Combined_Questions_and_Answers__4-19-2019.docx

FA664319R0ACS

Draft PWS C2 System Questions and Answers 19 Apr 19

1. Over the years DoD procurements have generally allowed for products which were in the JITC approval process to participate. This provides the agency the greatest level of participation and access to latest industry products and capabilities. Understanding an ATO would be a contract requirement and JITC certification prior to the product going operational. On a routine basis, most Vendors are in the process of having their products re‐evaluated for JITC recertification or adding additional or newer versions of products for JITC Certification. This provides the agency the most current level and versions of products to address needs and future industry innovations. We would like to request AFRC HQ consider the inclusion of similar language. This would allow AFRC the largest sampling of current products and still meet the requirement of JITC certification.

ANSWER: The new PWS does not require system certification because this is not an ACAT program on the program list and we are asking for a turn-key solution. There is no requirement for JITC interoperability testing. All products must be on the JITC’s APL.

2. PWS, Page 2, Paragraph 1.1.2. Site Survey. Are secret level clearances required for members performing survey activities?

ANSWER: No. All contractor personnel will be escorted at all times and the system is unclassified. Controlled areas will be sanitized prior to allowing entry into the controlled areas. All personnel on site survey teams will be screened at the base entry control points verifying no active warrants are out for personnel wanting access. This is standard at all AF facilities. Contractors will have to provide information requested to obtain visitor badges.

3. PWS, Page 2, Paragraph 1.1.2. Site Survey. Will a licensed electrician be required to assess new and reuse power/grounding requirements, or can contractor assume the Government will provide all power and grounding systems required?

ANSWER: No electrician will be required. Yes, the Government will provide all power and grounding systems required.

4. PWS, Page 2, Paragraph 1.1.2. Site Survey. Is any testing required for existing systems and infrastructure? i.e. verifying and testing connectivity to existing systems via fiber, copper, and coax cable connections?

ANSWER: No legacy system testing will be required. Current system is analog based and End of Life. New system is expected to be Unified Communications compliant (IP based) not analog.

5. PWS, Page 2, Paragraph 1.2. Installation of New Systems. Will the Government procure any needed Authorized Service Interruptions (ASIs) for downtime required during system cutover per the contractor's approved IMS? How much advance notice is needed to procure these ASIs?

ANSWER: Local units will procure any needed ASI. Current TDM based systems are stand-alone systems so minimal ASI requests expected. Estimation of 30 days adv. notice.

6. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.2.4. UPS Systems. Will the 24hr run time requirement be reduced for facilities/systems with generator backup available? Providing 24 hr. runtime support will require large UPS units (and associated power circuits to feed them) depending on power loads/use of the systems.

ANSWER: No. AFRC C2 facilities have as a minimum generator backup systems. Generator failures cannot be predicted and the UPS requirement should be independent of alternate power source availability. Government expectation is the contractor solution submitted as part of proposal will include power and HVAC requirements for systems proposed.

7. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.2.4. UPS Systems. If required rack/cabinet space is not available for housing new UPS units, shall contractor plan to add new cabinets or racks, or will Government provide this type of infrastructure?

ANSWER: Current systems have 19” racks or cabinets for UPS systems or other required infrastructure. If additional racks are required the AF will provide.

8. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.2.7. Inside and Outside Plant (Cabling). Can the contractor assume all connectivity required (fiber, copper, coax/RF) is available and serviceable from the building demark out to existing systems to be connected to the new CP equipment?

ANSWER: Current (fiber, copper, coax/RF) is available and serviceable from the building demark out to existing systems. Contractor solution is expected to outline specific connector requirements (i.e, ST, SC, FC, MT-RJ and LC style connectors).

9. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.2.7. Inside and Outside Plant (Cabling). Can contractor assume lead paint or asbestos issues will not be encountered in the installation of new intra building wiring? If this is not a valid assumption, how shall these HazMat type items be accounted for in the contractor's cost and schedule development?

ANSWER: Yes, contractor should assume lead paint or asbestos issues will not be encountered during the installation of new intra-building wiring. If an issue does arise, solutions will be coordinated with the contractor at that time. Contractor will not be responsible for costing this in the proposal.

10. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.2.7. Inside and Outside Plant (Cabling). Will AF 332s (or local equivalent) Work Clearance requests be required to be submitted and approved by Base Civil Engineer for facility work proposed in each affected building?

ANSWER: The requirement for such permits will be based on need and dependent on the overall technical solution that is selected. The Government’s intent is for the technical solution to require minimal physical building modification for installation and maintenance.

11. PWS, Page 3, Paragraph 1.3. JTIC Approved Products: a.) When must the products proposed be on the Approved Products List (UC-APL)--at contract award or through Systems Acceptance by all sites? b.) Will AFRC sponsor JTIC certification for solutions that meet RMF standards for IA but have not been formally through the JTIC process? c.) Will AFRC sponsor JTIC certification for solutions that meet RMF standards for IA but have not been formally through the JTIC process?

ANSWER: The products proposed must be on the APL at contract award. The new PWS does not require system certification because this is not an ACAT program on the program list and we are asking for a turn-key solution. There is no requirement for JITC interoperability testing. All products must be on the JITC’s APL.

