ProTech Satellite 2.0 RFP.pdf

U.S. Department of Commerce

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (ProTech)

Satellite Domain

Request for Proposal

RFP#: 1305M422RNEEA0001

Date: December 2, 2021

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Acquisition and Grants Office

Corporate Services Acquisition Division

SCHEDULE

ITEM

NO.

SUPPLIES/SERVICES QTY UNIT UNIT

PRICE

AMOUNT

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) is for Commercial - Fixed Price type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Commercial - Time-and-materials (T&M) type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Commercial - Labor-Hour

(LH) type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial Fixed-

Price type orders.

Ordering Period: date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial Cost-

Reimbursement type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial T&M type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Base Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial LH type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Commercial - Fixed Price type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Commercial - T&M type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Commercial - LH type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial Fixed-

Price type orders.

Ordering Period: date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial Cost-

Reimbursement type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial T&M type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at award].

1 LOT 0.00 0.00

Option Period: Professional, Scientific, and

Technical Services Solution in accordance with the Performance Work Statement contained in Section C.

This CLIN is for Non-Commercial LH type orders.

Ordering Period: [date to be entered at award] through [date to be entered at

SECTION B

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COST

B.1 GENERAL

The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (ProTech) solution is a suite of multiple-award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contracts consisting of four Domains:

Satellite, Fisheries, Oceans, and Weather. These Domains provide resources in support of the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to include its Line and Staff

Offices. The ceiling dollar amount for all orders under all ProTech Domains is $8,000,000,000.

Each Domain has its own IDIQ contract with multiple awards. This contract provides professional, scientific, and technical services to the Satellite Domain (hereafter “ProTech

Satellite”) under NAICS code 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) - Exception C (Guided Missiles and Space Vehicles, Their Propulsion Units and Propulsion Parts).

The scope of work under ProTech Satellite is defined in Section C.

B.2 BASE AND OPTION PERIODS

The term of ProTech Satellite is a five-year base ordering period and one (1) five-year option ordering period, for a total ordering period of 10 years if all options are exercised. There is no guarantee that the option will be exercised on any or all of the awarded contracts. This is not a multi-year contract as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 17.103.

B.3 CONTRACT TYPE

ProTech Satellite is a multiple-award IDIQ contract that allows for task orders to be issued on a

Fixed-Price, Cost-Reimbursement, Time-and-Materials (T&M), and/or Labor-Hour (LH) basis.

Task orders may also combine more than one pricing arrangement (e.g., FFP/LH, etc.), although separate contract line item numbers (CLINs) are required for each pricing arrangement.

B.4 TASK ORDER PRICING

ProTech Satellite provides the flexibility to determine fair and reasonable pricing tailored to the task order requirement dependent upon level of competition, risk, uncertainties, complexity, urgency, and contract type. The Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO) has the authority and responsibility to determine cost or price reasonableness for task order requirements, normally not to exceed the contracted ceiling rates. Exceptions where the TOCO has the flexibility to exceed contracted ceiling rates include the following: special security clearances (see https://www.state.gov/security-clearances), sea days (a period of 24 mean solar hours beginning at local mean noon), hazard pay (see https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/hazardpay), and/or other extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the TOCO. In addition, the TOCO https://www.state.gov/security-clearances https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/hazardpay has the flexibility to exceed contracted ceiling rates when awarding cost reimbursement task orders.

The labor rates contained in Attachment J-3 are ceiling rates for work taking place in locations within and outside the continental United States. They are not applicable to cost-reimbursement task orders.

Competition at the task order level is expected to establish fair and reasonable pricing for task orders placed for all contract types. For those relatively rare instances when competition does not exist, these ceiling rates will be available for the TOCO to consider and use.

Some task orders may require services that do not correspond to the labor categories included in

ProTech Satellite. Accordingly, if permitted by the task order solicitation, the contractor may propose appropriate labor categories and labor rates necessary to meet the requirements of the solicitation despite their not being included in ProTech Satellite as awarded.

The TOCO must establish an appropriate CLIN structure, and identify both the applicable contract type and clear delineation of work at the task level, for all CLINs in each task order.

B.4.1 Fixed-Price Orders

Fixed-price orders are defined under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.2, Fixed-

Price Contracts, and other applicable agency-specific regulatory supplements.

