MODIFICATION
R--R -- Web-based Data Repository and Ad-hoc Reporting Tool for FMS
- Notice Date
- 9/16/2005
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- Attn: Department of Veterans Affairs, Acquisition Operations Service, (049A3), 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, District Of Columbia 20420
- ZIP Code
- 20420
- Solicitation Number
- 101-63-05
- Response Due
- 9/21/2005
- Archive Date
- 10/21/2005
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Note: Please request Attachments 1 and 2 via email to Shaundra.duggans@va.gov as they are too large to post. The purpose of this amendment is two fold: (1) To respond to vendor submitted questions (Attachment 1 and 2). (2) To extend the RFQ closing date. Due to significant Government delays in responding to vendor submitted questions, the proposal due date is hereby extended from 2:00 PM Eastern Time Friday, September 16, 2005 to 2:00 PM Eastern Time Wednesday, September 21, 2005. Vendor Questions 1. Does VACO have a preference for the database used for the data repository? Answer: No 2. Does VACO have a preference for the ad-hoc reporting tool used with the data repository? Answer: No 3. Will any processing be needed beyond reporting and auditing? Answer: No 4. Where will the new system reside? Answer: See answer to number 7. The production system will reside internal to the VA firewall, with a specific location to be determined. 5. Who will be responsible for system administration after the period of performance? Answer: To be determined. 6. Does VACO expect the solution from the contractor to include hardware? Answer: Yes for the Proof of Concept. VA will not acquire hardware under this contract, only the use of contractor hardware for the duration of the Proof of Concept effort. No, for the production system. Production system will be installed on VA owned hardware within VA internal firewall. 7. Does VACO expect the solution from the contractor to include software licenses for the database and the reporting tool? Answer: The vendor shall provide an option for the software licenses for the data base and reporting tool. The government may exercise that option at its sole discretion. 8. What is the anticipated award date or date range for award? Answer: It is the Government?s intent to make award no later than September 30, 2005. However, due to delays in responding to vendor submitted questions, this may change. 9. Is there an existing Datamart that will be used as part of this program or is building a Datamart part of the requirements for this solicitation? Answer: No. Building a data mart is a requirement of this solicitation. 10. In the ?Description? section of the solicitation it states ?DVA requires the services of a contractor to capture, store, and provide a Web-based reporting tool that will provide ad-hoc reports and secure access to our customers.? In the SOW ?Background? section it states ?Developing a financial reporting capability will be completed outside of this particular effort using our on-site contractor and a COTS tool that will be compatible with this effort.? Please clarify. Answer: The VA has purchased Hyperion Financial Management (HFM) reporting system to satisfy the Department?s consolidated reporting requirements for external reporting, such as financial statements, FACTS I/II, etc. 11. Are there any hardware platform, operating system, database management or other technology requirements and/or standards for the Web-based Data Repository and Ad-hoc Reporting Tool for FMS solution? Answer: Any solution must be aligned and consistent with VA Enterprise Architecture guidelines. VA Enterprise Architecture documentation is located at: http://www.va.gov/OIT/EAM/EAservice/EAv2-1Collection/default.asp 12. Wi l the required development software, hardware, and tools be contractor or government provided? Answer: See response for number 8. 13. What reporting tools does VA currently use or plan to use? What COTS package is VA currently using for standard accounting reports for the financial reporting capability? Who is the on-site contractor supporting this package? Answer: The VA legacy financial system, the American Management System Federal Financial System uses COBOL and SAS reports. Changes to legacy reports are performed by the Department of Veterans Affairs Austin Automation Center. See item 11 for additional information. 14. (1) What DB is envisioned for the repository? (2) How many users will require standard reporting capability to the data warehouse? (3) How many users will require ad-hoc query capability to the data warehouse? Answer: (1) The repository is to be determined. (2 and 3) Initially, less than 25-30 personnel would require access for standard and ad hoc reporting purposes. As the solution matures and more interfaces are added, this number would increase. 15. How many users will require standard reporting capability to the feeder systems data? How many users will require ad-hoc query capability to the feeder systems data? Answer: Same as above. 16. What are the number and type of reports that must be created? How will these reports be accessed? Do report specifications exist? If so, will the VA provide them prior to submission of proposals? Answer: To be determined. No report specifications currently exist and will be developed by the vendor during the course of this contract. 17. Please provide the FMS system architecture. What are the technical specifications for the mainframe supporting the current FMS application, including hardware make and model, and CPU capacity? Answer: Platform Network Protocol DBMS Language IBM OS-390/ MVS, CICS TCP/IP and SNA VSAM COBOL and SAS 18. Does a hardware and/or software platform already exist to support the data warehouse? If so, what are the technical specifications of the platform, including hardware and/or software components, models and version information? If not, is the procurement of the platform included in this proposal? Answer: See number 8. 19. Please confirm the following for the interface file from each feeder system: (1) platform, (2) file type, (3) file structure, (4) file layout, (5) file size, (6) record length, (7) number of records. Answer: See attachment 1. The interface files are flat files with a file format dependent on the type document being passed over the interface (i.e.; a standard voucher is a widely used document across many interfaces and the standard voucher format is consistent across these interfaces). Additional information regarding these file layouts and file sizes can be provided upon contract award. 