RFP - NCS SETA.pdf

U. S. Department of Homeland Security

Request for Proposal No.

HSHQDC-08-R-00002

National Communications System’s

“National Security/Emergency Preparedness

Scientific, Engineering and Technical Assistance”

Office of Procurement Operations Washington DC

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER RATING PAGE OF

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700) 1 Pages

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. SOLICITATION NO. 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION 5. DATE ISSUED 6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE

HSHQDC-08-R-00002 SEALED BID (IFB)

⌧ NEGOTIATED (RFP)

7. ISSUED BY CODE DHS 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS – MS 0350

245 MURRAY DRIVE, SW, BLDG 410 ATTN: NANCY HOFFMAN, CONTRACT SPECIALIST (202-447-5713)

WASHINGTON, DC 20528-0001 245 MURRAY DRIVE SW, BLDG 410

WASHINGTON DC 20528-0001

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “Offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”.

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and Section L.3 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place spelled out in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in Section L.3, Notice to Offerors_____ until 12:00PM local time (Hour) Tuesday, July 22, 2008 CAUTION - LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

A. NAME B. TELEPHONE NO. (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

10. FOR INFORMATION

CALL

Nancy R. Hoffman

AREA CODE

NUMBER

447-5713

EXT.

nancy.hoffman@dhs.gov

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS (see table of contents on next page)

( ) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) ( ) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S)

PART I – THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM 2 X I CONTRACT CLAUSES 55

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS 6 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 13 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 76

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING 28 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 29 X K REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND 89

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 31 OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 33 X L INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFER 96

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 37 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 137

OFFER (Must be fully completed by Offeror) NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within 180 calendar days from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT 10 CALENDAR DAYS 20 CALENDAR DAYS 30 CALENDAR DAYS CALENDAR DAYS (See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8) % % % %

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

(The Offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for Offerors and related

And related documents numbered and dated):

CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

15A. NAME OFFER (Type of Print)

AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

See G.1

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN ITEM

10 U.S.C 2304(c)( ) 41 U.S.C. 253(c)( ) (4 copies unless otherwise specified)

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other then Item 7) CODE 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) 27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer) IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 33 (REV.

9-97) Previous edition is unusable Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c) mailto:nancy.hoffman@dhs.gov

RFP No. HSHQDC-08-R-00002 Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

Table of Contents

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 Supplies and Services Being Acquired B.2 Term of Contract B.3 Minimum Obligated Amount B.4 Maximum Contract Ceiling B.5 Types of Task Orders B.6 Labor Hour (LH), Time and Material (T&M) or Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Rates B.7 Fixed Labor Rates B.8 Fixed Labor Rates Tables

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Statement of Work

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 Packing, Packaging, Marking and Storage of Equipment D.2 Markings

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference E.2 Inspection and Acceptance E.3 Scope of Inspection E.4 Basis of Acceptance E.5 Review of Deliverables

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) F.2 Task Order Period of Performance and Pricing F.4 Place of Performance F.5 Delay Notices to the Government F.6 Deliverables F.7 Status Reports

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 Government and Contractor Points of Contact G.2 Preparation of Invoices G.3 Task Order Ombudsman

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 Conference and Meeting Support H.2 Contractor Justification for Other Direct Costs H.3 Purchasing System Reviews H.4 Travel Costs H.5 Training Costs

H.6 General Purpose Office Equipment (GPOE) and Information Technology (IT) Costs.38 H.7 Government-Furnished Property, Information, and Workspace (GFP/GFI/GFW) H.8 Government-Furnished or Contractor-Acquired Property H.9 Disposition of Government Property H.10 Performance-Based Acquisition (PBA) H.11 Conversion to a Performance-Based Acquisition Task Order H.12 Past Performance Evaluation H.13 Disclosure of Information – “Official Use Only.”

H.14 Technical Direction H.15 Advertisements, Publicizing Awards, and News Releases H.16 Contractor’s Employees Clearance and Identification H.17 Teaming Arrangements H.18 Identification and Substitution of Key Personnel H.19 Interrelationships of Contractors H.20 Observance of Legal Holidays H.21 Information Technology Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities H.22 Task Order Proposals H.23 Post-Award Orientation H.24 Surge Support H.25 Document Tracking H.26 Contract and Task Order Management H.27 Non-Supervision of Contractor Employees on Government Facilities H.28 Ownership of Records H.29 Confidentiality of Information H.30 Incorporation of Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offeror H.31 Unpriced Task Orders H.32 Task Order Restrictions H.33 Task Order Issuance H.34 Evaluation Factors for Placement of Task Orders Against Multiple Award Contracts.51 H.35 Fair Opportunity to be Considered H.36 Placement of Task Orders H.37 Reporting Targets for SDB Participation H.38 Incorporation of Subcontracting Plan

