ATTACHMENT A_REACH STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (1).pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Information Resource Management (IRM)

Statement of Objectives for

Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and

Remote Expeditionary Area Communications Hub (REACH)

Statement of Objectives (SOO) Satellite Communications (SATCOM)

Remote Expeditionary Area Communications Hub (REACH)

1.0 Purpose

The Department of State (DoS) seeks crisis and contingency communications hardware and airtime services. The Department requires operational consistency with its contingency communications hardware and services. This includes consistency of service and one contractor online account management tool (i.e., dashboard-like tool) to aid in usage monitoring, user training, reporting, and fault/resolution of service issues.

2.0 Background

The mission of the Department of State is to protect and promote U.S. security, prosperity, and democratic values. The mission of the Remote Expeditionary Area Communications Hub (REACH) program office is to provide contingency communications and crisis response IT capabilities worldwide. This acquisition of REACH is to facilitate the build of multiple crisis and contingency communication systems.

The REACH systems are used to support special/non-standard missions off grid, solutions for diplomats and personnel who are operating outside the normal IT infrastructure. The REACH program addresses the Department’s contingency and crisis communications requirements, and the needs for expeditionary and transitional diplomacy. The Department seeks to identify strategic sources that will allow DoS to effectively manage and allocate these communications systems at its missions around the world.

The REACH program office was established in 2008 to facilitate, through technology, a greater level of expeditionary and transitional diplomacy providing scalable tactical IT services to meet the demands of expeditionary diplomacy off the grid, redundancy at overseas Posts and addressing the longstanding requirement for reliable tactical communications during a crisis.

These systems are used in support of special/non-standard missions off grid, solutions for diplomats operating outside of the normal IT infrastructure, overseas posts in situations such as local election monitoring, consular support in remote areas for evacuations and American Citizen Services, and Public Diplomacy requirements that may be “off the beaten path.” REACH has enabled missions with “off-the-grid” communications ranging from basic Internet and voice to fully functional secure Embassy-like IT capabilities – all independent from local infrastructure.

3.0 Scope

The REACH program builds multiple crisis and contingency communication systems and is seeking a single source to provide all requirements for equipment and services. Equipment and services are:

1. Emergency communication systems equivalent to products/kits commercially available.

2. Satellite telephones

3. VSAT systems

4. VSAT Modems

5. Airtime provider for BGAN services and satellite telephones

6. Test equipment and related items for installing and maintaining mobile communication systems.

4.0 Functional Categories

Offerors should demonstrate their ability to provide products and services to support five functional categories (FC) shown in the table(s) below.

TABLE 1 - CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS – IN-SCOPE SERVICES

Functional Category Description

1 Standard Satellite Equipment See Attachment A

2 Standard Satellite Airtime/Service See Attachment A

3 Satellite Telephones See Attachment A

4 Low Earth Orbit Satellite Equipment See Attachment A

5 Low Earth Orbit Service See Attachment A

TABLE 2 - CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS – REQUIREMENTS ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES

A Mobile Information Programs Center

The MIPC is a comprehensive communications support package providing IPC/ISC capabilities based on a mobile VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) and Low Earth Orbit “LOE” platforms. The system provides the same IT capabilities found in a standard Embassy mission. the MIPC can provide the capability to access raw internet, OpenNet and Secure Information on a modular as needed basis. The system is scalable and can support anywhere from a few to over 100 users.

B Secure High-Speed Area Resource Kit

The SHARK package is designed for secure mobile communications to include Secure Information, in situations that require a small office environment be set up quickly and in any location. Approved encryption devices allow access DoS SBU and Secret level data and voice networks. The SHARK includes a small, robust satellite terminal.

Alternatively, the SHARK can use a local Internet service provider. The system also includes an unclassified analog phone that can be replaced with a secure phone upon request.

C Basic Internet Communications

The BIC Kit is designed to provide an unclassified means of communications while conducting offsite business or when local infrastructure fails. This system utilizes a small lightweight (BGAN) satellite terminal, analog phone, color printer, laptop, and solar panel. If secure voice is required, the analog phone can be substituted with a vIPer. It can effectively communicate with the outside world and use Global OpenNet (GO) for access to the Department’s SBU network. All devices are battery powered and can be charged via AC or DC power. For the most isolated of locations a solar panel is also included.

D IT Service Management Vendor will provide access to on-line tool to track bandwidth usage, cost, downtime

E Quality Control See Attachment B

F Innovation, ideation, and Modernization

Current Equipment List is provided in Attachment A.

However, contractors are encouraged to suggest changes, updates, alterations that would improve and modernize the requirement. The Department will also consider innovative solutions to address its requirements where appropriate

5.0 Performance objectives

The offeror will be responsible for providing crisis and contingency communications hardware and airtime services to the Department of State. The Department requires operational consistency with its contingency communications hardware and services. This includes consistency of service and one contractor online account management tool to aid in usage monitoring, user training, reporting, and fault/resolution of service issues.