12. PWS, Page 7, Paragraph 2.7.6. Warranty. What constitutes or is required to achieve "site acceptance"?

ANSWER: Completion of the removal of the legacy equipment and installation of the new system meeting all requirements of the PWS. The site acceptance is achieved with the successful completion of the operational system checklist which has been added as Attachment 3.

13. PWS, Page 7, Paragraph 2.7.6. The warranty period states "for the life of the system" and also states "full/unlimited one year commercial warranty". Should we assume one year warranty is correct? Otherwise please clarify.

ANSWER: The warranty should be the industry standard commercial warranty. After the warranty expires, the system shall be supported and maintained as outlined in the Contractor’s Lifecycle Management Plan for the life of the contract. The plan for sustainment should be spelled out/discussed in your technical proposal under life cycle management portion.

14. PWS, Page 8, Paragraph 2.8. Inventory. Are "As Built" drawings, photos, or other products required at the completion of the installation (other than Inventory data stated)? If so are these in Contractor format or is there a Government format required that will be provided?

ANSWER: “As built” drawings are required at the completion of the installation at each site. Contractor format acceptable as long as they comply with industry standards.

15. PWS, Page 8, Paragraph 2.8. Testing. Is a Test Plan required and, if so, is this in the contractor's provided format or does the Government have a format and minimum test standards they require and can provide?

ANSWER: The initial testing of the system will be in accordance with Attachment 3. Actual paragraph for testing is 2.9. This note was added at the end of para 2.9.

16. PWS, Page 8, Paragraph 2.9. Testing. Will the Government plan to witness the testing phase and if so, will that be local unit members only or include MAJCOM and PMO members as well? Experience shows aligning schedules for multiple agencies to witness/participate in testing can sometimes result in delays and schedule slips.

ANSWER: Testing will be witnessed by local unit personnel at all sites and HQ AFRC Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at random sites. A testing schedule should be included with your technical proposal within the IMS. Government personnel (local/unit personnel) will be available for the testing in accordance with the approved IMS.

17. PWS, General, We request as much additional technical detail as possible on the requirements to be sure that the proposed solution fully satisfies the AFRC Mission. We have included some specific questions to assist in this clarification.

ANSWER: Specific questions will be answered below.

18. PWS, General, Can Government specify required number of each Radio (UHF, VHF and HF) interfaces required per a console? This is to establish baseline system capacity.

ANSWER: The vendor should provide at least one interface per workstation for UHF, VHF, HF, and LMR radio systems.

19. PWS, General, Would Government allow proposer to survey Dobbins and Robins ARBs at the beginning of the proposal period to assess existing systems and survey for new system installation?

ANSWER: Yes. A site visit for all interested parties will be arranged at both locations. Details of the site visit will be spelled out in the Request for Proposal (RFP). It is anticipated to be held on 2 consecutive days, one day at Dobbins ARB (Marietta GA) and one day at HQ AFRC, Robins AFB (Warner Robins GA).

20. PWS, General, Please confirm all network connectivity from the two regional sites to other sites will be Government provided.

ANSWER: Yes. The connectivity already exists

21. PWS, 1.2.2. What is the maximum number of conference participant sizing for a conference.

ANSWER: The vendor should provide a solution that will conference a minimum of 30 participants and a minimum of 10 conference lines.

22. PWS, 2.1. Will the virtualized servers be Government-provided?

ANSWER: Yes.

23. PWS, General, What would be the interface requirement for each base PBX? ISDN PRI or SIP trunk?

ANSWER: SIP Trunks will be required.

24. PWS, 2.2. IATT and ATO are government issued. Should contractor's responsibility be to assist with developing RMF documents for obtaining IATT and ATO?

ANSWER: Yes. It is the Contractor's responsibility to develop RMF artifacts for obtaining IATT and ATO.

25. PWS, 2.6. This para states the "Final IMS is due 10 business days after post award orientation meeting. Please consider to change it to "Draft IMF will be provided as part of the proposal and the final IMS will be provided after the post-award site survey and within 10 days of the site survey." This is to reflect any and all site specific needs on the final IMS after the physical surveys.

ANSWER: The proposal is going to require an IMS be created as part of the trade-off technical approach for the removal of the legacy systems and the installation of the new systems. The final IMS is due 10 business days after the post award. If minor changes need to be made after the site surveys, they can be made.

26. PWS, 2.14.3. This para states that the contractor shall respond within 12 hours if unable to restore remotely and restore service with 24 hours of initial trouble ticket. However, it also states 95% of unscheduled emergency outages responded to and resolved within 12 hours of notification. Should all emergency outages responded within 12 hours of notification and resolved within 24 hours of notification?

ANSWER: Yes The PWS has been updated to reflect all emergency outages to be resolved within 12 hours of initial notification.

27. PWS, General, Does the Government have a designated Period of Performance from award to closure?

ANSWER: The final RFP will contain the POP. It is anticipated that the period of performance will be a basic year plus four annual options. (5 yrs)

28. PWS, General, Can the government provide any additional draft RFP documentation to review such as a model contract, TRD, eval criteria, IFPPs?

