SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- NASA INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION SERVICES
- Notice Date
- 4/5/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- PR4200310421
- Response Due
- 4/19/2010
- Archive Date
- 4/5/2011
- Point of Contact
- Laura E Freeman, Contracting Officer, Phone 304-367-8246, Fax 304-367-8203, Email laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Laura E Freeman
(laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is soliciting informationthrough this Request for Information (RFI) for work to be performed at the NASAIndependent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. NASAsolicits responses from interested parties in regard to vendor capability and interest. NASA is seeking capability statements from both large and small businesses to aid in theacquisition planning for this requirement. Small Businesses interested in thisopportunity may decide to partner in a joint venture with other small and/or largebusinesses in order to meet the requirements in this future acquisition. SECTION 1 BACKGROUND1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION The NASA IV&V Facility strives to improve software safety, reliability, and quality ofNASA programs and missions through effective applications of systems and software IV&Vmethods, practices, and techniques. The NASA IV&V Facility applies software engineeringbest practices to evaluate the correctness and quality of critical and complex softwaresystems throughout the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Verification is the process of determining whether or not the software products of agiven phase of the SDLC fulfill the established requirements for that phase. Verification answers the question, 'Are we building the product right?' Validation evaluates the software products throughout the SDLC to ensure those productsmeet the mission and customer's needs.Validation answers the question, 'Are we buildingthe right product?' The NASA IV&V Facility's analytical approaches enable efficient, cost effective IV&Vservice through the usage of broad-based expertise, adaptive software engineering bestpractices, and tools that are in place at the NASA IV&V Facility. The analyticalparadigm utilized by the NASA IV&V Facility requires a multi-disciplinary team, and aqualitative software risk and criticality assessment capability coupled with an extensivemultiphase, phase-independent IV&V analytical processes. IV&V has been demonstrated to be an effective technique on large, complex softwaresystems to increase the probability of software being delivered that meets requirementsand is safe, within cost, and on schedule. When performed in parallel with the SDLC,IV&V provides for the early detection and identification of risk elements. The NASA IV&VFacility is then able to provide this information to the development organization,allowing them to take action to mitigate these risks early in the SDLC. The scope of work under consideration for purposes of this RFI includes the performanceof IV&V on selected software systems being developed by or for NASA and other Federal,State and local government agencies. The current contracts providing these services arethe GSFC Contracts NNG05CB16C with L-3 Services and NNG05CB17C with Northrop Grumman,which expire May 2010.These awards are anticipated to be extended for 12-18 months toallow sufficient time for award of the follow-on contract(s). 1.2 PURPOSE OF RFI NASA solicits responses from interested parties in regard to vendor capability andinterest. NASA is seeking capability statements from both large and small businesses toaid in the acquisition planning for this requirement. This RFI is not to be construed asa commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submittedin response. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allowindustry the opportunity to express the range of capability in the market. Respondentswill not be notified of the results. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to thisnotice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form abinding contract. This RFI is subject to FAR 52.215-3. To the full extent that it isprotected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and other laws and regulations,information identified by a respondent as 'Proprietary or Confidential' will be keptconfidential. It is emphasized that this RFI is for planning and information purposesonly and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into acontractual agreement, nor will the Government pay for information solicited. SECTION 2 SCOPE OVERVIEW 2.1 STATEMENT OF NEED THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, QUOTATION, OR INVITATION FOR BID NOTICE. The following information is included as a description of the current KNOWN requirementscope: Provide the personnel, materials, and facilities necessary to perform IV&V services. TheIV&V services include, but may not be limited to: Verification and Validation of selectedNASA software systems and other mission assurance (Software Quality Assurance, SoftwareSafety and Software Reliability) activities. The WBS tasks applicable to this scope aredocumented in the NASA IV&V System Level Procedure 9-1, Independent Verification andValidation (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ivv/pdf/170825main_IVV_09-1.pdf ). SECTION 3 RESPONSES TO RFI 3.1 TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES In response to this RFI, interested offerors shall address the following requirements byApril 19, 2010. Respond to each item below (identify by number) by describing yourability to fully perform each activity. Document your demonstrated experience for eachactivity by providing objective evidence of that