approved work plan and will outline any problems and issues encountered by the contractor in the completion of scheduled tasks. The contractor will schedule and conduct weekly conferences with the CIO, DCIO, and all IRM division directors to discuss this report and to resolve any questions and issues that arise during the performance of this statement of work. The dates and times of these weekly meetings will be established during the clarification meeting conducted at the onset of this statement of work. Within sixty (60) business days, the contractor will produce a draft RD IT Organization Review Report as described in the Scope and Description of Service sections of this SOW. It will include the results of the study and the recommendations for improvements in the Rural Development IRM organization structure, staffing levels, and work assignments. The government will review the draft within ten (10) business days of receipt. The contractor will submit the final plan within fifteen (15) business days after government comments are received. The government will approve a final acceptable plan. 3.0 Deliverables Contract deliverables shall be furnished as paper copies (4) and in softcopy (electronic media) either transmitted via email to identified IRM managers or on a 3 1/2 inch diskette. All deliverables will be constructed using the Microsoft Office suite including MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-Project, and MS-Powerpoint. Flow charts and other diagrams included in the deliverables should be developed using Visio Professional 2000 software. Deliverables for this statement of work include: Draft and approved project work plan in MS-Project or MS-Excel format Meeting minutes in MS-Word format. Weekly status reports in MS-Word format to be submitted by cob Monday for the previous week. A draft report outlining the results of the study and the recommendations for improvements in the Rural Development IRM organization structure, staffing levels, and work assignments will be delivered within sixty (60) business days of award. This deliverable will be prepared using the software described above. The government will review the draft within ten (10) business days of receipt. The contractor will submit the final plan within fifteen (15) business days after government comments are received. The government will approve a final acceptable plan. 4.0 Place of Performance Work will be performed at the Agency?s facilities in Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri, except where travel is necessary to perform fact finding activities related to the identification of best practices employed by other IRM organizations in both private industry and the government as approved by the Government. All interviews and work requiring the support of government personnel shall be conducted during regular Government working hours, 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 5.0 Period of Performance The period of performance under this SOW is 100 business days from the date of the award of this statement of work. For purposes of this SOW a business day is defined as Monday through Friday, excluding Saturday, Sunday and all Federal holidays, between 8 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. eastern time. The USDA Office of Rural Development, Information Technology (IT) is requesting proposals to Conduct an Independent Analysis and Validation of Information Resources Management Organizations Structure, Staffing and Mission and Work Assignments and Recommend any necessary changes and improvements necessary to improve the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Rural Development Automation Support Program. See attached file for Statement of Work. Please submit quotes via email to twinters@rdmail.rural.usda.gov, if you have any questions please contact Tammy Winters @ 202-692-0307. The following clauses must be reviewed, with clauses (52.212-3,52.212-5) printed out and filled in where needed and included with quote, please fill in all information at the bottom of this synopsis. 1. 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2000) 2. 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (APR 2001) 3. 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (MAR 2001) 4. 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items Alt I This Clause has been edited to remove non-applicable clauses. As prescribed in 12.301(b)(4), insert the following clause: Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Dec 2001) (a) The Contractor shall comply with the following FAR clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: (1) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (E.O. 11755 (2) 52.233-3, Protest after Award (31 U.S.C. 3553). (b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items or components: __ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I (41 U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402). __ (5) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (15 U.S.C. 637 (d)(2) and (3)). __ (11) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999) __ (12) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (E.O. 11246). __ (13) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (38 U.S.C. 4212) __ (14) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (29 U.S.C. 793). __ (15) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (38 U.S.C. 4212). __ (16) 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (E.O. 13126). __ (18) 52.225-1, Buy American Act-Balance of Payments Program-Supplies (41 U.S.C. 10a - 10d). __ (19)(i) 52.225-3, Buy American Act-North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act-Balance of Payments Program (41 U.S.C. 10a - 10d, 19 U.S.C. 3301 note, 19 U.S.C. 2112 note). __ (ii) Alternate I of 52.225-3. __ (iii) Alternate II of 52.225-3. __ (20) 52.225-5, Trade Agreements (19 U.S.C. 2501, et seq., 19 U.S.C. 3301 note). __ (21) 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (E.O. 12722, 12724, 13059, 13067, 13121, and 13129). __ (25) 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor Registration (31 U.S.C. 3332). (d) Notwithstanding the requirements of the clauses in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this clause, the Contractor is not required to include any FAR clause, other than those listed below (and as may be required by an addenda to this paragraph to establish the reasonableness of prices under Part 15), in a subcontract for commercial items or commercial components- (1) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (E.O. 11246); (2) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (38 U.S.C. 4212); (3) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (29 U.S.C. 793); (4) 52.247-64, Preference for Privately-Owned U.S. Flag Commercial Vessels (46 U.S.C. 1241) (flow down not required for subcontracts awarded beginning May 1, 1996); and (5) 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.). (End of clause) The offeror's will submitted 3 references of contracts in which they have had in the past that are relative to the solication, references will include Contractors name, phone number, and Point of Contact along with proposal. NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO FEDBIZOPPS.GOV ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (10-JUN-2002). IT ACTUALLY FIRST APPEARED ON THE FEDBIZOPPS SYSTEM ON 16-JUL-2002. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.eps.gov/spg/USDA/RD/PMD/RQ-31ME-2-0007/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: SEE ABOVE STATEMENT OF WORK PART 4.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE.
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN00118087-F 20020718/020717064726 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |