DJJP-17-RFP-1022.pdf

Department of Justice (DOJ) Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) 5

Request for Proposal (RFP)

DJJP-17-RFP-1022

Request for Proposal DJJ17-RFP-1022 Information Support Services-5 (ITSS-5)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 - Background

Section 2 – Objective

Section 3 – Scope

Section 4 – Contract Management and Administration

Section 5 – Support Services

Section 6 – Staffing Requirements

Section 7 – Government Furnished Property and Equipment

Section 8 – Term of the Contract

Section 9 – Option to Extend the Term of the Contract

Section 10 – Option to Extend Services

Section 11 – Delivery Schedule

Section 12 – Observance of Legal Holidays/Federal Non-Work Days

Section 13 – Notice to Government of Delays

Section 14 – Delivery of Redacted Proposal

Section 15 – Telework Plan

Section 16 – Other Contract Terms and Conditions

Section 17 – Contract Type

Section 18 – Business Size Classification

Section 19 – Pricing

Section 20 – Responsibilities for Contract Administration

Section 21 – Reports

Section 22 – Payment

Section 23 – Commercial Clauses

Section 24 – Proposal Submission, Evaluation, and Award

Section 25 – Offeror Representations and Certifications

Section 26 – List of Attachments

1. BACKGROUND

(a) Most Department of Justice (DOJ) organizations are staffed with computer specialists, systems analysts, and programmers to provide information technology (IT) support services.

Nevertheless, they do not maintain a sufficient staff of personnel to meet the anticipated demand for systems development and other IT support services. Nor do they maintain technical expertise in the wide range of equipment, operating systems, languages and applications currently in use, planned or potentially applicable within the Department.

(b) When DOJ organizations cannot fulfill their requirements using in-house staff, they often need contractor support quickly. Realizing this need, the Department decided to establish a set of contracts to provide software development and other IT-related services to Department components. Under the ITSS program the current set of nineteen contracts was awarded in March 2011 and includes a base year and six option years.

(c) Since its inception, the Department has required that the contractors under the ITSS program compete for the work at the task order level except in very rare situations as determined by the Contracting Officer. Competition at the task order level has proven cost-effective, and has yielded significant savings. It has enabled the Government to obtain high-quality technical expertise at a reasonable cost.

(d) The ITSS contracts are available for use by DOJ Government managers on a voluntary basis.

(e) Fee-for-Service. This IDIQ Multiple Award Contract vehicle may be utilized by any DOJ component (e.g. Office, Bureau, or Division) on a fee-for-service basis. The DOJ Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) will coordinate with the COR specified in Section 20 herein, to create the specific fee-for-service schedule for the ITSS-5 program and establish Intra-agency Agreements as necessary to transfer and/or reimburse funds to DOJ to compete, award, and oversee the work plan requests and resulting task orders. The fee-for-service schedule established at the onset of this contract may change from time-to-time as determined by the Office of the CIO, but not more than once per fiscal year. The unit prices contained in this contract do not include any kind of industrial funding fee or similar charging factor.

2. OBJECTIVE

(a) The ITSS-5 contracts may be used to fulfill a wide range of requirements in any of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) areas described herein. While the variety and scope of services that will be required is known, the specific tasks to be ordered over the coming years, and their distribution across the SDLC, are not clear. The continuing emergence and rapid adoption of new technologies by Government agencies strongly suggest that the very nature of IT support services tasks will not necessarily resemble that of prior years. Large-scale systems integration acquisitions, new applications within DOJ component organizations, and the integration of and modifications to current systems, which may include transmission into a cloud environment, will have significant impacts on future development efforts in DOJ agencies.

(b) The Department anticipates that the ITSS contracts will be used to provide IT services that:

(1) Go beyond sustaining and expanding use of current hardware, operating systems and software.

(2) Increase business effectiveness and automation through the effective use and adoption of systems by leveraging new technologies and applications, best practices, and software.

(3) Create new applications and introduce new technologies as they emerge.

(4) Give expert assistance in configuring and managing computer hardware, software and networks, in training users, and in improving systems and network security.

(5) Facilitate business change and flexibility by architecting, designing, and developing solutions that enable the rapid realization of new or changed requirements.

(6) Protect the business by ensuring that systems, applications, data and practices are secure.

(7) Measure and continually improve customer service and satisfaction.

3. SCOPE

The ITSS-5 multiple award contracts are available for use by the entire Department of Justice on an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, task order basis to provide the full range of information technology support services, spanning the entire Systems Development Life-Cycle.