B.4.2 Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Orders

T&M and LH orders are defined under FAR 16.601 and 16.602, respectively, and Commerce

Acquisition Manual (CAM) Subpart 1316.1.

The Contractor may provide separate and/or blended loaded hourly labor rates at the task order level for Prime Contractor labor, each Subcontractor/Team Member, and/or each Division, Subsidiary, or Affiliate in accordance with the provisions set forth in FAR 52.216-29, 52.216-30, and/or 52.216-31. The TOCO will identify applicable provision(s) in the task order solicitation and the Contractor shall comply with the provision(s).

B.4.3 Cost-Reimbursement Orders

Cost-Reimbursement orders are defined under FAR Subpart 16.3, Cost-Reimbursement

Contracts, and CAM Subpart 1316.1. Cost Reimbursement task orders shall only be used for the acquisition of non-commercial items.

The Contractor shall have and maintain an adequate accounting system that will permit timely development of all necessary cost data in the form required by the proposed contract type. The

Contractor may be required to submit a cost proposal with supporting information for each cost element including, but not limited to: direct labor, fringe benefits, overhead, general and administrative expenses, material handling costs, facilities capital cost of money, and other direct costs, consistent with their cost accounting system, provisional billing rates, and forward pricing rate agreements.

The TOCO will identify requirements for certified cost and pricing data and data other than certified cost and pricing data in the task order solicitation and the Contractor shall comply with the provisions set forth in the task order solicitation.

B.4.4 Other Direct Costs

Other Direct Costs (ODCs) established on a cost-reimbursement basis, including travel costs, shall be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at the task order level and be allowable on the task order only if approved as outlined in the task order.

B.4.5 Program Management Costs

Program management support costs encompass support for management, reporting requirements, and related travel and meeting attendance costs associated with the Contractor’s program management staff as it relates to the overall management of the IDIQ contract. Program

Management (IDIQ Contract-Level) Support Costs: Contract-level program management support costs shall not be proposed or billed as a direct charge to the ProTech Satellite IDIQ contract.

Project Management (Task Order-Level) Support Costs: Contract-level program management support costs are differentiated from individual task order project management support costs.

Task order project management support costs may be proposed and billed against individual task orders for direct support of the effort performed under those task orders.

B.5 COMMERCE ACQUISITION REGULATION (CAR) 1352.216-75 MINIMUM

AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS (APR 2010)

During the term of ProTech Satellite, the Government will place orders totaling a minimum of

$250. The amount of all orders under the ProTech Domains will not exceed $8,000,000,000.

The exercise of the option period does not re-establish the contract minimum.

(End of Clause)

(End of Section B)

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency that enriches life through science. NOAA’s reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as NOAA works to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them. NOAA provides environmental intelligence for the nation. From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration, and maintaining marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product. The people of NOAA use research and tools to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers, and other decision makers with reliable and timely environmental intelligence.

C.2 OBJECTIVES

The overall objectives of the ProTech program are to:

1. Obtain high-quality professional, technical, and scientific services

2. Develop an industrial base of partners

3. Develop and maintain performance-based contracts

4. Contribute to the NOAA mission

Services not covered by the Satellite Domain scope of work include the following:

1. Architect and Engineering (A&E) Services subject to the Brooks Act and FAR Subpart

36.6 acquisition procedures;

2. Inherently Governmental functions – see the prohibition at FAR 7.503(a);

3. Personal services as defined in FAR 37.104(a);

4. Legal services;

5. Requirements where the primary objective or the predominance of the work is to obtain information technology (IT) services; and

6. Requirements for any IT products and services, except where (1) the IT cannot feasibly be separated from the non-IT requirements or (2) when the IT is incidental to contract performance.

a. IT is defined by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum 15-

14, Management and Oversight of Federal Information Technology, as: Any services or equipment, or interconnected system(s) or subsystem(s) of equipment, that are used in the automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information by the agency; where such services or equipment are 'used by an agency' if used by the agency directly or if used by a contractor under a contract with the agency that requires either use of the services or equipment, or requires use of the services or equipment to a significant extent in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product. If delivering IT products or services, the contractor shall comply with government IT standards, such as those for

IT security, and with requirements for sharing and efficiency at the federal, agency, bureau, and line office levels.

b. IT is incidental to a contract when the IT services or products are neither contract deliverables nor create, modify, operate or maintain IT used by the government or on its behalf.

