4364 QA Responses 02-21-2025.pdf

4364 Q&A Responses

Is this requirement considered a new or follow-on requirement. If a follow-on, can you provide the incumbent vendor’s name?

IRS has issued task orders against another Department’s contract with Booze Allen Hamilton. IRS is seeking to establish its own contract vehicle for these requirements.

Will you extend the RFI time period by two weeks?

No

Does the IRS plan to include a set-aside in the future solicitation?

Yes, a small business set-aside is being considered.

Is participation in the RFI process required to be eligible for the subsequent solicitation process?

No, you do not have to respond to the RFI to respond to a future solicitation, if that was to occur.

If a vendor is submitting proprietary information, is it required to provide a separate response?

You may submit proprietary information within the 15 page limit, however, it should be clearly marked as applicable.

Can firms provide commercial experience and descriptions of their work?

Yes, within the 15-page limit.

When can firms expect the release of the final solicitation?

This is an RFI, there is no future solicitation pending. If a solicitation is released in the future, it will be in SAMS or NASA SEWP or another similar GWAC.

Are firms required to provide their LinkedIn profile in the cover letter? If this is considered social media, can firms skip this information?

A LinkedIn profile is not a requirement.

Can firms copy and paste the questions from the "RFI Questions File" into the RFI document and submit a single PDF document with all the required details?

Yes, as long as it is clear what question number the Vendor is responding to and the final submission does not exceed the 15-page limit.

With reference to "List of any GSA, NASA SEWP, GWAC Contracts or other Federal Contracts similar to this requirement," are firms required to provide contracts where they have delivered similar services, or can they simply list their GSA Schedule Contract Number?

Vendor should consult GSA and Agencies for additional information on relate/ similar contract vehicles that are available.

Can you clarify how the IRS currently aligns its Enterprise Architecture with the Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) and Enterprise Lifecycle (ELC) processes? How do you envision this collaboration with the contractor?

Enterprise Architecture is designated as the owner of certain CPIC and architecture/design artifacts, such as Project Charter, and Vision, Scope and Architecture

Who are the primary stakeholders involved in the Enterprise Architecture program, and what roles will they play in the contractor’s activities? Can you identify any key internal teams or leadership (e.g., the Director of EA) with whom the contractor will work closely?

EA Director, Assistant Director – Strategic Direction, Governance, and Executive level oversight of EA initiatives and budget

Senior Managers, Frontline Managers – Operational Execution and Oversight of EA initiatives

Enterprise Architects, Solution Architects, and Project Managers – Execute on identified priorities to include designing, documenting, reviewing architecture solutions.

Could you provide more specifics on the types of enterprise solutions the contractor will be expected to architect and design? Are there particular systems or platforms that require focus (e.g., cloud, legacy systems)?

Satisfy new legislative requirements and modernization of legacy systems.

What are the specific engineering standards and guidelines the contractor should follow when providing solution engineering services? Will the contractor be responsible for enforcing these standards across all projects, or just specific ones?

All architecture and engineering standards and guidelines are published on internal websites.

Contractor will be responsible for ensuring alignment to such guidelines on all projects.

Current vs. Target EA: Can you provide more details on the current and target Enterprise Architectures? Are there specific technologies, platforms, or frameworks that the IRS has in mind for the transition?

Published Enterprise Architecture Roadmap defines target technologies, platforms and frameworks.

What challenges have you encountered in your e orts to transition the IRS to the target EA, and how can the contractor assist in addressing these challenges?

The IRS is seeking skilled architects within the prospective vendor.

How does the IRS currently organize, share, and manage enterprise-wide data? Are there specific data governance or data-sharing models the contractor should consider while proposing solutions?

The IRS follows regulatory, Internal Revenue Memoranda (IRM)s, and the Enterprise Architecture Roadmap for guidance on managing data across all domains while adopting industry standards. The draft PWS covers the main concepts for reference.

What systems or initiatives require data sharing, and how does the IRS ensure data reuse and integration across di erent applications or platforms? Can the contractor assist in enhancing this process?

Size and complexity of legacy systems and proliferation of stovepipe applications across the enterprise /w data challenges caused by various issues as listed below:

Lacking comprehensive Enterprise Data Catalog to document data sources, definitions, and lineage.

Lacking comprehensive framework for a data dictionary, including metadata, definitions, and relationships.

Mostly short of data pipelines (APIs for read/write access to structured/ unstructured case data, calculated data, and associated datasets).

How do you envision the contractor identifying and connecting areas for collaboration with IRS delivery partners or stakeholders? Are there specific engagement methods, frameworks, or tools that should be used for this?

IRS SMEs will assist in identifying impacted delivery partners or stakeholders. Contract will be expected to schedule meetings virtual (via MS Teams) and physical meetings (Conference room Reservations) to achieve identified outcomes

How would you like the contractor to proactively identify and recommend areas for improvement or collaboration in the EA program? Should they submit formal reports or work closely with teams on an ongoing basis?

Vendors must provide any responses to the RFI within the 15-page limit. While white papers are a way to provide additional information, research, studies and/ or recommendations, white papers are not acceptable for responses to this RFI and should be submitted separately, if desired.

Can you elaborate on how system and product retirements are typically handled within the current IRS EA? What is the contractor’s role in assessing or planning for these retirements?

Depending on the project, contract may support all aspects of requirements gathering and analysis including: elicitation, identification, documentation, and assessment.

Are there any specific challenges the IRS is currently facing when it comes to retiring legacy systems and integrating new ones?

Business lines and stakeholders may not always be ready to retire all legacy systems as planned or on schedule. New systems or integrations may need time to prove they are fully functional before legacy systems can be retired.

What kind of IT performance metrics are you looking to track, and how will the contractor be involved in developing or reporting these metrics? Are there any specific tools or frameworks used for this analysis?

Service Level Agreements are necessary when applicable.

How do you currently measure the business impact of IT performance, and what role will the contractor play in assessing or improving these metrics?

The e orts are for the purpose of meeting business requirements and several measurement approaches are used including response times, user feedback, uptime etc. This contract will be supporting the IRS in e ecting the desired impact.

Can you provide more details on specific projects or programs that will fall under EA-led initiatives?

How will the contractor be involved in the planning, execution, and reporting for these initiatives?

Among others, Enterprise Architecture Guidance on Common Enterprise Services, Event-driven Architecture, and Advance Analytics.

How do you envision the contractor engaging with IRS executives during the project? Will there be regular executive meetings, reports, or briefings?

Yes, led by each EA Domain and project team.

Are there specific security protocols or guidelines that the contractor should follow when designing or implementing enterprise solutions? How does the contractor ensure compliance with IRS, OMB, and other federal regulations?

Possible examples are FISMA and FedRAMP, additional regulatory and IRM information is available in the IRS.

The PWS indicates that "Key Personnel and designated Contractor personnel must be able to arrive at the New Carrollton Federal Building or the IRS National O ice for meetings within two hours’ notice". In order to provide the government the greatest value Key Personnel at the most e ective price point, we recommend allowing Key Personnel who are geographically dispersed in the U.S. Will the government consider changing the requirement to be 2 hours to appear at the nearest IRS o ice or 24 hours to appear at NFCB?

All considerations will be made, however, specific Vendor personnel should be able to get to the New Carrollton Federal Building or the IRS National, when necessary or directed.