NextGen_Financial_Services_Environment_Solicitation_-_Phase_I_-_Response_to_Question76.docx.pdf

# Question Response

Can the Government further clarify the scope of Component G, how it interacts with existing FSA data systems (e.g. EDWA, NSLDS), and how it will interact with other NextGen systems?

*Component G is comprised of four features that are further outlined in the operating and solution constraints under Component G in the solicitation. Those features are:

‐‐A master data management and governance (MDM) architecture that allows for a master record of a customer’s history across the entire aid lifecycle. In addition to designing and implementing an MDM architecture, this vendor is responsible for establishing and maintaining a data storage solution that will serve as FSA’s system of record.

‐‐Structuring data such that the Government can run advanced analytics on all its customers without impacting operational performance (e.g. data lake, etc.).

‐‐Providing advanced analytical tools and capabilities (e.g. data preparation, visualization, etc.) necessary to derive meaningful, real‐time insights into customer behavior. Making the analytical tools available to a limited number of FSA staff and training those individuals to a proficient level of tool/solution capability is within the scope of Component G.

‐‐Establishing a dedicated data analytics practice and operating model that provides insights to FSA staff and other vendors to inform customer engagement and broader organizational strategy. Vendors should respond with a volume/level of effort that they believe is sufficient for FSA to achieve the goals of the NextGen Financial Services Environment.

*Component G will need to store a large volume of data (including unstructured data) that currently resides on the systems of existing service providers and has not been fully scoped. For purposes of the Phase I solicitation only, vendors may base their response off the current customer data volumes for EDWA and NSLDS.

Those systems include approximately 45 TB of EDWA data, growing at about 12% a year, and 1.3 TB of NSLDS production data, growing at 15% a year. Vendors should anticipate that the final solution will need the capacity to support a larger volume of data.

*FSA does not currently have an approved and published MDM strategy, though in compliance with Congressional, OMB, and DHS mandates, FSA desires to limit the use and storage of PII in FSA systems, ensure PII is not used as a mechanism for unique borrower identification, and ensure PII is not used as a master/primary key in its database systems.

*The Government believes there is an opportunity to significantly enhance enterprise‐wide data security by storing sensitive customer information within a high‐ impact level solution provided by Component G and limiting sensitive customer information retained outside of Component G. Vendors responding to Component G and other Components may respond with alternative solutions for ensuring robust data protections while meeting the other goals and objectives of the NextGen Environment.

*During Phase I, the Government is not prescribing a particular solution or approach for how data is managed for Component G nor for other components that interact with significant customer data (e.g. Component B, C, D, etc.). The Government expects vendors to respond with the best solution that meets the goals and objectives of the NextGen Financial Services Environment. In doing so, vendor responses should not be constrained by FSA's current technology solutions.

Responses to questions submitted that were relevant to responding to the solicitation have been provided below.

NextGen Financial Services Environment Solicitation ‐ Phase I

March 27, 2018: The full response to question 76 is provided below.