Marine Corps Regional Contracting Office, Northeast Region, 2010 Henderson Road, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia 22134-5045

D -- MARINE CORPS DISTANCE LEARNING NETWORK (MARINENET) DUE 021599 POC Teresa Hollis 703-784-1924 and Wanda Wichmann 703-784-3467 The Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA is conducting an industry survey from qualified firms for the procurement of a commerical-off-the-shelf (COTS) software product or system which will manage student data and interactive courseware access as part of the Marine Corps Distance Learning Network (MarineNET). This product or system will be a significant element for providing Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) to the Marine Corps. The MarineNET is a programmed initiative designed to establish a comprehensive distance learning network that will provide Marines with global access to standardized electronic training and education resources. MarineNET will provide a Marine Corps-wide distributed Intranet that is supported by Video Teletraining (VTT). MarineNet will deliver and manage all distance learning products. The scope of the MarineNet program is centered on three distinct domains -- Content Development, Distribution Infrastructure, and Management Infrastructure. All three of these domains must be implemented before the program can achieve its stated objective. The product or systems that meet the requirements for student and courseware management will be a significant element of the management domain. There will be three basic centers associated with distance learning within MarineNet. The centers associated with Marine Corps distance learning and the levels that they represent are: Distance Learning Center (DLC) -- corps level, Functional Learning Center (FLC) -- school level, Area Learning Center (ALC) -- base level. DLC -- The Marine Corps Institute serving as the DLC will provide Corps-wide standardization, certification, and quality control for distance learning courseware. Its primary function is to track and maintain student training progress. FLC -- The formal Marine Corps schools serving as FLCs will manage all electronic distance learning courses related to their functional areas of expertise. FLCs represent the school-level within the distance learning echelon structure. FLCs have the processing resources to support interactive courseware preparation and have VTT-capable classroom to support live two-way interactive, remote video classes. ALCs -- are geographically diverse sites designed to be the primary delivery point for distance learning courseware to the operational Marine Corps population. ALCs will consist of a Training & Education Point of Presence (TEPOP) facility and Learning Resource Centers (LRC). The TEPOP controls the installation, administration and management of all digital instructional material. MarineNet components will be fielded to numerous locations worldwide. Interactive courseware will be distributed from the DLC/FLCs to the various ALC TEPOP servers for local storage and access. Marines will register for distance learning courses through on-line registration procedures that will be controlled and verified electronically by the DLC. If a course is available locally, Marines can access the material immediately. Otherwise, course materials will be forwardedto the respective ALC by the sponsoring FLC or mailed directly to the Marine by the DLC. Course progress will be tracked locally by TEPOP administrators through computer managed instruction (CMI) systems. Course completion data will be reported automatically to the respective FLC for analysis and to the DLC for entry into MCTFS. VTT course registration will be accomplished in the same manner as interactive courseware. A VTT facilitator at the ALC VTT Center will monitor each VTT course. VTT course completion data will be entered by the ALC administrator and reported to the DLC for entry into MCTFS. All distance learning examinations will be proctored by LRC administrative personnel to maintain integrity of the testing process. Several basic functions are necessary for the smooth operation of Marine Corps Distance Learning. Each functional area will identify information processing, storage, and communication requirements. The main functional areas of the Marine Corps distance learning architecture are: Courseware Distribution, Student Management, Catalog Management, Classroom Scheduling, Quality Control. Courseware Distribution -- This functional area addresses the movement of electronic-based courseware from its development at an FLC to its final delivery to a Marine student who accesses that courseware via an ALC. The FLC, as the primary developer of Marine Corps courseware, sends interactive distance learning material to the ALCs. This will be done primarily on CD-ROM media via mail. This distribution path is planned due to the current limitation on inter-based communications bandwidth. CD-ROMs also provide the ALC with tangible archival media. Additionally, it is recognized that a limited amount of base-specific courseware may be developed at the ALC for local instruction. This courseware is developed with local ALC resources and hosted at the ALC Courseware Server. Student Management -- This area addresses functions related to the registration, progress tracking, and course completion recording for Marine Corps distance learning students. The basic strategy of organizing functionality is to perform a specific function at the