Amendment_2.Q As.pdf

Amendment 2

Q&A - RFP#HSHQDC-14-R-B0006

All questions received before 12pm EST on April 11, 2014 are addressed below. Duplicate questions were omitted. Questions are listed below in black font and the government’s response is noted in red. The purpose of this Q&A is to clear up any ambiguity in the RFP. Submitted questions that do not have relevance to this procurement will not be addressed.

1. Does the Pre-solicitation under solicitation number BAA14101 contain requirements similar to a current contract? If possible, please provide the current contract number.

Or, is this a new requirement for the government?

BAA14-101 signifies a new requirement along with the anticipation of new contract award(s). [However it is anticipated that some prior and current exploratory research sponsored by DNDO may support technical approaches that support PTU concepts for

BAA14-101. These include contract numbers: HSHQDC-07-X-00181, HSHQDC-08-C-

00137, HSHQDC-11-X-00525, and HSHQDC-13-C-B0034.]

2. In reference to HSHQDC-14-R-B0006, Radiation Awareness and Interdiction Network

(RAIN) Advanced Technology Demonstration request for proposals (RFP), is it required that the responders to this RFP have previously submitted a response to the Request for

Information (RFI)?

No. Responding to the RAIN RFI is not a requirement for responding to BAA14-101.

3. Would software development on data fusion and threat detection for multiple data streams be within the scope of this BAA if the proposed software development does not include development of radiation detection PTUs?

No. Although the development of software and algorithms for the fusion of multiple data streams as described in Section 2 of the BAA is expected to be a major component of the

Performance Test Unit (PTU) development, proposals will be evaluated on their ability to deliver a complete solution that addresses every aspect of PTU functionality specified in the solicitation.

4. Has there been any additional postings since April 28, 2014 in reference to BAA14-101?

No. An RFI was released on February 11, 2014, BAA14-101 was released on March 31, 2014, responses to questions were posted on April 18, 2014, and it is anticipated that amendments to the BAA will be issued based on the Q&A and for other reasons.

5. Table 1 Requirement P6 Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) Accuracy calls for .999

(Image Capture) + 0.99 Overall plate accuracy. We have done a market assessment of

APLR systems and were not able to find vendors that could meet such performance numbers. Would it be possible for DNDO to share its ALPR market survey findings to better understand how these numbers were derived?

Development of ALPR technology is not a focus of the RAIN ATD. The PTU must incorporate high-performance commercially available fixed ALPR capability that can handle a range of weather conditions and plates from various states, and provides near uniform lane coverage. See the amendment to the BAA for changes to this requirement. See also Question

6, 17, 28.

6. Because APLR vendors’ input is critical during the proposal phase, could DNDO share its list of preferred APLR providers at this time?

No. DNDO has not established a preferred vendors list for the ALPRs.

7. The RFP does not specifically address issues of portability and rapid response. Could

DNDO clarify if system setup time and in situ calibration among other such similar attributes are important system considerations for the RAIN modular nodes?

The only attributes of the system that will be considered in evaluation of proposals are those described in Section 2 of the BAA.

8. Would the attributes listed in question 7 be given any weight in the technical scoring?

Technical scoring will be solely based on the criteria indicated in Section 7 of the BAA.

9. Please resolve the following discrepancy: In table 3, requirement T1 (and elsewhere) the

Minimum Source strength is specified as being measured “at the surface of the object”, while at the bottom of page 55, the exact same numerical value is listed as being measured “at the surface of the vehicle”. Please resolve.

Page 55 should read “at the surface of the source object”. The source object may include any shielding material directly surrounding the radioactive source. Attenuation of the source by the source carrying vehicle and other vehicles on the road is not taken into consideration and should be treated as negligible for the purpose of demonstrating the expected performance of the PTU design in the proposal.

10. Is the T1 requirement in Table 3 specifying the value of the isotropic radiation (i.e.

6x10^6 photons being emitted into 4 pi steradians)?

Requirement T1 specifies the total number of gamma-rays per second emitted by the source into 4 pi steradians. This does not imply the source is isotropic, as indicated by requirement

T4.

11. To remove ambiguity, can the T1 requirement in Table 3 be stated as the required flux density? (photons per second per solid angle).

The T1 requirement is stated as the total counts emitted into 4π steradians. Thus the flux density is the stated T1 requirement divided by 4π.

12. Does RDAK and RNAK use overall flux level, in addition to spectral shape for detection

/ID?

RDAK (LLNL Radiation Detection Analysis Kit) is not mentioned in the BAA. RNAK

(LLNL RadioNuclide Analysis Kit) uses both the intensity of the spectrum and the spectral shape for identification.

13. In Section B-3.1 it is stated that “For the RAIN threshold requirements, the system must handle traffic densities at level of service (LOS) up to LOS D.” Should this statement be interpreted to mean that the threshold system must support traffic at Levels of Service A through D?

Yes.