ANSWER: The final RFP containing evaluation criteria will be posted. It is anticipated this acquisition strategy will be a trade-off with oral technical proposals; proof of certifications; written responses for IMS for the removal and installation of the old/new system; life cycle management to sustain the system for the life of the contract and functionalities that enhance the mission capabilities.

29. PWS, General, Will this be a standalone contract or will it be competed on an ID/IQ contract such as NETCENTS 2 NetOpps or Alliant?

ANSWER: This acquisition will be stand alone.

30. PWS, General, Please provide anticipated final RFP release and proposal submission dates?

ANSWER: A synopsis of the requirement will be posted to FBO and include the anticipated final RFP and proposal submission dates.

31. PWS, General, Will this be a best value or LPTA acquisition?

ANSWER: This will be a best value source selection. It is anticipated this acquisition strategy will be a trade-off with oral technical proposals; proof of certifications; written responses for IMS for the removal and installation of the old/new system; life cycle management to sustain the system for the life of the contract and functionalities that enhance the mission capabilities.

32. Siemens 3-in-1 count list, The "Replaced Consoles" tab has a table entitled Removing Consoles, and identifies 106 consoles to be removed. The "Removed Consoles" tab identifies 100 consoles to be removed. This appears to be conflicting information. Which table is correct?

ANSWER: The “Removed Consoles” list at Attachment 1 is corrected.

33. PWS, General, For the Command Post interfaces to the LMR, are these interfaces analog 4-wire E&M or are these digital P25/CSSI or other? What is the interface requirement to the Land Mobile Radios?

ANSWER: The vendor should provide a digital solution to the console/radio interface as analog is an obsolete technology with at least one interface per workstation for UHF, VHF, HF and LMR radio systems.

34. General, Does SCA or Davis Bacon apply to this effort?

ANSWER: This is a service but considered professional in nature so the Service Contract Act will not apply.

35. General, Please clarify what constitutes final project acceptance and commencement of warranty period.

ANSWER: The site acceptance is achieved with the successful completion of the operational system check (Attachment 3). The warranty should be the industry standard commercial warranty. After the warranty expires, the system shall be supported and maintained as outlined in the Contractor’s Lifecycle Management Plan for the life of the contract. The plan for sustainment should be spelled out/discussed in your technical proposal under life cycle management portion.

36. PWS, 1.1.2. What is the timing for this, relative to submission of the bid?

ANSWER: Mandated completion date for the system installs is Dec 19. There will be an opportunity to provide your proposed schedule for removal of the legacy systems and installation of the new systems which may be accomplished sooner than Dec 19 but which must be done in the order of priority as listed in Attachment 4. The schedule will be part of the trade-off consideration. Dobbins and Robins must be first because of the regional servers.

37. PWS, 1.1.2. If the surveys take place after the bid, is there scope to vary the bid to account for information uncovered during the surveys?

ANSWER: The site surveys referred to in this paragraph are part of the project and will occur after award. The Government is anticipating wiring to be in place, etc. You are to identify all required allied support to facilitate new equipment installation. You will not be allowed to adjust the FFP portion of your proposal after award. There are pictures of locations provided/attached and a site survey at Robins and Dobbins prior proposals becoming due.

38. PWS, 1.1.2. We are assuming that site surveys take place as part of the project (i.e. after the bid).

ANSWER: Yes.

39. PWS, 1.1.2. Will a separate CLIN for site survey will be provided in the final PWS.

ANSWER: No. Site surveys should be part of the FFP proposal.

40. PWS, 1.1.2. We assume CDRL’s are defined (e.g. required content, scope, approval process, etc.) elsewhere?

ANSWER: CDRLs will be issued with revised Draft PWS.

41. PWS, 1.2. Will specific radio quantity, make a model be provided. Will the government provide the number of radios per site that require interfacing to the radio gateways?

ANSWER: Yes. There will be 19 sites with interfaces required for 4-6 radios per site. Vendor should prepare to bid for all makes and models of HF, UHF, VHF and LMR radios at all 19 sites. The vendor should provide at least one interface per workstation for UHF, VHF, HF, and LMR radio systems.

42. PWS, 1.2. Can you provide more information on ancillary equipment functionality/behavior will be required to ensure compliance, other than radios?

ANSWER: There will be no other ancillary equipment required for C2 to interface with the console workstations.

43. PWS, 1.2. Since these are C2 systems, can the government delineate the edge site survivability requirements in the case that the enterprise sites are inoperable or not reachable by the edge site?

ANSWER: AFRC is implementing a high availability, active-active datacenter mesh between Robins and Dobbins. Bases can—when implemented (estimate Dec 2019)—communicate with either Robins or Dobbins for continuous operations. However, AFRC utilizes the wide area network provisioned by DISA and can’t guarantee that either Robins or Dobbins will be always available. Generally speaking, the availability of either site is in the high 90% range.

44. PWS, 1.2. Can “VoIP capable” please be elaborated?

ANSWER: Analog systems are at end of life and all DoD systems, regardless of location or host/tenant status are required to go to VoIP technology. All telephone lines in and out of the new workstations must be VoIP compatible.