C.3 SATELLITE DOMAIN SCOPE

The mission and objectives of the primary users of the Satellite Domain are related to satellite and observation activities and the collection, preservation, and dissemination of information and services derived therefrom. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

(NESDIS) is dedicated to providing timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life. To fulfill its responsibilities, NESDIS acquires and manages the Nation's operational environmental satellites. NESDIS provides data and information services including space weather and Earth system monitoring. NESDIS performs data and information product stewardship and preservation. NESDIS develops and produces information products, applications, tools, and models derived from observed data. NESDIS performs official assessments of the space and Earth’s environment and conducts related applied research.

NOAA's environmental satellite data are essential for forecasting the weather/oceans/cryosphere, analyzing environmental/climate phenomena, and monitoring hazards worldwide. This 24/7 global coverage provides a constant stream of information used for making decisions with respect to events that impact our climate, weather, oceans, and daily lives. Other NOAA offices may also use the contracts awarded within this Domain for their in-scope requirements.

All services provided in support of the Elements in Sections C.3.1 and C.3.2 shall align with one or more of the following “Mission Focus Areas”:

1. Providing timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life;

2. Designing, analyzing, developing, acquiring, or managing operational environmental satellites, their payloads and supporting ground systems;

3. Providing data and information services, including space weather and Earth system monitoring;

4. Performing data and information product stewardship and preservation;

5. Developing and producing information products, applications, tools, and models derived from observed data;

6. Performing official assessments of the space or Earth’s environment, and conduct related applied research; and

7. Forecasting and modeling the weather/oceans/cryosphere, analyzing environmental/climate phenomena, and monitoring hazards worldwide.

The services provided under ProTech Satellite will support sites worldwide, which include, but may not be limited to, Fairbanks, Alaska; Silver Spring (NOAA Headquarters), College Park, Greenbelt, and Lanham, Maryland; Wallops and Ashburn, Virginia; Boulder, Colorado;

Asheville, North Carolina; Stennis, Mississippi; Townsville, Australia; and international partnership facilities.

The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, materials, equipment, facilities, travel, and other services required to satisfy task order requirements. The suite of resulting contracts for this

Domain is intended to satisfy the need for professional, technical, and scientific services to support the full range of related requirements for observing system activities, including satellite missions, which NOAA manages or in which NOAA participates, and managing the space and

Earth environmental data that results from those missions. Increasingly, NESDIS is looking for synergies in collaborating with domestic and international, public and commercial, partners through joint missions, opportunity payloads and even data procurement. NESDIS work is conducted at NOAA headquarters, as well as in regional offices, science centers, data centers, associated field offices, laboratories, contractor facilities, and other field locations.

For additional information about NESDIS, see http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about_satellites.html or the NOAA Research and Development Vision Areas 2020-2026, see https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Mo2PSTqzuJk%3D&portalid=0.

C.3.1 Professional Services

In order to fulfill its critical mission, NOAA relies on industry for a wide assortment of professional, technical, and scientific services. The large number and variety of services listed in this PWS is so great that there is no reasonable expectation that they can all be acquired from a single contractor. Moreover, relying on a single contractor would incur mission risk to NOAA due to lack of redundancy and an insufficient industrial base to ensure mission success into the future. Accordingly, through the ProTech Program, NOAA intends to achieve a set of service providers who collectively can provide the necessary services, while also ensuring NOAA high-quality technical and scientific solutions to its task orders through the competition of industry-leading service providers.

Section C.3.1 details the Professional Services required for this contract. The professional services are broadly classified as Program and Project Management (Professional Service Area

1), Business Services (Professional Service Area 2), and Communication Services (Professional

Service Area 3). Although Professional Services are differentiated from the Technical and

Scientific Services of Section C.3.2, NOAA expects that the conduct of the Professional Services will be fully informed by appropriate science and engineering subject matter expertise.

Fully Informed Professional Services are Professional services whose quality of products and services have a strong dependency upon the Contractor’s relevant scientific and technical competency. Some professional services of this type, in fact, cannot be feasibly separated from the scientific and technical requirements. An example would be the project management service of producing a proposed project plan, work breakdown structure and cost estimate for a NESDIS in-house scientific or technical research or development project. In this case, the quality of the deliverables would be http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about_satellites.html https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Mo2PSTqzuJk%3D&portalid=0 strongly affected by the Contractor’s scientific or engineering knowledge of the particular research or development domain. ⇨➜

Table 1 (below) lists the Professional Services required for this contract. Each table row represents a work statement “Element.” Elements are organized within “Professional Service

Areas.”

