Draft_solicitation_questions_answers.doc

Draft Solicitation Questions from Industry

Computer Aided Dispatch Information System (CADIS) – HSCETC-10-R-00010

Answers provided by the CADIS IPT 1/20/2010

The system shall have the capability to integrate alarm location, floor plans and building data, using the ESRI standard; however this capability will be delayed from the initial deployment, in Phase 2 or later of CADIS implementation.

Comment:

It the intent of the FPS to provide GIS data that contains floor plan and alarm location data. There are approximately 9,000 buildings with multiple floors. The exact number of floor plans that will be provided has not been determined. The alarm points and floor plans are not geospatially referenced. The floor plans are in ESRI format.

PSC Code: D307 Automated Information System Design and Integration Services

Comment:

This is not CAD/CAM project. The Product Service Code has been changed from D313 to D307. This is not a Computer Aided Design project.

The Department of Homeland Security, ICE and NPPD, will have the sole authority to request services under this contract.

Comment:

ICE will manage this project. NPPD will be involved as a stakeholder. We do not know when or if NPPD will take over this project.

All solutions must meet DHS regulation 4300A.

FPS envisions future capability to integrate with GPS Vehicle Location devices.

Comment:

The vehicles do not currently have GPS tracking devices.

CADIS will interface with Security Information System (SIS) for processing of all electronic security systems being monitored, including Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Access Control System (ACS) alarms, and fire alarms.

and GIS.

The level of functionality expected of the GIS is not as well defined as the functionality of the CAD. Is ICE/FPS interested in a robust GIS that includes 2 and 3D views of building exteriors and interiors, routing of response vehicles , tracking of response vehicles, establishment of cordons, blast and plume modeling and building evacuation modeling? Or are the requirements primarily the establishment of the ESRI database and geocoding?

Language added to section 2.1, second to the last bullet.

CADIS will integrate with an ESRI database and use data provided by that system.

Comment:

The level of functionality expected of the GIS is not well defined and this area needs to be developed.

The requirements are probably the establishment of the ESRI database and geocoding.

This availability requirement applies to both dispatch capabilities and record management components.

There is no requirement for offline capability for dispatch functions. Dispatch functions must be available online in the primary location or the backup location.

Will local alarm processing be enough to satisfy this requirement with a means to forward the local data to CAD and RMS later, once the servers are back on-line?

Language changed, removed reference to coop in 2.1 para 4

Q: It would be helpful to have information on the types of MCD’s deployed in the field?

Attachment added to the solicitation. MCD specs are an additional document to the solicitation.

23.

CADIS will initially be hosted in the FPS MegaCenters and eventually move to the DHS datacenter.

CADIS will initially be hosted in the FPS MegaCenters and eventually move to the DHS datacenter.

Dispatch workstations are provided and are GFE.

Comment:

Workstation specifications are provided by the vendor and approved by the Government.

MCD specifications are provided as an attachment.

Comment:

Primary location of each mobile is throughout the United States and its territories.

Language added to 2.2.4

MCD’s will connect to the DHS network via AirCard or LAN.

Follow up with individual users for completion of installation will be accomplished by FPS personnel.

Comments:

Is it the intent of FPS that the Disaster Recovery Site and the Backup site to be one in the same? Not necessarily.

If not is the intent that these systems will be co-located at the same facility? Yes and no.

32.

Provide a development and testing environment. Documentation will be delivered to the government provided Electronic Library Management System (ELMS).

The Contractor shall propose a blended training approach that provides overall best value and the best approach to training based on the contractor’s experience in providing training for their product.

Language added in 5.7.

Provide dispatch and system administrator training at each of the four MegaCenters. We are looking to the vendor to provide recommendations for training through the use of various training methodologies for the MegaCenters and LEOs dispersed across the nation. We anticipate the need to train approximately 950 LEOs on the use of MCDs. We anticipate the need to train approximately 120 dispatchers and systems administrators at the FPS MegaCenters.

Integrate software that will provide interactive training sessions for users at MegaCenter sites. The training should be accessed directly from CADIS, as opposed to a separate website. A yearly refresher course will also be required.