45. PWS, 1.2. With redundancy “server, power supplies and hot redundant LAN”, can we assume you are looking for a distributed architecture no single point of failure to use?

ANSWER: Yes.

46. PWS, 1.2. Will the offer include VoIP Capable network components?

ANSWER: Yes. This should be a VoIP solution.

47. PWS, 1.2. Will the offerer be required to use the existing JITC ASLAN for VoIP transport of voice and radio audio and signaling paths?

ANSWER: No

48. PWS, 1.2. Is voice recording required through the same interface? The voice recorder is usually a separate, standalone system (for legal non-repudiation purposes).

ANSWER: The Offeror should provide the solution within your technical proposal, either a system configuration with a standalone system (for legal non-repudiation purposes) or a system with a centrally managed voice recording server.

49. PWS, 1.2. It is unclear what the regional servers function provide?

a. Are these servers intended for management of the enterprise solution?

ANSWER: Regional servers will eliminate need of a physical server at all base CP facilities. They will provide space for all bases to keep their system configurations and for storing all voice recordings.

b. Is the target architecture to provide all core services from the regional locations to be shared across the enterprise C2 environment/consoles at the B/P/C level?

ANSWER: Yes, we will be operating at the B/C level.

c. If so, what level of control of remote sites does the government desire or intend? Meaning management down to a button on a remote console? Please provide more specifics regarding the desired functionality?

ANSWER: Regional servers will eliminate need of a physical server at all base CP facilities. They will provide space for all bases to keep their system configurations and for storing all voice recordings. Anticipation is for touchscreen type systems. The functionality of these types of systems is programming software buttons as part of the display configuration. These configurations should be managed at the user level.

d. Is it intended the regional locations will be in a COOP environment?

ANSWER: You will need to propose a solution in the functionality that enhances mission capabilities.

50. PWS, 1.2.2. Can this be elaborated please? The required maximum # of conference participants are not clear.

ANSWER: The intent is for each conference to allow a minimum of 30 participants and a minimum of 10 conference lines.

51. PWS, 1.2.2. How many simultaneous conference ports or connections are required?

ANSWER: Minimum of 10 different conferences running simultaneously.

53. PWS, 1.2.3. Can you provide radio quantities, make and model for each location?

ANSWER: Yes. There will be 19 sites with interfaces required for 4-6 radios per site. Vendor should prepare to bid for all makes and models of HF, UHF, VHF and LMR radios at all 19 sites. The vendor should provide at least one interface per workstation for UHF, VHF, HF, and LMR radio systems.

54. PWS, 1.2.3. Can the government identify the number and type of radios at each location?

ANSWER: Yes. There will be 19 sites with interfaces required for 4-6 radios per site. Vendor should prepare to bid for all makes and models of HF, UHF, VHF and LMR radios at all 19 sites. The vendor should provide at least one interface per workstation for UHF, VHF, HF, and LMR radio systems.

55. PWS, 1.2.3. What level of integration is required? Is it simply audio, or is radio control required?

ANSWER: Radio control will be required.

56. PWS, 1.2.3. If control is required, what control is required or desirable?

ANSWER: Receive, transmit, and transfer of radios are required.

57. PWS, 1.2.3. The system shall be capable of integrating with newer Ultra-High Frequency/Very-High Frequency (UHF/VHF) radio technology such as the Army- Navy/Portable Radio Communications (AN/PRC) 117G Multiband radio.

a. What level of integration is required?

ANSWER: Vendor should prepare to bid for all makes and models of HF, UHF, VHF and LMR radios at all 19 sites.

b. Is it simply audio, or is radio control required?

ANSWER: Receive, transmit, and transfer of radios are required.

c. If control what control is required or desirable?

ANSWER: Receive, transmit, and transfer of radios are required. Contractor will need to propose within the portion of the written technical approach which calls for the functionalities that enhance mission capabilities. This will be outlined in the Sections L&M of the solicitation.

58. PWS, 1.2.4. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS). The Contractor shall furnish and install UPS and power components that ensure continuous and full system operability in the event of primary distribution system malfunction. How many minutes/hours of UPS is required? Will the 2 regional sites be required to support UCR 2013 required UPS holdover times for the JITC category of the platform being proposed?

ANSWER: Dobbins and Robins both have backup generator systems for their C2 facilities.

Generator failures cannot be predicted and the UPS requirement should be independent of alternate power source availability. Government expectation is the contractor solution submitted, as part of proposal will include power and HVAC requirements for systems proposed.

59. PWS, 1.2.4. All UPS shall be rated at a runtime of 24 hours. Individual electrical circuit(s) will be provided by the Government.

a. We assume that each / all bases have a backup generator and UPS are usually used to keep equipment running until the backup generator has started, not to run the equipment for an extended period.

ANSWER No. AFRC C2 facilities have, as a minimum, generator backup systems. Generator failures cannot be predicted and the UPS requirement should be independent of alternate power source availability. Government expectation is the contractor solution submitted as part of proposal will include power and HVAC requirements for systems proposed.

b. Is this required for the regional sites also? Do the regional sites have existing generator power that can be utilized IAW USR 2013?

