RFI _Section_C _Task_Areas_1-13_and_FSA_IT_Overview.pdf

Industry Day Announcement

USDA/FSA IT AWAC IDIQ

Solicitation Number: Request for Information (RFI) - FSA OCIO AWAC IDIQ

Agency: US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office: Acquisition Management Division (AMD) Location: Washington D.C.

Request for Information: The AMD will host an Industry Day on 2 February 2016 at the Whitten Patio on 2/2/2016, from 10:00 AM to 04:00PM, regarding a potential acquisition to award a multi-award Agency Wide Award Contract (AWAC) IDIQ intended to support technology service requirements across USDA with a focus on the FSA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and all other technology service requirements currently supported through the FSA Acquisition Management Division (AMD).

The AMD is requesting industries comments and questions on the attached AWAC IDIQ Statement of Work, each Task Area Statement of Work, and the intended North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541512 associated with all Task Areas, the Labor categories with descriptions and the FSA IT Overview.

Interested parties should:

• Register for Industry Day:

o To register for the Industry Day, all interested contractors must provide attendees names and an active Contractor Cage Code to the following Email address: FSAIDIQ@wdc.usda.gov, no later than noon eastern time, 28 January 2016. Please put “Industry Day Registration” as the subject of the email. Please note that there will be Break-Out Sessions that will be going on simultaneously, so multiple representatives from your company may need to attend the Industry Day event.

o Where Whitten Patio 1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington DC, 20025 on 2/2/2016 Time - 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

• Provide Comments and Questions back to AMD by:

o How- Send an email with questions or comments to the following Email address: FSAIDIQ@wdc.usda.gov. Please put “Industry Day Question” as the subject of the email.

mailto:FSAIDIQ@wdc.usda.gov

*Do not provide proprietary or competition sensitive information in their response. An Industry Day (see below) will be held to provide interested industry parties the current plans for this proposed activity.

Please note all respondents and participants in the industry day may be posted to Fed Biz Ops.

o When: 1/27/2016 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time is the deadline for Questions.

AMD will publish the agenda and the response to comments and questions prior to Industry Day on FBO.

This announcement is a request for information/comment only and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP). Presumably, an RFP will be posted on Fed Biz Ops at some future time. However, the Government does not guarantee any action beyond this Industry Day announcement.

Solicitation: AG-3151-S-16-0008

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

1. BACKGROUND

USDA Farms Service Agency (FSA) Office of the CIO (OCIO) manages the execution of IT projects across the Agency. Specifically it serves as the Information Technology services provider; assessing, developing, and delivering a full range of IT solutions necessary to support the agency’s mission and objectives. Mission areas include the sustainment and evolution of an overarching FSA enterprise architecture, determination of proposed solutions, delivery of desired solutions (including oversight of related field activities, and sustainment of those solutions that are initially developed and delivered under a program manager), assurance that the solutions meet customer needs, and the effective integration of FSA’s IT solutions with other existing or planned logistics IT solutions in USDA. Additionally, FSA IT guides and oversees the operations and ongoing transformation of related field and headquarters activities that provide cataloging and transactional processing support for the agency.

This statement of work describes overall IT requirements supporting FSA’s near-term and future needs and goals.

More detailed Performance Work Statements will be included as part of each task order.

2. OBJECTIVE

This acquisition is intended to support technology service requirements across the USDA, the FSA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), the FSA Program Executive Offices (PEO), and all other technology service requirements currently supported through FSA Contracting Services Office (FCSO) acquisitions.

3. SCOPE

IDIQ Contractors shall provide the full range of IT services, technical and management expertise that support applications, software, hardware, infrastructure, and systems, across the USDA and FSA IT Enterprise. Support will be provided for information technology solutions, technical support, maintenance and sustainment; operations support; application development, maintenance and technical support; and lifecycle management. Additionally, the IDIQ acquisition also supports administrative program management support for IT program offices and FSA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). While IDIQ will primarily support FSA IT services requirements, the resultant contracts will also allow for de-centralized ordering by other USDA agencies.

While this SOW identifies the general service areas, the suite of resulting contracts and subsequent task orders is intended to satisfy the full range of IT related requirements within this area of services. With the pace of technology change, it is difficult to anticipate how the Government’s IT requirements and individual programs will evolve over the life of these contracts.