If vendor support is required on-site, this must be accomplished within 72 hours during normal business hours.

The Contractor shall plan and execute a successful data migration and transition effort, migrating a total of 800,000 records from the current legacy DOL and a total of 33,000 records from WebRMS systems to CADIS.

b. Likewise having a description of the legacy system will better enable us to prepare a migration plan.

Language added to 5.4 para 1.

A data dictionary of the WebRMS system file formats will be included as an attachment to this solicitation. File formats for DOL will be defined during the post-award requirements development.

37.

Please clarify.

Language added to section 5.7 para 2. The Contractor shall propose a blended training approach that provides overall best value and the best approach to training based on the contractor’s experience in providing training for their product.

Detailed functional specification for these interfaces will be developed during the functional requirements process.

What is the expected change rate of the current RAMP data; daily, weekly, monthly?

Detailed functional specification for these interfaces will be developed during the functional requirements process.

Detailed functional specification for these interfaces will be developed during the functional requirements process.

PTS will be available for PTS integration during the development phase of CADIS.

Where are the SIS systems physically located, including all SIS alarm monitoring workstations?

Language added in Interface E.

There are four independent SIS systems that will provide alarm data to the CADIS system operating in the four MegaCenters.

The SIS systems, including all SIS alarm monitoring workstations are physically located at the MegaCenters.

The geo-located alarm points are available through the SIS alarm monitoring system.

The geospatial data will be used by CADIS to display facility and officer locations, traffic maps, street maps, and any other geographic information required by FPS. The interface specifications will be defined during requirements definition phase.

The interface specifications will be defined during requirements definition phase.

While much of the draft solicitation is a requirements/performance based approach, the key personnel section leans toward government direction on “how to” approach the work.

The minimum requirements for the Program Manager and Project Leads limit

Contractors’ capability to provide the best qualified personnel. For example, a contractor may have an excellent candidate for a program manager that has 7 years of experience or has subject matter expertise in everything but radio controlled systems.

Our preference would be for ICE to identify the key personnel positions and let vendors put forward their best candidates.

Language changed in 6.0.

Program Manager – Candidate must have a minimum of 10 years of IT-related program management experience and have experience managing law enforcement dispatch systems, call center databases, and experience managing similar system implementations. PMP Certification preferred.

Project Leads – Candidate must have a minimum of 5 years of IT-related management experience and have experience with law enforcement dispatch systems, call center databases, and experience with similar system implementation.

The Contractor shall review the Project Tailoring Plan (PTP), which will be developed by ICE Systems Architecture after contract award, for the CADIS effort.

The PTP will provide recommendations for any additional tailoring based upon the maturity of their product, with supporting rationale.

The Government will provide laptops and tokens for Contractor use in developing and testing the system.

MCD specs are an additional document to the solicitation.

Volume 1, Tab 2

Is the Project Management Plan excluded from the technical proposal 40 page limit?

Yes

such that Offerors can clearly demonstrate how they brought forth improvement and innovation through the use of technology, tools, or work processes from one effort to the other and how that is applicable to the FPS environment and the CADIS effort.

We don’t understand how the phrase “two examples should be in proximate relation to each other” should be interpreted. It appears the intent is to have two examples that resulted in improvements similar to the kind of improvements ICE/FPS expects to achieve in the CADIS effort.

Yes, that is the intent.

NOTE:

Additionally does the current SIS system have the ability to provide information with regard to alarm types to categorize response requirements?

Yes, the answer from question 46 may help.

There will be an interface to SIS from each of the CADIS systems in the four MegaCenters. The number of alarm aggregation points is one per CADIS system. SIS provides the capability to automatically detect and export all alarm points to CADIS.

64.

SIS interface record formats will be defined in the functional requirements phase.

No alarm filtering exists in SIS, all alarm filtering will be done in CADIS.

WAN connectivity and bandwidth between the MegaCenters will be sufficient to support the alarm monitoring capabilities of the COTS product.