14. In Section 5.1.2 it states that “The section headings below are mandatory…..” The section then goes on to delineate the required content of each section except Section 11:

Project Schedule and Milestones. Instead the project schedule and milestones component is included in Section 9: Management Approach. Could you clarify the required content for these sections?

Please include Section 11, Project Schedule and Milestone as a part of Section 9. (5.1.2.9

Management Approach). This will also be addressed in an amendment to the BAA.

15. From our reading of the BAA, we assume that the objective is to detect and recognize the gamma emitters in isolation. Is that correct, or does the government plan to test the PTU against vehicles containing multiple gamma-emitting sources?

Government characterization plans for the PTU will be established after award. This may or may not include evaluation of multiple sources being discriminated by the system.

16. The BAA states that the RAIN node shall not interfere with other sensors monitoring the roadway (e.g., EZPass). However, none of the potential environments described

(Figures A-2, A-3, and A-4) are consistent with toll tag reading. Can the government clarify the potential for interference between RAIN nodes and other sensors?

A variety of sensors are employed in a range of locations to monitor the speed and volume of traffic, weather, and other factors. The operation of the RAIN PTU should not impact the functionality of any of these sensors.

17. Does the government’s list of preferred ALPR vendors have a common set of requirements on the camera? If not, or if this can’t be shared, what level of specificity about camera selection is expected in the proposal?

No. DNDO has not established a preferred vendors list for the ALPRs. Offerors are encouraged to perform market research to identify the cost and features of commercial ALPR products, and propose their preferred solution.

18. Section 2.1.2 specifies that the performer must develop replay and signal injection for simulation. During which phase does the government require this functionality to be integrated?

Development of replay tools will follow the same development path as the PTU, to include a preliminary design of the replay tool/signal injection concept by the end of Phase I. The replay tool must be independent of the PTU.

19. Does the government foresee that the overall RAIN system concept could include communication amongst the nodes? Or is the overall architecture designed so that node communication is only one way?

No. Internode communication is not addressed through this ATD. The PTU must be capable of sending and receiving messages between the operations center or other government data management systems. See Section 2.1.1 of the BAA. More details will be provided to selected Offerors after awards are made.

20. The introduction references the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA), but no references or specifications are given. Does the GNDA specify protocols that must be implemented by the performance test unit, or is integration with the GNDA presumed to take place outside of the RAIN period of performance?

Specific communication requirements for the PTU will be determined during the initial phases of PTU development. See answer to 19.

21. We would like further clarification on the responsibilities of performers during phases IV and V. In particular, should our proposal include labor to install the RAIN node at a site of the government’s choosing, or should the performer provide installation instructions to be carried out by government personnel? Do the 2 months of “direct support” in phase

IVa imply that performer personnel need to be on site for two months, or is remote support acceptable?

Offerors should include costs in Phases IV and V for transporting, installing, initializing, debugging, and any other support requiring expertise about the PTU design and functionality.

This will require having at least one engineer onsite during the government directed data collections. Offerors should assume that these Phase IV and V activities will occur at locations on the east coast. Other specific support requirements will be determined based on a number of factors to include the design of the to-be-developed PTU, government characterization plans, and operational demonstration requirements.

22. Overall, the understanding is that the emphasis of the BAA (and presumably the selection criteria) lies in the integration of an image capture system with a baseline subsystem, described in the appendices, which recognizes radioactive material of interest. Is this correct, or does the government foresee that significant research needs to be planned for the detector, beyond what is described in the BAA?

Refer to the introductory materials of Section 2. Specifically, solutions “should utilize economical hardware and software components with commercial-over-the-shelf (COTS), government-over-the-shelf (GOTS) or near-COTS/GOTS maturity.”

23. Please confirm that RNAK must be integrated into the system in order to provide a performance benchmark?

No. There is no requirement to integrate RNAK into the system for performance benchmarking. However, a detector model that predicts detector output including spectral shape is required for benchmarking. RNAK will be used by the RAIN Technical Support

Team for evaluation, and RNAK can be made available for inclusion in a selected Offeror’s

PTU if desired.

24. When will RNAK and appropriate SMEs be made available to teams developing a proposal response so that they may properly assess its performance in their system & cost up the integration effort?

No. There is no requirement to integrate RNAK into the system for performance benchmarking. However, a detector model that predicts detector output including spectral shape is required for benchmarking. RNAK will be used by the RAIN Technical Support

Team for evaluation, and RNAK can be made available for inclusion in a selected Offeror’s

PTU if desired.

25. What is the currently demonstrated real time performance of RNAK - has it been demonstrated that it can meet the threshold or objective requirements, especially the vehicle speed requirements? Are there test reports available to respondents?

No. Refer to Appendix C of the BAA. RNAK has been demonstrated to meet a number of standardized tests (e.g., ANSI 42.48). It has been deployed on a range of detection systems including mobile imagers working in real time. The performance of RNAK depends on specifics of the PTU design, and has not been separately evaluated against the BAA requirements.

