ATTACHMENT_A_-_PERFORMANCE_WORK_STATEMENT.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

National Tracing Center (NTC): Support Services Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD) Support Services: Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) Support Services: Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information (OSII), Violent Crime Intelligence Division (VCID), Violent Crimes Analysis Branch (VCAB) and Denial Enforcement and NICS Intelligence Branch (DENI)

1.0 ATF Background

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is a law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice--dedicated to reducing violent crime and protecting the public.

The Bureau enforces Federal and regulatory laws pertaining to firearms, ammunition, implements of war (firearms component parts, military vehicles, and aircraft, etc.), explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion by working directly and in joint cooperation with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Bureau enforces Federal laws and regulations working directly with and cooperating with other Federal, state, local, tribal, and international authorities to:

a) Provide fair and effective industry regulation.

b) Support and assist Federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement.

c) Suppress and prevent crime and violence through enforcement, regulation, and community outreach.

d) Provide innovative training programs in support of criminal and regulatory enforcement functions.

1.1 NTC Background

a) The National Tracing Center Division (NTC) requires contractor support of NTC operations in Martinsburg, West Virginia. These activities include four broad tasks; (1) firearms tracing, (2) document conversion, (3) receiving and warehousing, and (4) support for ATF programs which include the Demand Program, Law Enforcement Support Program, IT Support, Administrative Support, and Quality Management Support.

b) The mission of the National Tracing Center Division is to accurately and efficiently conduct firearms tracing for International, Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies to provide investigative leads. The NTC is the only repository of all crime gun trace data, multiple handgun sales information, FFL theft/loss of firearms information, Interstate theft/loss of firearms information, and over 500 million firearms transaction records submitted by out of business Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). The purpose of firearms tracing is to

(1) link a suspect to a firearm in a criminal investigation; (2) identify illegal firearms traffickers, and (3) to identify recurring patterns and trends indicative of illegal firearms trafficking. Analysis of the collective crime gun trace histories assists law enforcement in developing focused strategies to violent gun crime.

c) In FY-14, the NTC processed 364,441 firearms trace requests of which over 6,000 were designated as urgent. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and ATF Headquarters (HQ) monitor the NTC through performance measures. (1) Percentage of firearms trace requests completed within 7 days; (2) Percentage of domestic law enforcement agencies with eTrace accounts; (3) Number of firearms trace requests submitted.

d) ATF HQ performance measures that are implied in the mission statement are:

Percentage of Trace Requests completed successfully correlated to the actual number of investigative leads produced by the NTC.

Accuracy of the Trace Results (which indicates the operational efficiency of the NTC).

e) These performance measures are indicative of ATF’s goals which relate to the continued expansion/growth of firearms tracing to produce more investigative leads. Consequently, steady annual growth in workload is intended, but this does not necessarily imply continued growth in terms of budget. The NTC’s intent is and has been - to engage in continuous process improvement to accumulate efficiencies in proportion to growth.

f) In general terms:

a. The NTC receives records from Federal Firearms Licensees which to include (1) FFL Theft/Loss reports (about 25,000 firearms per year); (2) Interstate Theft/Loss reports (about 3,000 firearms per year); (3) Reports of Multiple Sales for Handguns (about 600,000 firearms per year with spikes to 900,000); (4) Demand reports (about 900,000 per year); and

(5) Out of Business Records (OBR) (about 14 million per year).

b. The NTC conducts data entry operations for all of the records except OBR. OBR is digitally imaged and indexed by FFL number.

c. The NTC receives firearms trace requests from law enforcement from over 40 different countries. The NTC accesses the records maintained at the NTC in conjunction with records maintained by firearms manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to complete each firearms trace requests. Normally a firearms trace requests involves multiple records through a chain of distribution from manufacturer/importer to wholesaler, to a retail dealer to identify an unlicensed purchaser.

d. The NTC operates a variety of systems to support these operations which include (1) eTrace to transmit and receive trace requests from law enforcement; (2) Firearms Tracing System (FTS) as the system of storage for both trace requests/results transactions as well as all other data except OBR; (3) eTOWRS which workflows the firearms trace requests through the processes; (4) Out of Business Records Imaging System (OBRIS) which contains all the stored images of OBR; (5) Access 2000, which is a series of separate systems designed to allow limited and controlled access to participating active manufacturers, wholesalers and importers.

e. Thus, in summary, the NTC (1) traces firearms for law enforcement; (2) manages a substantial quantity of records to support that firearms tracing; and (3) operates systems that support these processes.

f. The NTC is subject to specific laws related to its processes that impose constraints on operations and technologies.

These include prohibitions on centralizing records from active dealers; prohibitions on firearms trace disclosures;

prohibitions on databases searchable by name, all constructed to protect the 2nd Amendment and ensure no artificial firearms registration system is approached nor constructed in actuality.

g) The contractor must bring a total mission focus that provides high-quality and effective services in support of the NTC and continuously identify methods to improve operations. The contractor must possess the expertise needed to identify, assist in implementation, and manage new processes that will improve performance, reduce costs, and achieve mission success for the

NTC.