Solicitation: AG-3151-S-16-0008

Following the award of the IDIQs, the specific scope of each effort will be based on the specific tasks to be set forth in individual task orders, but may include lifecycle tasks in one or more of the following areas:

• TASK AREA 1 – Advisory CIO Services

• TASK AREA 2 - Quality Management and Independent Verification and Validation

• TASK AREA 3 – Strategic Planning/Enterprise Architecture

• TASK AREA 4 – Program and Project Management

• TASK AREA 5 – Systems and Software Engineering, Design, Development and Integration Services

• TASK AREA 6 – Information Assurance, Security and Privacy

• TASK AREA 7 – IT Operations and Maintenance

• TASK AREA 8 – Test Management

• TASK AREA 9 – IT Outsourcing

• TASK AREA 10 – Enterprise Information Management (EIM)/Data Management

• TASK AREA 11 – Database Operations

• TASK AREA 12 – Digital Services

• TASK AREA 13 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Services

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1. TASK AREA 1 – Advisory CIO Services The objective of Task Area 1 is to support Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in implementing laws, regulations and polices and facilitating evolving CIO practices. The Offeror shall be familiar with a wide range of IT platforms, technologies and management techniques and shall provide managed, measured and traceable support to FSA in applying technology solutions that address and meet agency business objectives. The Contractor will be capable of organizing CIO Services to evaluate and provide recommendations for: organizational capability and processes, performance measurements, business operations; system needs; IT roadmaps; IT policies; and IT infrastructure that align with business objectives and service value. All solutions and services must be compatible with FSA and USDA policies, standards, and procedures as identified within individual Task Orders.

Offeror shall provide support for the following Sub-Tasks:

a. Advisory and Assistance Services Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation of IT strategies and planning across a broad range of IT focus areas.

Key focus areas include:

Develop sourcing and procurement solutions

Perform transformation services (e.g. operating model assessments and design)

Evaluate and recommend approach for service management (e.g., critical success factors, performance indicators, service level agreements)

Monitor technical trends continuously through independent research

Document and report on products and services with potential use for FSA as it aligns with Agency business and technology strategy

Evaluate and implement new technologies that meet FSA business needs and cost, performance and quality objectives

Recommend enterprise-level program and project management policies, procedures and requirements (e.g. project feasibility analysis, cost benefit analysis, cost reduction strategies, scheduling, costing, resource planning, communication planning, procurement, risk management and quality management)

Conduct technical reviews and recommend improvements to the infrastructure that increase efficiency and reduce costs according to planning and analysis policies and procedures

Evaluate and provide assistance in implementing industry and government best practices

Assist in refining and implementing IT Governance frameworks (e.g. COBIT, ITIL, ISO)

Offeror shall additionally provide subject matter experts (SMEs) capable of shaping and implementing assessment instruments designed to evaluate performance of IT resources. These instruments may incorporate multiple approaches, including objective operational analysis defined by FSA or key industry performance indicators and benchmarks.

Offeror shall provide assistance in implementing best practices that impact policies and procedures and shall assist in refining and implementing IT Governance frameworks (e.g.

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COBIT, ITIL, ISO). Offeror shall provide guidance in prioritizing project and business initiatives and will assist in evaluating Contractor and staff compliance with standing policy and procedures. Offeror shall be required to make recommendations regarding remediation projects for programs and projects that fail to deliver value and that demonstrate an inability to meet objectives, deadlines or budget goals.

b. Capital Planning Investment Prioritization Offeror shall provide the USDA and its components knowledge and insight into government and industry best practices for capital planning within the USDA workforce. FSA’s Capital Plan integrates major and minor information technology program and infrastructure needs/solutions and creates a capital investment portfolio framework. The framework serves as the foundation for future development of the annual capital budget and annual update of long-range plans.

FSA’s Capital Plan will identify all capital projects, programs, potential fund sources and timelines as a current-to-date summary of potential future capital investment opportunities.

Offer provides investment/benefit criteria to support FSA’s Strategic Plan, provide positive impact to operating budget efficiencies, and leverage cost-savings opportunities.

Key focus areas include:

Management of asset and portfolio lifecycle, including planning and managing under a comprehensive understanding of the different investment approaches required for each.

Provide best practices including skills on trending, spending, prioritization and portfolio analysis.

Obtain knowledge of where USDA ITSD spends its money, what trends it could be investing in and how technology strategy relates to the project portfolio including project priority.

c. Executive Leadership Training/Coaching Offeror shall make available Executive Level trainers and coaches to provide educational, coaching and training services to executives, leaders and managers to assist in shaping and directing change in the organization and in the individual. Training material and coaching methods should be designed to strengthen organizational and individual performance.

Training and coaching should cover individual and organizational assessment, training and development plans. Training and coaching should include an examination of behaviors essential to quality leadership, including emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication skills, team building, problem solving, self-awareness, and collaboration.

Coaching and Training programs should include both in-house and self-training, such as web-based material.

Key focus areas include:

Developing and Leading

a. High-Performance and High-Impact Teams

b. Innovative and Performance-Based Culture

c. Organizational Change

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d. Innovation and Creativity

e. Diverse Teams

Leading, Motivating and Managing People

a. Building Trust, Enthusiasm and Optimism

b. Active Listening

c. Increasing Productivity and Attaining Higher Potential

d. Encouraging Staff to Accept Responsibility

e. Navigating Change and Uncertainty

Strategic, Resilient, Authentic and Effective Leadership Training and Development

Strategic Communication, Influence, Negotiation and Persuasion

Strategic and Executive Decision Making

a. Ascertaining Risks, Uncertainties and Ambiguities in Decision-Making

Strategically Leveraging Big Data and Business Analytics

Business Strategies

Oral and Written Communication

Current Leadership Trends and Skills

a. 360 Degree Leadership

b. Systems Thinking

c. Emotional Intelligence

d. Leadership Best Practices

e. Disciplined Collaboration Skills

f. Conflict Management

d. IT Organizational Development and Change Management Offeror shall assist the CIO by conducting targeted organizational assessments to uncover opportunities for development or transformation to increase Agency efficiency through improvements in aligning people, processes, strategies and systems. These assessments will be conducted using proven techniques (e.g. McKinsey’s 7-S model, Weisbord’s Six Box model, SWOT) to provide feedback to the CIO on multiple dimensions of organizational performance.

Offeror shall also provide support services to the CIO in leading organizational transformation efforts.

Key focus areas include:

Assessing the alignment of identified transformation opportunities to FSA strategic objectives

Providing detailed analysis to support prioritization of transformation initiatives, including cost-benefit analysis

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Conducting organizational change readiness assessments

Assisting in the development of change management strategies and plans

Identifying key performance objectives and developing metrics to evaluate the impact of development and change activities on progress toward those objectives

Collecting feedback and assembling metrics data to provide continuous feedback on the impact of change activities

Developing strategic communication plans to inform stakeholders of the impact of change efforts

e. Research Activities for Planning Assistance Offeror shall perform research activities to collect and analyze data to assist in the formulation of short- and long-term IT services, human capital, evolving requirements and investment strategies.

Key focus areas include:

Prepare documents in support of business planning meetings

Recommend IT services and projects as requested

Prepare draft proposals and plans for projects for review by Government personnel

Prepare draft project cost estimations and accounting documents for Government review

Analyze the impact of new and changed requirements on current projects/resources and recommend resourcing options to the Government

Provide planning support and make recommendations regarding Functional Priority Lists (FPL), Project Development Plans (PDP), and Preliminary Cost Estimates (PCE)

f. Workforce/Human Capital Management The Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise and insight into government and industry best practices for management of IT human capital within the FSA workforce. The Offeror shall perform research and assessment activities to collect and analyze data to assist in formulating near- and long-term human capital and workforce planning.

Key focus areas include:

Value stream analysis (people-process components)

Critical competencies evaluations (knowledge, skills, abilities)

Workforce and Succession planning

Competencies gap analysis (skill gap and needs analysis)

Industry training offerings and agency applicability

Strategies for cultivating talent and minimizing attrition

Performance objectives

IT industry trend analyses

a. Compensation

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b. Benefits

c. Skills availability

d. Recruitment strategies

Provide support for organizational structure analysis, design, recommendations, planning, and implementation.

In addition, Offeror shall provide support for developing training programs, individual development plans and technical skills evaluations. Offeror shall prepare reports and briefings and participate in meetings with the CIO and stakeholders to present findings emerging from research efforts as required.

g. Communications Management In support of CIO initiatives, Offeror shall provide communications management support activities and support in formulating and executing strategic communication plans.

Key focus areas include:

Identifying stakeholders and target audiences

a. Identify target audiences and relevant characteristics through surveys or other data gathering methods

b. Conduct focus groups or other activities to determine the information needs of target audience and the best methods and messages for reaching them

Defining the purpose of the communication

Developing communication content and messaging

Recommending communication channels or distribution media

Providing recommendations of communications activities for the schedule

In addition to performing the development of communication plans, the Offeror will provide administrative and logistical support for the execution of the plan including content development.

Key focus areas include:

Performing topical research as needed to inform the content development

Drafting, editing and proofing the text of communications materials in development to ensure the information is accurate

Ensuring the language and style are appropriate to the topic and the target audience

Drafting, editing and proofing supplemental communication material (e.g. policies, guidance, rules) for distribution

Additionally, Offeror will solicit, gather and analyze feedback associated with communication actions to enhance future communication.

h. IT Impact Analyses

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IT Impact Analysis is a combination of techniques designed to assist organizations in identifying potential negative outcomes from change in advance of change implementation.

Offeror shall provide experts in facilitation of IT Impact Analysis workshops and brainstorming techniques. In preparation for each Impact Analysis exercise, Offeror shall prepare a clearly defined synopsis of the proposed system or process change for evaluation. Offeror shall coordinate with FSA to identify key FSA resources with sufficient knowledge of Agency systems and processes to participate in the exercise. During the sessions, Offeror shall capture and quantify dimensions of organizational impact.