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 FAR 52.252-2 FAR Clauses Incorporated By Reference (FEB 1998) I.2 FAR Clauses (Incorporated in Full Text) I.3 HSAR Clauses (Incorporated in Full Text)

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment J.1 - List of Acronyms Attachment J.2 - DD 254, Contract Security Classification Specification Attachment J.3 - Monthly Status Report Format Attachment J.4 - List of Government-Furnished Property Attachment J.5 - Subcontracting Plan

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

K.1 FAR 52.203-11 Certification and Disclosure Regarding Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions (SEP 2007) K.2 FAR 52.204-3 Taxpayer Identification (OCT 1998) K.3 FAR 52.204-5 Women-Owned Business (Other Than Small Business) (MAY 1999).90 K.4 FAR 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications (JAN 2006) K.5 FAR 52.215-6 Place of Performance (OCT 1997) K.6 FAR 52.225-6 Trade Agreements Certificate (JAN 2005) K.7 FAR 52.230-1 Cost Accounting Standards Notices and Certification (JUN 2000) K.8 FAR 52.230-7 Proposal Disclosure - Cost Accounting Practice Changes (APR 2005).

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 FAR 52.252-1 – Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) L.2 FAR Provisions (Incorporated in Full Text) L.3 Notices to Offerors L.4 Instructions for Submission of Proposals

SECTION L – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment L.1 - Technical Understanding and Management Approach Attachment L.1a - Offeror’s Staffing Profile Attachment L.2 - Resume Instructions Attachment L.3 - Representative Task Order Attachment L.3a - Format for Representative Task Order Attachment L.4 - Past Performance Information Attachment L.4a - Questionnaire for Past Performance References Attachment L.5 - ID/IQ Cost/Price Template Attachment L.5a - Representative Task Order Cost/Price Template

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) M.2 HSAR Provisions (Incorporated in Full Text) M.3 Basis for Award M.4 Relative Order of Importance M.5 Evaluation Factors

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 Supplies and Services Being Acquired.

1) The Contractor shall provide those services and supplies necessary to support the NS/EP SETA effort, in accordance with individual task orders under this Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract. Task orders may be issued on Cost Reimbursement, Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Labor Hour, Performance-Based, or Time and Materials (T&M) basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505.

2) CLIN Structure. The contract line item number (CLIN) structure set forth below is designed to provide consistency across all multiple SETA NS/EP ID/IQ contracts. The use of CLINs will be limited to task orders only and structured as set forth below. Task orders issued under this contract will be awarded using various contract types depending upon the requirement.

3) Fixed Price, Labor Hour, and Time-and-Materials Task Orders. The contract will include fixed hourly rates (fully burdened) for purposes of pricing fixed price, labor hour, and time-and-materials (T&M) task orders in Section B - Fixed Labor Rate Tables.

4) Cost-reimbursement Task Orders. For cost reimbursement task orders, the Contractor will be required to propose the estimated actual costs at the time of proposal submission, rather than using the fixed hourly rates. Cost reimbursement task orders will be issued upon the basis of actual costs, rather than fixed hourly rates.

CLIN SUPPLIES/SERVICES PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE

DURATION

(SOW para. 3.1 includes surge support)

Operations Support Base Period Year One

(SOW para. 3.2)

NS/EP Communications Support

Base Period Year One

(SOW para. 3.3)

Government and Industry Interface Support

Base Period Year One

(SOW para. 4.0)

Transition Support

Base Period Year One

(SOW para. 3.1 includes surge support)

Operations Support Option Period One Year Two

(SOW para. 3.2)

NS/EP Communications Support

Option Period One Year Two

(SOW para. 3.3)

Government and Industry Interface Support

Option Period One Year Two

CLIN SUPPLIES/SERVICES PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE

DURATION

Option Period One Year Two

(SOW para. 3.1 includes surge support)

Operations Support Option Period Two Year Three

(SOW para. 3.2)

NS/EP Communications Support

Option Period Two Year Three

(SOW para. 3.3)

Government and Industry Interface Support

Option Period Two Year Three

Option Period Two Year Three

(SOW para. 3.1 includes surge support)

Operations Support Option Period Three Year Four

(SOW para. 3.2)

NS/EP Communications Support

Option Period Three Year Four

(SOW para. 3.3)

Government and Industry Interface Support

Option Period Three Year Four

Option Period Three Year Four

(SOW para. 3.1 includes surge support)

Operations Support Option Period Four Year Five

(SOW para. 3.2)

NS/EP Communications Support

Option Period Four Year Five

(SOW para. 3.3)

Government and Industry Interface Support

Option Period Four Year Five

Option Period Four Year Five

B.2 Term of Contract.

The term of this ID/IQ contract will consist of a one-year base period, with four one-year options. Task orders will be issued with periods of performance for up to one year, unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer (CO).

