FBODaily.com | FedBizOpps: SRCSGT | R | Sources Sought announcement seeking responses from all business concerns,for contract support services for the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to execute its mission regarding current and future warfighting challenges.

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF MAY 05, 2013 FBO #4180
SOURCES SOUGHT

R -- Sources Sought announcement seeking responses from all business concerns,for contract support services for the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to execute its mission regarding current and future warfighting challenges.

Notice Date: 5/3/2013
Notice Type: Sources Sought
NAICS: 541690 — Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
Contracting Office: MICC Center - Fort Eustis (Joint Base Langley-Eustis), Building 2798, Fort Eustis, VA 23604-5538
ZIP Code: 23604-5538
Solicitation Number: W911S0-13-R-ARCIC
Response Due: 5/17/2013
Archive Date: 7/2/2013
Point of Contact: Rick Shannon, 757-878-3166
E-Mail Address: MICC Center - Fort Eustis (Joint Base Langley-Eustis)
(ricky.l.shannon2.civ@mail.mil)
Small Business Set-Aside: N/A
Description: This is a Sources Sought announcement seeking responses from all business concerns, to include: large businesses; 8(a), HUBZone, and women-owned small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; small disadvantaged businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; and, economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses. The Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC)-Fort Eustis, Virginia is seeking competition for contract support services for the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to execute its mission regarding current and future warfighting challenges. This requirement is for an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) multiple award task order contract (MATOC) to acquire mission support services. The Government anticipates a maximum ceiling value of $240M over the life of the ARCIC MATOC. Background: The ARCIC, a subordinate organization of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Eustis, Virginia, is one of the leading organizations that assist the Army in preparing for current and future warfighting challenges. The mission of the ARCIC is to develop, evaluate, and integrate warfighting concepts, requirements, and solutions for the Army across the domains of Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leader development, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) to provide Soldiers and units the capabilities they need to support Combatant Commanders' operations in a Joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multi-national (JIIM) environment. The successful development and integration of DOTMLPF solutions by the ARCIC is critical to improving the survivability of the Army. ARCIC actively supports the Army's transition to a future force - one that is focused on developing adaptive leaders and organizations, modernizing equipment, and revolutionizing training. Because the combat operations in which the Army participates are inherently Joint, the ARCIC cannot accomplish its mission in isolation. The ARCIC must coordinate its activities with the TRADOC staff, TRADOC's subordinate schools and Centers of Excellence (CoEs), other Army commands (ACOMs), the Services, and JIIM partner organizations. Task order requests (TORs) may originate from any ARCIC subordinate organization, Department of Defense (DOD), or Department of the Army (DA) agency working initiatives in support of the ARCIC. Work is predominately located at Fort Eustis, Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, the National Capital Region, and to a lesser extent at the TRADOC Centers of Excellence, which include Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, Fort Huachuca, Fort Lee, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Rucker, and Fort Sill. However, attendance at meetings, briefings, conferences, and events both locally and at remote locations, including possibly OCONUS, shall be required. Individual task orders will specify specific requirements in detail, along with acceptable levels of performance and other pertinent information relative to the task(s). Known contract requirements anticipated to be issued via TOR(s) currently exist within the following ARCIC activities: ARCIC Forward; Operations, Plans, and Policy Division; Joint and Army Experimentation Division; Future Warfare Division; Joint and Army Models/Simulations Division; Concept Development and Learning Director's Office; Joint Interdependency Coordination Division; Human Dimensions Task Force; LandWarNet Division; Sustainment Division; Maneuver Division; Maneuver Support/Protection Division; Fires Division; Accelerated Capabilities Division; Studies and Analysis Division; Mission Command, Intelligence and Cyber Division; and the Brigade Modernization Command. Required mission support may consist of any single or a combination of multiple task areas from the four task areas defined below: Task Area One - Capability Development Support: This task area seeks support to develop concepts (how the Army operates) and capabilities (what the Army can do) that provide affordable solutions to meet warfighter needs. Concepts involve broad descriptions of what the Army must do, what capability gaps impact whether the Army can do them, and how