Key focus areas include:

Impact on other business units or departments

Impact on related business processes

Impact on customers

Impact on non-customer stakeholders

For each potential area of impact, Offeror shall also quantify the risk in terms of:

a. Probability of occurrence

b. Impact of occurrence

Using this framework, the Offeror will submit a Findings Report from the exercise that evaluates risks associated with the change, including estimates of the effects, and incorporates recommendations for steps to mitigate negative impact.

1. TASK AREA 2 – Quality Management and Independent Verification and Validation The objective of Task Area 2 is to support the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in providing Quality Management and Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) services to the IT Division (ITSD). IV&V provides management with an independent perspective on project activities and promotes early detection of project or product variances. Independent perspective and early detection allow project management to implement corrective actions quickly to bring the project back in-line with agreed-upon approved baseline expectations.

Objectives of performing Quality Management are:

• Support project lifecycle processes to ensure compliance with regulatory, performance, schedule, and budget requirements;

• Ensure that regular audits are being performed to provide insight into FSA OCIO programs, products and systems, and give insight into the health of the IT system;

• Assist in ensuring completeness, identification of potential risk, and alignment with FSA’s Audit Readiness efforts.

• Achieve compliance with prescribed standards and or models, to include but not to ITIL, ISO 9001: 2015; CMMI Maturity Level 2/Capability Level 3;

Offeror shall support the FSA OCIO across a broad range of focus areas to include but not limited to:

• Internal Audits

• Functional Configuration Audits;

• Physical Configuration Audits;

• Process Audits;

• Program/Project Audits

Objectives of performing IV&V include are:

• Facilitate early detection and correction of cost and schedule variances

• Enhance management insight into development process and product risk

• Validate the project’s product and development processes to ensure compliance with defined approved requirements

Offeror shall support the Systems Engineers and projects in meeting FSA OCIO Systems Engineering Technology, Internal Audits, and Technical Management processes across a broad range of focus areas including, but not limited to:

a. Verification Offeror shall provide support to confirm that adequate verification processes exist to ensure the system element meets the design to or build-to specifications as defined in the functional, allocated, and product approved baselines.

Key focus areas for Verification include:

Assist the Government in ensuring that verification activities occur throughout the lifecycle and are phase appropriate: verification planning, execution, and reporting.

Support FSA’s Access, Monitoring, and Verification (AMV) activities (e.g. Segregation of Duties (SoD), business rules, and Enterprise Process Documentation (EPD) analysis).

b. Validation Offeror shall review FSA’s IT Systems Development (ITSD) and subordinate components IT divisions to validate that services provided by those divisions support the FSA principal line of business.

Key focus areas for Validation include:

Investigate and document that validation processes to confirm the verified solution works in its intended environment.

Ensure System and Software Engineering (SE) processes support user and functional community input and solution validation/acceptance criteria.

Offeror shall provide Cybersecurity Control Validation (CCV). The CCV program determines level of accuracy and compliance with FSA and Federal regulatory policies by testing Information Assurance (IA) controls of the system, application or enclave to ensure due diligence to protect assets and data integrity.

Key focus areas for CVV Validation include:

Assist FSA in its compliance assessment efforts by developing or updating the CCV methodology that defines the approach, actions and appropriate responses used in conducting a review

Share findings gathered during these assessments with the Control Validation Analysis (CVA) team and analyze against the IA controls baseline

a. Report discrepancies to IA Management Support for tracking

b. Participate in CCVs as directed by the Primary or Alternate CORs

Offeror shall support FSA in its compliance assessment efforts by developing, implementing and operating an IA Control Validation (IACV) compliance assessment program.

Key focus areas for IAC Validation include:

Discuss the approach used to Analyze evidence gathered and archived during IACV assessments against the security findings detailed in the target system’s Certification and Accreditation (C&A) package to determine the level of adequateness with which the developed IA Certification and Accreditation Process (IACAP) or Risk Management Framework (RMF) packages are authored.

c. Implementation of Standards (e.g. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000, Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), IT Services Management

(ITIL)

Offeror shall implement and maintain FSA process and service alignment with best practice frameworks and standards (e.g. ISO 9000:2015, CMMI, and ITIL).

Key focus areas for Implementation of Standards include:

Ensure projects meet industry Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI Level Maturity Level 2, Capability Level 3).

Develop a comprehensive audit schedule to ensure compliance with ISO 9000:2015.

Identify the applicable compliance requirements for use, implement and ensure industry and Federal best practices when developing solutions that comply with Federal functional and program requirements, including:

a. Review and assess the program and recommend industry best practices;

b. Make recommendations for modifications or changes;

c. Establish baseline programmatic practices;

d. Train staff on baseline programmatic practices;

e. Perform regular scheduled audits.

d. Gap Analysis and Benchmarking Offeror shall perform a gap analysis in accordance with an agreed-upon schedule and checklist to document compliance and non-compliance for each area of analysis. If a compliance issue is not applicable, it shall be noted “Not Applicable.”