1.2 Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD) Background

The Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD) is comprised of four branches: (1) Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch (FEIB); (2) National Firearms Act Branch (NFAB); (3) Federal Firearms Licensing Center (FFLC), (4) and Federal Explosives Licensing Center (FELC), in Martinsburg, WV.

The FESD is the repository for documents relating to manufacturing, dealing, and importation of ammunition, implements of war, explosives, and firearms, which includes machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers, destructive devices, and certain concealable firearms classified as “any other weapons.”

ATF HQ performance measures that FESD workload are required to meet:

Percentage of firearms import permits that are received and acted upon within 45 days.

Percentage of properly executed applications acted upon within 60 days for FFLC.

Percent of NFA tax paid applications that are received and acted upon within 90 days.

Percentage of properly executed applications acted upon within 90 days for FELC.

FESD supports over 151,000 Federal Firearms Licensees and Federal Explosives Licensees (FFLs & FELs), approximately 500 registered importers, and countless number of nonresidents, members of the U.S.

Armed Forces, unlicensed U.S. residents, domestic and international law enforcement agencies, foreign nationals, and others.

a) The FEIB processed over 9,200 import permit applications, including an additional 10,000 forms received from non-immigrant aliens traveling to the United States on a temporary basis for legitimate hunting and lawful sporting purposes.

b) The NFAB processed over 236,000 applications in fiscal year 2014.

c) The FFLC currently serves approximately 141,000 Federal Firearms Licensees and performed over 74,000 background checks in Fiscal Year 2014.

d) The FELC currently serves almost 10,500 Federal Explosives Licensees and Permitees and performed over 92,000 background checks in Fiscal Year 2014.

1.3 Firearms and Ammunitions Technology Division (FATD)

Background

FATD is composed of two branches; the Firearms Technology Criminal Branch and the Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch. The mission of FATD is to serve as ATF’s technical authority relating to firearms and their classification under Federal laws, to respond to law enforcement agencies requests to test, evaluate, and provide expert testimony on firearms and ammunition, and to provide technical services to the firearms industry and other members of the public. Additionally, FATD receives, evaluates and approves alternate methods of identification of firearms when requested by manufacturers or importers.

a) The Firearms Technology Criminal Branch (FTCB) provides expert technical support to ATF, other Federal agencies, State and local law enforcement, the firearms industry, Congress (12 congressional), and the general public (16 FOIAs). FTCB is responsible for rendering opinions regarding the classification and nexus information of suspected illegal firearms, ammunition, and newly designed firearms (approximately 604 submissions containing 1848 exhibits). Provides direct field support in the form of search warrant assistance (21 search warrants) or job area specific training/informational seminars (61). FTCB maintains an extensive firearms reference collection (21,000 firearms), as well as technical firearms reference files, a library and electronic historical firearm/ammunition classification databases. Further, FTCB provides the U.S. Department of Justice, State prosecutors’ offices, district attorneys’ offices, and military courts with expert firearms testimony (47 trials). This testimony includes the identification and origin of firearms and other technical matters relating to firearms and the firearms industry.

b) Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch (FTISB) provides intra agency support to other ATF Divisions and in the process directly or indirectly supports over 151,000 Federal Firearms Licensees and many Federal Explosives licensees, approximately 500 registered importers, and countless numbers of non-residents, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, unlicensed U.S. residents, domestic and international law enforcement agencies, foreign nationals and others.

Support provided to the firearms industry and general public includes the following areas:

Responses to technical inquiries. Approximately 1247 letters.

Testing and classification of products submitted. 600 submitted items.

Curios or Relics (C&R) determinations. 20 items.

Import evaluations. 50 items.

Firearm marking variance approvals. 1200 requests.

Seminars/Conferences. 26 conferences.

Maintains an electronic database repository of historical determinations and approvals.

2.0 ACRONYMS. The following acronyms are used throughout this document:

ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives CO – Contracting Officer COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative CS – Contract Specialist CSR – Customer Service Representative EPS - Enforcement Programs and Services FATD - Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division FEIB – Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch FELC – Federal Explosives Licensing Center FESD – Firearms and Explosives Services Division FFL – Federal Firearms Licensees FFLC – Federal Firearms Licensing Center FLS – Firearms Licensing System LOAs – Letter of Authorization NFAB – National Firearms Act Branch NFRTR – National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record NIA – Non-Immigrant Alien NTC – National Tracing Center Division POC – Point of Contact PRS – Procurement Requirements Summary QPR – Quarterly Program Review PWS – Performance Work Statement RA – Research Assistant SOT – Special Occupational Tax SOW – Statement of Work

3.0 TASKS. The contractor is responsible for providing all labor necessary in support of this PWS. ATF provides the systems, technical solutions, equipment, software, and support. ATF anticipates the Contractor will suggest process improvements to increase overall efficiency and reduce costs in meeting the mission needs of ATF and its stakeholders. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to learn the processes and procedures of the NTC, FESD, and FATD. Quality management systems, quality control, quality assurance, and ISO 9000 processes are essential to the success of this contract. Throughout the contract life, the contractor is encouraged to seek ways to incorporate process improvements and innovative and emerging technologies that, in the most economic and efficient manner and with a view to return on investment objectives, improve both operational performance and the ATF mission objectives. ATF’s Office of Science and Technology must approve any new technologies.