ANSWER: Dobbins and Robins both have backup generator systems for their C2 facilities. Servers should be given the same consideration as workstations for alternate power solutions. Generator failures cannot be predicted and the UPS requirement should be independent of alternate power source availability. Government expectation is the contractor solution submitted, as part of proposal will include power and HVAC requirements for systems proposed.

c. We assume that the UPS system will need 10 minute to keep system up and running until back up generator’s start?

ANSWER: Generator failure cannot be anticipated and allowing the maximum amount of time for the system to run is a way to mitigate any potential risks or failures. Generator failures cannot be predicted and the UPS requirement should be independent of alternate power source availability. Government expectation is the contractor solution submitted, as part of proposal will include power and HVAC requirements for systems proposed.

60. PWS, 1.2.5. Peripherals and Miscellaneous Parts. The Contractor shall include all peripherals and miscellaneous parts not listed as a major component, including but not limited to handsets, headsets, speakers, microphones, IP phones, hardware, media convertors and multiplexers as needed for system operation. How does the Government want this presented in the pricing volume. Until a site survey is conducted it will be nearly impossible to account for all of the peripherals and miscellaneous material. Suggest the government allow for a separate CLIN for this material TBD?

ANSWER: The solution should identify all of the equipment necessary to allow the turn-key solution proposed that covers the items listed in the PWS at a minimum. If there is additional components you can include in the written technical approach in the section regarding Functionality that enhances mission capabilities.

61. PWS, 1.2.6. Hotline Configuration. The Contractor shall configure all hotlines identified by the Government representative at each location to support CP operations. If the terminating end of the hotlines reside on the host base LSC or End Office, what is the desired integration with the host base voice platform (AS-SIP, SIP, H.323, PRI)? Will MLPP be required?

ANSWER: If needed AS-SIP or SIP. MLPP will be required.

62. PWS, 1.2.7. Inside and Outside Plant (Cabling). The Contractor shall provide all required labor; interface equipment (major and minor hardware) and cabling to support the connection/extension from the building demark to the primary and alternate CP equipment, to include any intra-building wiring/cabling to support connectivity of consoles, radios, recorders, etc. How does the Government want this presented in the pricing volume. Until a site survey is conducted it will be nearly impossible to account for all of the ISP and OSP requirements. Suggest the government allow for a separate CLIN for this material TBD?

ANSWER: The PWS has been revised to reflect no inside or outside cabling. Current (fiber, copper, coax/RF) is available and serviceable from the building demark out to existing systems. Contractor solution is expected to outline specific connector requirements (i.e, ST, SC, FC, MT-RJ and LC style connectors). A separate CLIN will not be provided.

63. PWS, 1.3. JITC Approved Products. It is Department of Defense (DoD) policy that products shall integrate current network technologies with future network technologies to provide Unified Communications (UC) (i.e., any single or combination of information media (voice, video, and/or data), whether converged or non-converged) on DoD networks. Since JITC compliance is required, then compliance with end to end JITC testing requirements of the system and compliance with DoDD 8100.4 should also be required. Will the Government please clarify that the system and its main components performing call processing and/or radio interfaces must have been tested in that configuration as a System Under Test (SUT) for end-to-end and JITC approved in that configuration? Further, since this is a C2 system, will the Government please clarify if native AS-SIP and MLPP is required for this system?

ANSWER: The new PWS does not require system certification because this is not an ACAT program on the program list and we are asking for a turnkey solution. There is no requirement for JITC interoperability testing. All products must be on the JITC’s APL.

64. PWS, 1.3. Products proposed shall be on the JITC Approved Product List (APL). Since JITC compliance is required, then compliance with end to end JITC testing requirements of the system and compliance with DoDD 8100.4 should also be required. Will the Government please clarify that the system and its main components performing call processing and/or radio interfaces must have been tested in that configuration as a System Under Test (SUT) for end-to-end and JITC approved in that configuration? Further, since this is a C2 system, will the Government please clarify if native AS-SIP and MLPP is required for this system?

ANSWER: The new PWS does not require system certification because this is not an ACAT program on the program list and we are asking for a turnkey solution. There is no requirement for JITC interoperability testing. All products must be on the JITC’s APL.

65. PWS 1.4. Radio interoperability: Can you provide more detail on what is meant by radio interoperability? Does this mean patching/conferencing radios together?

ANSWER: Yes, patching and conferencing in different forms of radio and phones together.

66. PWS 1.5. Moving/Adding/Removing Installed Systems. Can you confirm if this a reasonable requirement? Personal at each base may need to authorized or certified?

ANSWER: Yes. Anticipation is govt. personnel can move installed systems without voiding the contract. Additional installations refers to new locations that was determined to need the systems. Removal is when we decide equipment is no longer needed and we want it removed from the contract. In your proposal please identify in either the Life Cycle Management or Functionalities that Enhance Mission Capabilities portion of your written technical approach what is required.

67. PWS 2.1. Risk Management Framework, CERTS, and Cyber Security. The Contractor shall employ use of virtual technology where applicable. How is applicability decided?