most practical echelon, and then insuring that the echelon is prepared to provide analysis and reporting of necessary resources and procedures. The basic approach in organizing student management functionality for Marine Corps distance learning will be to place detailed information on students at the lowest level and manage of completion data at higher levels. Specifically, management of student data will relate to the organization of courseware. Courseware is typically organized around three elemental levels: individual lessons or modules; classes that are composed of multiple lessons; and courses that are composed of multiple classes. Catalog Management -- In this functional area, a comprehensive catalog is established which documents all Marine Corps distance learning courses; their length and format;' registration requirements; and other pertinent data. Once established, the catalog is distributed to all ALCs. The catalog serves as a reference to Marines in a student role and to education counselors and training staff. The establishment of a corps-wide distance learning catalog begins with the creation of course lists at each FLC. These lists contain information related to the courseware offerings developed at and sponsored by the Marine Corps school supported by that FLC. These individual course lists are sent, in electronic media, to the DLC. The DLC prepares a Corps-wide distance learning catalog, which consolidates and cross-references the contents of the individual FLC lists. Finally, the DLC distributes the consolidated catalog on CD-ROM media to all ALCs and FLCs. Individual students, training staff, and education counselors can access the consolidated catalog on-line from distance learning resources at the ALC. Classroom Scheduling -- This functional area primarily impacts distance learning which requires both the instructor and student ends to be synchronized in time. The conduct of video teletraining with a live instructor and interactive student participation is the best example of this synchronized distance learning. Quality Control -- This functional area addresses a range of individual activities whose common purpose is to assist in assuring the Marine Corps distance learning is of top quality, relevant, and responsive. Three specific quality control activities have been currently identified. First, the review and standardization certification cycle of courseware that is planned between FLCs and DLC provides the primary assurance of uniform quality of all Marine distance learning courseware. Second, the provision for student feedback via on-line course evaluation augments quality control by helping to insure the relevancy of courseware and its ability to retain student interest. Finally, system performance data is consolidated at the DLC for evaluation of data relating to system availability and response times. This activity helps insure that the electronic systems that carry Marine Corps distance learning are responsive enough to effectively train and educate Marines in a timely manner. Those sources, who believe that they have a product or system that could meet the above requirements (or easily modified to be able to meet the above requirements) are encouraged to provide specifications, item description, and other pertinent material. The information will be used to enable this office to develop an acquisition strategy towards acquiring such a capability. Any information relative to schedule for development, production, delivery, and price history would also be helpful. All proprietary information should be marked as such. This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought (SS) Notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the US MARINE CORPS. The purpose of this RFI/SS is to identify potential qualified sources that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. Potential offerors are requested to provide a summary of the capabilities and expertise they have which allow them to provide this product or system. The summary should include but not be limited to the following: point of contact, previous experience for the same or similar services (if government contracts provide contract numbers and brief description of the contract services), type of pricing arrangements used in prior government and/or commercial contracts, if the company is a small or small disadvantaged business (and other company information). The offerors are also requested to provide any other information which is indicative of their capability to provide the product or system. Please submit your responses to this request no later than 15 February 1999. Information may be mailed to Commanding General, Purchasing and Contracting Branch (B215), Marine Corps Base, 3250 Catlin Avenue, Quantico, VA 22134-5001. Telephone calls will not be accepted. This is not a request for competitive proposals, noformal solicitation exists at this time. The US MARINE CORPS does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgment of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of evaluation of the information received. PLEASE NOTE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THIS ACQUISITION WILL BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE AND THEREFORE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE METHOD OF PROCUREMENT BASED UPON OUR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF THIS REQUEST. Posted 01/22/99 (W-SN290285). (0022)

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