Key focus areas for Gap Analysis include:

Summarize all existing compliance and non-compliance

a. Partial compliance shall be deemed Non-Compliance;

b. Explain all partial/Non-Compliance.

Provide the recommended actions in which the unit of analysis should be compliant.

Schedule meetings at the conclusion of each analysis meeting to convey preliminary impressions and general evaluative insights and findings.

Develop a summary of recommendations to assist FSA to develop an implementation plan based on the required actions for compliance.

a. Discuss necessary manpower, tools, information, templates, training, and appropriate incremental steps;

b. Provide a rough order of magnitude cost estimate and a timeframe to achieve compliance.

Schedule close-out meetings

a. Discuss the summary of recommendations and implementation guidance;

b. Provide advice or additional analysis that may be required for highly problematic areas.

Additionally, Offeror shall provide full lifecycle support and services within the confines of Quality Management and Independent Verification and Validation.

Key focus areas for Benchmarking include:

Project Benchmark

a. Examine and evaluate functional and technical programs for integration implications;

b. Review factors such as operational scope, functional and process relationships, business practices, resource requirements, and cost impacts.

Functional Benchmark

a. Review and analyze defined work processes and information needs of users within and across the functional areas being examined;

b. Include: functional and cross-functional requirements definition, functional descriptions, functional architectures, and requirements validation.

Technical Benchmark

a. Research current and emerging technologies for effectiveness or potential to support customer needs against current and future mission objectives.

Data Benchmark

a. Review and analyze data, databases, and cross-functional data sharing relating to the effectiveness of the information support provided to functional elements of the USDA, and its components.

a. Develop Capacity Plans for USDA Data Environments.

Benchmark Tools and Methods

a. Review and assess new tools and methods or modifications to existing tools and methods to enable a disciplined process of benchmarking (e.g. templates, checklists, models, and guidelines).

e. Accessibility Services (508 and 504 compliance) Unless specifically exempted, including exemption located at FAR 39.204, all task orders issued under this contract shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 to ensure IT accessibility to disabled persons. Only in situations where an approved exception to Section 508 is provided by the CIO of the requiring agency/organization will a task order be issued that exempts the offeror from complying with Section 508 requirements contained in the contract.

As applicable, the following specifications are incorporated into each task order issued through this contract including the following:

• Software Applications and Operating Systems

• Web Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications

• Telecommunications Products

• Video and Multimedia Products

• Self-Contained, Closed Products

• Desktop and Portable Computers

• Functional Performance Criteria

• Information, Documentation and Support

Key focus areas for Accessibility Services include:

Review Test Plan and Procedures

Review test and evaluate the current practices and processes used by the USDA to determine if the products or processes under examination meets the design, if the design correctly reflects the functional requirements, and if the product performance satisfies the usability needs of personnel in the Agency and its components.

Ensure that necessary test data and transactions are generated in the test environments to exercise all applicable data values to enable execution of required tests.

Review testing with selected end users in test environment to ensure compliance against approved requirements.

Offeror shall also comply with §504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which provides that no otherwise qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of a disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in the performance of this contract.

1. TASK AREA 3 – Strategic Planning/Enterprise Architecture The objective of Task Area 3 is to provide support to define and implement the IT Strategy to support FSA’s mission and business, including developing and implementing all layers of the Enterprise Architecture (performance, business, data/information, applications/systems, technology and security). Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the description and documentation of the current (as-is) and desired (to-be) view of business and management processes and the technology environment that supports those processes. EA also includes a roadmap to migrate the Agency from the current to the desired target EA. FSA EA includes: Business, Information and Data, Application and Infrastructure Architectures. Offeror shall provide support for the following Sub- Tasks:

a) Enterprise Architecture Support Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation and delivery of EA support services.

Key focus areas include:

IT Roadmap & Target State Support

• Steward the creation, communication and maintenance of key enterprise architecture assets for FSA. Support annual calls by OCIO for enterprise-wide input into the USDA Enterprise Roadmap and for the annual FSA IT Portfolio Review.

• Develop new business architecture views for FSA, including a full business capabilities map and assessment. For key cross-cutting technologies and enabling solutions, define enterprise strategies and transformation roadmaps.

• Support the creation of system diagrams in the FSA Enterprise Architecture Repository aligned with the FSA Information Security Office calendar for A&A refresh. Publish the best available set of FSA enterprise architecture documents for use by FSA stakeholders.

Portfolio Management

• Migrate, maintain and improve the FSA EA Repository that houses and interconnects

FSA Enterprise Architecture content.

• Provide the capabilities needed to maintain and publish the FSA System Inventory content.