Contract Service Requirements

a) Kick-Off Meeting. Attend a Kick-Off Meeting with the Contracting

Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) not later than (NLT) 10 business days after the date of award. Contractor personnel that have not been cleared by ATF shall be escorted by ATF personnel at all times while attending the Kick-Off Meeting. The purpose of the Kick-Off Meeting is to discuss contract objectives. The contractor should be prepared to discuss its policies and procedures, project approach, project plan and schedule utilizing commercial industry best practices. The Kick-Off Meeting will be held at ATF’s facility located at 244 Needy Road, Martinsburg, WV 25401.

b) Contract Management. The objective of this task is to manage the contract process by maintaining schedules and the quality of all services. Determine the project organization and the overall management necessary to accomplish contract requirements. Provide productivity and management tools to include a monthly progress/status report and quarterly program reviews. Workload processing expectations may change with industry demands.

c) Weekly Status Report. Provide a written, user-friendly weekly status report to the COR no later than the Wednesday following the reporting period. The weekly status report shall describe technical progress by each task listed in this PWS. It shall include accomplishments for the week; problems encountered; recommended solutions and implementation plan and scheduled activities for the upcoming week, and any statistical data requested to monitor contract and branch productivity. Be prepared to present the report at a monthly meeting upon the request. Information provided in these reports may be used to prepare the contractor’s annual performance rating.

d) Monthly Status Report (MSR). Provide a monthly status report which will be comprised of results of the weekly status report and a final overview of the month’s technical progress. The monthly report will be due within five (5) calendar days after the end of each month. Be prepared to present the report at a monthly meeting upon the request of COR and/or Program Manager. Information provided in these reports may be subject to incorporation into the contractor’s annual performance rating.

e) Quarterly Program Review (QPR). Provide a quarterly program review (QPR) due within ten (10) business days following the last day of the quarter. The QPR shall be a performance summation of work processes and an overall review of the contractor’s services. The contractor is encouraged to conduct quality control reviews to determine accuracy of work performed. A forum for resolving questions and issues related to the daily processing will be established in the 1st quarter.

Information provided in these reports may be subject to incorporation into the contractor’s annual performance rating.

f) Performance Measures. Performance measures are included in

Procurement Requirements Summary. Performance measurements will be discussed during the weekly and monthly meeting of the COR and PM, and evaluated on a quarterly basis.

Modification of performance measures shall be mutually agreed upon by ATF and contractor. Performance measures shall be reviewed quarterly for modifications and may be reviewed more frequently if necessary.

3.2 Task 1 NTC: Tracing, Receiving and Warehousing, and

Document Conversion. The purpose of these tasks is to have the Contractor perform services related to the Operations, Corrective Maintenance, and Development/Modernization/Enhancement (DME) of NTC systems and applications. Due to the complexity of this task, the contractor must possess a knowledge of NTC business processes, have the ability to analyze those processes in a holistic and integrated context, and recommend viable cost-effective technical and data solutions that improve program operations, reduce costs, and lower administrative burdens for ATF and the law enforcement community. The Contractor shall provide support for the tasks as described below:

3.2.1 NTC: Tracing (Mission Critical Tasks)

a) Trace Request Data Entry. Many Firearms Trace Requests are received by telephone, mail and fax and subsequently entered using eTrace. The workload consists of about 5 percent of the total annual trace requests per year. Currently about 4 contractor personnel support this process.

b) Routine Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Tracing: An out-of-business trace is performed when an FFL is no longer in business in which case the FFL’s records are in ATF possession.

These are called Out-of-Business Records (OBR). About 35 percent + 3 percent of the total trace requests involve OBR tracing to obtain at least one disposition. Nearly 17 percent require multiple accesses to OBR to obtain two or more dispositions from OBR. Routine trace requests are received 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7). (The NTC is currently in the process of converting microfilm over to digital imaging. Once this task is complete the performance measures will need to be re-evaluated). Currently nearly 180 contractor personnel are involved in this process.

c) Urgent Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Tracing: The workload is estimated at an average of 15 trace requests per day. Urgent trace requests are also received 24/7 and by their nature are more often received after normal business hours than are the routine trace requests. They must be processed in 24 hours or less. Currently these are allocated to the same personnel engaged in Routine OBR tracing.

i. Demand Tracing: Certain traces are conducted by examining the records received from FFLs enrolled in the Demand Program.

