SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (SEDI)
- Notice Date
- 4/3/2008
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- HSHQDC-08-00160
- Response Due
- 7/4/2008 5:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 12/31/2008
- Description
- 1. This notice is the first of three Notices made pursuant to FAR 5.205(b) indicating The Department of Homeland Security's intent to sponsor a new Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). Specifically, DHS intends to sponsor a system engineering/systems development (SED) FFRDC to be known as the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (SEDI). The typical role of an SED FFRDC is to help DHS identify and implement technical systems engineering and acquisitions best practices in major acquisition programs that will ensure fair, efficient, effective, and open competition throughout the acquisition lifecycle. 2. By The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (PL 107-296, as amended), Section 305, Congress authorized DHS to establish one or more FFRDCs to assist the DHS in formulating and addressing important homeland security issues, particularly those where scientific, technical and analytical expertise is involved, such as systems engineering/systems development. 3. DHS will be the ultimate sponsor of this new SED FFRDC; however, the Science and Technology Directorate (DHS (S&T)) should be viewed as its primary sponsor. In general, the DHS (S&T) will provide technical quality, business, financial and contractual oversight. The SED FFRDC shall conduct its business in a manner befitting its special relationship with the Government; i.e., to operate with objectivity and be free from conflicts-of-interest, to fully disclose its affairs to its sponsors, and to serve the unique needs of its sponsors, while holding its full confidence and trust. Any subsidiary relationship the SED FFRDC may have with a parent organization or consortia of organizations must demonstrate and maintain strict safeguards from conflicts of interest with such parent organizations. Work performed by the SEDI for non-DHS customers may be performed only with the explicit permission of DHS (S&T). 4. The SEDI Contractor shall provide all required and necessary space, equipment, support and technical personnel (except that as may be Government furnished) to establish, set up and manage the SEDI. Performance of the SED FFRDC management function required under the Contract will take place in the Washington DC metropolitan areas, with the exception of assignees to field operations. 5. The work to be performed under this contract will involve access to, handling of and generation of classified information up to and including Top Secret and sensitive compartmented information (SCI). 6. The Contractor shall provide a wide range of functions, including: •§ Provide technical expertise and systems engineering support to the Department in the acquisition of major homeland security systems to effectively and efficiently achieve cost, schedule and performance goals. This effort includes developing technical contract requirements and evaluating potential performers for major DHS acquisition programs; •§ Provide technical advice to DHS program offices in the management and quality control/assurance of integration and sub-system contracts in support of major acquisition programs to optimize trade-offs in meeting program cost, schedule and performance goals; •§ Develop and deploy analytical tools and techniques to evaluate sub-system alternatives and life-cycle costs that have broad application across the Department ; •§ Develop and deploy guidance for the Department to effectively manage efficient integrated business/financial, planning and budgeting systems; •§ Provide unique development test and evaluation activities, particular in areas of interoperability, information technology and information management systems; particularly in areas where competitive sourcing of these activities would not be efficient or effectiv e; •§ Develop recommendations for guidance on the best practices for software and technical data development processes at the system and sub-system levels and promote system of systems interoperability, including independent verification and validation efforts; •§ Support the development of processes and systems to acquire, manage, and use of program technical data (e.g., configuration management, logistic cycle analysis, etc.) in and across the major DHS programs; •§ Support acquisition program risk management activities by developing analytic tools that can be applied consistently across Department programs; •§ Support interface management development activities related to sub-system integration as well as system of systems integration that contribute to a larger DHS system of system enterprise; •§ Provide independent development evaluation and audit support major programs for sub-systems and their integration, including: performance metrics, evaluation criteria, assessment of integration contractor and sub-contractor performance, product quality assurance/control, development verification and validation studies at the sub-system levels; •§ Provide standards for Homeland Security systems development and engineering best practices for an integrated DHS approach to systems acquisition; •§ Understand key homeland security organizations and their specific role, and major acquisition requirements. The intent of the SEDI is to provide long-term, independent and objective high level technical support and advice to the government, using technical talent that is generally not available inside the government. The SEDI will provide support to all major DHS components in an integrative and cross-cutting manner, with any other DHS's FFRDCs, so that over time they will provide greater synergy, best practices, and lessons learned in relevant areas. The SEDI will operate in a manner that is free of real and perceived conflicts of interest through the rigorous application of corporate firewalls and personnel conflict of interest and non-disclosure agreements approved by the DHS. Corporate entities that operate one of DHS's FFRDCs shall not be eligible to operate one of the other DHS FFRDCs, so that the FFRDCs may be used to provide independent and objective cross validation as necessary. 7. This SED FFRDC contract has an anticipated award date in December 2008. It is anticipated that the SEDI will require $1M for startup; and no annual "core" funding because it is envisioned to subsist on task orders from the major DHS acquisition programs anticipated not to exceed 300 Staff-years of technical effort (STE) annually. An independent research and development (IRD) fee of about 5% will be charged to task orders. The IRD fee shall be used to develop and execute a DHS approved annual Research Plan to provide continuing development of a DHS integrative systems engineering/development process. The complete solicitation package will be available electronically at www.FBO.gov. No paper copies of the solicitation will be provided. 8. DHS requests comments on this Notice of Intent to Sponsor a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for System Engineering Development. Any comments should be submitted electronically to sedi-ffrdc@hq.dhs.gov. Comments must be received within 90 days of the date of publication of this notice.
- Record
- SN01546792-W 20080405/080403235856-75698dc1a025ec5c9ecb3fee0cab9e71 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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