ANSWER: Legacy systems designed with physical hardware such as management servers and voice recorder servers at each location. With utilizing latest virtual environment technology application would be defined as reducing hardware footprint by using regional virtual servers or any other system components where able. If there are functionalities that will enhance mission capabilities please include in that portion of your written technical approach. This is a trade off and will be evaluated in accordance with L&M

68. PWS 2.1.1. These servers will be virtualized in AFRC’s VMware environment.

a. What resources (CPU, RAM, storage, etc.) will be made available for allocation?

ANSWER: AFRC has enough resources available in their data centers to meet the requirements of this contract. Contractor needs to design system to meet storage requirements outlined in PWS.

b. What level of VMWare configuration will the contractor have scope/authority to set?

ANSWER: All service owners have Tier 1 level access in the VMware environment: All power options, Snapshot and Console. All other actions must be requested through Tier 2 virtualization support.

69. PWS 2.2. AFNet Requirements: The Contractor shall include as a minimum an Interim Authority to Test (IATT) with Authority to Operate (ATO) completed within 12 months of contract award date prior to connection to the Air Force Network (AFNet).

a. Assume requirements for IATT and ATO are defined elsewhere?

ANSWER: The contractor is responsible for creating the documentation necessary and apply for IATT and ATO such that interims are completed within 12 months of contract award date. The contractor is the SME for IATT and ATO.

b. Since this is an enterprise solution, it is assumed that the existing AFNET will be used to connect the edge locations to the regional sites at Dobbins and Robins. Will the new system require a stand-alone ATO or will the system be added to the existing enclave accreditation?

ANSWER: Will be added to existing Enclave.

c. If an ATO is available for the proposed solution, will AFRC accept an ATO based on reciprocity?

ANSWER: If a current ATO exists for the proposed solution, this should be acceptable but we will still be required to submit package with our system requirements.

70. PWS 2.2 Contractor shall oversee the development of required Risk Management Framework (RMF) documentation and provide all system artifacts required to submit the Security Authorization Package to the USAF Authorizing Official (AO) for review and ATO approval. (CDRL A002, DI-MGMT-82000/T, Risk Management Framework). Assume CDRL’s are defined (e.g. required content, scope, approval process, etc.) elsewhere?

ANSWER: Yes. CDRLs will be provided with the revised Draft PWS.

71. PWS 2.4 National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) certified: If system software is Information Assurance enabled (IA-enabled) (product or technology whose primary role is not security, but which provides security services as an associated feature of its intended operating capabilities), it must be NIAP certified. Does this mean that a non-IA solution would be preferred over a self-certified IA one?

ANSWER: No.

72. PWS 2.5 Certification: Contractor personnel shall complete mandated training required for performance of this contract, as stated below and/or as required by the AFRC/A6 COR. Security Plus Certification required for System Administration privileges must have at time of award. Can you provide more information on what is required for Security Plus Certification?

ANSWER: CompTIA Security-Plus Certification requirements can be found online at the CompTIA website.

73. PWS 2.5 Performance cannot begin until all mandated training has been completed. (CDRL A003 Training Certificates) Assume CDRL’s are defined (e.g. required content, scope, approval process, etc.) elsewhere?

ANSWER: CDRL A003 refers to AF required training necessary to obtain access to the system. CDRLs will be provided with the revised PWS. There are other certifications that will be required at time of proposal as outlined in sections L&M (Security Plus and APL).

74. PWS 2.5.1 DoD Information Assurance Awareness (ZZ133098) Assume training courses are defined elsewhere?

ANSWER: The training link is provided in the PWS and training is to be completed after contract award.

75. PWS 2.5.2 Security Administration (ZZ133078) Assume training courses are defined elsewhere?

ANSWER: The training link is provided in the PWS and training is to be completed after contract award.

76. PWS 2.5.3 As a minimum, all Contractor personnel must have a SECRET clearance. The following items also apply: Is the extent of this limited only to personnel working on the project on-site only?

ANSWER: Also applies to personnel performing remote access using the GFE computer equipment and CAC card.

77. PWS 2.6 Integrated Master Plan and Schedule: The Contractor shall manage the execution of the Enterprise C2 project using an Integrated Master Plan (IMP) and associated Execution Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) as day-to-day execution tools and to periodically assess progress in meeting program requirements. Assume IMP and IMS are defined (e.g. required content, scope, approval process, etc.) elsewhere?

ANSWER: Yes, they are explained in the CDRLs identified in the PWS. CDRLs will be issued with the revised Draft PWS.

78. PWS 2.6 The IMP shall be maintained and shall be updated when it is deemed necessary to reflect changes to the ongoing program. Can you provide more information on what is meant “deem it necessary?”

ANSWER: The PWS has been updated to “The IMP shall be maintained and shall be updated to reflect changes to the ongoing program.”

79. PWS 2.6 They shall use it as a day-to-day execution tool and to periodically assess progress in meeting program requirements. We assume “They” means contractor?

ANSWER: Yes.

80. PWS 2.6 There shall be no more than two total rejection(s) of deliverables per contract year. Can you provide more information if there are more than 2 total rejection(s)?

ANSWER: The identified errors in the deliverable causing rejection will be fixed and resubmitted within 5 business days of notification. More than two rejections would indicate a possible problem with the contractor ability to meet the requirement.