The scope for ITSS-5 also includes the potential acquisition of hardware, software, and other equipment to support client needs as specified in 19.1(b). The scope of each ITSS-5 contract will cover the full range of SDLC and functional areas for both Unrestricted and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Contractors. Non-personal support services may be provided anywhere in the United States and its territorial possessions, and occasionally in foreign countries when specific authorization has been provided by the Government. Information on DOJ agencies can be found at http://www.justice.gov/.

4. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

Preamble: This contract and the Statement of Work (SOW) which follows allow for but do not require “performance based” service contracting. The DOJ and the Contractor encourage the DOJ components that utilize this contract to plan for and write their individual task requirements such that the Government’s overall performance based service contracting objectives are met to the maximum practicable extent.

4.1 General

The Contractor shall provide all management, administration, staffing, planning, and scheduling for all services required by the contract and/or task order. These activities include, but are not limited to:

(1) All activities associated with preparing proposals in response to the Department’s Work Plan Requests (Section 4.2), submitting the proposals to the Department, and negotiating task order requirements.

http://www.justice.gov/

(2) All activities associated with recruiting and hiring staff, such as advertising, screening applicants, interviewing, reference checking, etc.

(3) Maintaining “in-house” skills, teaming and/or subcontract arrangements to ensure that staff with the requisite experience, skills and knowledge are available on short notice.

(4) Screening and processing prospective contract staff to ensure all Contractor employees used under this contract meet personnel hiring and security clearance requirements.

(5) All activities associated with management of the Contractor's facilities that may be utilized, including obtaining space, equipment, furniture, supplies, maintenance, etc.

(6) Utilizing electronic means to conduct business transactions under this contract to the maximum extent feasible. This will include, but is not limited to, Contractor receipt of Work Plan Requests, Contractor submission of proposals in response to such requests, Government/Contractor electronic mail exchange to support administration of active task orders, Contractor invoicing, and electronic funds transfer for payment of approved invoices.

Note: After contract award, the Contractor and the Contracting Officer will agree on the methods and scope of electronic communications that the Contractor shall follow during the contract period.

(7) Ensuring facilities used for the Contractor's performance of this contract meet all physical security requirements of the contract.

(8) Planning, scheduling and procuring airfare, lodging accommodations, and ground transportation for all approved travel by Contractor personnel. Ensuring that invoiced travel costs are itemized in accordance with the Government travel guidelines in effect at the time of travel (See Section 19.5).

(9) Planning for and making all necessary arrangements to ensure that Contractor personnel performing field work have all necessary supplies and equipment by the time they arrive at the site.

(10) Reserved.

(11) Assembling billing data and billing back-up materials, including all time and materials needed for preparing any responses to Government billing rejection letters. Generating, distributing, and tracking invoices, including generating reports and responding to inquiries regarding invoice status, tracking which deliverables and/or units have been invoiced and which have not, etc.

(12) Tracking and reporting on Government furnished materials. The Contractor is responsible for adequate care and safekeeping of all Government furnished materials, including inventorying, tracking and reporting, etc. The Contractor shall reimburse the Government for any Government furnished materials damaged, lost or stolen while in the Contractor's safekeeping.

(13) All activities associated with managing subcontractors/team members, such as identifying and qualifying personnel, negotiating subcontracts, reviewing invoices, ensuring compliance with the security and other requirements of this contract, etc.

The above items are not separately priced or billable under the contract or any task order.

4.2 Work Plan Requests

Generally, all task orders will be initiated by a Work Plan Request (WPR) to be issued by the COR. The WPR process is defined in Attachment 7 – Task Order Administration Plan.

4.3 Contractor’s ITSS-5 Program Management Responsibilities

(a) The Contractor shall institute and maintain a program management structure to respond to and negotiate WPRs. The Contractor shall also maintain access to resources that can be called upon to fulfill task order requirements under the contract. The Department will not issue a separate task order to institute or maintain these capabilities.

(b) The Contractor’s ITSS-5 program management office shall be located within a reasonable radius (approximately 50 miles) of the Department of Justice headquarters at 950 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., including the necessary resources (i.e.

management, technical and financial personnel working in that location) needed to support the ITSS-5 program. The location must be that which allows for the Contractor’s staff to be able to travel to DOJ headquarters within a reasonable timeframe upon receiving an urgent call from the COR or a higher level DOJ IT manager.

(c) For each task order issued to the Contractor, the Contractor shall maintain a management structure with overall task order control and authority for the performance of work.

The Department may request a Program Management Plan as part of a WPR. At a minimum, the Contractor’s management structure shall be responsible for the following throughout the life of each task order:

(1) Deploying and maintaining a technically proficient and professionally capable staff.