Each element is defined by the following requirements:

1. The specifications listed in each element;

2. The specifications of each element’s Professional Service Area; and

3. The specifications of the definitions found at General Definitions, Section C.4.

NOAA requires contractors to perform all of the listed Professional Services; however, no individual contractor is required to provide all of the listed services. Instead, NOAA will award contracts to a set of service providers who collectively can perform all of the required

Professional Services, and can provide NOAA with competition for coverage of services at the task order level.

The Professional Service elements are as follows:

Table 1 - Professional Service Elements

Professional Service Area 1: Program & Project Management Services

Professional Service Area 1.A: Budget and Financial Management

Services under this Service Area support NESDIS budget and financial management activities.

C.3.1.1 Budgets and Budget Estimation

C.3.1.2 Financial and Cost Management Services

Professional Service Area 1.B: Performance Management

Services under this Service Area support resource-efficient, budget- and schedule-accountable, program or project execution in order to deliver products or provide services responsive to stakeholder objectives or requirements.

C.3.1.3 Program and Project Management

C.3.1.4 Earned Value Management

C.3.1.5 Change Management

C.3.1.6 Document & Record Management

C.3.1.7 Performance Baselines

C.3.1.8 PMBOK®-Informed Best Practices

C.3.1.9 Program & Project Plans

C.3.1.10 Quality Management

C.3.1.11 Risk Management

Professional Service Area 1.C: Resource Management

Services under this Service Area support the responsible custodianship of NESDIS assets (excluding real estate) through attentive inventory data entry and periodic inventory audits, ensuring programs are compliant with regulations. Services will assist with the planning, coordination, execution and confirmation of program asset relocation.

C.3.1.12 Property, Inventory Management & Tracking

C.3.1.13 Logistics

Professional Service Area 1.D: Schedule Management

Services under this Service Area support various tools produced, maintained, or monitored to ensure timely project execution or requirement-compliant deliveries.

C.3.1.14 Schedules, Timelines, Milestones, Roadmaps

C.3.1.15 Work Breakdown Structures

Professional Service Area 2: Business Services

Services under this Service Area ensure that NESDIS science, engineering, and technical program or project planning is based on equally sound science and business cases, and that execution is based on sound business principles. For example, services to support cost-risk studies of autonomous vehicle parts sparing should be equally informed by parts technical parameters such as Mean Time Between Failure or replacement compatibility, while being equally cognizant of business aspects, such as supply chain uncertainty and risk.

C.3.1.16 Acquisition & Grants Assistance

C.3.1.17 Action & Tasker Management

C.3.1.18 Conduct Informal Opinion Surveys & Collect Feedback

C.3.1.19 Configuration Management

C.3.1.20 Coordination, Facilitation, Planning

C.3.1.21 Cost-Risk Studies, Trade Studies

C.3.1.22 Economic & Social Science Analysis

C.3.1.23 Evaluate Deliverables

C.3.1.24 Observing System Investments1

C.3.1.25 Policy & Regulation Compliance (e.g. Legislative, Security)

C.3.1.26 Procedure/Process Analysis, Engineering & Improvement

C.3.1.27 Program/Project Function & System Criticality2

C.3.1.28 Strategic Planning

Professional Service Area 3: Communications Services

Services under this Service Area support dissemination of information. The information will range in technical complexity from being suitable for elementary school students to state-of-the-science defining sophistication. The dissemination platforms will range from classroom lectures to symposium presentations to social media posts.

C.3.1.29 Business Writing & Documentation

C.3.1.30 Graphics, Social Media, Web, Video, Visualization

C.3.1.31 Public Education, Engagement, Outreach & Training

C.3.1.32 Technical Education, Engagement, Outreach & Training

C.3.1.33 Technical Writing incl. Briefs, Presentations, Publications

C.3.2 Technical and Scientific Services

In order to fulfill its critical mission, NOAA relies on industry for a wide breadth of professional, technical, and scientific services. The breadth of needed services is so great that there is no reasonable expectation that they can all be acquired from a single contractor. Moreover, relying on a single contractor would incur mission risk to NOAA due to lack of redundancy and an insufficient industrial base to ensure mission success into the future. Accordingly, through the

ProTech Program, NOAA intends to achieve a set of service providers who collectively can provide the necessary services, while also ensuring NOAA high-quality technical and scientific solutions to its task orders through the competition of industry-leading service providers.