Task Order Requirements. Individual task orders awarded under this contract will contain Statements of Work (SOW), Statements of Objectives (SOO) or Performance Work Statements

(PWS) that are within the general scope of the contract’s Statement of Work. Performance-based acquisition is the preferred contracting method and will be used, whenever possible.

B.3 Minimum Obligated Amount.

The basic contract includes an initial obligation of funds in the amount of $25,000.00 to cover the minimum order guarantee for each ID/IQ contract awarded. DHS is required to order, and the Contractor is required to furnish the minimum order amount of services. Following this initial obligation under the basic contract, additional funds will be obligated to cover the work required under the individual task orders.

The minimum ordering limit can be satisfied at any time over the five-year period (which includes the base period and options, should they be exercised).

B.4 Maximum Contract Ceiling.

This is one of several NS/EP SETA multiple-award ID/IQ contracts. All have a combined overall ceiling price of $388,854,230. The maximum aggregate dollar value of all task orders awarded to all Contractors cannot exceed this ceiling amount. The Government shall not issue a task order to a Contractor (or modification thereto) that, when added to the aggregate dollar value of all prior task orders issued to all Contractors under this effort, allows the aggregate value of all task orders placed under this effort to all Contractors to exceed the overall ceiling price. This ceiling amount will not be subdivided among the number of awardees, nor will it be multiplied by the number of awardees.

B.5 Types of Task Orders.

a) Cost Reimbursement Task Orders.

All task orders issued on a cost reimbursement basis will be priced in accordance with approved audit rates (Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). Direct and indirect cost rates will be established on a task order basis. For cost reimbursement task orders, the Contractor will provide complete supporting schedules identifying all applicable direct and indirect rate estimates building up to the task order cost. The Contractor should submit their most recent provisional indirect billing and actual rates for both direct and indirect rates. Contractors without audited rates shall propose indirect rates in accordance with FAR 31. The fee will be negotiated for each task order consistent with statutory limitations.

b) Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Task Orders.

For FFP type task orders, the quantity of each item or labor category ordered will be multiplied against the rate listed in this schedule or as negotiated for the task order, and the cumulative extended total of all items ordered will define the fixed price for the task order. Materials, if applicable, may be estimated for each task order and burdened with applicable indirect costs in accordance with the Contractor’s established accounting practices.

c) Time and Material (T&M) or Labor Hour (LH) Task Orders.

For T&M or labor hour type task orders, the quantity of hours ordered from each labor category will be specified as deliverable hours billable at the ceiling rates specified in Section B.8, Fixed Labor Rates Tables, or as negotiated, if lower rates are proposed for the task order. Materials will be estimated for each task order and may include applicable indirect costs computed in accordance with the Contractor’s established accounting practices. Profit on materials is not allowable. Consistent with the definition in FAR 52.232-7(b)(1)(ii), “materials” include direct materials (including supplies transferred between divisions, subsidiaries, or affiliates of the Contractor under a common control); subcontracts for supplies and incidental services for which there is not a labor category specified in the contract; other direct costs and travel.

The cumulative extended total of all labor categories ordered plus materials/applicable indirect costs will define the task order’s ceiling price. Task orders may authorize adjustments between labor category quantities of up to 10%. Reimbursement under the contract shall be governed by the FAR Clause 52.232-7, Payments Under Time and Materials and Labor Hour Contracts.

Materials. Materials are defined in FAR Clause 52.232-7, Payments Under Time and Materials and Labor Hour Contracts. The cost of general-purpose items required for the conduct of the Contractor’s normal business operations are not allowable materials in the performance of task orders issued under this contract. (See Sections G and H for additional limitations on materials and required support documentation.) Profit is not allowed on materials under a T&M type task order.

B.6 Labor Hour (LH), Time and Material (T&M) or Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Rates.

All task orders issued on a Labor Hour, T&M or FFP basis will be priced in accordance with the pricing set forth in Section B.8, Labor Hour Rates Tables. The labor rates will reflect the fully-burdened rates for each labor category and will apply to all direct labor hours. The burdened hourly rates are ceiling price rates and the Contractor may, at its discretion, elect to propose lower hourly rates on a task by task basis. Indirect costs allocated to any materials (e.g., direct materials and other direct costs) shall be proposed consistent with the payment requirements in the clauses at FAR 52.232-7, Payments Under Time and Materials and Labor Hour Contracts and FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment.

The fully-burdened labor rates include all direct, indirect, general and administrative costs and profit or fee. All hourly rates are based on the Contractor’s Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) disclosure statement; or if there is no disclosure statement, the Contractor’s established standard accounting practices. Thus, the rates shown are based on the Contractor’s established accounting practices for recording uncompensated overtime. These practices are reflected in the table. If the table indicates that the rates were computed based on the recording of all hours, then the Contractor will be permitted to bill at the hourly rate for all hours worked. If the table indicates that the rates were computed based on recording only forty hours per week, then the Contractor will be permitted to bill only on the basis of a forty-hour week.

a) Rates.

