MCTP Sources Sought Notice 6SEPT2022.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR

US Army, Combined Arms Center (CAC)

Mission Command Training Program (MCTP)

INTRODUCTION:

This Sources Sought Notice (SSN) is for planning and information purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government.

This is not a solicitation. This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP), nor does it restrict the Government regarding the ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice.

Only small business firms are invited to submit responses that demonstrate their technical skills and ability to provide the services consistent with this notice. All other submissions will NOT be considered.

PURPOSE:

The Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, is conducting market research to gain knowledge on interest, technical capability, and financial capacity of potential qualified small business firms with capacity to provide training program support. Responses to this Source Sought will be used by the Government in making appropriate acquisition decisions to include extent of competition. MICC-Fort Eustis intends to procure contract services to support the Mission Command Training Program (MCTP) at the United States Army, Combined Arms Center (CAC), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

ELIGIBILITY:

Responses are sought from firms considered small under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541519 – Other Computer Related Services, with a small business size standard of $30 million. The estimated price range for the resulting contract is $650M-750M.

BACKGROUND:

Fort Leavenworth is the US Army’s center for excellence in combined arms education, doctrine, and leadership development. The MCTP supports the collective training of US Army units as directed by the Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) and scheduled by Forces Command (FORSCOM) in accordance with the Regionally Aligned and Modernization Model (ReARMM) process at worldwide locations in order to train leaders and provide commanders the opportunity to train on mission command in Unified Land Operations.

The MCTP performs this mission by conducting four basic types of exercises:

Warfighter Exercises (WFX); US Army Service Component/Joint and Combined Staff Training Exercises (ASCC); Mission Readiness Exercises (MRX) and Contingency Operations. Key aspects of these exercises are summarized below. On average, the

MCTP conducts five WFXs annually in support of Corps and Division training audiences and support units up to five Combatant Command or US Army Service Component Commands exercise annually. Each WFX requires about 10 weeks of planning and support over a period of nine to twelve months; at any one time, the MCTP is developing between five and seven exercises each year. The Combatant Command or US Army Service Component Commands are planned and executed by those commands. MCTP only supplies Observer Coach / Trainer and After-Action Review support to these exercises. MCTP, when directed, supports US Army units identified as a Deployment Expeditionary Force by executing a culminating training event as part of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) UNIFIED ENDEAVOR-series exercise program.

The MCTP, when directed, provides staff assistance to US Army units allocated in support of contingency operations.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:

Qualified sources shall provide support to the MCTP and provide a workforce possessing the skills, knowledge and training to perform the requirements and training to the standards set forth in the attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS). In accordance with the draft PWS, the specific task areas include:

1. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT. The Contractor shall provide services for exercise planning, coordination, execution, technical support and operation of simulations and models, and related support activities for the Mission Command Training Program (MCTP), US Army Combined Arms Center, and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

2. SUPPORT TO THE OPERATIONS PROCESS. Overall support to the Operations Process shall include:

Exercise planning and execution support includes development of the Simulation Control Plan, product production in support of exercise stimulus and review of simulation workarounds.

The contractor shall create an OPFOR and BLUFOR simulation control plan that shows all communications and technical support to include workstation locations, IAW CDRL A-10 and A-13.

Contractor shall provide input and develop the Exercise Support Manning Equipment Document (ESMED) and exercise Time-Phased Force Deployment Data (TPFDD), when directed for the WFX, with oversite by the government.

Support the Operations Directorate with a staff that ensures the replication of Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, Infrastructure and the physical domain factors in the scenario’s OE for all Division and Corps exercises. The scenario design effort establishes and enhances the information environment in the competitive zone and flank zones, resulting in the creation of a complex asymmetric battlefield. This also include the management of “Civilians and Role Players on the Battlefield”. Scenario design operations shall be coordinated with the WCOPFOR Division information warfare activities so the events are nested.