(2) Keeping personnel turnover to a minimum and ensuring individuals are motivated to achieve excellent performance.

(3) Ensuring problems are minimized and unavoidable problems are resolved with minimal disruption to the activities performed under the task order.

(4) Obtaining continuous feedback on performance from appropriate

Government personnel and disseminating feedback to Contractor personnel on all areas of task order performance.

(5) Continually monitoring the quality of all products and services provided under the task order for purposes of identifying and implementing performance improvements.

(6) Ensuring that all resources necessary to perform the task order are identified with clearly defined roles and deployed on schedule.

4.4 Staffing

4.4.1 Program Manager

(a) The Program Manager is a senior manager responsible for coordinating the management of all work performed under this contract. The Program Manager is ultimately responsible for coordinating the efforts of subcontractors, team members, vendors, etc. The Program Manager shall act as the central point of contact with the Department and shall have the full authority to act for the Contractor in the performance of the required work and services under all task orders. The Program Manager works independently or under the general direction of senior level Contractor business management on all phases of performance, including contract management, project/task order management, coordination of resource needs, coordination with corporate resources and management, and has direct accountability for the technical correctness, timeliness and quality of deliverables. The Program Manager shall have broad and deep knowledge of the IT industry, PMBOK (project management body of knowledge), business administration, and human resource management. It is strongly encouraged that the Program Manager be Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. The Program Manager shall have excellent oral and written communications skills. The Program Manager shall ensure that the Contractor has the capability of performing all the work.

(b) The Department will not issue a task order exclusively for the Program Manager’s services. However, the Contractor may propose directly billable hours for the Program Manager in response to a WPR.

4.4.2 Key Personnel

(a) The Department reserves the right to review the qualifications of all staff identified as “Key Personnel” that are selected to work on any task order before assignment, including the individuals proposed (in the Contractor's proposal submitted in response to a WPR) and any replacements for these individuals, and to reject individuals who do not meet the qualifications set forth in this contract. Any exceptions to the labor category qualifications require written approval from the

COR.

(b) The Department reserves the right to require the Contractor to remove or reassign from this Contract any “Key Personnel” Contractor employee(s) who is/are deemed incompetent, careless, unsuitable, or whose continued employment under the contract is deemed contrary to the best interests of the Government. Failure of “Key Personnel” Contractor employee(s) to comply with the Department’s standards of conduct may also be grounds for the Department or the client agency (thru the Department) to require removal or reassignment of offending Contractor employee(s).

(c) The Contractor shall remove or reassign any “Key Personnel” employee from performance of contract tasks within five (5) working days of receiving a written notice from the Contracting Officer that the employee's performance or conduct is unsatisfactory or unacceptable. Further, the Contractor shall immediately remove any “Key Personnel” Contractor employee found to represent a real or anticipated threat to the safety of government records, Government employees, or other Contractor employees. The Contractor shall reimburse the Department for the cost of any Department-provided or funded training given to “Key Personnel” for Contractor employees who cease to perform contract duties within six (6) months after receiving that training.

(d) At a minimum, the following positions/labor categories are considered “Key

Personnel” positions for this Contract at the contract level and the task order level:

1. Program Manager (Labor Category CLIN X001)

2. Individual task orders may identify additional labor categories/persons as key personnel such as Task Managers (Labor Category CLIN X002) or other technical staff personnel deemed important to the success of the task.

(e) Any individual performing work under the labor categories listed in paragraph (d) above is subject to the following:

(1) Replacement of any Key Personnel is subject to the prior written consent of the COR or his/her designee.

(2) Requests for replacement shall include a detailed resume containing a description of position duties and mandatory qualifications, as well as information about the qualifications of the individual(s) proposed. All replacement personnel must be qualified to assume the duties and responsibilities of the position, provide the same levels of effort as the replaced staff, and their salaries must be at similar levels of the personnel to be replaced, with no adjustment to the prices set forth in the task order.

(3) Contractor proposals to move any Key Personnel off the contract or a task order, or from one task order to another shall be submitted in writing at least thirty

(30) days in advance of proposed move, and are subject to the approval of the COR, or his/her designee, including approval of proposed replacement.

(4) In the event of a key personnel resignation, the Contractor shall notify the

COR in writing within five (5) days of receiving notice of resignation.

4.4.3 Training of Contractor Staff

(a) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing trained, experienced staff for performing the work ordered under this contract, and for continuously monitoring, managing and controlling the work. The Contractor shall make its best efforts to retain staff members who have gained experience on this contract, and to minimize staff turnover.