Comment:

The “automatically detect and export all of the alarm points” question is unknown.

The number of incidents generated from these alarm signals varies substantially based on the type of alarm, and the number of incidents cannot be predicted.

There are ten alert levels, as defined by SIS.

The additional sources to be interfaced will be defined during requirements definition, if interface C (NCIC) is awarded.

There are approximately 900 LEOs covering approximately 9,000 government facilities. Response assignments will be defined during system configuration.

Emergency Medical Dispatch is not required.

The AVL system has not been defined as yet, however, whichever AVL solution is selected will meet requirements of the selected COTS product.

Please clarify what is meant by "playback capability" to recreate fleet movements Language added to 2.5.7.

The system shall provide playback capability to recreate fleet movements for dispatchers, administrative and supervisory review. Playback retention shall be provided within the limits of the COTS product.

This requirement is necessary for planned future capability. The interface between the existing P25 wireless radio system and CADIS will be defined during system requirements.

location visited by a vehicle, how long it was there, speeds en route and the time the vehicle left each location

Please describe how this information is anticipated to be captured by and displayed to the user. Is this on a map or is it data that as been tracked through a transaction record for movements as recorded by the dispatcher or through the

LEO using the MDC unit?

Language added to 2.5.9.

The tracking shall be performed as part of the GPS/AVL system that will be deployed at a future date.

2.6.1

QUESTION: What wireless infrastructure and bandwidth is available to the Mobile Computing Devices?

Language added to 2.6.1.

Electronic copies of paper forms will not be required. Data entry fields will provide direct input into the RMS component of CADIS. Reports generated from that RMS component will comply with FPS requirements, which will be defined in the requirements definition phase.

MCD’s will connect to the DHS network via AirCard or LAN.

Does DHS require a field reporting solution that provides electronic forms similar to current paper forms or for data entry screens with RMS entry fields?

Language added to 2.6.1.

Electronic copies of paper forms will not be required. Data entry fields will provide direct input into the RMS component of CADIS. Reports generated from that RMS component will comply with FPS requirements, which will be defined in the requirements definition phase.

The system shall provide the user the ability to query CADIS incident status.

The system shall allow users to escalate transaction priority, which will be defined during the requirements definition phase.

The system shall be configurable to support end-user defined workflows that are available within the COTS product.

The network will provide sufficient capability to transfer this data in real time.

The GUI look and feel will be determined by the capabilities of the COTS product. All screens should be existant in the product being proposed.

Each facility utilizes its own phone system. Interface requirements will be defined during requirements definition phase. Some existing phone systems are Meridian and Avaya.

This is considered a future capability, not to be bid on at this time.

The system shall provide the ability to create reports linked to the specific time zone in which the incident occurred and display UTC.

Please see 2.14.1.

The system shall provide the ability to work with and display a standard, system wide clock, for establishing baseline times (e.g., Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

Please provide a sample of a current situation report.

Language added to 2.17.3.

The report will be based on the requirements definition phase.

The interface specifications will be defined during requirements definition phase.

What are the current ESRI toolsets in use and/or current ArcSDE version?

Language added to 2.18.2.6.

Dispatchers will require access to all maps, and LEOs will require access to regional and local maps.

The ESRI toolsets in use will be defined during requirements definition phase.

The Geodatabase will be split into subsections.

2.2.2 Geographic locations of clients

WAN connectivity and bandwidth between the MegaCenters will be sufficient to support the alarm monitoring capabilities of the COTS product.

The system shall process 90% of defined report transactions in less than 60 seconds based on current canned reports provided in the COTS product.

Comment:

What the defined reports are and video and audio file inclusion are unknown.

All RMS access should be web based. Access to the RMS will be defined through user roles during requirements definition.

(4th bullet)

COMMENT: Specifically the system will optimize network traffic related to data within the system components and to the interface endpoints of the system. Cannot assume responsibility for network traffic provided by outside systems.

Noted.

Is this a requirement to provide an interface to an existing weather system? If so, please provide vendor information for weather system.

Language removed, #6