1) Government Site Rates. When performing at the Government site, the fully-burdened labor rates reflect the appropriate reduction due to the use of Government facilities. The Government will provide office space, furniture, and office equipment.

2) Contractor Site Rates. When performing at the Contractor site, the fully-burdened labor rates include applicable indirect costs for office space and all normal supplies and services required to support the work. This includes, but is not limited to, telephones, faxes, copiers, personal computers, postage (to include courier services such as Federal Express), ordinary business software (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, etc.), normal copying and reproduction costs.

b) Program Management Support Costs.

Contract-level program management support costs are included as a percentage of each individual labor category rate, and encompass support for contract-level management, reporting requirements and related travel and meeting costs. As a result, these program management support costs should be allocated across all of the task orders issued under this contract. These “program management” support costs are differentiated from individual task order “Task Order Manager” or “Project Manager” support costs, which are billed as hourly labor rates against individual task orders for direct support to the effort performed under those task orders. This will result in direct billings at the task order level for labor hours in the “Task Order Manager” or “Project Manager” categories, to specifically support project management for the task order.

B.7 Fixed Labor Rates.

a) The labor rates are fixed for the life of the contract. However, the Contractor may submit a proposal reducing the fixed hourly labor rates or offering a discount when submitting a task order proposal at any time during the life of this contract. The Government will review these proposals and determine if the revised rates are realistic and in the best interest of the Government. If the rates are accepted, the Government will modify the contract by incorporating the new rates into the contract.

b) At any time and throughout the life of the ID/IQ contract, at the request of either the Contractor or the Government, the Contractor may propose additional labor categories, rates and descriptions in addition to the Government labor categories. These additional labor categories, rates and descriptions will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The additional categories, rates and descriptions proposed, upon determination by the Government that they are fair and reasonable, will be incorporated by modification into the Section B.8, Fixed Labor Rates Tables.

B.8 Fixed Labor Rates Tables.

The Fixed Labor Rates Tables below provides labor category descriptions, fixed hourly rates for performance of the requirements as specified in individual task orders. Fully loaded hourly rates are included for each labor category at both the Contractor site and Government site(s). These fully-loaded hourly rates are the ceiling rates representing the maximum rates allowable for prime Contractors and for any subcontractor that is not listed in the Fixed Labor Rates Tables.

For subcontractors that are listed in the tables, the maximum ceiling rate shall be the rate shown in the table for that particular subcontractor. The years cited represent contract years. Only Government-required labor categories are included in these tables. The Contractor may propose labor rate discounts in the task orders.

Table 1: Fixed Labor Rates - Contractor Site (Applicable to Fixed Price, Labor Hour and T&M Task Orders)

Contractor Labor

Categories

BASE

PERIOD

(YEAR 1)

OPTION 1

(YEAR 2)

OPTION 2

(YEAR 3)

OPTION 3

(YEAR 4)

OPTION 4

(YEAR 5)

1 Program Manager 2 Project/Task Manager 3 Project Control Specialist 4 Project Support Specialist 5 Management Analyst 6 Financial/Budget Analyst 7 Technical Editor or Writer 8 Administrative Specialist

Communications/Network Engineer

Database Analyst/Administrator

11 Principal Engineer

Operations Research Analyst

13 Scientist 14 Systems Analyst 15 Systems Engineer 16 Acquisition Specialist

Application Systems

Business Process Re-engineering Specialist

Communications Specialist

Technology/Industry

Disaster Recovery Specialist

Mission Assurance Analyst

National Security/Homeland Security Subject Matter Expert

24 Research Analyst 25 Risk Analyst 26 Training Specialist

Table 2: Fixed Labor Rates - Government Site (Applicable to Fixed Price, Labor Hour and T&M Task Orders)

Contractor Labor

Categories

BASE

PERIOD

(YEAR 1)

OPTION 1

(YEAR 2)

OPTION 2

(YEAR 3)

OPTION 3

(YEAR 4)

OPTION 4

(YEAR 5)

1 Program Manager 2 Project/Task Manager 3 Project Control Specialist 4 Project Support Specialist 5 Management Analyst 6 Financial/Budget Analyst 7 Technical Editor or Writer 8 Administrative Specialist

Communications/Network Engineer

Database Analyst/Administrator

11 Principal Engineer

Operations Research

13 Scientist 14 Systems Analyst 15 Systems Engineer 16 Acquisition Specialist

Application Systems

Business Process Re-engineering Specialist

Specialist

Technology/Industry

Disaster Recovery Specialist

Mission Assurance Analyst

National Security/Homeland Security Subject Matter Expert

24 Research Analyst 25 Risk Analyst 26 Training Specialist

(End of Section B)