(b) The Contractor shall train its own staff so as to ensure that all personnel are able to perform their duties under each task order satisfactorily. This may require staff training in the specific technology area. The Contractor will furnish the COR with formal documentation of the training provided to each labor category under the contract as requested by the COR, including testing tools for determining if individual employees have achieved competence in their labor categories. Except where specifically approved by the COR, training of Contractor staff is not separately billable. Specialized training requested by the COR beyond that which would normally be required to perform under the contract may be billable with advance approval by the

COR.

(c) In addition to job-specific or professional training, the Contractor shall ensure its employees on this contract are trained on "contract-specific" issues such as DOJ ethics, standards of conduct, individual conflicts of interest, confidentiality requirements, DOJ security requirements, the function of reporting, and the importance of quality control and quality assurance. In addition, Contractor managers shall be educated regarding the terms and conditions of the contract.

4.4.4 Security Clearances, Contractor Screening Guidance, and Confidentiality Agreement

(a) Prior to assigning an employee to the contract, the Contractor must submit for that employee the completed security forms as specified in Attachment 9.

(b) The Contractor is responsible for screening ALL prospective employees for suitability and conduct for work on this contract, prior to submittal of the security forms.

Guidelines for this screening function are provided in Attachment 3.

(c) The ITSS-5 Contractor shall have available qualified staff with, at a minimum, the types of clearances specified in Attachment 9. This is so the contractor may be in a position to quickly begin work if it is successful in capturing specific task orders.

(d) Attachment 3 sets forth the standard DOJ Confidentiality Agreement for contractor and subcontractor employees to certify prior to commencing work under task order(s) awarded.

4.4.5 Quality Assurance and Quality Control

(a) The Contractor shall ensure that all documented guidelines and operating procedures for quality assurance/control are followed for all areas of performance. The Contractor shall develop and implement additional quality assurance/control procedures as necessary to ensure all work performed is in accordance with standards prescribed in this contract or individual task order for the duration of the contract, and the Contractor shall stress to its staff the importance of quality control and quality assurance. Quality practices that are consistent with Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Models (CMM or CMMI) and ISO shall be achieved as follows:

(1) CMMI maturity Level 3 (Large Businesses).

(2) Achieved or plan for achieving CMMI maturity Level 2/3 (Small

Businesses)

(3) Certification as ISO 9001.

(4) Staff certification at ITIL Foundations level, or higher to be determined as applicable in individual task orders

(b) Within the specifications of the contract/task order, and the direction of the DOJ Component or Bureau, Contractor personnel shall perform all activities on their own initiative.

This will require a high degree of resourcefulness and the exercise of sound judgment.

Contractor personnel shall perform the contract activities independently and shall exercise professional judgment and discretion in making decisions and recommendations for the successful completion of the activities. As appropriate, the Program Manager shall make suggestions to the DOJ Component or Bureau to improve operations. The Program Manager shall obtain DOJ Component or Bureau approval prior to implementing any precedent-setting decisions.

(c) The importance to the Department of quality control cannot be overstated. The Department is committed to quality work and will not tolerate sub-standard work. Frequently, work must be performed under rigid time constraints where the same attention to detail and quality must be observed. The Contractor must build additional quality control reviews, as needed, into the operating procedures for each functional area of the contract and task order. The Contractor shall conduct internal quarterly reviews of each task order to address the following:

(1) Ensure personnel are following all established guidelines and procedures.

(2) Identify appropriate modifications to procedures or other corrective actions to improve efficiency or remedy deficiencies.

(d) After each review, the Contractor shall provide a written findings and recommendations report to the COR and DOJ Component or Bureau.

4.5 Management Reports

(a) The Contractor shall prepare and deliver to the COR or his/her designee regular reports on work activities, Contractor expenditures, accomplishments, and the status of projects.

The COR or his/her designee will approve the format of each report. The Contractor shall modify the format or subject content of the reports at the direction of the COR or his/her designee. Additionally, the COR or his/her designee may require the Contractor to submit ad hoc reports (oral or written) on the work, as needed.