to address these gaps. Concept development is the foundation for future capability determination efforts. Concepts consist of future capabilities descriptions within a proposed structure of military operations for a period of 10-20 years into the future. From these concepts, ARCIC determines the specific capabilities the Army needs. Capability determination involves the identification of gaps in what the Army can do associated risks, and the development of solutions to resolve or mitigate unacceptable risks. Capability development involves detailed research and analysis of possible solutions for one or more components of DOTMLPF. It also consists of determining, prioritizing, and documenting changes in DOTMLPF, as well as supporting analysis and studies. Examples of requirements for this task area are: Simulation Solutions: Compare current Army capabilities against available simulation solutions and recommend live, virtual, and constructive integrating architecture (LVC-IA) solutions to include advanced systems recovery tools to ensure minimal downtime. Support includes research, analysis, and test (create operational vignettes) of various LVC-IA solutions to assist ARCIC in the identification and selection of cost-benefit trade-offs for solutions that will provide the best performance and end-user experience. LVC-IA is a network-centric linkage that collects, retrieves, and exchanges data among live instrumentation, virtual simulators, and constructive simulations as well as Joint and Army Battle Command Systems. The LVC-IA defines quote mark how quote mark information is exchanged among the LVC domains and Battle Command Systems. The LVC-IA includes common LVC components such as command and control adapters, terrain databases, multi-level security, and hardware/software. White papers include as a minimum: abstracts, analysis on advantages / disadvantages, implementation plans, and recommendations. Warfighter Needs Analysis: Identify, analyze, summarize, and capture needed warfighter capabilities into a warfighter needs database and then extract the accumulated data to produce reports for use by combat developers designing the future force. Emerging Technologies: Conduct studies, assess, and offer recommendations on applicable emerging technologies. This includes the design, development, and execution of web-based capabilities, knowledge management capabilities, cloud computing, social networking, and collaboration technologies. Capabilities Development for Rapid Transition (CDRT) analysis: Identify, assess, and make recommendations regarding CDRT nominations. CDRT involves non-program of record DOTMLPF materiel and non-materiel capabilities that have been rapidly fielded to Army units. The objective is to assess rapidly developed capabilities equipped to deployed units and transition those proven in combat and relevant to future operations to an enduring status as quickly as possible. Select and Develop Capabilities: Support the identification of criteria and selection of capabilities to be accelerated from operational command headquarters' requests and the pre-deployment development activities. Support ARCIC to identify required concepts of operation (CONOPS), tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), training support packages (TSPs), target organizations, interactive multimedia instruction, connecting Soldiers to digital applications initiatives, unique materiel, leader strategy development, personnel skill sets, facility requirements, budget requirements, home station training, milestones, coordination with the community of interest, etc. Support ARCIC and/or its partners in the preparation or review of: CONOPS documents; TTP reports; TSPs; and, Army and Joint doctrine and manuals. Task Area Two - Experiment and Evaluation Support: This task area provides support to experiments and evaluations that explore innovative methods of assessing proposed concepts and capability solutions. Experiments and evaluations apply structured assessment procedures to substantiate the effects of proposed warfighting capabilities using discovery, hypothesis-testing, and demonstration approaches, as appropriate. Experiments and evaluations reduce the risk to warfighters by providing credible analytical underpinnings to support decision-making and identify and verify acceptable solutions for required changes in DOTMLPF. Experiments (generally associated with concept development) aid in validating the feasibility and utility of future requirements determination efforts. Evaluations (associated with capability determination) are generally on a larger scale than experiments and require the set-up, conduct, execution, and documentation of live, constructive, and virtual simulations and analytical studies. Experiments and evaluations are conducted in such environments as war games, battle labs, and exercises. This task area involves executing, analyzing, and reporting on the results of experiments and evaluations, to include: Modeling, simulation, scenario building, and objectives analysis. Designing experiment and evaluation environments. Developing guides, procedures, and manuals to assist users and administrators of environments. Planning, preparing, and delivering training on environments. Examples of requirements for this task area are: Wargame Support: Support ARCIC to plan, design, and coordinate execution of wargame events. Support ARCIC