SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Army Training Information Systems (ATIS) Support Services
- Notice Date
- 5/16/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541512
— Computer Systems Design Services
- Contracting Office
- Fort Eustis Contracting Center (W911S0), Building 2798, Fort Eustis, VA 23604-5538
- ZIP Code
- 23604-5538
- Solicitation Number
- W911S011G0002
- Response Due
- 5/31/2011
- Archive Date
- 7/30/2011
- Point of Contact
- Gina, 757-878-3166
- E-Mail Address
-
Fort Eustis Contracting Center (W911S0)
(gina.dedmon@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 1. Sources Sought. This is a sources sought announcement seeking capability responses from Small Businesses only and responses to market research questions from all interested firms of any size. This notice serves the purpose of conducting market research. The Mission and Installation Contracting Command Mission Contracting Office - Fort Eustis will consider setting this requirement aside for small businesses or for socioeconomic categories such as Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs), Woman-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), or Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) firms if market research supports doing so. The Mission and Installation Contracting Command Mission Contracting Office - Fort Eustis intends to procure the services described herein. The US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Capability Manager - Army Training Information Systems (TCM-ATIS) anticipates a requirement for technical support to transition and sustain the Army Training Information Architecture (ATIA) and Army Training Information Architecture-Migrated (ATIA-M) applications, as well as the Army Training Information System (ATIS). The contractor shall support system continuity of service with architecture analysis, development and maintenance consistent with the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DODAF); applications design, development, and maintenance; information assurance documentation development and maintenance; functional help desk support; and system-engineering services. The anticipated period of performance is a base period of twelve (12) months and two (2) one-year option periods. Work shall primarily be performed at Army Training Support Center (ATSC), Fort Eustis, VA. 2. Background. The ATIA program consists of two major parts: the architecture (ATIA); and the integrated set of applications and services (ATIA-M). ATIA provides development, storage, and delivery of Army doctrine, training, and educational materials to Soldiers and units anytime, anywhere. ATIA supports all levels of Army training and includes training products for all three pillars of Army training - Unit, Institutional, and Self-development. The ATIA-M consists of nine primary applications: a. Automated Systems Approach to Training (ASAT). ASAT is being replaced by the Training Development Capability (TDC), projected to be completed before December 2011. ASAT allows training developers to develop collective and individual tasks and drills, Mission Training Plans (MTP), Drill Books, Soldier's Training Publications (STPs), lesson plans, Course Administrative Data (CAD) and Program of Instruction (POI). b. ATIA Common Core Services (CCS) are the functions responsible for providing common levels of service throughout the ATIA-M. Specific functionality provided includes content discovery/search, access controls to content, user authentication, user authorization, and content registration. c. ATIA - Reimer Digital Library (RDL) is the Army's official repository for training and doctrine publications, in addition to the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) website. It is comprised of two distinct collections: official departmental publications; and commandant-approved products. d. Lifelong Learning Centers (LLCs) are the physical instantiation of the Army Training and Doctrine Command's (TRADOC's) lifelong learning concept. As the Army continues to transform to a leaner, more deployable, and more lethal force with state-of-the-art equipment for sustaining well-trained Soldiers, Army training is moving forward with more adaptive learning technologies. LLCs comprise a suite of technologies that enable online posting of schoolhouse curriculum materials, courseware downloads, and distributed collaboration among users. e. My Training Home Tab (MT2) is a web page operating on the AKO website. The MT2 provides Soldiers with access to their training records, Army training applications, essential training, "what's hot" and other training related functionality. Current functionality is based on links to applications; the MT2 is intended to evolve and become functionality focused to provide Soldiers and civilians with an integrated course catalog for enrollment uses and Soldier access to their Individual Training Record. The MT2 is currently accessed more than 1,000,000 times monthly. f. Reception Battalion Automated Support System (RECBASS) is the system that accesses over 100K new recruits into the Army each year. RECBASS provides a single point of entry/updates for the Soldier's record while the recruit is being accessed into the Army. Functionality provided by RECBASS includes the collection of personnel, pay, medical, training, and clothing records, and electronically transmitting that data to other electronic systems, reports, and required forms. RECBASS receives the recruiting record from Army Recruiting Information Support System (ARISS) and feeds several Army standard systems, for example: Electronic Military Personnel Office (E-MILPO), Defense Joint Military System (DJMS) (pay), Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) and Resident Individual Training Management System (RITMS). RECBASS is projected to be discontinued in late FY 12. g. Resident Individual Training Management System (RITMS or RITM) is an information and report management system that furnishes Army schools, training centers, Non- Commissioned Officer (NCO) academies, and civilian training centers with a tool for creating and managing individual training records and events. Categories of course data included in the system are scheduling, testing, academic, graduation, personnel and attrition. RITMS is mandatory for institutional student management throughout TRADOC. h. System Training Plan (STRAP) Writing Tool (SWT). The SWT is a web-based collaborative writing tool that is used for document creation, authoring, and staffing. SWT provides the ability to maintain control over a document by granting permissions to those that are required to view and modify. SWT provides templates, instructions, examples, references, and supplemental references to ease and expedite document creation. SWT provides the ability for users to collaborate and perform modifications on the same document concurrently. This allows for rapid document development as multiple authors can populate the same document and always have access to the latest version of the document. SWT allows for a document to be staffed for review at the Peer, Army, and Approval levels. Through the use of gate keepers, a document that has been staffed to an organization for review can additionally be staffed internally. This ensures that a wide audience can provide feedback on a document. i. Training Development Capability (TDC). TDC is a web-based application, designed to comply with Army policy. TDC allows training developers to develop, manage and maintain Army training products, to include: collective and individual tasks; drills; MTP; Drill Books; STPs; lesson plans; CAD; and POI. Additional functionality has been developed to provide automated product staffing and approval. When completed, TDC will replace ASAT as a component of the ATIS. Projected TDC deployment will be accomplished by DEC 2011. Additional functionality projected to be developed includes support for education, job and task analysis, test item analysis, and criterion-reference performance testing. 