(1) Government Owned Property Report. The purpose of this report is to maintain current and accurate records of the property type, location, identification number, and quantity of any property furnished to the Contractor by the Government or acquired by the Contractor on behalf of the Government for use under this contract. The Contractor should note that this may include furniture, computer and other equipment, computer software, etc. To support this function, the Contractor shall conduct a semi-annual review of all Government owned property in its custody and document and update the holdings. The Government Owned Property Report shall be delivered to the COR at the close of business on a day to be specified by the COR following the close of the reporting period. A copy of the most recent report shall also be delivered to the Contracting Officer by each December 31. The Government Owned Property Report shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Item type

b. Item description

c. Make and model

d. Serial number

e. DOJ inventory number

f. Leased or purchased

g. Month/Year invoiced, if purchased for DOJ

h. Warranty/maintenance information I. Current location (building/room)

j. Previous location or disposition

k. Project for which originally acquired

l. Acquisition cost (if known)

m. Property Classification

1. Land and Rights Therein

2. Other Real Property

3. Plant and Equipment

4. Special Tooling

5. Special Test Equipment

6. Material

7. Furniture/Furnishings

8. Automated Data Processing Equipment

n. Comments

At the end of this Contract, these reports will be used in conjunction with invoice records to determine Government furnished materials owed by the Contractor to the Government.

5. SUPPORT SERVICES

This section describes the functional areas and corresponding Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) support services that may be required under task orders issued under the ITSS-5 contracts.

5.1 Functional Areas

5.1.1 IT Planning and Architecture

5.1.1.1 IT Planning

Identification, evaluation and recommendation of solutions and opportunities, including the modification and process re-engineering of existing systems to encourage and facilitate the development of integrated systems, provide added functionality and improve productivity, while taking into account all applicable federal standards and procedures and the client organization’s standards and policies. Includes support for enterprise architecture planning, migration planning, implementation governance, and technology architecture. Also includes IT Strategy and Vision Development, IT Effectiveness Analysis, and IT Cost Reduction.

5.1.1.2 Feasibility Study

Identifies objectives, requirements, system concepts, and candidate approaches. It researches possible solutions and analyzes commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products or open source platforms available for achieving the objectives. Includes familiarity with various COTS products in the federal marketplace. May include making recommendations on the approach to be taken. Also, may be supported by formal trade studies and/or proof-of-concept demonstrations against appropriate criteria to reduce product acquisition risk. The feasibility studies will be used by managers to decide whether to proceed with the task.

5.1.1.3 ITIL Service Definition

An in-depth evaluation of a given approach as to technical feasibility and/or the benefits to be gained for a specific cost. The analysis involves identifying, developing and analyzing the costs (actual and opportunity) and benefits of a given approach in quantitative terms if feasible and in qualitative terms otherwise, and preparation of a recommendation to proceed or not to proceed. The user may require that this type of analysis occur independently or with other activities comprising a full system development effort and integration into an ITIL-based service delivery model.

5.1.1.4 Business Process Re-engineering

A complete analysis of the processes used to generate desired products and services with a possible revamping of the entire approach. The primary drivers should always be the customer’s needs. These needs ultimately dictate the scope and the level of technology investment. The issues that need to be reconciled include time, quality, customer perspective, people empowerment, efficiency and flexibility. Technology is considered a potential enabler of the new approach. Includes support for feasibility studies, cost benefit analysis, process modeling, business event modeling, organization design, business strategy, and change management/leadership.

5.1.1.5 Contingency Planning - (Continuity of Operations)

Identification of various disaster scenarios and development of response options to these scenarios. May include actual response support in addition to documentation development and testing of response scenarios. Development of new Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP), validation of existing COOP premises, environmental and technical requisites and pertinent existing documentation, and planning, executing and evaluating operational tests of new and existing COOPs. This may include outlining proposed revisions for the COOP, analyzing impacts of revisions on organizational and technical issues, drafting updated COOPs for internal technical review by client organization personnel, applying revisions to the COOP based on this review and conducting a summary review of the revised COOP with the client organization. In addition, may include development of new or revising the existing COOP test plan, providing technical support and related contingency orientation of client organization personnel before execution of the test plan, providing technical assistance during the test, developing contingency test evaluation reports to include recommendations for improvements to the test plan and the COOP, and revising the test plan and/or COOP as required after client organization review of the evaluation report.

5.1.1.6 Enterprise Architecture (EA)

Provides a comprehensive framework used to manage and align an organization's

Information Technology (IT) assets, people, operations, and projects with its operational characteristics. In other words, the enterprise architecture defines how information and technology will support the business operations and provide benefit for the business.

EA accelerates Agency business transformation and new technology enablement by providing standardization, design principles, scalability, an enterprise roadmap, and a repeatable architecture project method that is more agile and useful and will produce more authoritative information for intra- and inter-Agency planning, decision-making, and management.