in develop of draft plans of execution, event materials, participant manning documents, participant reference material, and structure and schedule of events. Support ARCIC in development and modify scenarios to reflect the capabilities and concepts for Blue, Red and other forces used in wargame events. Support ARCIC by recording and maintain copies of emerging insights from game players, analysts, facilitators, and personnel that will contribute to daily assessment sessions during the events. Coordinate execution of wargame events with the Government, based on each event design and established timeline. Battle Lab Collaborative Simulation Environment (BLCSE) Technical Support: Maintain the technical aspects of the BLCSE Federation for both standing technical baselines and event specific versions and modifications. Support technical integration of various simulations and simulation federations through development of Federation Object Models and Simulation Object Models under the procedures of the High Level Architecture IEEE-1516 standard and enumerations and protocol data units under procedures of the Distributed Interactive Simulation IEEE-1278 standard. Joint and Army Experiments Analysis: Investigate and assess results of key Joint and Army experiments conducted during the previous fiscal year, as well as lessons learned from ongoing military operations. Research and provide recommendations that prepare the ARCIC to conduct future experiments by: identifying detailed assessment objectives; highlighting discrete issues to be examined within and across the warfighting functions; informing participants on the new warfighting tenets to be assessed in the experiment; identifying key participants and their preferred qualifications; and preparing advance materials for the experiments. Recommend adjustments to selected experiments so that they achieve their intended objectives or adapt to meet the demands of emerging objectives. Assess the campaign objectives for experimentation events and activities, identifying the degree to which each event achieved the stated objectives. After the conclusion of the previous fiscal year's Army experimentation campaign, analyze the results and recommend enhancements to the next year's experimentation guidance, policies, and processes. Environment Enhancement: Implement and document approved LVC integrated training environment enhancements to the Brigade Modernization Command's Mission Command Complex (BMC-MCC). This includes: Exercise facility preparation, prior to events/exercises, and recovery to include simulation/stimulation injects and product enhancements. Development of draft BMC-MCC systems administration manual and standing operating procedures (SOP). Equipment inventories and maintenance. Unit Instruction: Teach and train units to use simulations and technology. Consult with users to design, create, and configure systems to meet their training requirements. Travel to locations to attend training and gain skills required for installation, configuration, scenario development, and end-user training. Plan, prepare, and deliver training on simulations and technology to trainers and users (Soldiers) and develop training methods and material such as curriculum, lectures, and computer-based training aids based on consultation with client and user specifications. C4ISR Architecture: Develop and update the Horseblanket (HB) for the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) architecture for each Network Integration Evaluation (NIE). (For additional information about NIEs, see e.g., http://www.bctmod.army.mil/nie_focus/.) The HB is an approximately 650-page document that captures C4ISR architecture decisions and plans. Participate in Network Architecture and HB development working groups to capture concepts for employment and alternatives of the C4ISR architecture. The HB defines the quantity and placement of the following systems: legacy, baseline, systems under evaluation (SUEs), systems under test (SUTs), demonstrations, instrumentation, aerial support elements, modeling and simulation, and Exercise Control Center configuration. The HB describes configuration items such as: software version; systems (radios, computers, servers, etc.); firmware; information assurance; instrumentation; operators; bumper numbers; and, USA numbers and vehicles. Prior to publication, ensure the HB accurately depicts modifications to such items as baseline radios, routers, aviation, applications sensors, SUTs, and SUEs. Because there are two NIEs per year, each with a long planning cycle, there will at certain times be two or even three HBs in parallel development. Objectives Analysis: Provide analysis efforts in support of assigned HQDA G3/5/7 objectives for the Brigade Modernization Command (BMC). For example, assist in event design and planning by collaboratively developing with the BMC the NIE analysis planning, data collection, and data collector training documents in preparation for field assessments of SUEs/SUTs for each semiannual NIE. Assess and Transition Capabilities: Support all capability assessments of integrated DOTMLPF solutions for the selected capabilities and facilitate the transition of selected capabilities to the field and proper proponent office for further requirements development. Includes: Recommend assessment venues to include wargames, exercises, tests, experimentation, or other analytic