RFP No. HSHQDC-08-R-00002 Section C – Statement of Work

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Statement of Work.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM’S

“NATIONAL SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 Background

1.2 NCS Divisions

1.3 Scope

1.4 Objective

2.0 REFERENCES

3.0 TASK AREAS

3.1 OPERATIONS SUPPORT

3.1.1 Program Management Support

3.1.2 Planning Support

3.1.3 Training and Exercise Support

3.1.4 Emergency Operations Support

3.2 NS/EP COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

3.2.1 Priority Communications Support

3.2.2 NS/EP Communications Modeling and Analysis Support

3.2.3 Critical Infrastructure Protection Support

3.2.4 Emerging Technologies Analysis Support

3.3 GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY INTERFACE SUPPORT

3.3.1 Inter- and Intra-Governmental Support

3.3.2 Industry Interface Support

3.3.3 Other Support

4.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

5.0 TRAVEL

6.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

7.0 DELIVERABLES

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 Background

On 21 August 1963, a Presidential Memorandum established the National Communications System (NCS) to provide essential communications for the Federal Government under all conditions. Since the President’s April 1984 signing of Executive Order (E.O.) 12472, “Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness [NS/EP] Telecommunications Functions,” the mission of the NCS has been to assist the President and the Executive Office of the President in the execution of NS/EP communications functions, including coordinating, planning, and provisioning NS/EP communications for the Federal Government under all circumstances, including crisis or emergency, attack and recovery, and reconstitution.

When the NCS, a consortium of twenty-four Federal departments and agencies, transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) soon after its creation in 2003, the mission expanded beyond the historical NS/EP telecommunications mission to include supporting the protection and risk mitigation of all of the Nation’s critical infrastructures. Currently, the Office of the Manager, National Communications System (OMNCS) is responsible for:

Overseeing the development of a national communications structure that:

o Is responsive to the NS/EP needs of the President and the Federal departments, agencies and other entities;

o Satisfies priority communications requirements under all circumstances; and o Incorporates the necessary combination of hardiness, redundancy, mobility, connectivity, interoperability, restorability, and security to ensure survivability.

Ensuring the provision of an industry-Government coordinating center which is capable of assisting in the initiation, coordination, restoration and reconstitution of NS/EP communications services or facilities under all conditions of crisis and emergency.

Overseeing efforts with the private sector to reduce vulnerabilities and minimize the severity of cyber attacks and develop recommendations for communications architectures to meet current and future NS/EP communications requirements.

Overseeing the development of procedures for the management, allocation, and use of federally-owned or leased communications assets under all conditions of crisis or emergency.

Coordinating with the intelligence and law enforcement communities to identify and reduce threats to the communications infrastructure.

Providing technical and analytical expertise and staff support to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) responsible under E.O. 12382 to provide information and advice to the President.

Overseeing the conduct of technical and analytical studies and coordinating and reviewing research and development efforts to support work in the communications and cyber security arenas.

Ensuring the conduct of test and exercise programs in the communications and cyber security area to evaluate the robustness of incident management and recovery plans and programs.

1.2 NCS Divisions

The Office of the Deputy Manager, NCS is responsible for the planning for and provisioning of NS/EP communications for the Federal Government. This office supports the NCS Director to develop and implement policies and procedures designed to secure and enhance the resiliency and restorability of the Nation’s critical communication infrastructures, networks, and systems against all hazards and threats.

The Technology and Programs Division within the NCS develops programs, technical studies, modeling capabilities/analyses, and standards that promote the reliability, security, interoperability, and priority treatment of NS/EP communications. Division objectives stress incorporating advanced, cost-effective technology into NS/EP communications programs and evaluating emerging technologies to alleviate impediments to interoperability. The NCS brings this information to industry and international standards organization meetings to ensure organizations incorporate NS/EP requirements into any recommendations.

The Critical Infrastructure Protection Division through its unique industry-Government partnerships ensures the availability of critical NS/EP communications services across the full spectrum of emergencies. Emergencies include, but are not limited to, conventional and terrorist attacks against the United States, natural and man-made disasters and other crises. Within this division, there are four branches: the Contingency Planning Branch, which focuses its efforts on developing and implementing emergency response doctrines and operational plans; the Operations Branch, which is responsible for coordinating and managing emergency response, operations and information sharing activities among the communications industry, Government and International partners; the Operational Analysis Branch, which is responsible for providing near real-time analytical assessments of the communications infrastructure; and the Training and Exercise Branch, which is responsible for ensuring a cadre of fully knowledgeable and skilled emergency response personnel. This division also provides the primary support to the National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications.

