FFRDC_101_Brief_-_Randels_-_30_Jun_2015.pdf

30 Jun 2015

Scott Randels

Acting Director, FFRDC PMO Finance and Budget Directorate Science and Technology Directorate

DHS Science & Technology Finance and Budget Directorate

DHS Sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers

Date June 30, 2015

FFRDCs are:

Operated as independent organizations free of real or perceived conflict of interest

Able to act as a trusted agent in order to provide independent objective advice to government task sponsors

Able to develop novel technologies and transfer those technologies under license to for profit companies

Established to meet special long-term research and development needs that cannot be met effectively by existing in-house or contractor resources

Restricted to work activities within defined focus areas/core competencies

Government sponsored and contractor operated research institutions

Established under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 35.017

Operated under contract by non-profit organizations, academic institutions, or by an autonomous unit of an industrial firm

What is an FFRDC?

Management Directive 143-04, Establishing or Contracting with Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and National Laboratories, gives S&T authority to sponsor FFRDCs

S&T Sponsors Three FFRDCs for DHS

Systems Engineering FFRDC

Studies and Analysis FFRDC

Laboratory FFRDC

Oversight for the systems engineering and studies and analysis FFRDCs is provided by the S&T FFRDC Program Management Office (PMO)

Oversight for the Laboratory FFRDC is provided by the S&T Office of National Laboratories (ONL)

DHS FFRDCs

FFRDCs are:

Unable to perform routine day-to-day work for sponsors or provide staff that serve as backfill for government staff

Unable to compete for government or privately sponsored contracts

Unable to manufacture hardware or software products

Unable to promote the use of technologies in which they have a vested interest

Unable to operate as a pass through for subcontractors

Unable to subcontract to other DHS FFRDCs

Unable to be voting members on acquisition source selection boards

Unable to draft congressional testimony, responses to Congressional correspondence or agency responses to audit reports from the Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office or other federal audit entities

FFRDC Restrictions

The FFRDC PMO:

Provides government oversight of the DHS systems engineering and studies and analysis FFRDCs

Collaborates with DHS component sponsors to develop and approve task orders

Interfaces with multiple organizations within and external to DHS to ensure effective collaboration and operation in utilization of the FFRDCs

Reviews and approves all DHS sponsored work for non-DHS sponsored FFRDCs

Provides a repository for research deliverables and facilitates dissemination of requested information

S&T Role

Delivery Order Administration Functions:

The FFRDC PMO staff are available to help project managers and contracting staff throughout the acquisition delivery order process.

The FFRDC staff currently perform the following support activities:

Collaborate with sponsors and FFRDCs to establish delivery orders through development of:

Delivery order specific requirements

Ensuring document clearly states the objectives and goals of the proposed work

Independent government cost estimates (IGCE) The IGCE will be used as a guide for level of effort assessments

The IGCE must account for the S&T Fees:

Core Research Fee Conduct an Appropriateness Review for all projects under the systems engineering and studies and analysis FFRDCs. This includes:

Ensuring all DHS work proposed to be placed with any FFRDC is within the purpose, mission, general scope of effort or special competency of the FFRDC

Appropriateness Review

FFRDC PMO Functions (Cont.)

In addition to conducting the Appropriateness Review, the FFRDC PMO is also responsible for the following activities:

Tracking and managing the contract ceiling, in coordination with OPO

This is why the PMO requests a copy of all executed Task Orders and modifications

Conducting Annual Assessments Required by MD 143-04

Helps assess the quality and effectiveness of the program

Reporting to Congress on FFRDC usage Required by law

Making FFRDC produced products available to widest possible audience Allowing DHS and the HSE to utilized these products to help reduce duplication of effort across the department

Create a usable body of knowledge

FFRDC PMO Functions

Security Coordination Serve as the point of contact for FFRDC on-boarding staff completing the suitability process (request development and submission, status monitoring, Entry on Duty (EOD) dates, and addressing questions/concerns)

Coordinate SCI clearance justifications and briefings for on-boarding and exiting FFRDC staff and subcontractors

Collect and validate suitability information for offsite contractors

Assist with badging for the S&T facilities only

Coordinate with the DHS Personnel Security Division (PSD) to maintain contractor status and task order information

Ensure DHS/S&T security policies are followed

FFRDC PMO Functions (Cont.)

FFRDC Related Fees

Core Research Fee: Core research is conducted by each FFRDC and overseen by the FFRDC PMO and OPO. The primary objective of the Core Research program is to perform forward leaning research having application and benefit to multiple components or enhancing the overall mission effectiveness of the homeland security enterprise and to improve the department’s agility in preventing and responding to future security threats and critical emergency and national security events. It is intended to be a complimentary component of the overall research plans of the FFRDCs. These activities are supported through a 5 percent fee based on the total estimated CPFF.

These fees are to be sent to the FFRDC PMO via a financial transaction outside the IAA process.

S&T Fees

The contracting process including:

Award, Administration and Closeout

Completing CPARs

Assigning a COR to each Task Order

SOO submission to Component CO The SOO no longer gets sent directly to the FFRDC from the FFRDC PMO or program personnel

Invoicing Review and Certification

Deliverable Review and Acceptance

Issue resolution S&T IDIQ Contracting Officer and IDIQ COR are available to assist in issue resolution when necessary or requested.

Component Responsibilities

To engage with the FFRDC PMO regarding FFRDC capabilities, Appropriateness Reviews, or any other issue, please reach out to the following points of contact:

Scott Randels, Acting Director

Office telephone Number: 202‐254‐6053

Email: scott.randels@HQ.DHS.GOV

Engagement with the FFRDC PMO