SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- Time-Keeping front-end system for the Damage Assessment Center
- Notice Date
- 3/22/2002
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), AG/Acquisition Management Division, SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61 1305 East West Highway, 7th Floor, Silver Spring, MD, 20910
- ZIP Code
- 20910
- Solicitation Number
- 52-DGNC-2-90019
- Response Due
- 4/25/2002
- Archive Date
- 5/10/2002
- Point of Contact
- Robert McNamara, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-713-3038, Fax 301-713-8037, - Robert McNamara, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-713-3038, Fax 301-713-8037,
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert.Mcnamara@noaa.gov, Robert.Mcnamara@noaa.gov
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. The following Request for Information is issued for purposes of conducting market research and encouraging commercial IT companies to provide information about their products and services. This RFI does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement will be issued. FAR Clause 52.215-3 applies. The Damage Assessment Center (DAC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering the potential acquisition of timesheet software that will capture and report on specific data required by our program and will also store data that can be exported into the departmental timekeeping/payroll system. DAC is requesting information from vendors whose software and technical services are capable of meeting the requirements described below. Technical services that may be requested include: installation/setup of appropriate database engine (e.g., Oracle, Microsoft SQL, etc.) on a Windows server, database design and maintenance, training for users and administrators, installation of software updates, reliable telephone and e-mail support for both users and administrators, programming data export routines and creating custom reports. Responses should include documentation addressing the technical specifications of the software, the extent of technical support services available, approximate costs to the government for the product and related technical services; a point of contact for technical questions about the product; and availability of evaluation copies for testing. DAC may invite selected vendors to its headquarters office in Silver Spring Maryland to demonstrate the capabilities of their products. There is no implied promise that all products submitted in response to this RFI will be invited to demonstrate capabilities. The point of contact (POC) for technical issues is Donna Lawson of the Damage Assessment Center, phone: (301) 713-3038 ext. 198, e-mail: Donna.Lawson@noaa.gov. Responses to this RFI are to be sent to Donna Lawson via e-mail or by mail at the NOAA Damage Assessment Center (N/ORR3), 1305 East-West Highway, Room 10218, Silver Spring MD, 20910. Respondents must include a cover letter that clearly identifies the following information: the Company Name, Address, Vendor's Technical Point of Contact (POC), POC telephone and email address. If there is a GSA or other contract vehicle already available and accessible to NOAA for the software and technical services being proposed, please include this information in the response. References / lists of other federal government offices already using the software are also required. Finally, each vendor shall indicate if they meet one or more of the Federal socio-economic categories (Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, HUBZONE, etc.) The applicable NAICS code for determining size status is 511210 ($21.0 M). The cover letter shall also identify whether or not the software is compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards. (See http://www.section508.gov/ for details.) In addition to a description of the technical features of the software, venders are requested to include price lists or other pricing information including unit/license costs, cost of configuration/installation, and other special services. Proprietary information should be identified as such. Software requirements and desirable features: Approximately 50 users in multiple locations throughout the United States will utilize the software initially; as many as 100 may use it eventually depending on the decisions of other NOAA offices working in coordination with DAC. The software and data must all reside on NOAA computers - no "host servers" / "host websites". Off-the-shelf commercial software is desired. Software that can be configured to meet DAC needs without custom programming is preferred, since this would simplify the process of upgrading to newer versions of the software. The software should have extensive configuration options in order to implement DAC's "business rules", provide a variety of reporting options and improve ease-of-use (e.g., ability to define custom fields and to place project codes in "sub groups" for easier selection). The software should provide a secure "audit trail" to track changes to time entries. Compliance with the Federal Cost Accounting Standards is not required, but would be desirable. Flexible data export options are required (ODBC at a minimum). Time entry features must be accessible via both Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers, without requiring installation of any software or "add-ins" (for users who may need to borrow a computer while on travel). The software should have a "client" version available to speed up access / increase functionality when users are working on their own (Windows) computers. This client software feature should be available for users who are stationed in several different offices across the U.S. Availability of a "client" version for Macintosh users would be helpful in recruiting participation of other offices working in coordination with DAC. All users should be able to run customized reports on their own data (our standard-format timesheet and activity logs). The software should allow the user the option of using a "spreadsheet-style" timesheet view, allowing users to enter total hours on a specific task for the day without identifying specific blocks of time. The interface should show total daily hours. (Even better would be the ability to show two daily totals, "base hours" and "other hours", as defined by our "maxi-flex" work schedules.) The timesheet should show separate lines for different types of time devoted to the same task (e.g.: 2 hours of "regular time" on Task A, 0.5 hours of "credit hours" on Task A). The user is to select / determine the type of time/hours (from a choice list) - it is not to be calculated by the software. The software should have an optional timer feature for tracking total time on specific tasks. The software should allow users to track & enter time to the nearest ? hour. The software should have the ability to specify/establish bi-weekly pay periods (each starting on a Sunday). The software must allow the user to enter comments each day for each project - these will be used to generate "activity logs", reporting hours and activities by project. The software must allow a user to add comments or expand on existing comments when any changes are made to a time entry. The software should not require comments to explain changes to same-day entries. The software should have a "pull-down" choice list feature for selecting task numbers (project codes), showing the corresponding task descriptions. (The user must not be allowed to enter task numbers manually). The software should have a feature allowing the user to easily copy task numbers/activities from previous pay periods into current pay periods (a "template" that does not need to be created from scratch each pay period). Other desirable features, issues, concerns: Other offices associated with DAC may use this software, accessing the same central database. Hundreds of task numbers are in use by the different offices, with some overlapping task numbers. The software should be able to identify which office a user belongs to, and limit that user to task numbers that employees in that office may charge. Assigning task numbers to individuals, rather than large groups of individuals, would be a difficult system to maintain. Some of our employees would appreciate the availability of a time entry module that can be used on a hand-held device (e.g., Palm Pilots). Many users would benefit from remote-entry options that allow the user to make time entries on their computer without a live database connection (with automatic updating/data transmission once a live connection is established). Some users would prefer to have a choice of view, e.g., the option to choose either a spreadsheet-style timesheet view or a "day view" showing just a single day's activities. Most would appreciate the option to customize their interface (e.g., selection of fonts, colors, window sizes, sort order for displaying tasks, etc.).
- Place of Performance
- Address: NOAA/Damage Assessment Center, N/ORR3, SSMC4, Tenth Floor, 1305 East-West highway, Rm 10218, Silver Spring, MD,
- Zip Code: 20910
- Country: U.S.A.
- Zip Code: 20910
- Record
- SN00047017-W 20020324/020322213154 (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 |