The Plans and Resources Division provides centralized management and oversight to the OMNCS for acquisition matters, financial matters, strategic and performance management planning activities, manpower allocations, and other human capital related matters. The Plans and Resources Division exercises authority and ensures accountability over all resources allocated to NCS programs. The division serves as the interface with the DHS directorates on financial and acquisition matters; DHS Planning, Programming, and Budgeting Execution System documentation and execution; and acquisition management. The division conducts analyses and makes recommendations to the OMNCS on the optimal use of NCS resources to support mission requirements consistent with statutory and policy constraints.

The Customer Service Division provides support to various Government programs, such as the NCS Committee of Principals and Council of Representatives, the NSTAC, and the NSTAC’s Industry Executive Subcommittee. This division also supports both national and international collaboration and outreach to raise awareness of the NSTAC across industry, the Federal Government, and academic and research communities. The Customer Service Division supports the NCS Issuance System, which is comprised of documents that establish, implement, guide, describe, or explain the NCS’ organizational responsibilities, authorities, policies, and procedures. It includes directives, circulars, manuals, handbooks, notices, and OMNCS office orders. Directives, circulars, and manuals are binding on all NCS member organizations, as well as any other affected Federal entity. Inquiries from national media outlets concerning NCS emergency preparedness programs and their role are also answered by this division, with additional information publicly available on the NCS website as fact sheets, reports, brochures and various other publications.

1.3 Scope

This statement of work comprises three major categories of services: 1) operations support; 2) NS/EP communications support; and 3) Government and industry interface support, as well as the stand-up of other offices within the DHS Cyber Security and Communications Directorate.

This effort ensures continued support for the provision and restoration of adequate NS/EP communications for the Federal Government under all conditions. Support encompasses all areas of communications sustaining NCS NS/EP programs, including architectures, networking, emergency communications, national policy, operations, restoration protocols, industry and Government guidelines, and pursuing new technical initiatives. The Contractor shall furnish personnel, management, conference support, and all other resources necessary for the required SETA support.

1.4 Objective

The objective of this effort is to delineate the NS/EP technical and programmatic support requirements for multiple award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contracts. The resulting task orders placed under this contract will cover a broad range of contract types. They will support NCS NS/EP efforts to increase the survivability, reliability, and viability of the Nation's communications resources.

2.0 REFERENCES

Specific referenced documents are cited in the NS/EP SETA contract, and others will be cited in each task order for which they are applicable.

Copies of NCS documents and E.O.s related to NCS activities may be obtained from:

http://www.ncs.gov

Copies of DHS documents may be obtained from:

http://www.dhs.gov

3.0 TASK AREAS

The Contractor shall furnish SETA support through task orders issued to perform the following general tasks to support the NCS NS/EP mission:

http://www.ncs.gov/ http://www.dhs.gov/

3.1 OPERATIONS SUPPORT

3.1.1 Program Management Support

3.1.1.1 The Contractor shall determine the project organization and overall support to accomplish the work, how the technical management will be performed, how resources will be managed, and what mechanisms will be used for cost and schedule control.

3.1.1.2 The Contractor shall designate a single program manager who is responsible for the cost, schedule, and technical performance under the contract and who will serve as the Contractor’s single point-of-contact with the program office for both management and technical matters. Additionally, the Contractor shall support the planning, direction, coordination, and control necessary to accomplish all work requirements contained in this statement of work and individual task orders.

3.1.1.3 As part of the review requirement under this contract, a maximum of seven (7) program reviews will be conducted annually - up to five (5) reviews at the division level and two

(2) reviews at the deputy manager level will be supported. The Contractor shall hold the reviews at the Contractor's facility or at a location within the Washington, D.C. area designated by the Government. The Contractor shall coordinate the review agenda and dates with the contracting officer's technical representative (COTR) prior to each status review. The reviews shall include briefings by Contractor personnel and provide the information set forth by the COTR.

3.1.1.4 The Contractor shall support program management planning for NCS NS/EP requirements, as well as develop the course of actions and schedules necessary to carry out tasks after contract award and as necessary throughout the life of the contract. This planning shall include risk management practices detailing risk mitigation and mechanisms for controlling resources and schedules. In addition, the Contractor shall include mechanisms for reporting to the Government that provide the level of visibility necessary for continuous program management. The Contractor shall expand, revise, update, and maintain program management planning factors required by the Government to reflect current program status and plans. As specified in individual task orders, the Contractor may be required to deliver program management plans or task management plans, to include a work breakdown structure (WBS).

3.1.1.5 The Contractor shall provide database administration support to include backup of all data, maintaining a database (e.g., Microsoft Access), ensuring integrity of data entered into a database, validating data entry, performing analysis and generating reports from the available data.