20. RE: Scope, item (e) - are the queries limited to querying the data provided by the interface file from each feeder system? Answer: Where cost efficient and feasible, detail from source systems will be provided as flat files for input to the data ware house. In some cases, queries and retrieval of data may be necessary from the feeder systems. be 21. What is the partial list of products (ODBC, ACCESS, EXCEL, SQL SERVER, ORACLE, SYBASE, INFORMIX, PROGRESS, VSAM) on page 4 under DELIVERABLES intended for? Answer: This is intended to be a list of various data forms which may need to be accessed to fulfill the queries and build canned and ad hoc reports. 22. Would additional interface data sources be handled in the same way as existing mainframe interface data sources, including direct reporting and querying at the source as well as reporting and querying after migration and consolidation in the data warehouse? If so, what platforms are used to support these data sources? Answer: See number 22. 23. RE: Scope, item (f) - can the VA indicate what new file types are envisioned ? Answer: This would be based on future development efforts that are not currently defined. 24. Can the VA provide its desktop/laptop/VPN architecture? Answer: See http://www.va.gov/OIT/EAM/EAservice/EAv2-1Collection/default.asp 25. The Proof of Concept section describes a much more limited scope of work than the section "Scope". Is "Scope" intended to describe the scope of the eventual production system? Answer: Yes. 26. Will the selected contractor be developing a Proof of Concept and a production system or just the Proof of Concept? Answer: It is anticipated the vendor will provide a proof of concept and a production system. 27. The RFP states that canned reports and an ad-hoc reporting tool will be expected deliverables. What are the specific compatibility requirements for this tool (operating system, database compatibility, programming language API, etc.)? Answer: The tools shall be compatible with the VA Enterprise Architecture. See number 26. 28. How many simultaneous users are expected to access this system during peak usage? Answer: 10-15 for the initial stage of nine interfaces. 29. How is the Data Mart implemented? Was a COTS data mart tool used, and if so, which one? What is the underlying relational database management system for the data mart? Answer: There is no existing data mart for this purpose. 30. Is the Government expecting price proposals that include services fees as well as the licensing fees required for procuring a COTS reporting tool? If a COTS reporting tool is expected to be delivered as part of this proposal, more information will be required to price the licensing for the COTS tool, including the number of web user licenses required, the number of servers and number of CPU's per server, the number of report designer license required, and the support service level required. If the Government is expecting a complete, Firm Fixed Price proposal to include COTS license fees, please provide this information. Answer: For proposal evaluation purposes only, offeror should propose software licenses compatible with the information provided. Exact license purchase prices, if the option is exercised, will be determined based on the exact technical solution. Also, see answer to number 8.l 31. What are the various types of flat files that need to be imported Any specific examples. Answer. See attachment 1. 32. How big are the flat files (their size) and the time window to validate the data? Answer. See attachment 1. 33. It is mentioned that there is a possibility of extracting data from FMS or Update FMS? Can we have any specific examples to understand the complexity of the process? Do we need to write separate programs or script(s) to do this from the proposed system or will they be written/reside on FMS. Answer: FMS can provide an extract of the processed and accepted documents on a nightly basis. 34. Do we need to have a history of the extracted files or is there any retention period set for the data. Answer: Extracted files are currently on a retention period; however, analysis will be required to determine if that retention period is viable or further retention of data would be required internal to this initiative. It is estimated the data repository will require 18 months of data. 35. When validating the flat files, apart from basic validations, do we need to interface back with the FMS to do integrity check? If so, any examples. Answer: No. 36. Please provide one interface file with the field descriptions and all the related cross-reference information to do the proof of concept. Answer: to be provided upon award to do proof of concept. 37. Please provide a sample of canned report formats for that interface file to do the proof of concept. Are they in tabular form? Is there a need for graphs and charts? Answer: See answer for number 18. 38. Who is the on-site contractor & which COTS tool are they using for reporting? Answer: This information is not required to respond to this solicitation. 39. Do we have to provide resumes of the candidates we plan to propose? Answer: Yes 40. Do these candidates require any form for security clearances? Are non-US Citizens eligible to work on this project ? Answer: See attachment 2. 41. Do we need to provide hardware for backups, Production Server or will DVA take care of this? Answer: See the answer for number 7. 42. Do you have a reporting tool already in place, if not do you have any preferences? Answer: No to both questions. 43. Can this project be done offsite? Answer: The Proof of Concept is expected to be performed off-site; however, the VA will provide limited work and meeting space as needed.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 810 Vermont Ave., NW
- Zip Code: 20420
- Country: United States
- Zip Code: 20420
- Record
- SN00897082-W 20050918/050916211840 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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