1 Observing System Investments includes strategic or tactical research and recommendations of science or technology whose procurement would render a benefit to NESDIS in meeting its missions and objectives.

Benefits may be realized through cost, schedule or performance efficiencies gained. The subject of the research could be physical equipment, such as state of the art antenna control systems, or intellectual, as in a strategic, synergistic partnership that delivers a new, high resolution data source. The procurement could be made at any phase of the mission lifecycle.

2 Program/Project Function & System Criticality includes analysis of NESDIS programs or projects to assess the utility, value, or effectiveness of their function and systems towards fulfilling NESDIS missions and objectives. Such analyses may examine technical facets of programs or projects, or focus on business (professional services) aspects of the program or project, with regard to the holistic NESDIS enterprise.

Section C.3.2 details the classes of Technical and Scientific Services required for this contract.

The technical and scientific services are broadly classified as Architecture Services (Technical and Scientific Service Area 1) and Scientific and Engineering Services (Technical and Scientific

Service Area 2).

Table 2 (below) lists the Technical and Scientific Services required for this contract. Each table cell represents a work statement “Element.” Elements are organized within “Technical and

Scientific Service Areas.” Several Technical and Scientific Service Area descriptions include hyperlinks to NESDIS offices or programs, to provide context or representative illustrations.

Such illustrations do NOT require Offeror expertise or experience in the Service Area to be restricted exclusively to NESDIS.

Each element is defined by the following requirements:

1. The specifications listed in each element;

2. The specifications of each element’s Technical and Scientific Service Area; and

3. The specifications of the definitions found at General Definitions, Section C.4.

NOAA requires contractors to perform all of the listed Technical and Scientific Services;

however, no individual contractor is required to provide all of the listed services. Instead, NOAA will award contracts to a set of service providers who collectively can perform all of the required Technical and Scientific Services, and can provide NOAA with competition for coverage of services at the task order level.

Most elements in this section contain mission phases, or “Lifecycles.” Lifecycles are defined by the following requirements:

Analysis: Generally requires leveraging subject matter expertise for the purpose of rendering a professional assessment, evaluation, opinion, suggestion or recommendation delivered in some form of document such as a brief, white paper or publication. The subject of analyses may range from evaluating program process and procedure effectiveness to identifying gaps in data dissemination or satellite imagery-derived oceanic products or command and control operations. Analysis may require independent research or data gathering and interpretation.

Development: Development is defined broadly to include design and fabrication, as well as common supporting ancillary services such as coordination, demonstration, implementation, testing, integration, transition to operations, and delivery of accompanying documentation. Products or services may be developed in different degrees of maturity ranging from prototypes and concept proofs to final mission-operational versions.

Execution: Execution generally requires product or service delivery, but may also encompass certain post-delivery services such as tasks to maintain and sustain service delivery. Execution can involve oversight of service delivery, as in independent validation and verification, to ensure requirement compliance. Execution can often entail troubleshooting anomalous circumstances, or tasks which result in enhanced or expedited service delivery.

The Technical and Scientific Service Elements are as follows:

Table 2 - Technical and Scientific Service Elements

Technical and Scientific Service Area 1: Systems Architecture

Services under this Service Area support systems architecture, defined as the formal representation and description of a system designed, built, and operated to satisfy the product or service requirement of an enterprise. A systems architecture specifies its components, their interfaces (including its interface to the extra-system environment or human operator), interconnectivity, and functional performance. A systems architecture may be high-level and notional, or low-level and detailed, possibly including facilities, hardware, software, and network component inventories. The systems architecture guides the system development, implementation and future evolution of a system.