3. SUPPORT TO THE WORLD CLASS OPPOSING FORCE. The Contractor shall staff the WCOPFOR competitive and subordinate command posts and simulation work cell areas. The Contractor personnel shall input data into the simulation and provide roleplaying and reports to the competitive WCOPFOR tactical headquarters. The Contractor shall provide a competitive, free-thinking OPFOR knowledgeable, capable of applying OPFOR doctrine, tactics, and methodologies in the exercise scenario Operating Environment (OE). The WCOPFOR shall replicate doctrine for an OPFOR Operational Strategic Command and major subordinate command posts, or designated force size, for each Corps, Division and Brigade exercises. The Contractor supporting the WCOPFOR shall maintain and operate Mission Command Systems in support of Army and Division-level command post operations. These systems allow the WCOPFOR to reduce intelligence staffing levels while maintaining the requisite staff support actions for the Competitive OPFOR Commander. Training for configuration and operation of the system will be under the direction of the WCOPFOR military. The Contractor supporting the WCOPFOR shall maintain and operate systems to facilitate mission command of the WCOPFOR and produce a Common Operational Picture (COP) in support of Army and Division-level command post operations.

At the conclusion of the exercise the Contractor shall provide an updated battle summary at the exercise unit location IAW White Cell (Government exercise controllers) guidance.

4. ROLE PLAYER SUPPORT AND REPLICATION OF UNIFIED ACTION

PARTNERS. Unified action partners are those military forces, Governmental and non-Governmental organizations, and elements of the private sector with which Army forces plan, coordinate, synchronize, and integrate during the conduct of operations (ADP 3-0, Jul 19 P 1-6). The US Interagency is a subset of UAP.

MCTP utilizes the Unified Action Partners Cell (UAPC) to develop the inclusion of UAPs in exercise Operational Environments (OEs), scenario development, storyline development, and other requirements in garrison and while deployed to events. The UAPC resides on the MCTP staff. The UAPC is led by a military UAPC Chief and Army Civilian Program Coordinator.

In MCTP Exercises, the UAPC portrays Governmental and non- Governmental organizations, and elements of the private sector with which Army training audiences plan, coordinate, synchronize, and integrate during the conduct of operations. The Maneuver Control Cell (MCC) portrays UAP military forces within MCTP Exercises, and coordinates with relevant UAPC team members to accurately portray linkages between military and non-military UAPs. The MCC resides within the ECG and reports to the UAPC Chief.

The UAPC, together with other elements of MCTP, create and maintain a high fidelity operating environment and a condition-setting training environment with capabilities and resources needed to replicate most complexities of the OE. The training environment will encompass various and simultaneous operational variable (PMESII- PT) interactions that produce complexities (two or more variables that interact) (Ref. AR 350-2, p.1, 2).

5. TECHNICAL SUPPORT. MCTP uses a proponent approved group of simulations belonging to the Joint Land Component Constructive Training Capability (JLCCTC) Tool Kit to support exercise requirements. This is a constructive simulation fielded by NSC and supported by Program Executive Office- Simulation Training & Instrumentation (PEO-STRI) to train leaders and staffs at the Brigade, Division, Corps, and ASCC levels. Tactical orders and instructions from commanders and staffs are transferred to the simulation by data entry personnel from the training audience, higher and lower commands and Opposing Forces for execution. These orders produce battlefield outputs that form the basis for additional command and staff inputs. These outputs can be digitally transferred to the training audiences command and control systems to be used for staff planning and decision making. The system simulation has the capability to archive and play back data to provide immediate feedback to the training audience. MCTP is the sole authority for control of the simulation and/or federation of simulations and models used in the exercise at all distributed locations. No other models and simulations will be used in a MCTP exercise without the approval of the MCTP Commander. MCTP will review and approve all model and simulation databases used in exercises.