81. PWS 2.7.1 Software. Contractor shall be responsible for keeping all application software functional through end of contract Period of Performance (PoP). Is this requirement inclusive of major releases from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or just .dot releases (Patches issues by the OEM)?

ANSWER: This includes OEM version updates also. The contractor providing the software for the C2 solution is responsible for keeping the software updated and supported throughout the life of the contract

82. PWS 2.7.1 There shall be no more than two failures to comply per month. Can you provide more information as this is not clear what compliance this is referring to?

ANSWER: Paragraph 2.7.1 refers to software management. This does not reference “no more than two failures”.

83. PWS 2.7.2 Hardware. Contractor shall be responsible for all C2 system hardware maintenance/repair and tech refreshes to ensure that the hardware will be sustainable throughout the life of the contract to include all option years. How long is the POP and number of option years?

ANSWER: The basic contract will be for one year with four one year options. The total contract will be for five years. Please ensure that you cover your technical approach in the written technical propose regarding Life Cycle Management

84. PWS 2.7.4 Obsolescence. The Contractor shall be responsible for entire C2 system working at the same or higher level until the end of this contract to include all option years. How long is the POP and number of option years?

ANSWER: The basic contract will be for one year with four one year options. The total contract will be for five years.

85. PWS 2.7.5 Warranty. The Contractor shall provide warranty documentation to the COR prior to site acceptance and shall begin upon site acceptance (not test acceptance) and initiated with the signing of the site acceptance form. Need to clarify Warranty and lifecycle. Warranty will be for 1 year. Ongoing lifecycle will be under maintenance and sustainment.

ANSWER: The warranty should be the industry standard commercial warranty. After the warranty expires, the system shall be supported and maintained as outlined in the Contractor’s Lifecycle Management Plan for the life of the contract. The plan for sustainment should be spelled out/discussed in your technical proposal under life cycle management portion.

86. PWS 2.7.6 The Contractor’s warranty period shall cover the life of the system. Can you provide clarity, this appears to be contradictory to the next requirement. Is the warranty period 1 year or the life of the system?

ANSWER: The warranty should be the industry standard commercial warranty. After the warranty expires, the system shall be supported and maintained as outlined in the Contractor’s Lifecycle Management Plan for the life of the contract. The plan for sustainment should be spelled out/discussed in your technical proposal under life cycle management portion.

87. PWS 2.7.6 The Contractor shall provide a full/unlimited commercial one‐year warranty for all Contractor provided hardware, software, materials, and workmanship. Can you provide clarity, this appears to be contradictory to the previous requirement. Is the warranty period 1 year or the life of the system?

ANSWER: The warranty should be the industry standard commercial warranty. After the warranty expires, the system shall be supported and maintained as outlined in the Contractor’s Lifecycle Management Plan for the life of the contract. The plan for sustainment should be spelled out/discussed in your technical proposal under life cycle management portion.

88. PWS 2.7.6 The warranty shall include emergency technical assistance as required including 24/7 VPN remote access and on‐site responses as appropriate for system failures.

a. Can you provide more information on the scope and turnaround/response time details?

ANSWER: The PWS was very specific in laying out a tiered approach to routine/priority/emergency service responses (PWS para. 2.14, 2.14.1, 2.14.2, 2.14.3).

b. Shall a JITC Approved remote access solution be provided as part of the proposal or will the government provide access to external contract personnel for remote maintenance and troubleshooting?

ANSWER: The government will provide the government computer and Common Access Cards to personnel performing the remote access for these functions. Connection will only be through VPN. No direct connection to the AFNet from the contractor facility.

89. PWS 2.8 100% compliance. This appears to be presented out of context and is not clear.

ANSWER: The PWS has been revised by removing the reference to the 100% compliance.

90. PWS 2.9 Testing. The Contractor shall provide on-site testing to ensure C2 system works properly after installation. Will the government provide a comprehensive test plan or is that a requirement of the offerer?

ANSWER: Yes. Note: The initial testing of the system will be in accordance with Attachment 3. This note was added at the end of para 2.9.

91. PWS 2.9. The Contractor shall also conduct remote monitoring/testing of the C2 systems after modifications are performed to include software updates and equipment installations/repairs. Will the Government provide remote access via NIPR or SIPR?

ANSWER: The government will provide the government computer and Common Access Cards to personnel performing the remote access for these functions. Connection will only be through VPN. No direct connection to the AFNet from the contractor facility.

92. PWS 2.11 Remote System Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing. The Contractor shall monitor operational status of the network services and systems using monitoring software applications and take corrective action to resolve performance degradation or system/service failures.

a. This will require a permanent connection from the operational network to the contractor’s network.

ANSWER: The government will provide the government computer and Common Access Cards to personnel performing the remote access for these functions. Connection will only be through VPN. No direct connection to the AFNet from the contractor facility. AFRC host bases already have internal network connectivity and Tenant locations will access through existing AFN connections.

b. Since this is a C2 environment and a SECRET clearance is required, are we to assume the monitoring will need to be in a location with a SECRET Facility clearance?