experience (specific but brief examples,clearly indicate if the demonstrated experience was in a software development,Verification and Validation (V&V) and/or Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)environment). If you are unable to fully perform an activity, identify such is the caseand address how you may accommodate the area(s) that you cannot currently perform.1.In support of planning an IV&V effort, develop a system level view/understandingof a NASA mission to include the high level goals and objectives of the mission, identifythe required elements/components for the mission, and conducting a risk based assessmenton such items to facilitate the prioritization of IV&V activities.2.Plan, scope and estimate costs for an entire full lifecycle IV&V project(including risk assessment/assessment of Software Integrity Levels per IEEE 1012)3.Manage and perform an integrated full lifecycle IV&V effort on both a human ratedproject and a non-human rated NASA mission.4.Perform Project Management on software verification and validation projects,managing scope, cost, schedule, technical performance, risk, changes/baselines andquality control.5.Define and execute processes and standards relative to technical peer reviews.6.Define, document, improve and execute process and product management of softwareassurance (IV&V, Software Quality Assurance (SQA), Software Safety, Software Reliability,Verification and Validation (V&V)) activities within a software development, V&V or IV&Vorganization at both a program and project level.7.Perform risk management throughout a software development, V&V or IV&V Projectlifecycle.8.Perform research & development in areas of software assurance (IV&V, SQA,Software Safety, Software Reliability and V&V) that leads to advancing the state ofpractice and demonstrated institutionalization of such research & development resultswithin a software development, V&V or IV&V organization. 9.Develop, implement, maintain, control, improve and utilize software assurancetools.10.Develop, implement, maintain, control, improve and utilize a metrics program forV&V or IV&V projects. 11.Review, evaluate, document and improve NASA policies and standards relative tosoftware development or software assurance.12.Provide significant domain knowledge of NASA flight and ground systems/software(both human and non-human rated).13.Demonstrated embedded system experience that will facilitate IV&V Program/IV&VProject dynamic testing.14.Communicate and report results of software V&V or IV&V efforts in support of NASAProjects (including value of these efforts) to senior level NASA personnel and at majorNASA Project reviews.3.2 RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS All written documents shall be in Microsoft Word and shall be no more than 10 pages (8.5'x 11', using not smaller than 12 point Arial font) in length. NASA is seekingcapabilities from both large and small businesses for the purposes of determining theappropriate level of competition and small business subcontracting goals for thisrequirement. Small Businesses interested in this opportunity may decide to partner orjoint venture with other small and/or large businesses in order to accomplish the IV&Vrequirements. IV&V Facility is seeking capability statements from all potential sourcesfor the purpose to aid in the acquisition planning for this requirement. 3.3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A one-page summary shall be included with your capability statement(s), which identifiesyour companys specific capabilities that are relevant to the requirement. In addition,the summary should also include the following:Name and address of company, averageannual revenue for past 3 years, number of employees, type of business ownership (i.e.,Large Business, Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business,8(a) Business, HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, and Veteran-OwnedSmall Business), and location of business. The one page summary page will not countagainst the maximum page limit. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. Interested offerors shall address the requirements of this RFI in written format byelectronic mail to Laura Freeman at: Laura.E.Freeman@nasa.gov no later than 5:00 PM EDTon April 19, 2010. When responding, reference IV&V SERVICES RFI. All questions and/or comments shall be directed to Laura Freeman via electronic mail orby facsimile transmission only. This presolicitation synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government,nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response.Respondents willnot be notified of the results. To the full extent that it is protected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act andother laws and regulations, information identified by a respondent as 'Proprietary orConfidential' will be kept confidential. It is emphasized that this RFI is for planningand information purposes only and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by theGovernment to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will the Government pay forinformation solicited. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note 'B'. The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over theInternet. These documents will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may beaccessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASABusiness Opportunities home pagehttp://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=04. It is the offeror'sresponsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation andamendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their owncopy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
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