5.1.2 Program Management Office (PMO) Support

5.1.2.1 Program Management Support

Providing assistance to a Government Program Management Office (PMO). This support could include performing and/or assisting the PMO staff in the development and maintenance of program and project plans, standard operating procedures, contingency plans, continuity of operations, and other documentation. It may also include acquisition support by preparing procurement related documentation, such as Statements of Work, independent Government cost estimates, internal acquisition review board packages and justifications, and source selection material. Financial management support could include the collection and management of financial data; assisting in financial analysis tasks; tracking program progress against the program plan; and preparing required financial reports. PMO support could include Portfolio Management, which would allow DOJ to track and align expenditures across the portfolio in a manner that would dedicate specific investment percentages to broad areas of IT, such as infrastructure, application development and operations, new technology, etc. Other support may include providing meeting support by planning and arranging for meetings, preparing meeting materials and recording and disseminating minutes; development and tracking of correspondence, reports and briefing materials; maintenance of a document library. Support may also include researching and providing recommendations on best practices to improve areas within Program Management; evaluating issues and providing recommendations related to program cost, schedule, and performance; and, providing analysis and recommendations to respond to Congressional, other Government agencies, and industry inquiries; audits; or Congressional testimony.

5.1.2.2 Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

Processes, procedures and methods that provide an independent monitoring of the development and/or maintenance of IT systems. Software verification and validation (V&V) assists the development organization build quality into the software during the software life cycle. The validation "validates" that the software meets the user's needs, and verification "verifies" that the system is well engineered. Validation includes verification of technical requirements, design, test programs and other program activities to ensure that they are comprehensive, comply with required law, regulations, best practices and industry standards, as well as represent the best solutions to the government’s mission and operational requirements. It produces workable solution options to issues, risks, or concerns identified during the verification process. IV&V activities are performed by an agency or a contractor that is not under the control of the organization that is developing the software.

5.1.3 System Engineering and Development

5.1.3.1 Requirements Analysis

A set of procedures and processes followed by the project team to determine functional and system requirements and their relative importance to users. Users’ requirements are documented meaningfully using automated requirements gathering tools. It is assumed that the user knows what he wants, but has difficulty in translating requirements into data-processing terminology. This procedure helps get the requirements in writing to guide the subsequent efforts of the systems design and implementation. This sub-phase is one of the most important in the entire project life-cycle.

5.1.3.2 Joint Requirements Planning (JRP)

JRP consists of workshops with key end-users for planning and designing a system. The users are encouraged to do most of the talking. Information Systems staff members translate what the users want into structured specifications and design so that users can understand and discuss the results. JRP sessions do not contain technical detail. They often involve higher-level managers and sometimes top-management. They establish requirements and justification for a system and the detailed functions it will perform. A major benefit of JRP is making executives think creatively about how information systems can help them. The workshops cause an examination of goals, problems, success factors and strategic opportunities in information strategy planning.

5.1.3.3 Joint Applications Development (JAD)

In the JAD session, several knowledgeable people in the subject organization or in the subject functional area meet for extensive and intensive discussions and brain-storming sessions.

These sessions are professionally facilitated and discussion/conclusions and disagreements are formally captured and distributed. These sessions strive to accomplish agreement or consensus on the topics of the session. Disagreements are resolved so everyone understands what the target/new process/function/system will and will not accomplish.

5.1.3.4 Rapid Applications Development (RAD)

An approach to systems development that incorporates a variety of automated design tools (CASE). RAD focuses on human management and user involvement as much as on technology. RAD aims for rapid development of a single, stand-alone system of limited scope.

The use of CASE tools is a necessity for this path, as are rapid development techniques and features such as time-box management, reusability and user workshops. RAD techniques are largely a subset of Systems and Information Engineering techniques.

5.1.3.5 Systems and Information Engineering

An integrated set of methodologies and products used to guide and develop information processing within an organization. It starts with enterprise-wide strategic planning and ends with operational applications. It includes activities required for the support of operational systems oriented to enhancing operations of hardware and software systems to include the collection and analysis of systems information, diagnosis of problems and development of recommendations to resolve problems. It establishes and maintains systems and software configuration baseline data and documentation. It includes redesign activities that modify functionality and/or produce technical improvements to enhance software and security. It monitors system execution and performance; tracks and reports change requests (CRs) and discrepancy reports (DRs); performs problem analysis and resolution; and provides technical assistance to the end-user. It performs system and software conversion activities that include the transition of existing applications from one environment to another. It performs production control activities such as the support of cyclical changes to operational workloads, data compression, data restores, reorganization of files, recovery of systems, production of reports, download/upload of information, and setup and verification of fields and programs for the execution of production runs. It prepares and executes disaster recovery procedures; analyzes, compiles and aggregates data to produce statistical trend analysis reports; develops user-friendly interfaces between different automation functions and upload/download capabilities; and develops and implements an audit strategy to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data.