6. OPERATIONAL CYBER SUPPORT. The Contractor shall provide support to the

MCTP Joint Effects Division. Necessary support includes, but is not limited to, knowledge of current real-world cyberspace operations, understanding of the tactical information network, experience conducting either offensive or defensive cyberspace operations focused Key Terrain in Cyberspace (KT-C) at the tactical echelon or from within the Cyber Mission Force (CMF), detailed understanding of the Joint Targeting Process and Joint Cyberspace operations. Other CMF experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis (ARCYBER, NETCOM, industry experience/equivalent). Ancillary support shall include knowledge of joint targeting procedures, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and include:

Advise MCTP leadership on feasibility of cyberspace operations and their effects on tactical targets.

Personnel will act as the Information Warfare Operations Center (IWOC) representative within the exercises and must be able to provide realistic feedback to training audience requests for cyberspace operations.

Maintain a Cyberspace Operations capability/capacity matrix, or running estimate, to include the publication of a daily Cyber Tasking Order (CTO), and the management of available forces within the notional CMF during the exercise.

Have all necessary security clearances to be able to research and generate material in support of exercises.

Write MSEL injects as needed and as directed by, and in support of, MCTP and apply knowledge of cyber threat objectives and attack lifecycle employed by nation-state advance persistent threat (APT) groups.

Injects must be properly developed and error free. They must be executed in accordance with the Government furnished schedule.

Attend, at a minimum, the Main Event Planning prior to exercise execution and will arrive at the exercise site at least two work days prior to STARTEX to establish communications and perform setup procedures.

Directly engage with Red Senior Control and Blue Senior Control in order to adjudicate cyberspace effects on Blue and Red units within the context of the simulation through established rules and workarounds

Provide input to the rules and workarounds in order to facilitate the execution of cyberspace operations within the simulation in areas where the simulation cannot replicate cyberspace effects

Ensure that all pre-exercise requirements are met (registration, systems access, etc) prior to arriving at the exercise location.

Contractor shall be familiar with all new current Army and Joint regulation and publications applicable to this position prior to employment.

Capability must be demonstrated in all areas in order to provide the support necessary.

The task areas build upon each other in order to provide the support for each training exercise executed. Small businesses may use teaming partners; however, small businesses must have capability to provide at least 50% of the effort as a prime contractor.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Responses shall not exceed 15 pages. Additional pages beyond 15 will be discarded.

Cover letters and extraneous materials are NOT desired. Materials, documents, hyperlinks, etc. incorporated by reference in responses will not be accessed by the Government for inclusion. All responses must be self-contained and shall address the following items:

a) Company name, address, CAGE code, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and points of contact with telephone numbers and email addresses.

b) Business size/classification to include socioeconomic designation of the company and all applicable socio-economic categories (i.e., 8(a), HUBZone, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), etc.).

c) Information to permit the Government to assess personnel capacity to support a procurement of this magnitude. Identify current number of employees and ability to quickly ramp up within a 90-day phase-in for performance. Address meeting the requirement for personnel security clearances during this ramp-up.

d) Gross Average revenue for the last three (3) years.

e) Submit information to assess financial capacity for a procurement of this magnitude to include a description of financial capacity and growth capability to perform services of this magnitude.

f) Tell the Government why this requirement should not go to a large business in lieu of small business, or further, to a socio-economic set-aside.

It is imperative that businesses responding to this Sources Sought Notice articulate their capabilities clearly and adequately regarding the six (6) areas (1-6) detailed above.

For each area (1-6 identified above), describe:

how your firm, or your firm in partnership with another firm, can or has in the past, provided services similar or the same as each identified area.

your firm's capability to provide the specified support and support services.

Capabilities must be articulated in sufficient detail for the Government to determine if your company possesses the necessary expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition.

Industry input is also requested on the DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) that is attached. QUESTIONS AND/OR FEEDBACK RELATED TO THE PWS MUST

BE SUBMITTED AS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Responses are due no later than 10:00 AM EDT, 27 September 2022 and shall be submitted electronically to MICC-Fort Eustis, addressed to: Mr. Edward Wojtan, Contract Specialist, at edward.w.wojtan2.civ@army.mil

(*All submissions received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that are marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be protected from any release outside the Government.)

ATTACHMENT: Draft Performance Work Statement