NTIA FSDS RFI Consolidated Responses to Vendor Questions -Final 20230918.pdf

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NTIA FSDS Request for Information (RFI)

Responses to Vendor Questions

September 18, 2023

RFI Link:

https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v3/opportunities/resources/files/e0654bb1beed4a649a6a7bed42165de5/do wnload?&token=

# Reference Question Government Answer

1 RFI DOC NTIA

FSDS

Modernization

20230831 pdf; pg. 4 and pg. 5

Is the RFI response limited to 5 pages or 8 pages? On page 4 the instructions say “Please ensure responses do not exceed 5 pages in length, excluding a cover page” but on page 5 the instructions say “The responses shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not exceed 8 pages TOTAL, so that the

Government can determine if

Industry has a solution to the RFI requirements.”

Please clarify the RFI response page limit, thank you.

The response to the RFI should be provided in 2 parts:

1. White paper not exceeding 8 total pages (excluding the cover page) addressing the requested information in Appendix A of the RFI. Disregard the 5-page limit referenced in Section V of the RFI.

2. Completed Product

Characteristics spreadsheet provided in Appendix C (as applicable). This spreadsheet is not included in the overall page limit of the response.

The total size of the RFI response, including all items above, should not exceed a 5 MB e-mail limit.

2 Does the Government have a preference on the cloud hosting environment?

The government will select the cloud hosting environments.

Current planning anticipates

Microsoft Azure-based clouds.

3 Does the NTIA anticipate a single contract award for the FSDS

Modernization effort?

At this time the acquisition strategy has not been finalized and will consider all market research.

4 Does the NTIA anticipate the provision of any small business set aside for the FSDS Modernization effort?

consider all market research.

5 What is the status of MSXXI? Is it in production?

SPECTRUM XXI is a DoD Product that NTIA partners with the

Defense Information Systems

Agency on. The Modernized version (MSXXI) has not completed user testing and therefore https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v3/opportunities/resources/files/e0654bb1beed4a649a6a7bed42165de5/download?&token= https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v3/opportunities/resources/files/e0654bb1beed4a649a6a7bed42165de5/download?&token=

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# Reference Question Government Answer

NTIA cannot offer an opinion on its inclusion in FSDS.

6 Is there any public information regarding MSXXI integration interfaces available for suppliers to review to ensure compatibility?

SPECTRUM XXI is a DoD Product that NTIA partners with the

Defense Information Systems

Agency (DISA) on. DISA would have to provide any documentation on MSXXI.

7 Please specify the maximum length of the response. It states in Section

V that the Appendix A, RFI response cannot exceed 5 pages total, but in

Section VI, a solution whitepaper is requested and states that this cannot exceed 8 pages total. Can you please confirm that these are two separate documents, one max 5 pages, and the other max 8 pages?

See response to #1.

8 What is the approximate number of users of the modernized FSDS solution?

The government anticipates approximately 500-1,000 users.

9 Are there core/power users vs.

infrequent/light-touch users? If so, how will the core/power users use the application differently than infrequent/light-touch users?

FSDS will support a broad set of users who perform different roles.

Generally, what these users do depends on the role. Some roles may involve entering, searching, and accessing data while others will use the tool to perform analysis of the data.

10 What is the anticipated period of performance for this opportunity?

consider all market research.

11 While reviewing the RFI, we noticed that it referred to Appendices A and

B but we only see Appendix C and the RFI PDF included on sam.gov.

Could you please tell me where I would go to obtain these documents?

Appendix A & B are included in the

RFI, starting on page 6.

12 Section VI.

Submission Details,

p. 5

What content is required for the solution white paper?

See response to #1. At a minimum, the business name and point of contact are required. All other content is provided at the submitter's discretion.

13 Section V.

Requested

The government appears to be requesting Appendix A (not to See response to #1.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/sam.gov__;!!FiG2giev53vN!5HhrH0TrETrS_Gwm5wXGCPCFm6O1reNiYk1vPM9CTQ_4BICN1SrGymTcqj3bcccbcyPD0N1NK22r0wwhsfXwpSp942Q$

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Information and

Section VI.

Submission Details,

p. 4-5 exceed 5 pages), Whitepaper (not to exceed 8 pages) and Appendix C. Is there a difference between Appendix

A and the whitepaper? If not, what is the page count?

14 Appendix B. Section

2. Statement of

Need - Bullets a – c,

p. 8-9

What role does the contract team play in the definition and execution of business rules for the validation and approval of frequency approvals, spectrum certification approvals, and reallocation plans?