• Establish new capabilities needed to maintain and publish a new FSA Technology

Inventory. Provide the analysis and content needed to meet data calls assigned to the FSA EA team. Support efforts to reconcile and maintain content across Agency, Department and Federal repositories.

• Steward the list of the software licenses purchased by FSA, as identified from or provided by key stakeholders.

Solution Architecture

• For each key mission and support area (Field Operations, Farm Programs, Farm

Loans, Commodity Operations, Geospatial, Finance, Management/Admin, Web/Communications, Shared Services – Security, EA, Data, Operations, Testing) provide a domain architecture summary addressing drivers, key business strategies, current and target state solutions, gaps, and transformation roadmaps.

• Associate each domain with its appropriate investments, systems, technologies, and business capabilities. As needed, engage in Analysis of Alternatives efforts to support the domain.

• Work collaboratively with business and IT domain stakeholders in these efforts.

Provide a domain architecture for key, shared support functions, including GIS and Data management.

Business Case Support

• Provide expertise in Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC), develop process, guidance, and training for all CPIC phases – pre select, select, control, and evaluate. Work closely with Investment Managers to improve the quality of business case submissions in AgMax, develop supporting artifacts, and pass Integrated IT Governance Framework (IITGF) decision gates. Work with various stakeholders to support FSA’s IT budget submission process, strengthen IT governance, and improve visibility into IT portfolio performance. Support development of customer satisfaction survey(s) and technical performance measures for annual operational analysis.

• When requested, support FSA’s development organizations in eliciting, capturing, and managing requirements for systems development efforts, and supporting congressional responses.

b) FSA’s System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Support Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation and delivery of FSA SDLC.

Key focus areas include:

FSA Integrated IT Governance Framework (IITGF)

• Document FSA IT governance and software development processes. Gain alignment and approval with IITGF and FITARA. Present and explain FSA's SDLC content online. The FSA IITGF Framework maps how the artifacts from multiple processes align across a common phase structure, enabling better coordination and alignment, as well as cooperation between disciplines.

c) Architectural Engagement Support Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation and delivery of FSA Architectural Engagement Support.

Key focus areas include:

Development Project Engagements

• Provide expert level support through Engagers to prioritized FSA development projects with a focus of increasing the probability of success on IT projects. Utilizing the IBs, wiki’s, SDLC framework, IITGF, and Reference Architecture as a platform.

Each engagement will have a standardized set of deliverables, levels of effort, and technical needs that the Engager needs to have knowledge of their engagement.

Engagers are embedded within the project teams at varying levels, providing the necessary level of support to assist in project success. These engagements can have different forms and can be categorized as one of the following: Mentoring & Leadership, Oversight, Classic, Operational / Delivery Support, or Other.

Information Delivery Channel Engagements

• Provide architectural support for technology and user experience requirements, to design device-agnostic websites with a consistent look & feel, which deliver needed content with an intuitive experience, driven by customer feedback.

Information Security Engagements

• Develop, publicize, and maintain FSA’s Enterprise Application Security Roadmap.

Work with FSA leadership to establish near-term goals and identify key activities.

Perform manual application security scans using AppScan static code analysis; work with AMC staff in maintaining scan rules, build integration, and monitoring scan performance during continuous integration builds. Work to implement manual and automated application security scans (rule-based “penetration testing”) using AppScan dynamic. Provide consultation support to application development teams, assisting in security-related architecture and design efforts.

• Provide support to ISO staff, in security-related application activities (e.g., ATO, C&A, and Contingency Planning).

• Coordinate and evaluate findings of third-party application Penetration Testing, Work to establish internal capability to perform discovery-based (SME performed) application Penetration Testing. Provide support to development teams in interpreting and remediating findings of penetration tests.

• When requested, perform impact analyses on identified application and platform vulnerabilities, to support prioritization of remediation activities. Provide technical support and guidance to the MIDAS Security Officer on SAP security issues.

Conduct gap analyses on Information Security Architecture Program areas as requested by CIO/CISO. Conduct regular meetings with ISO leadership to review security waiver requests and other issues. Assist ISO in documenting, streamlining and (if appropriate) automating standard processes relating to software security.

Support ISO staff in the development of FSA security process. Support the conducting of a CEB baseline assessment.

d) Software Administration Support Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation and delivery of FSA Enterprise Platform Software.

Key focus areas include:

Integrated Delivery and Operations Platform

• Maintain and enhance FSA's custom Web Enterprise Platform. The platform upon which FSA applications are run. This platform currently consists of the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP) version 5.1 and Apache Web Servers.

JBoss EAP is a subscription-based/open-source Java EE-based application server runtime platform used for building, deploying, and hosting highly-transactional Java applications and service. The FSA version has been customized to accommodate the FSA needs and requirements for high availability and ease of maintenance.

e) Workforce Reinvestment Support Offeror shall provide subject matter expertise to assist the formulation and delivery of FSA workforce in-house training needs.

