BlackBoard_PWS_-_23_Jan_19-Draft.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

FOR

Blackboard™ Hosting and Licensing Services

COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION DIRECTORATE

MAXWELL AFB, AL

1.0 Background/Objective

1.1 Air University (AU) provides the full spectrum of Air Force education, from pre-commissioning to the highest levels of professional military education, including degree granting and professional continuing education for officers, enlisted and civilian personnel throughout their careers. AU’s Professional Military Education (PME) programs educate Airmen on the capabilities of air and space power and its role in national security. These programs focus on the knowledge and abilities needed to develop, employ, command, and support air and space power at the highest levels. AU’s specialized Professional Continuing Education (PCE) programs provide scientific, technological, managerial, and other professional expertise to meet the needs of the Air Force. An additional Air University conducts research in air and space power, education, leadership, and management. The University also provides citizenship programs and contributes to the development and testing of Air Force doctrine, concepts and strategy.

1.2 Since 2007, AU has used the Blackboard™ Academic Suite (hereafter, Blackboard) to support its resident, nonresident, and blended learning courses. The AU Blackboard has been configured into sub-domains so as to afford the respective centers a significant degree of operational flexibility.

2.0 Description of Services (Hosting & Licensing)

2.1 Blackboard Hosting Services

The contractor shall provide a Platinum Service Package equivalent or better for full Blackboard Academic Suite (Learning System, Community System, and Content System). Hosting solution shall be provided and meet, at a minimum, the following requirements:

Provide a Production Environment for at least 28,000 Active Users, which shall be scalable to meet growth.

Provide Test & Development Environment.

Provide at least 3 Terabytes (TB) of storage, which shall be scalable to meet growth.

Provide at least 26 Mbps of bandwidth, measured using a 95th percentile calculation method.

o A 95th Percentile calculation is performed by:

collecting IP traffic samples (both inbound and outbound traffic) every five (5) minutes over the course of a month;

discarding the top 5 percent of the highest peak samples; and measuring the peak usage from the remaining samples.

Service Delivery Team, which shall:

o Maintain responsibility for managing the Customer’s Managed Hosting infrastructure implementation and growth, as well as planned and reactive changes.

o Provide regular communications and customer.

o Document and report on Customer’s Managed Hosting infrastructure, projects status, escalation issues, and other Customer owned Blackboard products.

Maintain continuous availability of all required services, i.e., 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Perform incremental and weekly backups with offsite storage of the backup media.

Provide SafeAssign service:

o Maintain a separate SafeAssign server where AU papers are stored and compared against each other as well as compared against other available databases.

Provide EZ Proxy Server Hosting.

Provide Grade Extract Integration Customization Maintenance (ICM).

Provide Data Integration ICM.

Provide Custom Authentication ICM.

Provide Blackboard Learning System Online Training Series Package

Provide Hosting database reporting

2.2 Blackboard Licensing Services: AU currently use Blackboard Course Delivery, Community Engagement, and Content Management. In addition, the two organizations also use Blackboard Account Management services. The contractor shall provide software maintenance support for both the management of individual courses as well as the opportunity to extend directly into the portal configuration. The contractor shall provide the following:

• Blackboard Course Delivery

• Blackboard Community Engagement

• Blackboard Content Management

• Account Management

Blackboard software is a web-based interface for class information to students. This software enables higher education institutions to improve student outcomes, enhance teaching and learning. The software maintenance also provides updates and technical telephone support for faculty and students at AU.

This effort will provide continuing software maintenance for Blackboard Course Delivery, Community Engagement, and Content Management for up to 28,000 Full Time Equivalent users as well as Blackboard Student Services managed contact center. The base period of performance of 25 March 2019 to 24 March 2020 with two (2) 1-Year Options.

3.0 General Information

3.1 General: The Contractor shall provide software maintenance support for both the management of individual courses as well as the opportunity to extend directly into the portal configuration.

3.2 Place of Performance and Travel

The contractor shall identify where the majority of work will be performed. A Post Award Conference (kick-off meeting) shall be conducted for the contractor to introduce key personnel to include the project manager and subject matter experts, and present the program management and planning information, including operating procedures, methodologies, and the master schedule.

3.3 Period of Performance

The contractor shall extend coverage of the current contract which expires 24 Mar 19. Services will be extended from 24 Mar 19 through 23 Mar 20 with two (2) 1-Year Options.

3.4 Normal Hours of Operation.

Blackboard Hosting Services shall conduct operations adequate to provide 24-hour coverage.

3.5 Holidays

Blackboard Hosting Services shall conduct operations adequate to provide year round coverage.

3.6. Security Requirements

3.6.1. Contractor Notification Responsibilities.

Should the contractor require visits to any facilities not managed by the contractor, a 30 day notification to the AU Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Program Manager (PM) shall be required. All subsequent coordination will be performed by the COR and PM. If the contractor requires access to Air Force installations steps in section 3.6.2 shall be followed.

