JET_CLS_Industry_Day_Q A.pdf

Question # Functional Questions/Comments Gov't Response

1 PK

Will there be a bidder’s library? Yes. Mostly done through AMRDEC. Contractors must submit a data custodian form. More details will be in the draft RFPs.

2 PK

What is the Government’s anticipated transition period to the new contract? No firm time; will be provided in draft RFPs

3 PK

For teaming reasons, will you release the names of companies that responded to the Sources Sought request?

Currently cannot release that information, but we will release the companies that attended Industry Day.

4 PK

What is the expected contract value? What type of funds? 3080, 3400, etc. No firm budget. Majority will be 3400 funds

5 PK

Since this is anticipated to be FFP, what is the expected nature of the transition to WDA in 2020? Retirement or redesign? Would the Government anticipate a Cost Plus approach to the transition?

○ Will transition existing JET capabilities to WDA, the details of which are still in the works

○ Contract strategy to meet the transition plan is undecided

6 PM/EN

As part of the tech refresh in the next period, is there a requirement for a fundamental change to the architecture, Human Machine Interface (HMI), or capabilities, or is the Government satisfied with the current architecture, HMI, and support?

No expected fundamental change to the architecture. Keep in mind the transition to WDA, which could lead to a reduction in capabilities.

7 PM/EN

How much of the total JET reporting is related to Space Weather, and does the current architecture support the dissemination and planning of the Space Missions?

Virtually none of the reporting is related to Space Weather. The JET Architecture itself would support some space data, but there is currently very little space weather in JET.

8 PM/EN

What are the Top Five priority actions with respect to maintenance or Tech Refresh that will be required of the new CLS Contractor in the new award period?

○ First is to keep the system running. The way the system is designed now it is fairly complex and requires a lot of interaction with the on-site system administrators.

○ Second is we are trying to scale down the size of our Sensor Collection Appliance (SCA) from a server to a true appliance.

○ Third, we will be establishing a new direct sensor connection with the FMQ-23 early in the contract period.

○ Fourth (and fifth), we will be doing tech refreshes for the OWS hardware and SCAs.

9 PM/EN

How many Trouble Ticket/Bug Fixes are there currently in the JET backlog?

Somewhere in the 300-400 range. We’re always adding new entries to the backlog when we send out a new release.

10 PM/EN

What is the Agile sprint duration for JET? Each sprint is four weeks (28 days). Each Maintenance Release (MR) consists of four sprints: a planning sprint, two software coding sprints, and a hardening sprint. Each MR concludes with a test event. We try to turn out a new version of software about every six months.

11 PM/EN

How many contractor personnel, and over how many shifts, currently man the JET Help Desk?

Help Desk runs 24/7. There are three shifts (days, swings, mids) of three technicians per shift. There is also some bench strength of more senior engineers and some management overhead, resulting in 13 people assigned to the Help Desk. Above the Help Desk is the engineering staff that provides root cause analysis and any needed hot fixes.

Joint Environmental Toolkit (JET) Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) Industry Day - Question & Answer Summary (held 9 Dec 14, HAFB)

12 PM/EN

Are there any specific requirements under evaluation for JET Modernization (per 1067)?

Yes. Some of the requirements under evaluation for the 1067 process are the direct sensor connection from the FMQ-23 to the JET SCA and the scaling of the SCA to be a true appliance.

13 PM/EN

Are there any general areas likely to be the focus of Modernization/New Requirement?

No. The focus is not the introduction of new features and functions, but more on the refinement and improvement of existing capabilities.

14 PM/EN

Please provide more detail on current schedules followed for Requirements Working Groups (RWG), MR’s, Sprint Cycles, number of MR’s/YR, etc.

○ RWG occurs once/week

○ Product Backlog Grooming occurs twice/week

○ Four MRs per year and overlapping S/W released

15 PM/EN

What is the Current Contract Value? The value of the current contract has no applicabilty to the CLS requirement.

16 PM/EN

Are there any technology changes in how data is collected under consideration, prior to WDA?

From JET side, no; however, other weather activities are considering data collection changes, which could subsequently lead to required modifications to JET.

17 IA

What security clearance level will be required for the JET CLS contractor? Some Secret-level communications via SIPR network would require the contractor to possess a Secret level clearance. Additional details will be identified in the RFP.

18 IA

Will the accreditation be completed in 2015 prior to contract award, or will the new contract require completion of a new accreditation for 2015?

Current reaccreditation scheduled to complete in the May/June 2015 timeframe. Due to the transition to the Risk Management Framework (RMF), the accreditation status may not span the standard three-years.

Bidders should plan for the next reaccreditation effort to begin in the 2017 timeframe.

19 PM/EN

Are you running a Tier 1 through Tier 3 Help Desk? ○ Yes, we are running a Tier 1 through Tier 3 Help Desk. We are looking to transfer the Tier 1 to the Fielded Systems Support Center (FSSC). User is the first line of support, and then the ticket goes to the JET Help Desk.

Currently, and for the solicitation, the requirement would be Tier 1 through Tier 3.

○ Tier 3 is currently handled with the development team at the contractor facility.

20 PM/EN

Architecture for sensors and senor appliance - are they split out? ○ Fixed base weather system

○ Has presence on the NIPR

○ Information is gathered by the SCA, transferred to and deciphered by the OWS, and transmitted to the Strategic Centers.

○ Please see chart below

21 PM/EN

The technology stack - which components comprise the appliance? Or is it a small server?

○ Intended to be a light weight, display, wx products, bare min if another system goes down. SCA not a large application and not really a server.

○ We are awaiting approval for public release of the SCA Architecture Slide If determined releasable it will be posted to the Bidders Library.

22 PM/EN

What is a “hot fix”? It is a small quick patch needed to the fielded system, usually in response to an AF issued Time Compliance Network Order (TCNO).

23 PK Do you forsee, during the source selection process, any oral presentations or capability demonstrations?

○ At this point we do not forsee either of those occurring

○ Possibility of a sample task in the RFP

24 PK

Is there any percentage of savings being targeted (budget constraints notwithstanding)?

No specific percentage, but looking for best deal for taxpayers.

25 PK ID/IQ vehicles - would you be open to recommendations? Yes. Please submit any suggestions to the PCO.

26 PM/EN

Cloud computing is not necessarily what you are looking for from JET

CLS?

The Government is not asking for transition or change to the Cloud for JET CLS; however, some programs within the branch are transitioning to the Cloud, which may force JET to follow suit.

27 PK

Are you envisioning one base-year with options? Not developed yet. Contract strategy/structure may be done by the first draft of the RFP, but more likely the second draft.

28 PM/EN

With the WDA transition, there are several components to this action – sustainment, MRs, tech refreshes. How will we learn about the Government’s plans to make this transition? Will it be a separate RFP?

Unknown at this point. The transition plan still has too many variables to lay out a more specific plan.

29 PM/EN

Would you envision that it is critical the prime have weather knowledge? It is important that there be military weather subject matter expertise on the team, but not necessarily the prime.

30 PK Is this a large business opportunity? Uncertain at this time 31 PK Is the NAICS code hard slotted? We will look into it 32 PK Do you plan on doing another Industry Day after the Draft RFP? No, due to time constraints 33 PM/EN Is the current system web-enabled? Yes 34 PM/EN Is it written in Java and/or is SharePoint used? Java, with a smattering of other languages. No SharePoint.

35 PM/EN

Of the components that currently comprise JET (SCAs, existing services, etc.), which would be most likely to be transferred to WDA essentially “unchanged”? For example, would the new SCA tech refresh have a service life beyond JET?

The components most likely to transfer to WDA will be the Mission Management (flight weather briefing) capability, the Integrated Weather Warning Capability (IWWC), and the Sensor Collection Appliance (SCA).

Yes, the SCA tech refresh will have service life beyond JET. Other capabilities that will get transferred, but may undergo larger modification, are the Automated Sensor Display, Auto-Observation generation, and fax and voice dissemination.

36 PM/EN

Scope includes “Prepare for Air Force Weather (AFW) Enterprise transition of JET system capabilities to the Weather Data Analysis (WDA) system by the end of FY20”. Will the transition be part of the JET, WDA, or other contract?

The transition from JET to WDA will be part of two contracts. The JET CLS contract provides for the hand-off, and the WDA contract will provide the receipt and integration into WDA. A “third contract” is not being considered at this time.

1 General Dynamics Information Technology

2 JMCarriere Enterprises

3 Rockwell Collins Government Systems

4 MeteoStar, a Division of Sutron Corporation

5 Vaisala

6 Kongsberg Gallium (did not sign‐in)

7 Northrop Grumman Information Systems

8 Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.

9 Booz Allen Hamilton

10 Raytheon Company

11 Elevate Technology Solutions

12 iGov

13 Diligent Consulting Inc. ‐ Cyber and ISR Solutions

14 Global Science and Technology Inc.

15 Lockheed Martin ‐ Information Systems & Global Solutions ‐ Defense and Intelligence Solutions

16 Engility Corp.

JET CLS Industry Day Attendees (9 Dec 14)