Currently 2 contractors support this project.

ii. Active Dealer Tracing: Active dealer traces are conducted at the manufacturing/importer, wholesale, and retail levels by the contractor. When sale disposition information is required from an active FFL, requests are made via phone, fax, or the Access 2000 system. Currently about 25 contractors support these processes.

Manufacturing/Importer Wholesale. ATF has the primary responsibility for active manufacturer/importer and wholesale dealer traces. Traces involving certain FFLs are performed by the contractor.

Retail. The contractor currently performs all active retail dealer retail traces via phone and fax request.

Access 2000 System. Some FFLs are provided with an on-site ATF server containing firearms transaction data which ATF has access to, commonly referred to as the Access 2000 program.

3.2.2 NTC: Receiving and Warehousing (Major Core Tasks)

1. Document Receiving and Warehousing: FFL out-of-business records

(OBR) are received regularly and may consist of one box or hundreds of boxes. The records must be reviewed to ensure a complete delivery and that all other administrative matters are completed. The boxes are then officially received into a tracking system. Local procedures require that the records be re-boxed into standard boxes provided by ATF. The boxes are bar coded and made available to the document preparation group. The records may be processed immediately or may be stored for short or long-term periods. FFL records are stored in the NTC in various spaces.

A box (of the dimensions approximately equivalent to a typical box of copy machine paper) is estimated to contain about 2,000 records (pages) each. Currently there are about 4 contractors engaged in this process.

3.2.3 NTC: Document Conversion

a) Document Preparation: NTC received approximately 13,337 boxes of out-of-business FFL records in 2013, which amounts to an average of 1.454 million records (pages) per month, fluctuating from 900,000 to as high as 2.0 million on a monthly basis. All FFL records must be prepared for digital imaging. Although the FFL is required to provide their records to the ATF in a certain prescribed order, the condition and organization of these records varies from good to poor. Some amount of preparation is required on virtually all records. Preparation includes removing staples, removing superfluous documents, repairing holes and tears, ensuring proper sequencing, and grouping/bundling for the imaging phase.

Records preparation must be performed at a pace that keeps up with the digital imaging process. Currently about 46 contractors are engaged in this process.

b. Document Imaging: Documents are scanned using ATF provided hardware and software. The contractor must apply quality control to this task to ensure a high level of accuracy (see Appendix A) since the records will be destroyed once this process is completed.

Imaged documents include FFL records, in-house records, and all FESD documents. Currently about 4 contractors are engaged in

c. Document Indexing: Certain FFL records will be indexed using ATF provided systems. Indexing involves viewing a scanned document and entering key data fields to associate the image with one or more data items. The document type will vary and this can have a dramatic impact on indexing productivity. Currently no personnel are engaged in sub-indexing OBR.

3.2.4 NTC: Program Support (Supporting Tasks)

a) Multiple Sales Data Entry: When an FFL sells multiple handguns to a purchaser, a multiple sales form must be completed by the FFL and delivered to the ATF. This information is entered into the FTS. At times, this information may also need to be updated.

Forms are not always complete nor clear, quality assurance processes must be undertaken in addition to data entry. Currently about 23 contractors are engaged in this process.

b) Demand Program Support: The demand program places extra reporting requirement on certain FFLs identified by ATF. Support is required to perform data entry from these reports, to perform traces against the information received, and to periodically send certain notification to FFLs in the demand program via U.S. postal mail. These notifications are generally performed in a single batch activity annually. Currently about 23 contractors are engaged in

c) Fax room support: The fax room contains four dedicated fax machines which receive trace requests and responses. The incoming faxes are disseminated throughout the NTC by the contractor staff. Currently about 4 contractors are engaged in this process.

d) Other EPS Office Support: Firearms and Explosives Services

Division: NFA/Imports/Licensing/Explosives Support: Imaging of documents for these areas.

e) Law Enforcement & Intelligence Support: Provide personnel in support of the various law enforcement and intelligence program including but not limited to Stolen Firearms Program, Obliterated serial Number Program, Suspect Gun Program, and Do Not

Contact Program. Contractors provide general analytical support.

Provide additional support to the eTrace administration as per documented eTrace administrative duties. Currently about 4 contractors are involved in these processes.

f) Admin Support: Staff the NTC switchboard continuously during working hours 6:00AM to 11:30PM. Quality Management: Provide advice and technical writing in order to sustain and improve the current quality management system based on the ISO 9000 standard. Currently 3 contractors staff the switchboard.

g) Program Management: Provide programmatic oversight of contract, production monitoring, reporting, and other management activities as required.