5.1.3.6 Systems and Database Design

Includes the design approach, alternative designs and analysis, and impact analysis.

Maps and maintains traceability of the design to requirements; develops user interfaces;

identifies the major components and interfaces of the system; determines impact on work flow processes; and develops testing strategies, test cases and testing plans. Also includes conducting design reviews to clarify design drivers; select an IT platform and/or architecture; identify and weigh portability considerations, potential capacity and performance implications; identify existing systems that may be reused; identify any integration issues with legacy systems; and other pertinent design information. Unique database design tasks include creating the logical and physical database design for a system using data modeling and data normalization techniques.

5.1.3.7 Systems Procedures and Standards

Devising systems procedures and standards using all applicable standards and procedures as required by the Federal Information Processing Standards, DOJ requirements, other standards, and the client organization’s standards and policies. Includes identifying the applicable standards and procedures and making recommendations about their use to the client organization.

5.1.3.8 Systems Development and Testing

Translating system specifications and detailed design documentation into system components, code or both. May include initial development of a prototype of the system that will be tested and evaluated before the systems development effort using automated testing tools, whenever applicable. Includes: developing code, conducting peer reviews and providing summary progress of the development effort; establishing and maintaining the integrity of baseline configuration, software version descriptions and related documentation; establishing test and verification procedures to ensure system integrity so that the system meets functional requirements; and, conducting unit, system and integration testing to validate the system's capabilities. Also includes Performance Testing to verify that the system meets specific response time requirements and User Acceptance Testing to verify that target user groups concur that the business objectives are met.

5.1.3.9 Accessibility Testing and Remediation

Processes, procedures and methods that provide identification of accessibility errors through manual review, as well as, automated testing of electronic and information technology and remediation of errors aid DOJ in meeting Section 508 compliance requirements.

Information and data delivered via the World Wide Web must be conforming with the Section 508 electronic and Information Technology Standards identified at 36 CFR 1194.21, 36 CFR 1194.22, and 36 CFR 1194.31 within the Federal Acquisition Regulations. In addition, electronic documents delivered via the Web must meet these same standards.

Web and application interface and content review must conform with the standards in a manner that allows for identification and remediation of nonconformance. Such evaluation may include the use of automated tools, however, it is recognized that Section 508 conformance, and WCAG

2.0 Level A and Level AA conformance cannot fully be evaluated without human review and inspection.

The manual testing of applications (software content and Web content) shall follow the Section 508 Compliance Test Process for Applications v3.4.2, (http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS_Section_508_Compliance_Test_Proce ss_for_Applications_0.pdf) or most current version at award date. It is preferred that testing be performed by a Certified Trusted Tester. Standard test reporting templates will be utilized for compliance test reports and will be provided by DOJ.

Review of electronic documents (Word, Adobe, Excel) will involve both identification of errors and remediation of the errors. Validation of Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and Government Products Accessibility Templates (GPAT) against the identified accessibility standards are also part of the service area.

5.1.3.10 Systems Installation and Acceptance

http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS_Section_508_Compliance_Test_Process_for_Applications_0.pdf http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS_Section_508_Compliance_Test_Process_for_Applications_0.pdf

All activities associated with the installation and operation of the system. During systems implementation, includes providing support through the development of prototype installation test plans, installation test reports and the preparation of systems manuals including operations, maintenance and user manuals customized by site. Delivery of the system and all documentation and products associated with the system. Installation, integration, testing and implementation of the systems developed to include all activities associated with data conversion, data collection, capture, validation, and verification, user training and system turnover.

5.1.3.11 Systems Programming

Programs are written using the programming standards established by the client organization. Substantial emphasis is put on a structured process for preparing a test plan, which outlines all of the testing to be done. The programmer plans testing problems thoroughly before the testing begins. The results of the testing are then reviewed by qualified personnel to decide that each program and module is operating satisfactorily.

5.1.3.12 Systems Integration

Includes the analysis of the distribution of functionality across systems, development of system interface concepts, designs and specifications, and the development of specifications and standards for information transfer between systems.

5.1.3.13 COTS Integration

Includes implementing COTS solutions such as the configuration of COTS database tables, parameters, and interfaces, as well as the design, development and test of Reports, Interfaces, Conversions, Extensions and Forms.

5.1.3.14 Interoperability Verification and Testing

Verification and testing to ensure interoperability with existing systems. May include access to existing mainframes and servers, compatibility with operating systems, COTS software and client organization applications, and communications and telecommunications systems.