At this time the roles have not been finalized and will consider all market research and recommended approaches.

15 Appendix C.

Product

Characteristics, p.

Is there an opportunity to participate as a systems integrator?

Potentially yes; see response to #14.

16 Appendix C.

Product

Characteristics, p.

Are we required to include Appendix

C in our response if we are not submitting a product recommendation?

No. Appendix C is only required if a product(s) recommendation is made.

17 Appendix B. Section

- FSDS

Modernization

Characteristics -

FSDS Project

Platform, p. 10

NTIA would like to transfer data between which domains? E.g.

between FedRAMP Impact Levels

Low & Moderate or between

FedRAMP Impact Levels Moderate

& High, etc.

Unclassified to Secret, further delineation to be determined.

18 Section 2.

Introduction AND

Appendix B. Section

- FSDS

Modernization

Characteristics -

Data and Workflow

Services, p 2 and 10

Section 2. Introduction (page #2) explicitly refers to provide data access for “government and commercial users alike”. However, Appendix B. Section - FSDS

Modernization Characteristics under bullet Data and Workflow Services

(page #10) mentions “provide authorized agencies, users, and the

FCC with direct access to NTIA data”. Does this reference of users include commercial users as well?

The introduction refers to making radio frequencies more accessible, not NTIA data available to commercial users. The reference on page 10 is focused on federal users.

19 Page 2 Would the government please share a list of the legacy NTIA Spectrum

IT Systems referenced in the

Introduction along with the software technologies that the currently use

(NTIA’s Information Technology

(IT) systems for performing this critical task are outdated, with

See GAO-22-105221, Spectrum

Management: Information

Technologies for Managing Federal

Use. Enclosure I includes a table of

NTIA systems.

https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-105221.pdf https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-105221.pdf https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-105221.pdf https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-105221.pdf

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20 Page 10 What existing systems/functionality would be incorporated into the new

FSDS Project Platform?

See Attachment B, Statement of

Need, for a high-level description of core capabilities.

21 Page 4, 5 The solicitation refers to the response as “RFI” and “White

Paper” and mentions 5 pages and 8 pages in length. What is the correct page length requirement?

See response to #1.

22 Page 4, Section 5 Page 4, Section V, of the RFI states, "For Appendix A, RFI Response

Format…Please ensure responses do not exceed 5 pages in length, excluding a cover page." Page 5, Section VI, of the RFI states, "Interested firms responding to this

RFI must provide a solution with a whitepaper as it pertains to the requirements of this RFI. The responses shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not exceed 8 pages TOTAL..."

Would the Government please confirm that vendors are to respond with both a response to Appendix A that does not exceed 5 pages and a separate whitepaper that does not exceed 8 pages? If not, please clarify the expected response and page limits.

See response to #1.

23 1. Five pages responding to questions regarding the

Statement of Need

2. Eight-page white paper on the vision

3. Excel Spreadsheet on COTS products

Any assistance confirming or correcting this information would be helpful!

See response to #1.

24 Can the government confirm that

SECRET is the highest classification level required?

Currently, SECRET is the highest level of classification that is being sought for FSDS.

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25 Can the government please confirm that the total submission package may include the following 3 components:

• Appendix A, RFI Response (not to exceed 5 pages, per page 4 of the RFI)

• Appendix C, Product

Characteristics (for available product solutions, per page 5 of the RFI)

• White Paper on industry solutions (not to exceed 8 pages, per page 5 of the RFI)

See response to #1.

26 Section V.

Requested

Information and

Section VI.

Submission Details

The RFI asked for a 5 page response to Appendix A but the asks for an 8 page whitepaper with a proposed concept architecture.

Q: Are those 2 different items with both needing to total 5MB max?

See response to #1.

27 Is the Other Transaction Agreement a contract vehicle NTIA would consider?

At this time the acquisition strategy has not been finalized.

28 Confirm that the government is looking for a full-Cloud based solution with cloud-native architecture and processes (with of course all the compliances such as

FedRamp, Gov Cloud hosting etc.).

The government requires a cloud-based solution, and is looking to the vendor community to recommend creative solutions that will best serve the government’s spectrum management needs.

29 Such an extensive overhaul and modernization will likely have to be done in phases – is there any guidance in terms of how these phases will be structured, both in terms of functions and awards?

Is there a notional priority order in which different aspects will be modernized? For example would the government be interested in building a comprehensive platform first and then on-boarding the different functions that are targeted to be modernized, or would certain

The government would like the vendor community to recommend an approach and prioritization of activities needed to modernize its current spectrum management systems.

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