3.2.5 NTC: Customer Service Help Desk Support

Provide an adequate number of personnel possessing the prerequisite “people skills” (the ability to communicate effectively with people in a friendly way, especially in business), knowledge, and training necessary to satisfactorily perform all work required under this contract (unless otherwise specified) necessary to operate a fully functional customer service and administrative support services operation in an effort to satisfy customer demands and maximize customer satisfaction. This shall be achieved through exemplary customer service support to include fielding inquiries from ATF’s internal and external customers which may include but are not limited to: federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the general public, and/or general industry members. Inquiries may be regarding issues pertaining to licensees and/or permitees.

3.2.6 NTC: IT Support Services (with task internal to this task.

a) ATF requires contractor support and technical expertise related to the Operations, Corrective Maintenance, and Development/Modernization/Enhancement (DME), of the various Information Technology (IT) systems and applications that are utilized in support of National Tracing Center (NTC) Division operations and programs.

b) The current IT systems within scope of this task order include; the

Firearms Tracing System (FTS), the web-based eTrace application, the eTrace Administrative Kiosk, the Electronic Trace Operations and Workflow Routing system (ETOWRS), the Firearms Information Reporting System (FIRES), the Federal Firearms Licensee Information Database (FID), the Out-of-Business Records Imaging system (OBRIS), and the Batch Download process (to include the Error Correction Module (ECM) and the Electronic Trace Results (ETR), Access 2000 (A2K). These systems are primarily Oracle based.

c) Consistent with Agency and Department goals of enterprise, shared-solution, and service-based approaches to information technology: services may also be required to consolidate and/or integrate systems, develop new systems, develop interfaces with other systems/services, and expand the existing systems to also support other program areas and/or data requirements. The contractor shall provide complete, turn-key solutions that are ready for deployment by ATF.

d) ATF’s vision for enhancing NTC/FESD/FATD Division Operations is to:

1) Modernize and consolidate all trace processing, validation, workflow and reporting functions into one standard web-enabled firearm tracing application.

2) Automate or increase efficiency of the firearms tracing process.

3) Retire manual and/or paper-based processes.

4) Increase integration among ATF systems.

5) Reduce reliance on stove-piped, single-purpose solutions.

6) Streamline database design to increase performance and reliability.

7) Centralize data where feasible (single-source) and share via services.

8) Increase accuracy and standardization of data.

9) Better utilize existing data for improved analysis, reporting, and decision-making.

10) Improve system design, interface, usability, and user-friendliness.

11) Reduce reliance on manual data corrections to reduce overall operational costs.

12) Improve quality of system releases to minimize need for corrective maintenance.

13) Further enhance systems with stronger auditing controls for improved accountability.

14) Develop external-facing interfaces for improved information exchange with Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement agencies.

15) Utilize innovative web technologies for integrated and cost-effective solutions.

16) Rapidly and efficiently respond to legislative mandates requiring system changes.

17) Reduce overall costs to operate/maintain NTC systems.

e) The Contractor shall support the following functions:

1) IT System Steady-State Operational Support services necessary to continue on-going operations of existing IT systems.

2) IT System Steady-State Corrective Maintenance services, including application bug fixes, fixes to reports that are inaccurate, correcting business rules that contain bad logic, and/or assistance in completion of scheduled Enterprise Architecture (EA) and infrastructure or software upgrades as identified by OST.

3) IT Systems Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME) services for each of the NTC systems and applications as budgets permit. DME typically includes requirements analysis, design, development, testing, and deployment of changes and enhancements to existing systems to engender new or modified functionality in response to regulatory and statutory changes.

DME may also include development of future systems, consolidation of systems, integration of systems for improved data sharing, and/or the expansion of the existing systems to support other program areas in the Agency or potentially from other Law Enforcement agencies.

f) All services will include coordination with the infrastructure support vendor(s) and effective project management in alignment with the Project Planning and Management (PPM) process.

g) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing technical services to ensure successful business operations, maintenance, and enhancement of the systems supporting NTC operations. This effort includes ensuring the systems are fully compatible and integrated with current software programs and hardware and fully functional in relation to existing operating environments within the Agency and to the greatest extent possible with the external users and business partners outside of Agency.

3.2.6.1: Access 2000 (A2K)

ATF has developed the Access 2000 (A2K) System as a solution to provide firearm disposition information from Industry Members to the National Tracing Center (NTC) in an effort to trace recovered gun crimes more quickly and efficiently. As an alternative to the manual process of exchanging information via phone, fax and/or email, FFL’s who maintain electronic Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records may opt to participate in the A2K program. A2K provides a secure internet based user interface, through which authorized NTC personnel can readily search (by serial number only) against an FFL’s electronic acquisition records and retrieve corresponding disposition data (if applicable).

Participation in the A2K program can greatly reduce the Industry Member’s costs associated with providing a manual response to firearm trace requests. At the same time, this program benefits the NTC by providing immediate access to IM data on a 24x7 basis, thereby allowing for operations to continue outside of normal business hours and leading to improved operational proficiency.