3. Technical/Functional Requirements. The major task areas to support this effort will include: a. Functional Analysis, Design, Development, and Deployment - design, develop and deploy applications to comply with functionality as specified within Government approved Use Case/Function Point (UC/FP) documentation. Analysis, design, development and deployment shall be accomplished using Agile methodology and test driven development techniques. b. Provide for the continuity of user familiarization by providing training of all applications functionality through the use of job aids, on-line help, training, training support packages and lessons to be executed through online, onsite and self paced downloadable tools. Tasks to be performed will include: a. Ongoing analysis of all new and/or existing training and/or education requirements that may be applicable to any TCM-ATIS managed application. Requirements are expressed in Use Case (UC) and Function Point (FP) documents written and maintained by the contractor. UC documents include performance metrics, business rules, roles/responsibilities, and responsiveness requirements. FP documents are more detailed and describe actions and grouped activities at the product execution level and identify individual requirements which are the statements of activity necessary to achieve a requirement approved by the government. UC and FP documents are required to initialize the Agile process methodology. b. Complete analysis and documentation required to automate content authentication processes in compliance with Army publishing requirements defined within AR 25-30. Work shall begin with contractor conducted requirements analysis, and continue with development of UC/FP documents for government approval. c. Provide functional analysis, UC/FP, and Functional Test Matrix (FTM) for Government approval. d. Provide strategic analysis of Continuity of Operation Planning (COOP) and support for classified processing consistent with current and known future Army regulation and Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) requirements. e. Update and maintain the Army Training Information Architecture (ATIA) architecture framework System Architecture (SA), and Operational Architecture (OA) views. The ATIA architectures shall be maintained consistent with the Department of Defense Architecture Framework, to reflect known and emerging functionality. f. Initialize and sustain the system design (and continued through maintenance) working within developmental staff that use the Agile methodology. Agile will be continued for those existing systems in use of Agile and Agile shall be implemented in any new developmental work. Agile software development is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams. g. Provide the government full demonstration of both sprint and release proposed deliverables as part of the Agile process in coordination with the software/system development team. The purpose of these full demonstrations of the changes to the software/system segment and explanation is to define how these achieve the expectations of the government. h. Conduct testing as required of systems or programs based on previously or ongoing government approved problem reports, change requests or enhancement request work. i. Perform level 2 help desk support and trend analysis to identify the cause for high volume of trouble calls and identify courses of action to reduce this level of activity; action shall be taken to review available Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and update as changes occur. Help calls are to be responded to telephonically, by email, or through online collaboration. j. Develop training products (Online Help Tools [Electronic Performance Support System], POI, TSP, and Job Aides) for the ongoing training of users by staff and faculty. Provide/deliver training via Video Teleconference (VTC), Defense Connect Online (DCO) and on site classroom instruction and support, ranging from 30 in a classroom to 100 VTC or 200 on DCO. k. Ensure configuration management principles are implemented to include support of the Army Training Information System (ATIS) Requirements Control Board (RCB), Configuration Control Board (CCB), Architecture Oversight Group (AOG) and Configuration Requirements Control Board (CRCB) and provide technical and analytical support to meetings of these user groups. l. The contractor shall maintain the entire ATIA collection of 3,100 requirements and establish measureable threshold and objective performance values. The contractor shall include new requirements within the requirements collection as they are approved by the government. Ensure quantifiable Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are identified and approved by the RCB. KPI establish the critical success factors to be achieved m. The contractor shall be experienced and trained in requirements analysis, requirements mapping, and the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development Systems (JCIDS) process. n. Administrative tasks will include updating the Contract Work Breakdown Structure, Resource Loaded Network and Organization Mapping (CWBSOM) developed using MS Project, providing technology briefings and reports, providing status reports, and providing Contractor Manpower Reports. 