C.3.2.1 Advanced/Future/Innovative

C.3.2.2 Archival and Working Data Storage

C.3.2.3 Enterprise or System Ground Segment Data

C.3.2.4 Enterprise or System Ground Segment Products

C.3.2.5 Enterprise or System Ground Segment Satellite Operations (SatOps)

C.3.2.6 Flight Segment3

C.3.2.7 Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Alignment, Coordination

C.3.2.8 In Situ Observing Systems

C.3.2.9 Observing Systems4

C.3.2.10 Satellite Communications & Data Backhaul

C.3.2.11 Satellite Observing Systems

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2: Science and Engineering

3 Flight Segment requires contractors to provide services for the design or analyses specifically for the flight segment of an observing system architecture. This could range from conceptual or exploratory designs of new missions to modifications or enhancements to an existing flight segment architecture.

4 Observing Systems requires contractors to provide services for the design or analyses of interconnected

(physically or logically) environmental sensing instrumentation. Observing systems may include any, all or various combinations of terrestrial, river-based, coastal, oceanic, airborne or space environmental sensing elements, including the mechanisms for their interconnectivity.

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.A: Algorithms

Services under this Service Area support algorithms, defined as systematic procedures for processing input data into a derived data product or for automated reasoning. For example, scheduling algorithms prescribe which one of several candidate satellites passing a ground station antenna will be supported, based on mission priority, satellite priority, and onboard data priority, volume and timeliness. In this context, an algorithm is more notional in defining the scientific, technical or engineering specifications of the processing, in distinction to the implementation of the algorithm in a programming language to execute on a Central Processing Unit (CPU).

C.3.2.12 Algorithms - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.13 Algorithms - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.14 Algorithms - Development Environments, Testbeds

C.3.2.15 Algorithms - Maintenance & Sustainment

C.3.2.16 Algorithms - Research to Operations, Operations to Research (R2O, O2R)

C.3.2.17 Algorithms - Stewardship & Quality Assurance

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.B: Antennas or Antenna Systems

Services under this Service Area support antennas or antenna systems, defined as hardware and software that implements the interface between electromagnetic radiation and the transmitter or receiver element of a system. NESDIS antenna assets include transmitting and receiving antennas on its spacecraft, aircraft, in situ sensors, and on-ground antennas at its command and data acquisition stations, international stations, backup sites, and field offices.

C.3.2.18 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.19 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Anomaly Troubleshooting or Resolution

C.3.2.20 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Calibration, Validation or Verification

C.3.2.21 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.22 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Engineering

C.3.2.23 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Maintenance & Sustainment

C.3.2.24 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Monitoring or Performance

C.3.2.25 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Planning

C.3.2.26 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Mission Operations

C.3.2.27 Antennas or Antenna Systems - Transition to Operations

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.C: Applications

Services under this Service Area support applications, defined as software resources and their associated data that perform a function for an end user. For example, an orbit analysis application can predict the times of satellite entrance and exit of the Earth’s penumbra. One or more discrete computer programs may comprise an application. Applications may support NESDIS directly, such as product generation applications, or indirectly, such as a tool that monthly audits the timeliness of product generation.

C.3.2.28 Applications - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.29 Applications - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.30 Applications - Data Analysis & Display

C.3.2.31 Applications - Development Environments, Testbeds

C.3.2.32 Applications - Documentation

C.3.2.33 Applications - Environmental Monitoring

C.3.2.34 Applications - Maintenance & Sustainment

C.3.2.35 Applications - Research to Operations, Operations to Research (R2O, O2R)

C.3.2.36 Applications - Stewardship & Quality Assurance

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.D: Data (Includes Data Systems, Databases, Datasets)

Services under this Service Area support data, defined as information in any format that can be subjected to inspection, analysis, transformation, storage and retrieval, by humans, computers or a combination of the two.

C.3.2.37 Data - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.38 Data - Archive, Storage

C.3.2.39 Data - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.40 Data - Collection, Ingest

C.3.2.41 Data - Collection Campaigns, Expeditions, Surveys, Sorties

C.3.2.42 Data - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.43 Data - Development Environments, Testbeds

C.3.2.44 Data - Dissemination, Distribution

C.3.2.45 Data - Formats

C.3.2.46 Data - Fusion

C.3.2.47 Data - Historical Trending

C.3.2.48 Data - Interpretation

C.3.2.49 Data - Processing

C.3.2.50 Data - Procurement of Commercial or Private

C.3.2.51 Data - R2O, O2R

C.3.2.52 Data - Stewardship & Quality Assurance5

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.E: Flight Segment

Services under this Service Area support program flight segments. A flight segment is defined as a collection of airborne and spaceborne hardware, software and communications resources to support all phases of an observing system lifecycle.