A2K is a voluntary program in which Industry Members elect to participate. Currently, there are thirty-eight (38) Active A2K Industry Member partners. Those 38 active partners have records available for a total of 74 different FFL’s. Additionally, there is one out-of-business A2K server, which houses the records of 12 different FFL’s. The NTC relies on A2K to query firearms manufacturer’s information pertaining to a particular trace and distribute the information to law enforcement agencies.

The scope of the A2K task is to obtain the technical expertise, hardware, and software necessary to provide maintenance and support services in order to deliver a complete turnkey solution for A2K. This shall include implementation and maintenance of viable, up-to-date, automated, cost effective and secure solutions of interconnectivity between ATF and the Firearms Industry Members (IM), software refresh, application implementation, and maintenance.

Maintenance and Support services shall be performed for both ATF and the IM(s) sites. The contractor is responsible for the purchase, implementation and maintenance of the hardware and software needed to successfully run the A2K program. The National Tracing Center (NTC) requires connectivity to the IM site using state of the art, cost effective and secure connectivity solutions. NTC users shall be able to query gun crime history information by serial number only and users at the National Tracing Center shall have read-only data access. Total ownership of the firearm data that resides at the IM site belongs to the

IM not ATF. The equipment purchased for the A2K program and installed at the IM’s site belongs to ATF, not the IM.

Support services for IM sites may be new industry partners or existing partners that require server maintenance, application maintenance, database administration, user account administration, technical assistance, hardware and software upgrades. System implementation services shall encompass the acquisition of all necessary hardware/software, configuration, testing, on-site installation, user familiarization, and ongoing technical support. Emergency maintenance support shall be provided on an as-needed basis.

Maintenance and Support services shall be performed for both ATF and the IM(s) sites. The contractor is responsible for the purchase, implementation and maintenance of the hardware and software needed to successfully run the A2K program. The National Tracing Center (NTC) requires connectivity to the IM site using state of the art, cost effective and secure connectivity solutions. NTC users shall be able to query gun crime history information by serial number only and users at the National Tracing Center shall have read-only data access. Total ownership of the firearm data that resides at the IM site belongs to the IM not ATF. The equipment purchased for the A2K program and installed at the IM’s site belongs to ATF, not the IM.

Support services for IM sites may be new industry partners or existing partners that require server maintenance, application maintenance, database administration, user account administration, technical assistance, hardware and software upgrades. System implementation services shall encompass the acquisition of all necessary hardware/software, configuration, testing, on-site installation, user familiarization, and ongoing technical support. Emergency maintenance support shall be provided on an as-needed basis.

a) Analyze potential database growth and future system storage requirements for the databases

b) Create database storage structures

c) Create and modify primary objects (tables, views, indexes)

d) Enroll users, control/monitor user access and maintain system security

e) Migrate databases from legacy systems to development to test and coordinate migration to production

f) Monitor and optimize database performance

g) Plan and implement backup and restore strategies

h) Coordinate with Oracle Technical Support and provide advice regarding the appropriate use of new Oracle products and capabilities for both oracle 10g, oracle 11g, and Weblogic.

i) Troubleshoot Weblogic Application Hangs and Memory Leaks

j) Communicate with Industry side IT team to resolve Weblogic hibernation issues that result from Physical Network Problems on the Industry side.

k) Troubleshoot Weblogic problems that occur due to java and apache failures.

l) Perform critical updates/patches released by oracle.

m) Ensure compliance with Oracle License agreements

n) Maintain a secure remote connection to the Industry Member’s

(IM) Access (A2K) server using internet protocol (IP).

o) Recommend alternative/improved software and/or solutions in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce overall costs to the government

3.2.6.2 OPTIONAL TASKS

New Site Implementation. The following optional tasks are based on the Government’s availability of funding. The contractor shall provide the same level support as defined in previous tasks as well as implementation tasks outlined herein.

1. Acquisition of Hardware / Software. Acquire all of the necessary hardware and software (as outlined in earlier Sections for each site) including standard product vendor warranties and maintenance agreements. The contractor must work with the NTC Property Custodian to ensure that all hardware is pinned prior to delivery/shipment to the IM’s site, or at the IM’s site during installation. The Contractor shall be responsible for paying for all shipping costs to the IM site. The Contractor shall submit an Installation Report listing all Hardware & Software purchased, including ATF pin #, serial #'s, software key, version, models & make and site information. This report shall be submitted to the NTC Program Manager and Property Custodian.

2. System Configuration. Configure all systems and test all hardware components and software prior to delivery to the IM’s site. Follow ATF’s standard for testing servers to comply with ATF standard server configuration. Write scripts for extracting data from the IM database and uploading to the ATF server. Provide all scripts used during installation on a Compact Disk and check into Dimensions upon completion.