venues. Design data collection plans to include data elements, metrics/units, and personnel from whom to collect data. Observe capability assessments at selected venues. Prepare initial insight reports based on TRADOC capability assessment team observations, completed surveys, and discussions with observers and participants, and the DOTMLPF implications of new survivability-related solutions reviewed or discovered. Prepare proposed final assessment reports that capture: evaluation criteria, assessment against criteria for each product, functional testing of product capabilities and product recommendation(s) with justification for technologies under assessment by ARCIC's Accelerated Capabilities Division. Propose strategic and planning methodology to engage audiences and key stakeholders as accelerated capabilities are fielded into Army current and future modular forces. Counter-Improved Explosive Device (C-IED) Capabilities: The TRADOC Centers of Excellence are responsible, through the capability needs analysis (CNA) process, for identifying materiel and non-materiel solutions that the current and future Army require to conduct C-IED missions in environments where IEDs are a threat. In addition, the Center for Army Lessons Learned collects observations, insights, and lessons (OIL) associated with IED incidents involving Army forces. Together, the solutions and OIL enable Army forces to: attack the networks that finance, traffic and use IEDs; protect Soldiers, equipment, and facilities from IED attacks; and train Soldiers, leaders, staffs and units on tactics, techniques and procedures for employing specific C-IED capabilities. Includes: Provide technical, quantitative and qualitative analysis of specific C-IED materiel/non-materiel solutions and OIL, or specific sets of C-IED solutions and OIL, to identify the effectiveness of the capabilities against current and future IED threats. Assess and detail the contributions of the designated C-IED solutions and OIL to assist in resolution of capability gaps and fulfillment of required capabilities detailed in the ARCIC's CNA database. Organize the analysis by DOTMLPF, the Army's warfighting functions, required capabilities, and capability gaps, as appropriate. Task Area Three - Synergy Support: This task area involves facilitating communication, synchronization, and integration of concepts, capabilities, experiments, and evaluations to achieve optimum outcomes. Synergy support involves coordinating analyses, designs, assessments, concepts, and resources to merge, de-conflict, and synchronize requirements and solutions to unify and improve warfighting capabilities. This task area involves recommendations that will facilitate: Communicating, synchronizing, and integrating across DOTMLPF, warfighting functions, formations, and portfolios or organizational groupings. Identifying and clarifying missions and functions of those involved in developing concepts and capabilities and executing experiments and evaluations. Synchronizing oversight by the modernization proponents within TRADOC that examine, validate, or modify requirements driving capabilities. Collaborating with Government, industry, and the Army, especially the CoEs. Examples of requirements for this task area are: Communications: Facilitate and synchronize communication with key stakeholders, includes: planning and tracking stakeholder engagements; building situational awareness and understanding of the Army's integrated tactical network, new concepts, capabilities, and TTPs; and, enhancing awareness of ARCIC, BMC, and its partners' missions, activities, plans, concepts, and requirements. Sustainment: Support ARCIC to develop sustainment planning and execution policy to include the coordination and management of locations, facilities, equipment, the flow of logistics, and other common services in support of each semiannual NIE. Troop to Task Plan: Analyze troop to task requirements and develop and update the troop to task plan for each semiannual NIE. Derive troop to task requirements from various sources such as quad charts, white papers, SOPs, meetings, working groups, and bull pen sessions with vendors. Agile Process: Support HQDA, HQ TRADOC, and ARCIC BMC to facilitate execution of the Agile life cycle process. For more information on the Agile Process, see, e.g.: http://www.bctmod.army.mil/industry_info/AgileProcessPhases_for%20Website.pdf. Facilitate Decisions: Support ARCIC to facilitate Army decisions by interfacing with a variety of organizations to include TRADOC Centers of Excellence, Capability Development Integration Directorates, Capability Managers, ARCIC BMC, non-TRADOC proponents/organizations, Army staff, Army Commands, U.S Army Special Operations Command, DoD/Joint Centers and Organizations and United States Forces-Afghanistan. Produce meeting minutes, executive summaries, presentation briefs, and prepare responses to decision tasking. Task Area Four - Information Technology and Information Management Support: This task area includes information technology and information management support services necessary to support the previous three task areas that are not otherwise supported by the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Center. This task area includes: Installing, operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining networks and systems involved in events, experiments, and evaluations. Developing