Electronic Systems Center/AVK, Contracting Division, Command & Control Systems, 20 Schilling Circle, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2816

A -- BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) #AV97-01: CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF THE MISSION SPACE TECHNICAL FRAMEWORK TOOLSET EFFORT SOL BAA #AV 97-01 DUE 031497 POC Capt Brad Bissette, Contract Manager, 617-377-6632; Steve Meehan, Contracting Officer, 617-377-7391; Paul Driscoll, Technical POC, 617- 377-3990. The Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO) is establishing a DoD Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Common Technical Framework to facilitate the interoperability of all types of models and simulations, as well as to facilitate the reuse of modeling and simulation components and artifacts. This framework includes a High Level Architecture (HLA), data standards and Conceptual Models of the Mission Space (CMMS). The CMMS itself is comprised of three elements: the technical framework, the common repository, and the conceptual models themselves. CMMS will provide: (1) disciplined procedures for systematically informing simulation developers about the real world of military operations, (2) an information structure for communications between simulation developers and military operations subject matter experts, (3) a reference model for simulation-specific design decisions and, (4) a primary means to identify modeling and simulation reuse opportunities. Development and promulgation of the technical framework is a DMSO responsibility. The CMMS Technical Framework (CMMS-TF) is the formal vehicle for recording the common technical approach among DoD programs. The CMMS-TF references the Data Engineering Technical Framework (DE-TF) and draft versions of both documents are available on the DMSO Home Page at http://www.dmso.mil/. The CMMS development effort is defined according to an evolving CMMS-TF and DE-TF and will provide a cost-effective, systematic and integrated toolset of hardware, software and management processes to facilitate knowledge acquisition, maintenance and processing which promotes interoperable and reusable models and simulations. Working in collaboration with the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO), the Air Force (AF) Electronic Systems Center (ESC) is seeking, with this BAA, innovative solutions for defining and demonstrating a recommended integrated toolset based on the CMMS-TF and DE-TF required to support CMMS activities. The demonstration shall exercise all aspects of the recommended integrated toolset. Actual conceptual models used for DoD simulations will be used in the demonstration. The demonstration shall include documentation and a copy of the demonstration software (source, build scripts and executables) to allow non-contractor personnel to duplicate the demonstration . ESC intends to award one or more cost -- plus -- fixed -- fee contracts with an initial value of up to $2,750,000. The period of performance will be 24 months. SOURCE SELECTION PROCEDURE: ESC is using a two stage competitive procedure for this acquisition. Stage 1 begins with the publication of this synopsis and consists of all interested contractors submitting one white paper addressing the CMMS Technical Framework Toolset (CMMS-TFT). The Government will evaluate these white papers against the evaluation criteria stated in this synopsis and select one or more contractors, whose approach is most consistent with the intent of this BAA, to participate in the next stage. Stage 2 will begin with the Government inviting those contractors selected in Stage 1 to submit a detailed technical and cost proposal. The Government will evaluate each proposal received against the evaluation criteria stated in this synopsis and select one or more proposals for award. An invitation to submit a proposal does not assure that the submitting contractor will be awarded a contract. In order that proposals are afforded proper handling, offerors must mark their proposals with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.509(a). The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost in FAR 31.205-18. Offerors are reminded that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the government. STAGE 1, WHITE PAPER INFORMATION: All interested offerors shall submit eight (8) hard copies and two (2) electronic copies of a white paper with a separate cover letter indicating contractor name, address, phone #, fax #, taxpayer id, CAGE code, points of contact, and whether the offeror is a large, small, woman-owned small, or small disadvantaged business or historically black college, university or minority institution. The white paper must be formatted as follows: Section A Name of Company, Title, Period of Performance, and Estimated Cost of Task broken out by Fiscal year, Section B -- Task Objective, Section C -- Technical Summary. Section A is not to exceed two pages. Sections B&C are not to exceed eight pages combined. The Technical Summary should include: (1) a description of the anticipated application and capabilities in the context of the DoD M&S Common Technical Framework, (2) a description of the toolset implementation feasibility based on the CMMS-TF and DE-TF, (3) a description of an integrated toolset that provides registration services, storage, conversion services, integration services, release services, verification, validation, accreditation/certification (VV&A/C) meta-data and pedigrees, and configuration management and, (4) a description of enforcement procedures/processes for assuring that conceptual models presented for registration in the common repository comply with the technical framework. Submit the white paper on standard 8.5 x 11 paper, singled spaced, a minimum of twelve point font, with not less than one inch margins and with single-sided printing. The electronic copies shall be in Word 6.0 for Windows or compatible format. In order to be evaluated, all white papers must be addressed to ATTN: Capt Brad Bissette, Reference BAA #AV97-01, ESC/AVK, 20 Schilling Circle, Hanscom AFB, MA 01730-2816. Responses are due at above address by 4:00 PM EST on 14 Mar 97. Responses should reference the above number. The Government anticipates Stage 1 participants will be informed of their selection/nonselection to participate in Stage 2 approximately 14 days after white paper submission STAGE 2, PROPOSAL INFORMATION:. Selected contractors proposals will be due approximately 30 days after receiving notification from the contracting officer of the white paper evaluation results. The proposal shall consist of separate Technical (Volume I) and Cost (Volume II) volumes. Additional detailed instructions for proposal preparation shall be contained in the contracting officer's notification of selection/nonselection to offerors. EVALUATION CRITERIA: The selection of the final contractor(s) for further research into a CMMS-TFT will be based on an evaluation of the overall merit of their proposals in response to this announcement. The technical aspect will be weighed more heavily than cost in the Government's selection of a contractor(s). The technical aspect will be evaluated based on the following criteria which are listed in descending order of priority: (1) Soundness of the technical approach, (2) Innovativeness of the solutions, (3) Leveraging of existing applicable technologies, (4) Quality, quantity, and availability of technical personnel, including key personnel, (5) Maturity of analysis, design and development process, (6) Products, (7) Maximum use of low cost commercial of the shelf (COTS) and, (8) Soundness of the offeror's management and program plan. Cost will be evaluated but is lower in priority than all combined technical items. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting the proposals. ESC reserves the right to select for contract award none, one or more or part of proposals received. Every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality of the proposals and evaluations. It is the Government's intent to use the services of non-government personnel as a special resource for evaluation of the proposals. These contractors are restricted by contract from disclosing proposal information or using it for purposes other than performing the evaluation. Contractor personnel have signed non-disclosure statements. If an offeror desires, a list of the non-government evaluators can be made available prior to evaluation of the offeror's proposal. GENERAL INFORMATION: Background information on CMMS is available via the World Wide Web (WWW) at http://www.dmso.mil/projects/cmms. This is an unrestricted solicitation. All questions regarding this announcement should be made in writing to the Contracting Officer. All responses to contractor's questions and any additional information regarding this announcement will be posted at http://www.wg.hanscom.af.mil/CMMS-TFT/. Offerors should be alert for any BAA amendments that may be published. No portion of the BAA will be set-aside for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) or Minority Institutions (MI) participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of development for exclusive competition among these entities. HBCU and MI are encouraged to team with other Offerors. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offers or potential offers during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority ofthe program director or contracting officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentially as to the sources of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of the proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call the Ombudsman, Colonel Lee H. Hughes, (617) 377-5109. The ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have previously been brought to the attention of the program manager and/or the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level, or issues that require contractor confidentiality. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. (0050)

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