3. User Familiarization. Perform initial user familiarization for key end-users at the Industry Members site, including Access 2000 System functionality, a basic overview of the total system configuration/operation, and provide system documentation.

4. Onsite Installations. Provide an Installation Checklist outlining the steps to be performed at the Industry site. These steps may differ from site to site. Perform onsite installation at the designated Industry Member site and run live validation tests and system demonstration to the end-user. The Contractor shall provide a Deliverable Product Acceptance Form (DPAF) to the IM site representative for signature and submit to the Project Lead, NTC Program Manager, and COR.

Replacement at Existing IMs. Replace the hardware and software of existing Industry Partners whose server requires replacement. The Government shall provide the list of sites for replacement. The contractor shall comply with the same tasks outlined above, as applicable. A Hardware Replacement Report shall be submitted listing the new hardware replaced at an Industry Member site shall be submitted to the NTC program manager and property custodian. All hardware replaced shall be shipped back to NTC unless otherwise instructed by the COR.

3.2.7 NTC - Steady-State Operational Support

The objective of Operational Support is to ensure complete, continuous and successful business operations for all NTC systems and applications.

Steady-State Operations (SS) means maintenance and operation of existing IT systems at current capability and performance level, to include; monitoring existing information systems and processes, maintaining overall data integrity, performing data conversion tasks, responding to technical problems/issues, generating ad-hoc as well as scheduled reports and assisting end-users as required. Project Management support should be a minimal portion of the NTC Steady- State Operational Support since no Work Requests are anticipated.

3.2.8 NTC - Steady-State Corrective Maintenance

a) Steady-State Corrective Maintenance encompasses modifications that fix application problems caused by design, logic, or coding errors. This type of maintenance is often triggered by an explicit help desk (Remedy) ticket and often involves errors that must be addressed immediately. Examples of issues that require corrective maintenance include the following:

1) Calculations that generate incorrect totals

2) Data screens that omit a required entry or store an entry in the improper location

3) Improper logic in business rules

4) Aborted programs

5) Error messages

6) Interfaces that are not functioning as designed

7) Application configuration issues

b) Project management shall be required for Steady-State Corrective Maintenance efforts to ensure software developers and other technical staff members follow project plans established in each Work Request. The Government will closely monitor the cost and schedule of Corrective Maintenance work requests to minimize potential for cost and/or schedule variance.

c) The Contractor shall follow the work process flow, methodology, procedures, deliverables and best practices that conform to standards dictated by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, Project Management Life Cycle defined and published by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

d) Steady-State Corrective Maintenance projects shall follow the

Project Planning and Management (PPM) process.

3.2.9 NTC - Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME)

a) Development/Modernization/Enhancement (DME) means the program cost for new investments, changes or modifications to existing systems to improve capability or performance, changes mandated by the Congress or agency leadership, personnel costs for investment management, and direct support.

b) DME includes introduction of new or modified functionality or scope that requires the re-engineering and/or enhancement of an existing system, the re-baselining of a system to a new technical architecture, or the development of a new system.

c) The Contractor shall practice rigorous requirements management, project management, change control management and testing during DME efforts to ensure:

1) Deployment Of High-Quality Code That Accurately Meets The Requirements

2) Successful Releases Without Introduction Of Unexpected Problems

3) Minimal Need For Emergency/Corrective Maintenance

4) Minimal Need To Fix The Same Issue Multiple Times

5) Maximum Value Out Of Limited It Budget Resources

d) All DME projects shall be initiated via a Work Request and will follow the Project Planning and Management (PPM) process.

e) Some or all of the project phases defined by PPM will be included in the Project Plan:

1) Need/Concept

2) Definition

3) Design

4) Execution of Solution

5) Deployment

6) Operate and Maintain

7) Decommission

f) The project plan will identify the phases above as milestones. It will also include milestones for requirements gathering/business process analysis meetings, agile development design sessions, prototype demonstrations, regular status meetings, and other meetings as necessary where the Contractor needs input from the Government or staff requests demonstration of functionality. The project plan will also provide a schedule for all PPM and other deliverables identified in the Work Request as well as any of the following based on the scope of the change or the Level of Effort (LOE), as required by the Government:

1) Concept of Operations

2) Business Process Models

3) Proof of Concept

4) Prototype

5) Pilot

g) Work Requests will cover one or multiple phases of the PPM process. The PPM process is a general guideline for all DME projects. Not all deliverables are required for all projects. During the Need/Concept phase, ATF/OST will develop a Project Process Agreement which essentially determines which PPM artifacts are required for the project. ATF/OST will tailor Work Requests to include or exclude PPM artifacts. The Contractor shall develop new documents, or update existing documents, as specified in the Work

Request. Examples of standard PPM documents that will be created or updated include:

1) Requirements Definition Document

2) Solution Architecture Document

3) Technical Design Document

4) Interface Control Document and/or Interconnection Security

Agreement

5) Test Plan

6) Release Plan

7) Communication Plan

8) Staffing Management Plan

9) Capacity Plan

10) Data Conversion Plan

11) Test Report

12) Operations and Maintenance Manual

13) Project Completion Report

14) Post Deployment Report

15) Decommission Plan

16) Post Decommission Report

h) As part of the need/concept or definition phases of the PPM, and based on scope and complexity of work, the project plan may also include either or both of the following activities as required by the Government:

1) Business Analysis

2) Business Process Re-engineering

i) The PPM process requires Gate Reviews as projects progress through the phases. The contactor shall participate in Gate Reviews or other technical project reviews as requested by the

COR/COTR.

