Questions and Answers N6426723Q5069.pdf

Solicitation #: N6426723Q5012 Title: ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEM TECHNICAL AND NETWORK ENGINEERING SUPPORT

Questions and Answers The following are questions received from Industry and the Government’s responses to Industry questions:

Question # 1: What are the expectations and responsibilities of the new contractor regarding “directly working with the installation team”?

Answer # 1:

BACKGROUND:

From 1999 to 2021, the Electronic Security System (ESS) was leased from and maintained by Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems (JCBAS). With the lease, all technical and engineering support to the Government was provided as part of the lease contract.

In 2021, NAVSEA took ownership of the ESS through a combination of funding a modernization project for all major IT components, and purchasing the remaining legacy equipment. Contract N0002419FB005, mod P00008 committed nearly $5 million for the transition to Government control and modernization. Maintenance services were sole-source to JCBAS in contract N6426722F5009 pending a competitive contract award for maintenance by NAVWAR.

The legacy ESS is 23 years old and is end-of-life, end-of-service. The system is experiencing major component failures with repair parts unavailable. Servers and workstations are being rebuilt from cannibalized parts from other decommissioned systems to keep it functional. These systems are MANDATORY for the operation and protection of all National Security systems and secure spaces at

NAVSEA.

The replacement systems are not authorized to be installed and operated until going through the full risk management framework (RMF) process and receive an authority to operate (ATO) from the Echelon 2 cyber team. This process is expected to take no less than 6 months, and the technical and network engineers are a mandatory stakeholder required by the RMF process.

NAVSEA security (00P) is currently processing the legacy system for a conditional ATO pending decommissioning, in parallel with the ATO for the funded replacement system. This process requires extensive knowledge of the system architecture, network configurations, software and firmware versions and settings, and the integration mechanics of four brand-name systems with individualized setting configurations required to properly interface as one complete system-of-systems.

The system and network architecture of the ESS is extensive and, for the RMF process, must be diagrammed to every server, switch, panel, and field component for submission. With the transition to ownership, NAVSEA has already lost over a year of time in building the subject matter expertise required to receive an ATO and deploy the replacement system before the Government experiences a catastrophic failure of the current legacy system.

Because of the historic management of the ESS systems and network, and the contractual relationship between the integrator (JCBAS) and the system vendors (Bosch, Lenel, DMP, and Cisco), and the near-term plans to complete the modernization of the systems over the next 3 to 5 years, it is essential to utilize JCBAS engineering services, under the existing MAS program, to effectively order, configure, deploy, and sustain the legacy and modernizing systems through the RMF process to prevent any further delays in receiving ATO approval.

Configuration management of integrated systems and network components (Video, Access, Alarms, Switches, etc.) is performed under contract between the integrator (JCBAS) in coordination with the vendors (Bosch, Lenel, DMP, and Cisco). The proprietary system coding accesses are only available through these contract relationships and only to vendors certified by the manufacturer on the systems. In addition, because systems support Secure Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF) and Special Access Program Facilities (SAPF), the integrator must have an existing Facility Clearance Level (FCL) of Top Secret (TS), with qualified personnel SCI eligible. This essential combination of requirements are not universal, and will be extremely difficult to find other integrators of equal capability based on the extensive variety of COTS systems available, and the necessity for a TS FCL.

On 27 September 2022, JCBAS was awarded a one year, sole-source contract (N6426722F5089) to perform the system and network engineering functions. To date, the security systems have achieved an initial Assess Only (AO) authorization, and re nearing completion of the second authorization. Final system install and accreditation is expected by March 2024.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:

The expectations and responsibilities of the new contractor regarding “directly working with the installation team”

Perform integration and system configuration;

Work with the SEA 00P Assistant Command Information Officer (ACIO) and Information

System Security Manager (ISSM) to support all system and networking compliance requirements;

During the installation and lifecycle management of the ESS, the system engineer will be responsible for:

o System configuration, patching, updating, testing, and administration to meet all

Information Assurance (IA) controls and Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) requirements.

o System network engineering, design, configuration, documentation, and management of the system for attaining and maintaining the authorization to operate the systems.

Question #2: How are the separation of responsibilities between the current security system integrator under contract and the newly awarded contractor?

With respect to Section 6.2 ESS Engineering and Administration Support and Section 7.0 Information Technology (IT) Services Requirements

Answer #2:

The current system integrator is under contract N0017819D8077/N6523622F3034.

Navy Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC-A) is the contracting activity who provide contract maintenance services for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Electronic Security System (ESS) at the Washington Navy Yard, DC. The contractor provides sustainment services for the legacy 23 year old system.

Support includes:

Preventive and emergency maintenance tasks;

Operator training for watch-standers;

Logistics; and Replacement of failed hardware components.

Maintenance activities is performed by the local ESS Sustainment team under this current contract.

The sustainment contractor is in place only to support the aging system while the Engineering contractor will be independently responsible for installation, accreditation and the seamless transition of the NAVSEA owned ESS system undergoing Cyber Engineering and Accreditation processes, which are currently scheduled for completion by March 2024.

Considering there are two separate contracts to perform the work between sustainment of the old and the deployment and engineering of the new non-accredited system, it is easy to define separation between the two contractors and the work that must be performed to meet the March 2024 deployment of the new system.

Question #3: Is the new contractor required to work directly with the security system integrator to perform all of the subtasks under Section 6.2. and Section 7.0?

Answer #3:

No. The Engineering Contractor will work independently to meet the required mandates of the contract to wit:

Phase out of the old 23 year old end of life ESS system with the new NAVSEA-owned ESS Lenel System currently about 40% installation completion as of August 2023.

The Government is not accepting further questions at this time.