The Department must be able to query within a tool and have the ability to pull call detail records for a specified period comprising all information with a sufficient level of detail. Query results should be downloadable by text delimited or MS Excel format.

The offeror’s account management tool should provide REACH, DoS bureaus, and end users with the ability to manage user profile (i.e.; accounts, ID/passwords, etc.), access to usage statistics and the option to customize layouts for viewing SIM card usage information.

REACH and other DoS Bureaus and customers should have the capability of querying all their BGAN and satellite telephone assets and call detail reports (current and past) for the life of the contract. The contractor shall ensure the appropriate Information Assurance (IA) controls are in place to prevent unauthorized access to user information.

6.0 Type of Contract Contemplated

The Department seeks to award a sole-sourced firm-fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement

(BPA).

7.0 Period of Performance

The period of performance of this contract consists of a base year and one six-month option on beginning February 1, 2024. (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services.)

8.0 Place of Performance

Performance will be conducted at Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) terminals located throughout the world.

9.0 Government information

Equipment Delivery – In some cases, the delivery location for equipment will be as follows:

Department of State Attention: REACH Program 7500 Boston Blvd.

Springfield, VA 22153

Point of Contact:

Brad Tarr Program Manager 7500 Boston Blvd. Room 200 Springfield, VA 22153

The offeror will be required to ship commercially - direct to post, utilize the U.S. Dispatch

Agency, and the Department’s pouch services as needed.

Acceptance testing – The offeror will be responsible for performing or having performed all inspections and tests necessary to substantiate that the supplies or services furnished under this contract conform to the contract requirements, including any technical requirements for the specified manufacturer’s parts.

• In accordance with FAR 46.706(b)(5), the offeror must stamp or mark the supplies delivered, or otherwise furnish notice with the supplies, of the existence of a warranty, if any. Sufficient information must be presented for supply personnel and users to identify warranted supplies. Warranty information must include the terms and duration of the warranty and the name and telephone number of the Contracting Officer to be notified if the supplies are found to be defective.

• In case of equipment malfunction, the manufacturer’s warranty prevails. The offeror must be prepared to provide support for that warranty for the full extent of the manufacturer’s warranty period. If annual maintenance licenses/contracts are purchased, the offeror must be prepared to provide support for the term of each maintenance license /contract procured.

• All manufacturer’s equipment warranties must be activated in DOS’ name and commence on the date of delivery from vendor to final destination.

Network Monitoring (NET OPS) --The offeror should be capable of collecting and delivering the near real-time usage, monitoring, fault/incident/outage reporting, and information access to ensure effective and efficient operations, performance, and availability consistent with commercial best practice. The offeror’s NetOps monitoring capability should address the following metrics at a minimum: Usage Reporting and Fault Reporting.

1. User near real-time usage reporting: The Contractor shall provide an online account management tool capability solution to report BGAN and Satellite Telephone usage, both aggregated and for each user account, that is updated near real time. The Contractor’s tool solution will allow users to query their usage data over a user-specified period. The Contractor solution will be capable of allowing the Government the ability to manage users’ access to tool data through a user access hierarchy. At a minimum, users shall have the ability to access the fields listed in Table 3 from the contractor’s BGAN airtime usage database. Users shall have the ability to access the fields in Table 4 for satellite telephone airtime usage.

2. Fault Reporting -- The offeror will be asked to provide a status report on fault/incident/outage on a near real-time basis and a monthly status report. The offeror must provide verbal and written status reports on fault/incident/outage on a near real-time basis to the REACH Program Office at REACH-DSB@state.gov. At a minimum, fault/incident/outages can be defined as any system, hardware, terrestrial links, software, or component impacting customer service. The report shall identify the systems involved, the impact of the fault/incident/outage, the cause of the fault/incident/outage if known and the actions already taken and planned to correct the outage. The faults reporting is a requirement for any issue reported to the offeror such as hardware\software issues, BGAN Services, or teleport assigned or unassigned service interruptions.

Fault Reporting shall roll into the monthly status report and require an immediate fault/incident/outage report.

The offeror must provide an initial training session of the online account management tool (either by teleconference, Video Teleconference (VTC) or in-person) to the various regional Bureau Information Technology personnel located in Washington DC and to the REACH program staff located in Springfield, VA. The session will cover navigation, reports and data query generation, and management of user permissions within the tool. Training materials or soft copies of instructions should also be provided to be shared with users as they obtain services.

• Querying capabilities within the tool shall include, at a minimum, the ability to pull call detail records for a specified period comprising all information and level of detail identified in Table 3. Query results shall be downloadable and in either a text delimited or MS Excel format.