4. Responses. The designated NAICS Code is 541512, Computer Systems Design Services, with a small business size standard of $25.0M. No decision has yet been made regarding the small business strategy for this contract. Small business is advised that FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, would apply wherein at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance shall be expended for employees of the concern. It is required that all contractors doing business with the Government be registered with the Central Contractor Registry at website: http://www.ccr.gov. Your brief capabilities statement package, REQUESTED FROM SMALL BUSINESSES ONLY, is limited to no more than fifteen (15) pages, single spaced, 11 minimum font size, and should demonstrate ability to perform the services listed. A generic capability statement is not acceptable. The document must address the following, at a minimum: a. A point of contact (POC) name, telephone number and e-mail address; b. Company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history (last 3 years), office location(s), Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number or Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) code number, and a statement regarding current business status (i.e. Small Business (SB), 8(a), SDB, WOSB, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), SDVOSB, HUBZone); c. Prior/current corporate experience performing efforts of similar size and scope within the last three years, including contract number, organization supported, indication of whether as a prime or subcontractor, contract values, Government point of contact with current telephone number, and a brief description of how the referenced contract relates to the services described herein; d. Resources available, such as corporate management and currently employed personnel to be assigned to tasks under this effort to include professional qualifications, specific experience, and the ability to have personnel located at Fort Eustis, VA. (include information about your firm's ability to grow, such as available letters of credit and ability to quickly hire qualified personnel); e. Management approach to staffing this effort with qualified personnel; f. Capability of teaming partners; g. Company's ability to begin performance upon contract award. The information should be sent by email only to Douglas Siebenschuh, douglas.c.siebenschuh@us.army.mil by 10:00 A.M., 31 May 2011. Any questions shall be directed to Douglas Siebenschuh by email: douglas.c.siebenschuh@us.army.mil. No proposals are requested by this announcement; all responses shall be solely in the form of information and materials. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. The Government is under no obligation to issue a solicitation or to award any contract on the basis of this RFI. Further, the Government is not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals or any cost or pricing data. Contractors are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be the sole responsibility of the contractor. All submissions will be treated as business confidential materials, become Government property, and will not be returned. IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE, and will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Enclosure 1: Market Research Questions - For ALL Business Types Any information provided by industry to the Government as a result of this notice or any follow-up information requested is voluntary and shall be treated as confidential. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with this or future requests. Additional information, as it becomes available, will be posted as amendments to this announcement. All amendments will be available for viewing at this website. It is incumbent upon the interested parties to review the site frequently for any updates and amendments to any and all documents. For all business types: A response to this notice should include an emailed response to the attached Market Research Questions. 1. Please provide the following company specific information: a. Your Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number or Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) code number; b. A brief description of your company's business size and status (i.e., HUBZone, woman/veteran/service disabled veteran/native American/minority-owned); c. A point of contact (POC) name, telephone number and e-mail address. 2. Market research questions: a. Following contract award, what transition period would be adequate prior to start of work? b. The Government anticipates issuing Requests for Proposals using a Performance Work Statement (PWS). What risks do you foresee with this approach and how would you mitigate those risks? c. Is industry more likely to include additional costs for unknowns in a fixed price as opposed to a labor hour contract? Would a firm fixed price contract for support services result in higher proposal prices than a labor hour contract? Please explain. d. Are the identified services of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace? Please explain. e. Identify any opportunities for strategic sourcing. f. Identify any opportunities for supporting socio-economic programs other than small business. g. North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code 541512, Computer Systems Design Services (small business size standard of $25.0M), has been determined appropriate for this acquisition and FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, applies wherein at least 50 percent of the work must be performed by the small business prime contractor alone. If your company qualifies as a small business as defined under this NAICS code, please respond to these additional questions. i. Can your company provide a team composed of a sufficient number of large and small subcontractors to perform this contract in an efficient, cost effective manner while meeting contract requirements? Please explain. ii. Is your company capable of providing a team composition that can support the entire scope of this contract effort with sufficient depth to perform a variety of tasks of varying complexity while performing at least 50 percent of the work? Please explain. iii. Specifically, is your company capable of providing non-personal services for the areas mentioned in this notice? This requirement shall also provide all management, personnel, off site supervision, and any other items necessary to perform all information technical services in support of the TRADOC mission. In rendering the foregoing services, outputs may take the form of information, advice, opinions, alternatives, analyses, evaluations, and recommendations. If so, what is your experience with Government contracts of this magnitude and scope? h. Please provide any other applicable comments or recommendations not addressed in the foregoing. 3. The Government is requesting you be succinct and limit your market research response (separate attachment) to no more than 5 pages, single spaced, 11 minimum font size. Please submit your response electronically via e-mail by 10:00 A.M., 31 May 2011 to: douglas.c.siebenschuh@us.army.mil. We appreciate your participation and input.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/86181327244b61ecbd5136535f733fee)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Fort Eustis Contracting Center (W911S0) Building 2798, Fort Eustis VA
- Zip Code: 23604-5538
- Zip Code: 23604-5538
- Record
- SN02448643-W 20110518/110516234436-86181327244b61ecbd5136535f733fee (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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