ANSWER: No. At no point will the vendor be required to monitor any classified systems.

c. Also, will the Government require NIPR/SIPR network access in the monitoring facilities and will the Government assist in getting those circuits delivered to the contractor’s facility if required?

ANSWER: The government will provide the government computer and Common Access Cards to personnel performing the remote access for these functions. Connection will only be through VPN. No direct connection to the AFNet from the contractor facility required.

d. Who will be providing this link, and what are the security requirements for it?

ANSWER: VPN account will be created by the government for the contractor and link will be on the desktop of the government computer

93. PWS 2.11 There shall be no more than one discrepancy per quarter. Can you provide more detail on what is the requirement? It is not clear what this is referring to.

ANSWER: PWS has been updated as follows: The Contractor shall evaluate/install Operating System application patches, maintain system Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) compliance and manage system security configurations on all information systems, including systems distributed to remote sites. The system will maintain an average of ≤ 2.5 vulnerabilities per device.

94. PWS 2.11.1 Government Access to Tracking System. The Contractor shall provide the Government access to the Contractor’s tracking system for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance actions. Actions shall be associated with a timestamp. Does this need to be “live” access, or can a periodic data export be provided instead?

ANSWER: This will be equivalent to COR having a user account and password to your tracking system for periodic validations or verification of work provided. Please address in your oral technical proposal at a minimum.

95. PWS 2.14 At a minimum, the central point of contact shall effectively assist customers with telephone support, log trouble calls for ticket tracking system and reset passwords/PINs. This will require the interface to the passwords/PINs to be opened up to the contractor, which may not be advisable because even if secured it is an attack vector on the system.

ANSWER: Technical support includes the items listed. Proposal shall address how this will occur in their oral proposal. Additionally, offeror can address the functionalities that enhance mission capabilities if they so desire, which is a trade-off consideration. PWS was revised to “At a minimum, the central point of contact shall effectively assist customers with telephone support, and logging trouble calls for ticket tracking system”.

96. PWS 2.14.2 Priority outages include but are not limited to: The scope of Priority outages needs to be clearly defined and agreed, so should not include the phrase “include but are not limited to”.

ANSWER: PWS revised to read “Priority outages include:”

97. PWS 2.14.2 (5) Any software issue that causes a partial loss of mission capability… “Partial loss of mission capability” should be clearly defined.

ANSWER: Partial loss is defined as less than 100%.

98. PWS 2.14.3 Emergency Support (Tier 3). The Contractor shall respond on-site within 12 hours if unable to restore remotely, provide a fix action in writing within two (2) hours and reestablish service within 24 hours of initial trouble ticket. If an outage/technical issue significantly affects a mission, the customer may declare the outage/technical issue as an emergency. There seems to be a discretionary and should be more clearly defined so both parties can agree.

ANSWER: Emergency outage criteria has been further defined in the PWS. The statement “If an outage/technical issue significantly affects a mission, the customer may declare the outage/technical issue as an emergency” has been removed. The PWS now states :

“The Contractor shall respond on-site within 12 hours if unable to restore remotely, provide a fix action in writing within two (2) hours of arrival on site and reestablish service within 24 hours of initial trouble ticket. Contractor will notify COR of all emergency trouble tickets. 95% of unscheduled emergency outages responded to and resolved within 12 hours of initial notification. There shall be no more than 2 discrepancies within a 30 day reporting period. Emergency outages/technical issue include:

(1) Total loss of call handling capabilities of all the communication consoles in base primary and alternate CP locations

(2) Total loss of radio (UHF/VHF) capabilities of all the communication consoles primary locations

(3) Loss of any portion of the administrative PC that operates the core system

(4) Any software issue that causes a total loss of mission capability

99. PWS 2.14.3 Emergency outages/technical issue include but are not limited to: The scope of Priority outages needs to be clearly defined and agreed, so should not include the phrase “include but are not limited to”.

ANSWER: The PWS has been revised to remove the phrase “but not limited to”. PWS now includes “There shall be no more than 2 discrepancies within a 30 day reporting period. Emergency outages/technical issue include:”

100. PWS 5.6 Continuation of Mission-Essential Services during a Crisis. This relates to the whole of 5.6 – It appears that this section is a requirement to provide an unlimited amount of manpower for an unlimited amount of time. Can the circumstances under which a Crisis is declared be clarified, along with the extent of the support required by the contractor?

ANSWER: The PWS has been revised. This is a critical AF C2 system and all equipment, services and personnel associated with the operation and maintenance of the equipment will be considered mission essential. Specific PWS paragraphs have been added to 5.6. Crisis is defined as things such as government shutdowns; catastrophic events…basically that the mission essential portion will continue regardless of any outside event.

The Functional Commander (FC) or civilian equivalent has determined, by placing the decision in writing, that all or a portion of the Contractor services performed under this contract in PWS Paragraphs 1.1 thru 1.6; 2.7; 2.9; 2.11; 2.12; and 2.14 are mission essential (M-E) and will continue in the event of a crisis.

101 PWS 6.1.1 Installation Perimeter Access Control. The requirements for installation perimeter access are detailed in Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS) clause 5352.242-9000 entitled, Contractor Access to Air Force Installations, in Section I, Contract Clauses, of the basic contract.