5.1.3.15 Systems Automation

Systems Automation focuses on improving the speed, efficiency, and quality of operations. The focus is on removing manual intervention for common tasks like testing, software builds and deployments, and infrastructure configurations to achieve Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) of business functionality.

5.1.3.16 Systems Conversion

Converting systems from current environments to new ones including newer evolving/evolved web-based technologies. May include the development of specifications, programming, testing and documentation. Legacy systems may also be selected for the development of new front-end user interfaces. New user interfaces may include web-based or web-enabled front ends.

5.1.3.17 Web Development

Includes support services to design, develop, maintain, implement, and document quality electronic publications and applications. It also includes designing electronic publications, databases, and applications in a Unix server environment and assist in the maintenance of servers. Also includes designing multimedia utilizing various applications. Design work is completed within specified legislative and Departmental guidelines. It performs testing on all developed materials documenting results prior to production. Assists staff in development efforts, participate in staff meetings and provide recommendations for solutions to design problems. Documents all assignments, including applications, procedures and processes. Also includes use of social media, Web 2.0 and other emerging technologies to support transparent and open Government directives. Web 2.0 will allow the design and development of web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration. User centered design practices help determine what technologies best meet user needs. Options such as web-based communities, social-networking, video-sharing, wikis, blogs, mash-ups and folksonomies can be leveraged to enhance the user experience. Also includes use of scalable web application frameworks such as Angular.js, Ember.js and Bootstrap.js.

5.1.3.18 Workflow Processing

The use of automated methods for the routing and control of documents and transactions through a process such as procurement requests, personnel requests, etc. Also involves scanning and storing information in digital form on computers. The information may be pictures, drawings or text. This process may also be described as the combining of single work units and their (partial) products as they are aggregated in an overall process, such as data entry to verification to populating a database to query and reporting. It could be represented in a flowchart or a process model where each function is shown with inputs, methods and controls from other functions, outputs to other functions that serve these purposes, and the overall initiating activity and end-product.

5.1.3.19 Data Warehousing / Data Mining / Data Analytics

Build data warehouses to collect transaction data to allow for easier and faster querying and reporting. Design an environment that allows non-technical personnel to write and maintain queries and reports and/or to provide a means to speed up the writing and maintaining of queries and reports by technical personnel. Simplify the process required to query and report data from multiple systems and/or external sources and/or data stored for query/report purposes only.

Build data mining models to allow clients to make better use of the data in their databases. Data mining uses a combination of machine learning, statistical analysis, modeling techniques and database technology to find patterns and subtle relationships in data and infers rules that allow the prediction of future results.

Identify leading practices for data warehousing, data mining, analytics, and visualization.

Identify and implement leading practices related to the collection, cataloguing, management, and retrieval of unstructured and semi-structured data (Big Data). Identify and implement solutions to support content analytics, which covers tools to analyze text, audio, video, images, system logs, and data markups.

5.1.3.20 Agile Development

Assist DOJ organizations in developing agile methodologies and transitioning from waterfall development to agile development. Provide agile training and coaching to development teams. Lead agile development efforts for new development projects.

Agile is an iterative and incremental approach to software development centered on embracing change and reducing risk through customer collaboration and the quick delivery of valuable, quality products. Agile teams, made up of developers, testers, and architects, work collaboratively with the primary customer point-of-contact to deliver working software at the end of each iteration (or time-box). The team focuses on having a continuous improvement and learning mindset, inspecting and adapting the product and the process after each time-box.

Developers may utilize practices such as Test Driven Development (TDD) or Behavior Driven Development (BDD) to ensure deliver of quality code. These practices ensure the code is properly unit tested, while keeping the code base simple and maintainable. Additionally, to further enhance agility, the team should look to automate unit/integration tests where possible and enable more frequent and efficient testing.

To support true agility and a culture of collaboration, agile coaches should be available to provide training in core agile values and principles, facilitate agile ceremonies, and provide mentorship to individuals in key agile roles (Product Owner, ScrumMaster, Project Manager). In cases where agile must scale across multiple teams, it is important to have an understanding of available frameworks, like the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), as a starting point to scale the benefits of agile teams to the enterprise level, tailored for the DOJ environment.

5.1.3.21 Cloud Services

Develop strategies for moving to the cloud – covering public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud models. Develop approaches and implement tools to enable the provisioning of an agile infrastructure. Develop plans for and manage the migration of applications from premise-based data centers to the cloud. Identify cloud security requirements and leading practices.

Identify and implement software solutions that can be deployed across the DOJ organization a software-as-a-service.

Architect, implement, and integrate cloud solutions including infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-as-service (PaaS), and software-as-as-service (SaaS).