Key focus areas include:

ITSD Training Coordination

• Provide support to develop a highly skilled & engaged workforce through customized curriculum catered to FSA development needs. Provide training on upcoming enterprise technology changes. Create and deliver Developer Architect Working Group sessions to cover topics relevant to the FSA enterprise.

• Provide Lunch and Learn sessions on new technology and industry best standards relevant to the enterprise. Contribute and maintain self-service information knowledgebase on the FSA wiki. Create and deploy self-service training modules for implementation into AgLearn.

1. TASK AREA 4 – Program and Project Management The objective of Task Area 4 is to provide enterprise and investment-level oversight in support of the process of managing projects intended to improve Agency performance. Offeror shall demonstrate expertise in providing full lifecycle support and services for IT project planning and management, including planning, directing, coordinating, initiating, executing, controlling and closing out programs and projects.

Offeror shall demonstrate how IT Program and Project Management will be documented and tracked, including technical approach, estimate of organizational resources and management controls employed to meet cost, performance and schedule requirements.

Offeror shall provide examples or case studies similar in size and scope of some of the current IT Program challenges facing FSA:

Consolidation of IT resources to reduce redundancy

Standardizing architectures, platforms and frameworks

Addressing physically dispersed hosting sites

Migration of IT resources to the Cloud

Managing resource surges in response to periodic legislation, such as the Farm Services Bill

Providing Scalability to meet increasing client demands

All documentation artifacts and evolving code shall be stored in approved FSA Repositories (e.g.

MS SharePoint, Atlassian JIRA, Atlassian Confluence).

Offeror shall provide support for the following Sub-Tasks:

a. Enterprise Program Management Office Support To support FSA’s Enterprise Program Management Office (ePMO), Offeror shall demonstrate comprehensive management processes that optimize program resources. Offeror shall demonstrate expertise in providing decision support and project delivery mechanisms in a controlled and traceable manner to ensure requirements are translated into configured systems, technical inputs are fully integrated, risks are characterized and managed, technology transition is managed, and designs meet end-user needs.

Key focus areas include, but are not limited to:

1) Support the enhancement and maturity of Project Portfolio related processes to improve buy-in, to provide increased awareness and transparency of projects and to enable improved projects- and programs-related planning. Support may be required to

a. Develop, maintain and track a project prioritization process

b. Identify, design, develop and employ reports to track and measurement projects

c. Research, configure and implement possible tools that will facilitate Portfolio and Workflow Management

2) Improve ability to achieve Enterprise project goals and objectives in support of the Enterprise Strategic Plan

a. Provide Project Management and Business Analyst engagement support

b. Mature release management through refinement of testing and production deployment processes and practices

c. Establish and promote Best Practices for both Project Management and Business Analysis

d. Assist in maturing configuration and use of PMO operational tools such as Atlassian JIRA, Atlassian Confluence, MS SharePoint and other tools that are supported by PMO

e. Assist in the management and maturation of PMO operational activities.

f. Assist in the management and maturation of Governance and Change Management processes

3) Mature Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended

a. Assist in the configuration, implementation and use of authoring, correcting, validating, automated testing and remediation tools to ensure accessibility compliance, such as 508, as part of the software development process. This might include tools such as Deque’s FireEyes and WorldSpace, NetCentric’s CommonLook, etc.

b. Assist in incorporating and supporting enterprise business, release and development processes in matters of 508 compliance.

c. Document best practices for developing, procuring, maintaining, and using electronic and information technology

4) Assist in the management and tracking of IT investments

a. Ensure budget information for IT investments accurately reflects the investments and is monitored and reported up on a regular basis

b. Ensure that contract management practices are aligned with IT investment strategy, are clearly identified and tracked

5) Assist in the management, standardization and tracking of all PMO-related communications, including but not limited to.

a. Maintaining project portfolio management process documentation

b. The establishment of and refinement of training material for PMO areas of expertise or focus

c. Assisting in the improvement of communication channels between PMO and other offices, particularly software development offices

6) Assist in the oversight, standardization and tracking of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) processes

a. Identify and track stage gates, required documentation, process reviews, etc.

b. Identify and track software sizing approaches, such as Function Points, Estimated Source Lines of Code, User Stories, etc.

c. Identify and track development velocity metrics

d. Identify and track software categorization approaches, such as O&M versus DME, etc.

e. Identify and track SDLC waiver scenarios

b. Portfolio Management Offeror will provide personnel to assist in capture and documentation in a Federal not-for-profit investment environment. Offeror will also produce monthly reports reflecting investment results for the month and year. Offeror will assist in ensuring investment portfolio stays within the parameters of the USDA’s Investment Policy. Offeror will create and maintain information to be accessed by authorized Agency representatives to the Agency’s portfolio, in pdf and spreadsheet downloadable formats.

