Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Procurement, Box 6, Washington, DC 20231

B -- CONSULTING SERVICES TO PROVIDE ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT SOL 52-PAPT-8-00011 DUE 013098 POC Thomas A. Sowa, (703) 305-8441 WEB: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, http://www.uspto.gov. E-MAIL: Thomas A. Sowa, Contracting Officer, tom.sowa@uspto.gov. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 and FAR Part 15, as supplemented by the additional information stated below. This announcement constitutes the RFP and is the only solicitation that will be issued. Proposals are requested pursuant to this announcement. All responses shall reference Solicitation No. 52-PAPT-8-00011. This solicitation incorporates all of the applicable provisions and clauses in effect through FAC 97-02, as if stated in full text, as well as the terms and conditions of FAR 52-212-1, "Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items." This is a competitive procurement which has been designated as a small business set-aide using SIC Code 8742. It is contemplated that a firm-fixed-price contract(s) may be awarded as a result of this solicitation to perform and complete the tasks described herein. The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) reserves the right to make one or multiple contract awards based on this solicitation. The total period of performance for all tasks identified herein shall not exceed twelve (12) months. The PTO estimates approximately 2,040 hours to complete Item 0001 and 5,000 hours to complete Item 0002. The items to be procured are as follows: Item 0001 -- Consulting Services to Provide Analysis and Assessment of PTO's Compliance with the Clinger-Cohen Act and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Implementing Guidance -- $__ __ ____; and Item 0002 -- Planning Assistance to Develop Future PTO Electronic Workplace -- $__ __ ____. Scope of Work: The PTO requires expert assistance to independently provide data collection, analysis, and reporting services. The PTO management intends to use this information to make informed decisions influencing individual and combined business areas. The PTO currently has two separate and specific requirements under this solicitation: Part I -- Assessment of Compliance with the Clinger-Cohen Act (Item 0001) and Part II -- Planning Assistance to Develop Future PTO Electronic Workplace (Item 0002). PART I -- Assessment of Compliance with the Clinger-Cohen Act: BACKGROUND: During this past year, the PTO has continued to strengthen the strategic planning and budgeting for the agency and each business area by further integrating information technology planning with the PTO's planning, budget, and evaluation process. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) collaborated with program sponsors to identify and prioritize information technology initiatives and to align current and planned information technology initiatives with the Corporate Plan. Of particular emphasis this year was the identification of business area and information technology performance measures at the macro, intermediate, and project levels. In addition to Departmental and internal planning guidance, other Federal regulations and guidance documents influenced the strategic information technology planning process. The intent of these reference documents is to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and public accountability of federal agencies as well as to improve decision-making. PART I OBJECTIVE: The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) requires expert assistance to independently assess how well the PTO is implementing and coordinating its information technology investment management and performance measurement efforts. The Contractor shall perform an analysis of the PTO's compliance with the Clinger-Cohen Act and OMB implementing guidance. After completing the analysis, the Contractor shall deliver a written report with recommendations identifying areas for improvement. The Contractor shall perform an analysis of the alignment of the information technology function to the PTO business functions. After completing the analysis, the Contractor shall deliver a written report with recommendations identifying areas for improvement. PART I REQUIREMENTS: (1) The Contractor shall assess the PTO's efforts to comply with the Clinger-Cohen Act and the following OMB implementing guidance: the October 25, 1996 "Raines Rules," and the guidance to agencies (#M-97-16) on the development and implementation of Information Technology Architectures. The Contractor shall deliver a written report (Deliverable 1 below) documenting the findings. (2) The Contractor shall assess how well current efforts to align the information technology function to the PTO business functions, to include addressing business performance measures within the PTO's information technology customer service standards. The Contractor shall deliver a written report (Deliverable 2 below) documenting the findings. PART I DELIVERABLES: (1) The Contractor shall provide a written report detailing assessment of the PTO's compliance with the Clinger-Cohen Act and OMB Implementing Guidance, delivered at the end of Task 1, delivery date to be determined; and (2) The Contractor shall provide a written report detailing assessment of the alignment of the PTO's Information Technology function with the PTO's business functions, delivered at the end of Task 2, delivery date to be determined. PART II -- Planning Assistance to Develop Future PTO Electronic Workplace: PART II OBJECTIVE: The PTO has a requirement for expert services to plan for the coordination of its efforts to develop a future PTO electronic workplace and to establish in concert with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) a global intellectual property office network that is being designed to enable communications on and data exchange among intellectual property offices world-wide. The Contractor shall support efforts to integrate the PTO's international initiatives with its domestic technology strategy, and establish a PTO Technology Council having management responsibility for the development and implementation of all information technology projects at the PTO. PART II REQUIREMENTS: (1) The Contractor shall develop a conceptual template whereby the PTO can manage the information technology, legal, policy and regulatory issues which accompany this effort, including a coherent plan for reaching goals and individual milestones by measuring project progress using available tools at the PTO; and (2) The Contractor shall develop a transition plan that presents steps needed in order to fully implement a highly effective Technology Council at the PTO including recommendations for its structure and function, as well as process, and how it will operate, using bench-marked best-in-class examples derived from both private and public sectors. PART II DELIVERABLES: (1) The Contractor shall develop and deliver a draft plan which will form a template for coordinating and tracking progress. This draft plan shall be developed through use of available automated project management tools currently in use at the PTO, such as CAT and the access based Legal Issues Data Base, of various component of efforts associated with the Wire the World Project within 30 days following the award of this contract; (2) The Contractor shall deliver a final version of the plan on a date to be determined; and (3) The Contractor shall deliver transition plans and reports containing recommendations on the structure, function, process and operation of the PTO Technology Council, at dates to be determined. EVALUATION: The PTO contemplates the award of one or more contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer, comforming to the solicitation, will be the most advantageous and represents the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. Offerors may elect to submit a proposal for either PART I, PARTII or for both PARTS. The following factors will be used to evaluate offers: (A) Past Performance; ( B) Technical Capability; and (C) Cost/Price. Factor A is more important than Factor B, and together Factors A and B are substantially more important than C. Past Performance will be evaluated as follows: Evaluation of past performance shall be based on information obtained from the contacts/references provided by the offeror, as well as any other information the Government may have or obtain from other sources. Evaluation of Technical Capability will be based on the resumes and experience of the individuals specified to perform the services, as well as the offeror's understanding of the work to be performed. Additionally, technical capability will also include an evaluation of the offeror's recommended technical approach. Instructions/Notice of Offerors: The PTO will furnish or make available to the Contractor any documentation or data deemed necessary to perform the required effort. Offerors are requested to submit one (1) signed and dated original and four (4) copies of the proposal. The proposal shall be brief and concise, but shall demonstrate the technical capability and understanding to perform the effort described herein, as well as the required experience to accomplish the services required. The offeror shall also provide a brief explanation of the technical approach they would recommend for the accomplishment of the tasks described herein. Offerors shall include pricing information that reflects the proposed labor mix and hourly rates for each individual proposed as well as complete resumes and qualifications for each. The offeror shall identify two Federal, state or local government or private contracts under which the offeror has performed work similar to the statement of work contained herein. Past performance references should be current contracts or completed within the last three years. The offeror shall provide a point of contact, current telephone number and a fax number for each reference. These references must be submitted with the offeror's proposal on the due date stated herein. Proposals shall also include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, "Offeror Representation and Certifications -- Commercial Items." A copy of these representations and certifications may be obtained by contacting the person specified below. The contract award(s) will include the clauses cited at FAR 52.212-4, "Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items" and 52.212-5, "Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items." The terms and conditions of clauses 52.219-14, "Limitation on Subcontracting" and 52.219-6, "Notice of Total Small Business Set Aside" shall apply to this solicitation. Proposals shall be delivered to the Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Procurement, 2011 Crystal Drive, CPK 1, Suite 810, Arlington, VA 22202, Attention: Mr. Thomas A. Sowa, no later than 2:00 PM (EST) on Friday, January 30, 1998. The point of contract for information regarding this solicitation is Thomas A. Sowa at (703) 305-8441. (0015)

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