3.1.1.6 The Contractor shall provide support in the preparation of acquisition documentation such as market research, acquisition planning, various justifications and determinations and findings, among others to support the NS/EP mission. The Contractor shall provide support for long range acquisition and budget projections. The Contractor shall provide support toward managing information collection from various NCS customers and proposed technical solutions, and provide administrative and acquisition support services.

3.1.1.7 The Contractor shall provide support for the creation, maintenance, and revision of NS/EP documentation that provides technical and policy guidance; operational policies and procedures; organizational capabilities, missions and regulations; coordination and interface with representatives at international, Federal, regional, state, local and tribal levels, and with professional associations and organizations. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 7.503 (c)(5), the Contractor is not authorized to make a determination of agency policy, such as determining the content and application of regulations, among other things.

3.1.1.8 The Contractor shall provide assistance in monitoring and evaluating the NS/EP SETA program activities. The Contractor shall prepare reports for the Government which document the technical and financial program status on a monthly basis. The Contractor shall include a list of Contractor staff that worked on each project during the reporting period and the estimated man-hours expended down to the WBS level. In coordination with the COTR, the Contractor shall provide signed Non-Disclosure Agreements for all personnel supporting the contract.

3.1.2 Planning Support

3.1.2.1 The Contractor shall provide strategic planning and business analysis support for functions across the Government, including: identification, review, and assessment of technical/organizational requirements needed to achieve mission goals; review of NS/EP communications technical/management issues as they relate to large scale and sensitive communications requirements and considerations; review and implementation of new policy directives, legislation and budgetary requirements from governing bodies or senior officials; and enhancements to strategic and tactical relationships with selected communications vendors, carriers and Federal services providers for products/services related to disaster response. The Contractor shall provide support to the development and implementation of NCS NS/EP strategic and operational plans and programs, including concept development. In accordance with FAR 7.503 (c)(6), the Contractor is not authorized to make a determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests.

3.1.2.2 The Contractor shall provide planning assistance and technical analysis support for various NCS NS/EP working groups, committees, sub-committees, partnerships and international bilateral or multilateral meetings. This effort may include providing meeting agenda packages, preparing briefing materials, preparing materials for book binding, attending the meetings, tracking tasks, providing meeting summaries and end items, preparing issue or analysis papers, and developing and coordinating reports.

Should the Contractor be required to provide conference facilities, then the Contractor shall make available, or arrange for, conference facilities available to accommodate a variety of meetings sponsored by the NCS within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Contractor shall process an auditorium capable of seating at least one hundred and fifty (150) attendees for the purpose of sponsoring NCS conferences or meetings within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The conference rooms and auditorium must have state of the art projection and sound systems, to include the capability to electronically project briefings and other audio/visual presentations, as well as computer hardware available within the conference room. The conference facilities must be capable of holding classified meetings up to the top secret level and shall include cleared computer hardware. The Contractor shall provide support in such committee and working group meeting logistics (e.g., escorting visitors, preparing and displaying appropriate signage, preparing and operating projection equipment and associated hardware, coordinating security clearances, identifying hotel and transportation accommodations, and other logistics support services) that may be necessary.

3.1.2.3 The Contractor shall provide, maintain and administer an approved automated system to manage support activities for NCS-sponsored industry and Government forums. The system should store and track member information, meeting/event activities and action items. The system should maintain current and accurate information on members and their associated group assignments within the NCS community, ensure adequate protection against disclosure to unauthorized individuals, facilitate quick lookup and retrieval of information, and facilitate creation and retrieval of pre-formatted reports, tables and lists.

3.1.2.4 The Contractor shall provide planning support, which may include:

a. Reviewing and analyzing NS/EP communications requirements at national, regional, state, local and tribal levels;

b. Providing technical support for NS/EP communications architecture efforts;

c. Developing and maintaining operational concepts, organizational structures, operations plans and standard operating procedures for the NCS, and the National Response Framework (NRF) Communications Annex, Emergency Support Function No. 2 (ESF#2) response elements at the national, regional, state, local and tribal levels;

d. Participating in seminars, working groups and exercises at the national, regional, state, local and tribal levels to validate existing plans and or gain input for "to-be-written" plans;

e. Developing and maintaining the NCS Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan and other operations planning documentation;

f. Providing technical assistance in planning, conducting, and follow-up on NCS support to and participation in interagency advisory groups and associated working groups; and

g. Providing technical assistance for communications and pre-disaster planning, coordination, and implementation with other Federal agencies.

3.1.3 Training and Exercise Support

3.1.3.1 The Contractor shall assist in developing courses of instruction and providing NS/EP training and exercise support which may include, development of training objectives;

content, event administration, scheduling and logistics; record-keeping; data collection;

pre-event, on-going, and post-event support documentation and presentation materials, including lessons learned; personnel management; and seminar support for sponsored communications management exercises conducted at international, national, and regional levels. The Contractor shall provide general training, as well as support to industry and Government organizations with familiarization and proficiency training on the operating procedures and capabilities of analysis tools and emergency response support systems.