3.2.10 Project Management

a) Project management shall be required for DME efforts to ensure software developers and other technical staff members follow project plans established in each Work Request. The Agency will closely monitor the cost and schedule of DME Work Requests to minimize potential for cost and/or schedule variance.

b) The Contractor shall follow the work process flow, methodology, procedures, deliverables and best practices that conform to the standards dictated by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, Project Management Life Cycle defined and published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Below are the positions and related skills that were previously proposed.

3.2.11 Qualifications of Personnel

a) Senior Web Developer (1) Required Skills:

Minimum of 5 years of experience in Web Application

Development ORACLE Structured Query Language(SQL) knowledge/experience JAVA and Java Development Kit (JDK) knowledge/experience ORACLE Application Development Framework (ADF) knowledge/experience ORACLE WEBLOGIC knowledge/experience Web Services development and XML knowledge/experience Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) knowledge/experience Experience in Managing various forms of electronic media

(Conversion/Imaging/Storage/Retrieval) is a plus

b) Web Developer (2) Required Skills:

ORACLE Structured Query Language(SQL) knowledge/experience JAVA and Java Development Kit (JDK) knowledge/experience ORACLE Application Development Framework (ADF) knowledge/experience ORACLE WEBLOGIC knowledge/experience Web Services development and XML knowledge/experience Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) knowledge/experience Experience in Managing various forms of electronic media

(Conversion/Imaging/Storage/Retrieval) is a plus

c) GIS Engineer (1) Required Skills:

ESRI ArcGIS development and integration knowledge/experience Experience in the

Architecture/Design/Development/Integration of Oracle database with Interactive Geo-spatial Maps (i.e.- Google Maps)

Experience implementing a geocoding service to convert addresses to and from geographic coordinates

d) Technical Documentation Specialist (1) Required Skills:

Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Products (Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.)

General knowledge of IT concepts and terminology relative to Web Development

Experience drafting technical documentation and training materials

e) Task Manager – Function similar to Project manager at specific tasks related to this contract. Individual will monitor and evaluate performance of tasks and oversee production relating to those tasks. Task manager will meet and provide deliverables, identify and resolve task management problems, and work to address any changed between tasks.

3.3 Task 2 - Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD):

Workload processing expectations may change with industry demands to each of our identified areas. The contractor shall ensure that all contractor employees are cross-trained in each area of FESD.

3.3.1 FESD - Data Entry and Administrative Support.

Provide data entry and administrative support operations within the NFAB, FEIB, FFLC, and FELC. Quality is important to the integrity of the EPS databases. The contractor must provide a full range of services such as (This means data entry, log keeping, mailing, sorting, quality review, filing, faxing, reconciling, scanning, etc. for all applications coming into FESD ), to ensure the information they enter into the EPS databases is complete, and entered in a timely and accurate manner. Quality review of at least 50% of documents processed.

Provide administrative documentation specialist to assist government personnel in the documentation and recording FESDs complete business process. Recording and documenting the technical aspects and workflow of all of FESD branches. This documentation will be used to ensure quality performance and ISO 9000 compliance. Standards of audit and oversight activities that demonstrate superior service at a fair and reasonable price. Produce statistical reports that are required to monitor workloads and evaluate production.

Technical Documentation Specialist (1) Required Skills:

Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Products (Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.)

General knowledge of IT concepts and terminology relative to Web Development

Experience drafting technical documentation and training materials

Project Management products to capture timelines and milestones.

3.3.2 FESD - Image Support. This task will include mostly preparation of documents to be scanned using ATF provided hardware and software.

Quality assurance must be applied to this task to ensure a high level of accuracy since the records will be destroyed once the process is completed. Imaged documents include all of FESD office/Branch records, not to exclude other records they see fit to have imaged.

Quality review of at least 50% of documents processed

Provide statistical tracking.

3.3.3 FESD - Customer Service Help Desk and Administrative Support, Customer Service Phone Support

a) Perform administrative support services within FESD and FESD Branches as follows: Provide an adequate number of personnel possessing the prerequisite “interpersonal skills”, knowledge, and training necessary to satisfactorily perform all work required under this contract (unless otherwise specified) necessary to operate a fully functional customer service and administrative support services operation in an effort to satisfy customer demands and maximize customer satisfaction.