3.6.2 Contractor Access to Air Force Installations

a. The contractor shall obtain base identification and vehicle passes for all contractor personnel who make frequent visits to or perform work on the Air Force installation(s) cited in the contract. Contractor personnel are required to wear or prominently display installation identification badges or contractor furnished identification badges while visiting or performing work on the installation.

b. The contractor shall submit a written request on company letterhead to the contracting officer listing the following: contract number, location of work site, start and stop dates, and names of contractor employees needing access to the base. The letter shall also specify the contractor individual(s) authorized to sign requests for base identification credentials or vehicle passes. The contracting officer will endorse the request and forward it to the issuing security forces base pass and registration office for processing. Prior to reporting to pass and registration office the individual shall report to the Security Forces Squadron Administration Flight for a local files check. When reporting to the pass and registration office for issue of a vehicle pass, contractor individual(s) shall provide a valid driver's license, current vehicle registration, valid vehicle insurance certificate, and certification of a background check. When reporting to the pass and registration office for issue of military issue identification credentials for access to the installation, contractor individual(s) shall present a valid state or federally-issued picture identification.

c. During performance of the service, the contractor shall be responsible for obtaining required identification for newly assigned personnel and for prompt return of credentials and vehicle passes for any employee who no longer requires access to the work site.

d. Upon completion or termination of the service or expiration of the identification passes, the contractor shall ensure that all base identification passes issued to contractor employees are returned to the issuing office.

e. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in withholding of final payment.

3.6.3 Traffic Laws

The contractor and their employees shall comply with base traffic regulations.

3.6.4 Cellular Phone Operation Policy

The use of cellular phones while operating a motorized vehicle is prohibited on Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex unless performing command and control functions. Although discouraged, drivers are authorized to use devices, i.e. ear bud or ear boom, which allows their cellular phone to be operated hands-free. The device shall not cover both ears. This policy applies to everyone driving on Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex.

3.6.5 Reporting Requirements.

The contractor shall comply with AFI 71-101, Volume-1, Criminal Investigations Program, and Volume-2, Protective Service Matters, requirements. Contractor personnel shall report to an appropriate authority, any information or circumstances of which they are aware may pose a threat to the security of DoD personnel, contractor personnel, resources, and classified or unclassified defense information.

3.6.6 Healthcare

Healthcare provided at the local military treatment facility on an emergency reimbursable basis only.

3.7 Privacy Act

The Contractor may be exposed to information covered under the Privacy Act of 1974, and if so, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable safeguarding and handling requirements associated with the Privacy Act data. The Contractor shall ensure that Contractors assigned to this task understand and adhere to the Privacy Act of 1974. The contract staff shall read, sign, and adhere to the appropriate nondisclosure requirements.

3.8 Information Distribution

All material gathered and/or developed (to include software and associated code) in the performance of tasks issued under this task order shall be the property of the US Air Force and shall not be used or distributed by the Contractor without specific written permission of HQ USAF.

3.9 Invoices

Invoices shall be submitted via Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) in accordance with DFAR 252.232- 7003(b)(1).

4.0 Government-Furnished Property, Information, and Services.

4.1 Facilities

On-site facilities are available when more conducive for meeting deliverable requirements.

4.2 The Contractor shall receive, use, maintain, and return Government-furnished equipment/information in the course of this contract. The following shall be provided by the Government in support of this contract:

4.2.1 Provide access to documentation (e.g., content, source files, and code) as determined/approved by AU/A3/6 project managers.

4.2.2 Provide access to AU A3/6 project personnel for specific implementation and integration task areas.

4.2.3 Provide access, if design deems it necessary, to Government sites for purpose of integrating training tools on Government systems.

5.0 APPENDIX

Appendix A Publications and Forms

APPENDIX A

Publications and Forms

Publications and forms applicable to this Performance Work Statement (PWS) are listed below. The government has coded publications as mandatory (M) or advisory (A). The contractor shall follow those publications coded as mandatory to the extent (that is, the specific procedure in a paragraph, section, chapter or volume) specified in the PWS. The contractor shall be guided by those coded advisory to the extent necessary to meet requirements in this PWS. At the start of the contract, the government will provide access to the web site for all publications and forms listed. The government may at any time issue supplements or amendments to the listed publications from any organizational level during the life of the contract. The contractor shall use the most current version of all publications at all times. The contractor shall immediately implement those changes in publications that result in a decrease in or no change in the contract price. Before implementing any revision, supplement, or amendment that will result in an increase in contract price, the contractor shall submit to the Contracting Officer (CO) a price proposal for approval. Price proposals shall be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date the contractor receives notice of the revision, supplement, or amendment giving rise to the increase in cost of performance. The government will consider changes in the contract price due to supplements and amendments. Changes shall be considered under the FAR 52.212-4 "Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items" clause. The government will supply the government forms needed for daily operations. Upon completion of the contract, the contractor shall return to the government all issued publications and unused forms.

Publication Number Publication Title Mandatory/ Advisory

AFI 10-701 Operations Security (OPSEC) M

AFI 31-101 Integrated Defense M

AFI 31-401 Information Security Program Management

M

AFI 31-501 Personnel Security Program Management

M

AFI 33-119 Air Force Messaging M

AFI 33-200 Information Assurance (IA) Management

M

AFI 33-332 The Air Force Privacy and Civil Liberties Program

M

AFI 71-101, Vol I Criminal Investigations Program M

AFI 71-101, Vol II Protective Service Matters M

AF Form 75 Visitor/Vehicle Pass M

AF Form 1199 Air Force Entry Control Card M

AETC Form 58 AETC Civilian Identification Card

M