3.1.3.2 The Contractor shall provide support to the Government for NS/EP exercises that can range from policy-based tabletop to full scale exercises with both public and private sectors. The objective of the policy-based NS/EP tabletop exercises is to identify policy and process issues that facilitate or hinder operations under a variety of authorities or scenarios. The objective of the full-scale NS/EP exercises is to incorporate network simulation to test command and control procedures, response mechanisms, and cross-sector coordination.

3.1.3.3 The Contractor shall provide NS/EP exercise program support to the Government, which may include:

a. Collaborating with exercise organizations across Federal and State Governments, and private sector coordination councils and associations to coordinate a fabric of exercises that prepare the entire community for cohesive incident response;

b. Identifying the training objectives of key constituencies and response organizations, critical operational requirements within the response community and assure that gaps in exercise support are filled by targeted and productive exercises;

c. Providing subject matter experts for test and exercise response cells to provide ground truth responses during full-scale and table top exercises; and

d. Providing support to the planning, coordination and execution of exercises.

3.1.4 Emergency Operations Support

3.1.4.1 The Contractor shall provide technical, policy, administrative and operational support in coordinating combined industry/Government efforts with respect to NS/EP communications support for Federal, regional, state, local, tribal and private sector response elements for emergencies delineated under the NRF. The ESF#2 provides a general concept of operations and set of responsibilities for the NCS and the supporting NCS member departments and agencies. The Contractor shall assist in contingency planning by documenting and implementing specific actions and activities needed to ensure NS/EP communication services are restored during an emergency event and that national communications assets and resources are fully planned for and utilized in support of both the NRF ESF#2 and the National Plan for Telecommunications Support in Non-Wartime Emergencies.

3.1.4.2 The Contractor shall provide support to the Government in investigating, analyzing, and documenting NS/EP-related communications emergencies; and developing communications emergency analysis reports and associated post-emergency after-action reports. These reports will include an assessment of the emergency’s impact on national and regional communications facilities and operations, actions required and taken to respond to the emergency, lessons learned, and recommended actions to reduce the impact of future emergencies.

3.1.4.3 During NS/EP-related emergency response incidents, the Contractor shall provide support, for leasing or buying communications-related equipment and services on behalf of the Federal Government. The Contractor shall provide required installation, integration and operational support to enable critical emergency response communications services to become operable.

3.1.4.4 The Contractor shall be prepared to support extended all-hazard emergency response events, which may be held in different Federal Regions in the continental United States.

This includes supporting the NCS in developing and implementing a method of ensuring the availability of quick response support to meet operational requirements unique to an emergency response. For this effort, the Contractor shall provide support to special operational requirements as characterized by:

a. Support of 24x7 operations;

b. Support to the DHS/NCS response staff at the NCS/National Coordinating Center (NCC) or at deployed locations;

c. On-call or deployment of properly qualified, trained, and cleared quick response Contractor staff with expertise in the operations and analysis of the communications infrastructure and administrative support functions required to support an emergency operations center; and

d. Use of Contractor facilities and assets to support activities in support of DHS/NCS emergency operations.

3.2 NS/EP COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

3.2.1 Priority Communications Support

3.2.1.1 The Contractor shall provide support to the Government in its efforts to facilitate, coordinate, develop, and implement communications priority services that are cost-effective and timely for NS/EP users, including NS/EP communications provisioning and restoration actions. Some examples of communications priority services include Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP); NS/EP Priority Telecommunications Service (PTS) including Wireless Priority Service (WPS), Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Special Routing Arrangement Service (SRAS), and NS/EP Next Generation Networks (NGN); and other communications services in the wireless (including network cards), wireline and satellite environments. The Contractor shall provide technical and administrative support to maintaining legacy priority telecommunications services and to transitioning priority communications functions, features and services from circuit-based to packet-based networks.

3.2.1.2 The Contractor shall assist the Government in consolidating the various communications architectures into an NS/EP architecture that supports existing and evolving NS/EP services (e.g., GETS, WPS, and SRAS). The Contractor shall also assist the NCS in developing reviews based upon the applicable NGN architectures, including support for future NS/EP services and applications. The Contractor shall provide support to the development of NS/EP NGN user requirements, strategies and capabilities, as well as conducting studies and analyses for broadband data priority services (e.g., priority video teleconferencing, priority Internet, and priority e-mail).

3.2.1.3 The Contractor shall provide support to the PTS programs through account administration, cost evaluation, operational planning, operational testing and maintenance, determination of applicant eligibility, subscription support, service center support, contingency operations exercise and execution, data management, account verification, outreach activities and website support.