(Update) Sources Sought Notice For G2 OE CORE_Final_031924.pdf

Amended: deadline for responses has been changed to 10:00 AM EST April 9, 2024. See change below.

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR

Operational Environment and Core Functions (OE Core) Support Services for the Training and Doctrine

Command (TRADOC) G-2

INTRODUCTION

The Mission and Installation Command (MICC) - Fort Eustis is issuing a sources sought notice (SSN) as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support the requirement for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2 Operational Environment and Core (OE Core) Functions. The intention is to procure these services on a competitive basis. A small-business set-aside will be considered, provided 2 or more qualified small businesses respond to this sources sought notice with information sufficient to support a set-aside. We encourage all small business concerns, in all socioeconomic categories (including, 8(a) Business Development Program, Small Disadvantage Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zone, Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women- Owned Small Business concerns), to identify their capabilities in meeting the requirement at a fair market price.

DISCLAIMER

This sources sought is for informational purposes only. This is not a request for proposal (RFP) to be submitted. It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government. Responses in any form are not offers and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this technical description is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future request for quote (RFQ), invitation for bid (IFB), or RFP, if published. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Government-Wide Point of Entry (GPE). It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the GPE for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

An operational environment (OE) is the aggregate of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander. For Army forces, an operational environment encompasses the air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains; the information environment; the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS); and other factors. Commanders and staffs analyze an operational environment using the eight operational variables (PMESII-PT). Within an operational environment, it is difficult to discern how the many entities will behave and interact with each other, as well as the differing circumstances that will result from these actions. No two operational environments are the same.

Additionally, an operational environment is not static; it continually transforms. This transformation results from opposing forces and actors interacting and their abilities to learn and adapt. The complex and dynamic nature of an operational environment makes determining the relationship between cause and effect difficult and contributes to the uncertain nature of military operations.

TRADOC Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2)’s mission is the Operational Environment (OE). “We create the conditions necessary to research it; we define it; we understand it; we apply it; and we export it. We know the enemy and make sure our customers do too.” TRADOC G-2’s mission is to understand, visualize, describe, deliver & assess the OE in order to reduce risk and prevent surprise; today and over the next ten years. TRADOC G-2 is the designated Core Function Lead for the Operational Environment (OE) (TRADOC Reg. 10-5, Jul 2021). The OE is a composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander. The process of developing, verifying, validating, accrediting, and providing OE products and services represents an authoritative, validated OE contextual baseline for TRADOC users and operational forces in the areas of training and training development; education; leader development; doctrine development; and across DOTMLP-F integration.

TRADOC G-2 has the following responsibilities:

• Study, develop, and maintain the OE; manage OE replication and design for Army Leader

Development (LD), Army Training and provide validated OEs to support Capabilities Development including war-games and experiments. Describe how National Defense Strategy defined threats will fight the U.S. Army over the next ten years.

• Build and maintain an OE knowledge center as a flexible network of data, tools, relationships, processes, and systems capable of replicating the most complex and difficult circumstances expected in the OE.

• Manage the Army Operational Environment/Opposing Forces (OE/OPFOR) modernization program to support LD and training at Combat Training Centers (CTCs), home stations, and Centers of Excellence (CoEs).

• Collaborate with Deputy Director Joint Staff J-7, Joint and Coalition Warfighting (JCW) or equivalent Organization on the Joint Operational Environment (JOE) and threats to ensure consistency in the development of the OE benchmark for Joint LD, training, and experimentation.

• Validate and assess OE and threats application across the TRADOC mission set.

• Provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) expertise in support of the command’s priorities.

Additionally, in support of the OE and TRADOC CORE functions, G-2 executes its mission and functions by:

• Providing independent expert, critical reviews of plans, concepts, organizations, and programs.

• Exercising staff management of all intelligence, foreign disclosure, and security (personnel, technology, and communications) policy, products, and priorities.

• Representing TRADOC for intelligence resources and integration of ISR concepts and requirements with responsible agencies.

Lastly, G-2 executes special projects and missions assigned as short term, rapid acquisition needs for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Consultants. Historical and current activity dictates G-2 establish and sustain an analytic enterprise to ensure TRADOC remains connected to ongoing OE activities in Joint and National Agencies as well as across TRADOC Centers of Excellence

(COE).

The Contractor shall ensure all projects maintain consistency with each other and avoid duplication of effort within the program. The Contractor shall support the TRADOC G-2 executing its mission as TRADOC's designated Lead for the OE, and provide support and services to TRADOC in the following areas consisting of various tasks: Mission Support (PWS 5.1); Analysis and Control Element (ACE; PWS 5.2); Engagement and OE/OPFOR Program Support (PWS 5.3); Culture and Critical Thinking (PWS 5.4); and optional tasks such as: OE Support Division (PWS 5.3.2); Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Integration (PWS 5.3.4); Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Support (JISR; PWS 5.3.5); Threat Emulation Force (PWS 5.3.7); Network Engagement Training (PWS 5.3.8); and Red Team Support (PWS 5.4.1).

