20220302_SOO_Library_Authentication_Final.docx

Statement of Objectives

1. Introduction and Overview

The Army University Library System (AULS) is a consortium of 16 U.S. Army academic libraries at TRADOC Centers of Excellence and Schools, supporting Officer, Warrant Officer, and Non-Commissioned Officer education. AULS requires an authentication solution subscription to provide remote access to commercially purchased e-resources from multiple vendors. AULS requires authentication to both consortium-wide shared e-resources and locally purchased e-resources at each library.

2. Overall SCOPE

The scope of this requirement includes a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hosted authentication solution subscription to provide a seamless and secure single sign-on for all licensed e-resources used by AULS libraries. The vendor must allow for a proof of concept test to determine that the proposed solution is compatible with AULS resources and networks. The proof of concept test will require successful authentication, via integrated library system (ILS) and Google Scholar entry points, to five resources at two AULS libraries.

3. Objective(s)

PRODUCT VISION: The purpose of this requirement is to provide a single sign-on authentication solution for remote access to all e-resources used by AULS libraries.

A minimum viable product will have the following critical components, which are defined as “must haves”

· Fully hosted, centralized application with no installed software required for administration or end-users

· Provide registered users with a single logon to access all e-resources provided by AULS, including both consortium-wide resources and local resources at each library

· Provide an access gateway

· Must be able to authenticate through multiple entry points, including but not limited to ILS, courseware, and Google Scholar

· Provide options to create user credentials by bulk upload, self-registration, and integration with local user directory

· Web-based administrative interface to establish, manage, and delete users

· Web-based administrative interface to configure e-resource set up and permissions

· Parent-child permission hierarchy or 16 iterations of the solution to distinguish between local resources at each of the 16 libraries

· Established compatibility with 90% of content providers and e-resources currently in use at AULS at time of award (see attachment)

· Compatibility must include both browser and mobile access when applicable

· Usage statistics including but not limited to total accounts, total authentications, use by date, use by resource, turnaways, and use by each library

· All components of the authentication solution must be able to operate over both NIPR and commercial networks provided by the Army

· The Vendor shall provide their Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Incident Response Plan, including details pertaining to the management, mitigation and reporting of all security incidents

· Vendor shall provide access to basic 24/7 help desk support to mitigate and resolve problems quickly and accurately with minimum downtime (not to exceed 4% downtime during business hours on any given day without advance customer notice)

4. Period and Place of Performance The period of performance (PoP) start date of the requirement is requested to be 30 Days after award of contract. The contract will be for one base year and four, one-year optional Periods of Performance, exercised at the Government’s discretion.

5. Order Type/Award Term Option This requirement is anticipated to be a Firm Fixed Price supply contract with four option years.

6. Technical Overview

a. Must provide capability of monitoring intrusion and security plan for handling intrusions

b. Stakeholders –

· Product Owner: ArmyU DLS LED

· COR (proposed COR)

· End Users: AULS staff, students, and researchers

7. Required Tasks Task 1: Propose a total solution in the form of a comprehensive solution in a single license to the Government in order to encompass the overall scope and objectives listed above in paragraph #2 and #3.

Task 2: Ensure contractor or sub-contractor personnel are qualified and trained to perform duties proposed to the Government.

Task 3: Provide AULS personnel with training, guidance and documentation consistent with that of an administrative user account.

8. Delivery / Acceptance

a. Notice Regarding Late Delivery – The Contractor shall notify the COR, or other authorized representative, as soon as it becomes apparent to the Contractor that a scheduled delivery will be late. The Contractor shall include in the notification the rationale for late delivery, the expected date for the delivery, and the project impact of the late delivery. Such notification in no way limits any Government contractual rights or remedies, including, but not limited to, termination.

b. Default Acceptance – Notwithstanding the foregoing, any deliverable requiring acceptance by the Government within 10 business, the Government considers days of final delivery as “Accepted” if the Contractor has received no written notice of non-conformity within the acceptance period.