and managing data and data systems to include problem resolution and administration of the associated servers. Designing and maintaining web sites. Support for information technology automation/networks to include personal computer and software troubleshooting, printer/fax support, help desk support, communications support, configuration and software support, and trouble response for cell phones and blackberry devices. Examples of requirements for this task area are: Simulation Lab/Battle Lab Collaborative Simulation Enviornment (BLCSE) Management Portal Technical Operations Support: Install, maintain, reconfigure and upgrade Government-furnished equipment, hardware, and software at the ARCIC SimLab facility. Install, maintain, reconfigure and upgrade the configuration management and configuration control tool suite to include current version manager and dimensions tools and the BLCSE archive library (electronic and hard media). Configure and operate BLCSE hardware/software to ensure compliance with the DoD information assurance certification and accreditation process and local network security and information technology/information assurance policies. NIE Network Operations: Provide network operations technical services in support of the monitoring and maintenance of the tactical support network for NIE events. Simulation Environment Operations: Provide technical support during the operation of the simulation environment. Tasks include: Setting up and configuring simulation systems hardware and software. Executing simulation testing and evaluation. Executing technical integration. Repairs and troubleshooting. Network Operations Support Center (NOSC): The BMC Network Integration Division establishes the NOSC to supervise the installation, operation, and maintenance of the evaluation network as well as ensuring network operations management requirements compliance. The NOSC is the portion of the BMC Exercise Control Center that exercises technical control of NIEs. Recommend improvements to the NOSC in the form of white papers and/or SOP updates. Participate in daily Engineering Review Boards while the NOSC is operational. Make recommendations for troubleshooting as emerging systems issues are identified. Database Management: Provide technical expertise concerning data and system management planning, development, implementation, problem resolution, and administration. This includes: Develop and maintain internal portals and electronic document repositories used for explicit and tacit knowledge exchange between the Army and other DoD organizations. Analyze and make recommendations regarding data requirements, structure, and specifications to provide for analysis of the data using multiple analytical methods such as relational queries, keyword searches, histograms, and trend analysis. Troubleshoot problems involved in the input, retrieval. or modification of database information and the general operation and maintenance of the data systems. Responses: Responses are limited to twenty-five (25) pages. The designated NAICS Code is 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, with a small business size standard of $14M. It is required that all contractors doing business with the Government be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at website: https://www.sam.gov. Your response shall include the following information: size of company (i.e., 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned small business, veteran-owned, small disadvantaged business, service-disabled veteran-owned, etc.); revenue for last three years; number of employees; information on company's ability to sustain growth (including any lines of credit); relevant past performance on same/similar work for not more than three years; and, your company's capability and capacity to do this type of work. Documentation of technical expertise and capability must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. It is imperative that business concerns responding to this Sources Sought articulate their capabilities clearly and adequately. The information should be sent by email only to Rick Shannon, ricky.l.shannon2.civ@mail.mil NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM EDT, 17 May 2013. Any questions shall be directed to Rick Shannon by email: ricky.l.shannon2.civ@mail.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 Sources Sought. All costs associated with responding to this Sources Sought will be the sole responsibility of the contractor. All submissions will be treated as business confidential materials, become U.S. Government property, and will not be returned. If a solicitation is released, it 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.
Web Link: FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/a0f99ce123c6c4e6f4015b112a9cb6c8)
Place of Performance: Address: MICC Center - Fort Eustis (Joint Base Langley-Eustis) Building 2798, Fort Eustis VA; Zip Code: 23604-5538
Record: SN03052570-W 20130505/130503234640-a0f99ce123c6c4e6f4015b112a9cb6c8 (fbodaily.com)
Source: FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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R -- Sources Sought announcement seeking responses from all business concerns,for contract support services for the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to execute its mission regarding current and future warfighting challenges.