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES

The Contractor shall provide services in support of the areas specified in Program Background (above). Further detail is provided in the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) attached to this announcement (Attachment 1).

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, CAGE code, Unique Entity ID, POC email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the questions and requests provided below, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability.

If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements;

and 3) Whether your company is interested in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor or not (identify subcontracting, joint ventures, or team arrangement that will be pursued, if any).

If interested as proposing as a small-business prime, please also provide the following information: 1) Identify what percentage of work will be performed by the small business prime contractor and all similarly situated entity subcontractors (Note: In accordance with FAR 52.219- 14 Limitations on Subcontracting (DEVIATION 2021-O0008) "Similarly situated entity" means a first-tier subcontractor, including an independent contractor, that has the same small business program status as that which qualified the prime contractor for the award (e.g., for a small business set-aside contract, any small business concern, without regard to its socioeconomic status), and is considered small for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code the prime contractor assigned to the subcontract. An example of a similarly situated entity is a first-tier subcontractor that is a HUBZone small business concern for a HUBZone set-aside); and, 2) identify type(s)/ certifications(s) such as SDB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, etc.) of the proposed subcontractors. In accordance with FAR 52.219-14, the small business prime must perform at least 50% of the work themselves in terms of the cost of performance. Provide an explanation of your company’s ability to perform at least 50% of the tasking described in this PWS for the base period as well as the option periods.

The Government will assess submitted information to ascertain potential market capacity to: 1) provide services consistent, in scope and scale, with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful program management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules;

cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel; risk mitigation; and day-to day management; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract.

Interested parties are requested to submit a capabilities statement of no more than ten (10) pages in length in Times New Roman font of not less than 10 size font. The deadline for response to this request is no later than 10 AM EST March 25, 2024 April 9, 2024. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to:

Mr. David M. Clark, Contract Specialist, david.m.clark210.civ@army.mil Ms. Hattie L. Brown, Contracting Officer, hattie.l.brown8.civ@army.mil

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

This documentation must address at a minimum the following items:

1a) What type of work has your company performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirement? Specify whether support has been provided as a prime contractor or a subcontractor.

1b) What tactical and operational expertise does your company have in Joint operations and multiple domains as it applies to wargames IAW Draft PWS Section 5.3.7?

2) Can or has your company managed a task of this nature and size? If so, please provide details.

3) Can or has your company managed a team of subcontractors before? If so, provide details.

4a) What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the tasks?

4b) Describe the qualifications of your Key Personnel listed in draft PWS Section 1.4.3.7.

5a) What is your primary Business Focus?

5b) Provide a statement including current small/large business status and company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history (last 5 years), line of credit, office locations, etc.

6) A primary concern of the Government is the company's ability to ramp up within the phase-in period. Explain how your company or team will be able to ramp up to fully support this requirement. Explanation should include staffing plans and any intended teaming arrangements.

7) Project Management (PM) is also a critical area of this requirement as described in Section C- 6 of the PWS. How does your company intend to satisfy the PM aspect regarding the program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel; risk mitigation; and the day-to-day management of a contract of this complexity?

8) Does your company currently hold a Top Secret Facility clearance? A Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance?

9.) Identify how the Army can best structure these contract requirements to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns.

10) Recommendations to improve the approach/specifications/draft PWS to acquiring the identified services.

11) Respondents to this notice also must indicate whether they qualify as a Small, Small Disadvantaged, Women-Owned, HUBZone, or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern.

The estimated period of performance consists of a 30-day phase-in, 8-month base period and 4 12-month option periods with phase-in commencing on July 9, 2025. Specifics regarding option periods will be provided in the solicitation.

The contract type is anticipated to be a combination of fixed-price, cost reimbursable, and time and materials. The contract line-item structure will consist primarily of firm-fixed-price support.

A time and materials line for specified support is also anticipated and is currently expected to be around 30% of the support requirement. There will also be cost reimbursable line items for travel and other direct costs.

Upon assessment of the capability statements, if it is determined that this requirement will be an unrestricted competition, the Government intends to evaluate the Small-Business responses and conduct further market research to identify a subcontracting goal.

All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Personnel and Facility Security Clearances.

• Personnel require specific security clearances depending on the required support. Clearances are detailed in the PWS.

• A DD Form 254 Contract Security Classification Specification shall apply to this requirement and the prime contractor shall have or demonstrate ability to obtain a Top-Secret Facility Clearance.

ELIGIBILITY

The applicable NAICS code for this requirement is 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services with a Small Business Size Standard of $19.5 million. The Product Service Code is R499. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify their business size and socio-economic size status, as applicable, in their capabilities statement.