The offeror’s online account management tool shall be capable of restricting users’ data access in accordance with an access hierarchy provided by the Government to the vendor following award. The offeror’s online account management tool shall provide REACH, DoS bureaus, and end users with the ability to manage user profile (i.e.; accounts, ID/passwords, etc.), access to usage statistics and the option to customize layouts for viewing SIM card usage information.

10.0 Monthly Status Reporting

BGAN and Iridium Services -- At a minimum, the Monthly Report shall consist of:

• Number of Active SIMs

• Number of dropped calls

• Number of incomplete calls, identified as any voice or data link which is interrupted and/or not able to be completed

• Planned and unplanned downtimes, reason for outage, fixed action (to include any relevant trouble ticket number, carrier, start and stop time of trouble event, summary of event)

• Troubleshooting/customer assistance provided

• Software Updates

11.0 Government property/equipment

Government equipment will not be furnished as part of the award.

12.0 Warranty/Activation Services

In accordance with FAR 46.706(b)(5), the offeror shall stamp or mark the supplies delivered, or otherwise furnish notice with the supplies, of the existence of a warranty, if any. Sufficient information is to be presented for supply personnel and users to identify warranted supplies.

Warranty information must include the terms and duration of the warranty and the name and telephone number of the Contracting Officer to be notified if the supplies are found to be defective.

In case of equipment malfunction, the manufacturer’s warranty prevails. The offeror must be prepared to provide support for that warranty for the full extent of the manufacturer’s warranty period. If annual maintenance licenses/contracts are purchased, the offeror must be prepared to provide support for the term of each maintenance license /contract procured. This support must include the removal and reinstallation of the defective item(s).

All manufacturer’s equipment warranties should be activated in the Department’s name and will commence on the date of delivery from vendor to the final destination.

Service Activation Plan -- The offeror must present a written service activation plan to the government, detailing the contractor’s approach and risk mitigation strategy to transition active services from contractors under the expiring contracts. At a minimum, the service activation plan should include the proposed approach to transition all SIMs, strategies to minimize or eliminate service disruptions, and general milestones and timelines to transition each SIM. SIM order timelines shall include the time required to activate new service following receipt of order and the time required to coordinate the transfer of service from the original Data Provider, if applicable.

Upon contract award, the Government will provide to the contractor a list of transitioning SIMs and associated service information, to include:

• MSISDN (AMSISDN’s – for additional associated services) if applicable

• ICCID/IMSI if applicable

• SIM numbers

• Direct Dialing Number (if applicable)

• The effective “anniversary” date the SIM card was activated

13.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

Requirement Acceptable Quality Level Method of Surveillance

On-time Delivery

Deliver 99% of all orders on time (within 45 days of placing the order). The contractor is responsible for informing the COR in writing if delivery will be delayed for any reason. The contractor shall provide a reason for the delay no later than 10 days before the order’s due date

The COR will track the actual delivery date and time of all orders placed against the IDIQ and discuss any deviations with the contractor.

Repair and Return

Repair 99.5% of all items returned for repair correctly and within 30 days of receipt.

The contractor shall inform the COR no later than 3 days prior to the repair’s due date and provide a reason for the delay.

The COR will track the actual delivery time and status of repaired items and discuss any deviations with the contractor.

Warranty Support

90% of all single unit items shall operate properly in accordance with contract and product specifications during the warranty period.

The COR will track the number single unit failures vs. the number of items in use to determine the percentage of failed items.

If it is determined that ten percent or more of the new radios are not meeting the manufacturer’s specifications (and the contract requirements) the Contractor shall pay for all transportation (to and from the government facility) and correct the deficiencies at no cost to the Government.

The COR shall track the progress of the contractor’s plan to correct product deficiencies and continually track the percentage of failures after the contractor implements the corrections.

In addition, the Contractor shall submit a plan to correct the deficiencies within 14 days of notification and the Government will approve the plan within 14 days of receipt.

The contractor shall implement the plan within 90 days of notification.

Certificate of Conformity

The supplier shall provide for each supply a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) certifying that the product complies with the contractual requirements. The CoC shall include the following information as a minimum:

Each shipment delivery will be assessed for adherence to the requirements of the CoC. The shipment is considered complete and compliant only if, in addition to the material, the required CoC has also been delivered and accepted by DSB.

• Reference to the DSB PO number

• Manufacturer’s Part Number

• Applicable data for product traceability (quantity, S/N, batch nr, manufacturing date, … etc.)

• Explicit declaration of compliance with contractual requirements

• Shipment date of the supply

• Compliance with John S.

McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 - Sec 889

Counterfeit Parts

To prevent the supply of counterfeit parts, the supplier shall ensure DSB has the full traceability of the sources used for the procurement of materials and components, and the availability of the related documentation chain.

Periodic Surveillance and documentation requests from DSB

Limited Life Materials

Residual life:

Each shipment delivery will be assessed for adherence to the requirements of the Limited Life Materials. The shipment is considered complete and compliant only if, in addition to the material, the required CoC has also been delivered and accepted by DSB.

Unless otherwise requested in the PO, limited life materials shall have, upon receipt in DSB, a residual life of not less than 80% of the useful life indicated by the manufacturer.

Manufacturing and Expiry Date:

In the case of limited life materials, the manufacturing date and the expiry date shall be indicated on the product or on the packaging of each individual item.

Acceptance of the Supply

The supplier will conduct final tests to certify the conformity of the supply to the PO requirements.

Following the delivery of the products, the supply will undergo DSB’s acceptance testing according to criteria which, on request, can be notified to the supplier.

The supply is considered complete and compliant only if, in addition to the material, any required documentation has also been delivered and accepted by DSB.

Reporting Of Faulty Products

The supplier shall notify DSB, within 30 days of discovery of any defects found on products already delivered previously.

The requirement applies to all possible defects detected by the manufacturer, the distributor (if different from the manufacturer), or other users of the same product.

DSB will track defect notifications received from the supplier and notify the supplier of any defects discovered after delivery to the Government.

Specific Requirements for Electrical and Electronic Components

Date of shipment:

DSB will assess the CoC to compare the manufacturing date to the shipping date. DSB will assess any Obsolescence documentation to determine compliance with this section.

Unless otherwise indicated in the PO, less than 1 year shall have elapsed between the manufacturing date and the shipping date.

Obsolescence:

For electrical / electronic components that have entered the obsolescence phase, it is required that this status be declared together with the production end date.

Requirements for the distributor

Original products:

Following the delivery of the products, the supply will undergo DSB’s acceptance testing according to criteria which, on request, can be notified to the supplier.

The products supplied shall be original and shall not be subject to alteration or modification respect to those made by the manufacturer.

The supply is considered complete and compliant only if, in addition to the material and any required documentation, DSB has determined that the products have not been subject to alterations or modification with respect to those made by the manufacturer.

14.0 Meetings

For all meetings, the offeror will be responsible for providing meeting materials and administrative/facilitation support. Meetings will be conducted through teleconference as determined by the COR.

15.0 Monthly Project & Status Reports

Monthly Status Report -- BGAN and Iridium Services: The monthly report will be delivered by the 5th day of each month. At a minimum, the Monthly Report should consist of:

• Number of Active SIMs

• Number of dropped calls

• Number of incomplete calls, identified as any voice or data link which is interrupted and/or not able to be completed

• Planned and unplanned downtimes, reason for outage, fixed action (to include any relevant trouble ticket number, carrier, start and stop time of trouble event, summary of event)

• Troubleshooting/customer assistance provided

• Software Updates

Fault Reporting -- The offeror should provide a status report on fault/incident/outage on a near real-time basis and a monthly status report (as stated above). The offeror should provide verbal and written status reports on fault/incident/outage on a near real-time basis to the REACH Program Office at REACH-DSB@state.gov.

At a minimum, fault/incident/outages can be defined as any system, hardware, terrestrial links, software, or component impacting customer service. The report should identify the systems involved, the impact of the fault/incident/outage, the cause of the fault/incident/outage if known and the actions already taken and planned to correct the outage. The faults reporting is a requirement for any issue reported to the offeror such as hardware\software issues, BGAN Services, or teleport assigned or unassigned service interruptions.

The offeror must be able to continuously update their online account management tool with current fault information. Fault Reporting shall roll into the monthly status report and require an immediate fault/incident/outage report.

16.0 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

AQM Office of Acquisitions Management BGAN Broadband Global Area Network BIC Basic Internet Communications CCB Change Control Board

DCIO/OPS Deputy Chief Information Officer of Operations DoS Department of State DSB Digital Services Branch FAR Federal Acquisition Regulations IRM Bureau of Information Resources Management ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network IT Information Technology ITI Information Technology Infrastructure Kbps Kilobits per second Kg Kilogram Kgs Kilograms LWS LAN/WAN Service MIPC Mobile Information Program Center NEA Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network REACH Remote Expeditionary Area Communications Hub RFI Request for Information RFP Request for Proposal RFQ Request for Quote SBU Sensitive But Unclassified SHARK Secure High-speed Area Reach-back System SMS Short Message Service USB Universal Serial Bus WHA Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs WLAN Wireless Local Area Network

Notice to offerors:

All information and data related to this project that the contractor gathers or obtains shall be both protected from unauthorized release and considered the property of the government. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project must not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.