26. Is the focus of the ATD a low cost system that can become the basis of a program of record or an advanced algorithm for threat detection and localization? While complementary, a focus on one objective vs. another objective may result in very different looking programs. What is DNDO's intended outcome?

The focus of the ATD is on the development and successful demonstration of a PTU with characteristics described in the solicitation, to include cost effective design and operation with very high performance. During the PTU characterization and demonstration, DNDO will actively engage with stakeholders to assess its operational utility, its technical maturity, and requirements/options for transition to a deployable capability.

27. I have been looking at the RAIN requirements. I have developed a detection algorithm

(presented at the 54th Annual INMM conference under "Affordable High Sensitivity

Radiation Detection using the Correlated Variation Method") which in my simulations appears to meet the "objectives" performance of Table 1. Is it worth submitting a proposal for just the detection section?

No. Proposals will be evaluated on their ability to deliver a complete solution that addresses

BAA performance requirements.

28. Will ALPR vendors not on the preferred list be allowed for use?

DNDO has not yet established a preferred vendors list for the ALPRs. See the amendment to the BAA.

29. Can you clarify the difference between P5 and P1 in requirements Table 1?

P1 refers to detection by the PTU node of a minimum strength source as defined in Table 3.

P5 (and P4) refers to the correct identification of the vehicle containing the detected source.

If detection occurs, the PTU must determine which vehicle was likely carrying the source. If a single vehicle cannot be identified with high-confidence, then a set of vehicles with a size given by P4 should be reported and the set should contain the correct vehicle at a probability specified in P5.

30. What is the annual maintenance cost in Table 2 anticipated to include?

Annual maintenance costs encompass those costs associated with sustaining the nodes continuous operation with the performance indicated in the solicitation. It is recognized that detailed reliability and sustainability information may not be available for all node components or for an integrated system.

31. Can you clarify the source asymmetry requirements? For example in the objective requirement of 0.2 should we assume that only 20% of flux reaches the detector and 80% is directed away from it? This could effectively reduce the sensitivity requirement significantly.

The asymmetry requirement is for localization and does not impact the detection sensitivity requirement. An asymmetric source will have a threshold emission rate of 6x10 /4pi in the direction of the closest detector. Such an object with an asymmetry of 0.2 could have an emission 5 times brighter, or up to 30x10 /4pi, in the direction of another detector location(s).

32. What do you anticipate data stored data to include? (all data, all occupancy data, or only alarm data?, does this include video?) This will help define storage requirements.

Section 2.4.1 gives an overview of data storage and retrieval requirements for the PTU. The data includes “data at multiple levels within the system architecture and encompassing raw sensor data and processed outputs”. Specific data generation and storage requirements will be dependent on the proposed PTU design.

33. Do the cost requirements in Table 2 include Total Cost of Ownership, in particular, to include the installation costs?

No. The two costs indicated are 1) per lane procurement costs, and 2) per lane annual maintenance costs. Other costs, to include PTU installation costs are not covered by requirement C1 or C2.

34. How many nodes need to be handled at once in a final system?

The selected Offeror will be responsible for research and development of a single PTU node, with recognition that this node would likely be one of several to many in a fully deployed system. The number of nodes comprising a full system will be examined through separate architecture studies conducted by DNDO during ATD execution.

35. For the ATD, what are the requirements for Head End integration? (e.g., is a tie into

Reachback capability or network required? Is the demonstration intended to allow a responder or other local stakeholder to interdict?)

Section 2.1.1 describes some of the interface functionality required of the PTU. More details will be provided to selected Offerors after award.

36. Will the final form of an operator interface be part of the evaluation criteria?

No. But the selected Offeror is expected to incorporate basic user interface functionality into the PTU during the ATD development phases.

37. What is the scope of RNAK integration support to be provided by the government as indicated in Appendix C, Section C-2, to include training, documentation, problem resolution, optimization or tuning, guidance on embedded/automated usage, and supplying performance benchmarks for functional validation?

As stated in the BAA, if desired by the selected Offeror DNDO will provide the RNAK software and the Technical Support Team will provide modest support to assist with the integration into their system. The scope of this support cannot be specified at this time as the level of effort depends on the PTU design, the familiarity of the personnel with nuclide identification software, and other factors.

38. Is the RNAK software furnished GFE during the entire multi-phase ATD effort with no cost to the performer?

Yes. However, the selected Offeror will be responsible for working with the government’s

Technical Support Team to ensure that RNAK is properly configured for their PTU. If the selected Offeror chooses to utilize the RNAK software they may incur costs associated with the optimization and integration of RNAK.

39. Will the RNAK software be provided in a form that may run as a service or otherwise embedded in a system for real-time, automated analysis of spectral data files?

RNAK is provided as a software library. Selected Offerors may use the library to create a service or embedded into their software as they see fit.

40. Can the government make available a copy of a user manual and interface description

(such as an interface control document or advance programming interface manual) to support bid preparation?

No. Specific communication requirements for the PTU will be determined during the initial phases of PTU development. See answer to 19.