Offeror will plan, analyze and report programmatic impacts on the issues such as costs, risk analysis, return on investment, and schedule dependencies and recommend functional and technical solutions. Offeror will perform Functional Economic Analysis (FEA) to evaluate the costs of alternative ways to accomplish functional objectives. The FEA states investment costs, benefits and risks as a net change to the functional baseline cost, the cost of doing business now and in the future.

c. Program/Project Management Support Offeror shall demonstrate expertise in supporting program direction and guidance in the form of directives, plans and other program documents with current in-place contracts to:

Identify discrepancies and recommend actions

Prepare, review and integrate milestone documentation reviews

Conduct analysis of organizational and IRB planning

Analyze performance

Analyze and track Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Perform feasibility assessment

Track earned value management

Perform audits

Offeror shall manage schedule and performance using integrated project management processes across all aspects of Sub-Tasks and activities. Offeror shall develop, document, and maintain an integrated program management plan to coordinate, prioritize and manage resources across projects, dependencies between projects, and overall costs and risks of the program.

Key focus areas include:

Analyze and recommend topics associated with project and program objectives

a. Project leadership and communications with stakeholders

b. Project planning and scheduling

c. Earned Value Management

d. Project management, including performance monitoring and measurement

e. Stakeholder briefings, talking points for required meetings, and related documents.

f. Program integration services

g. Project close-out services

Provide Planning Assistance

a. Prepare documents in support of business planning meetings

b. Recommend appropriate IT services and projects as requested

c. Prepare draft proposals and plans for projects for review by Government personnel

d. Prepare draft project cost estimations and accounting documents for Government review

e. Analyze the impact of new and changed requirements on current projects/resources and recommend resourcing options to the Government

f. Provide planning support and make recommendations regarding Functional Priority Lists (FPL), Project Development Plans (PDP), and Preliminary Cost Estimates (PCE)

Provide Management Support

a. Employ a consistent project management methodology to plan, initiate, control, and implement projects for all services related to the IT Solution

b. Provide experience with the methodology and have a proven track record of success in using it to manage similar projects

c. Make changes associated with projects in compliance with approved Change Management procedures

d. Communicate project status as part of standard Change Management meetings

Provide Implementation Support

a. Manage assigned tasks and resources associated with projects

b. Coordinate activities with FSA, affected Authorized Users, and affected Third Party Offerors

c. Develop site survey reports as directed

Provide Compliance Support

a. Comply with USDA/FSA policies and standards and regulations applicable to FSA for information, information systems, and personnel, physical and technical security

b. Conform to changes in laws, regulations and policies

c. Propose major changes on a project-by-project basis to alter the environment to conform to new requirements

Provide Technical Advisor Support

a. Monitor technical trends continuously through independent research

b. Document and report on products and services with potential use as aligned with FSA’s business and technology strategy

c. Evaluate new technologies for implementation that best meet FSA business needs and cost, performance and quality objectives

d. Make recommendations for enterprise level and program-specific project management policies, procedures and requirements (e.g. project feasibility analysis, cost benefit analysis, scheduling, costing, resource planning, communication planning, procurement, risk management and quality management)

e. Conduct technical reviews and provide recommendations for improvements to the infrastructure that increase efficiency and reduce costs in accordance with planning and analysis policies and procedures

Provide Project Management support for planning and completion of all FSA and components activities in accordance with FSA Agile methodologies. While FSA will provide oversight for the assigned tasks, Offeror will manage corporate resources and supervise Contractor staff in the performance of all work on this contract.

a. Assign a Project Manager (PM) to manage day-to-day activities of Contractor staff

b. Contractor PM has responsibility for the actual accomplishment of Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements

c. PM shall organize, direct and coordinate planning and execution of all contract activities and will review the work of subordinates, including subcontractors, to ensure schedule, standards, and reporting requirements are met

d. PM shall integrate the Contractor's management and technical activities across contract to ensure consistency

e. PM shall ensure all work complies with contract terms and conditions and shall have access to Contractor corporate senior leadership when necessary

f. Contractor's PM shall be the primary point of contact (POC) with the FSA COR, attending monthly performance meetings and ad hoc meetings as required

d. Risk Management Offeror shall demonstrate expertise in identifying, assessing and prioritizing risks (the effect or uncertainty on objectives). Offeror shall coordinate and apply resources to minimize, monitor and control the probability and impact of unforeseen events on business goals.

Key focus areas include:

Risk Management

a. Support the overarching risk process, including identification, analysis, mitigation planning, mitigation plan implementation, and tracking potential risks

b. Provide assistance to the Government in integrating risk management with systems engineering and program management processes

c. Identify risk drivers, dependencies, and root causes, and perform consequence management

Analysis, including Risk Assessment…