C.3.2.53 Flight Segment - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.54 Flight Segment - Anomaly Troubleshooting, Resolution

C.3.2.55 Flight Segment - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.56 Flight Segment - Engineering

C.3.2.57 Flight Segment - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.58 Flight Segment - Monitoring, Performance

C.3.2.59 Flight Segment - Planning

C.3.2.60 Flight Segment - Pre-Launch, Launch, Early Orbit Raising

C.3.2.61 Flight Segment - Mission Operations

C.3.2.62 Flight Segment - Flight Software

C.3.2.63 Flight Segment - Transition to Operations

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.F: Ground Segment - Data Systems

Services under this Service Area support the data systems elements of a program’s ground system. The ground segment is defined as the collection of on-ground hardware, software, network and communication resources that support all phases of an observing system lifecycle. For representative background information about NESDIS data systems refer to https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/about

C.3.2.64 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Advanced/Future/Innovations

5 Quality assurance requires contractors to provide analysis, identification, correction, and documentation of erroneous data and derived information throughout the life cycle of the data.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/about

C.3.2.65 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Anomaly Troubleshooting, Resolution

C.3.2.66 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.67 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Engineering

C.3.2.68 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.69 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Monitoring, Performance

C.3.2.70 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Mission Operations

C.3.2.71 Ground Segment - Data Systems - Transition to Operations

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.G: Ground Segment - Products

Services under this Service Area support the product generation elements of a program’s ground system. The ground segment is defined as the collection of on-ground hardware, software, network and communication resources that support all phases of an observing system lifecycle.

Background information about NESDIS product generation is found at https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/aboutSTAR.php and for some NESDIS programs with product generation elements refer to https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Services/index.html

C.3.2.72 Ground Segment - Products - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.73 Ground Segment - Products - Anomaly Troubleshooting, Resolution

C.3.2.74 Ground Segment - Products - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.75 Ground Segment - Products - Engineering

C.3.2.76 Ground Segment - Products - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.77 Ground Segment - Products - Monitoring, Performance

C.3.2.78 Ground Segment - Products - Mission Operations

C.3.2.79 Ground Segment - Products - Transition to Operations

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.H: Ground Segment - Satellite Operations

(SatOps)

Services under this Service Area support the satellite operations elements of a program’s ground system. The ground segment is defined as the collection of on-ground hardware, software, network and communication resources that support all phases of an observing system lifecycle. Satellite operations includes services for maintaining satellite health and safety such as: telemetry downlink and monitoring, command uplink, orbit and attitude tracking and maintenance, payload monitoring and broadcast performance monitoring.

https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/aboutSTAR.php https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Services/index.html

Background information about NESDIS programs with product generation elements refer to https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Operations/satellite_operations.html

C.3.2.80 Ground Segment - SatOps - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.81 Ground Segment - SatOps - Anomaly Troubleshooting, Resolution

C.3.2.82 Ground Segment - SatOps - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.83 Ground Segment - SatOps - Telemetry, Command, Control, Communications

C.3.2.84 Ground Segment - SatOps - Engineering

C.3.2.85 Ground Segment - SatOps - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.86 Ground Segment - SatOps - Monitoring, Performance

C.3.2.87 Ground Segment - SatOps - Mission Operations

C.3.2.88 Ground Segment - SatOps - Pre-Launch, Launch, Early Orbit Raising

C.3.2.89 Ground Segment - SatOps - Transition to Operations

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.I: Instruments, Sensors (Includes airborne, spaceborn or in situ)

Services under this Service Area support instruments and sensors. Instruments and sensors are defined as equipment that collects data read or “sensed” from an environment.

Supported instruments include both “passive” instruments (sensing radiated or emitted energy from the environment being observed) and “active” instruments (emitting a signal and receiving the reflected or backscattered return signal). Representative passive instruments include radiometers and spectrometers; representative active instruments include radar and lidar. Instruments may collect their data remotely, for instance, a satellite instrument that can sense forest canopy, or from within the environment (“in situ”), such as a sensor on a buoy that records ocean salinity.

C.3.2.90 Instruments, Sensors - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.91 Instruments, Sensors - Anomaly Troubleshooting & Resolution, Product

Impact

C.3.2.92 Instruments, Sensors - Calibration, Input Parameter Datasets, Lookup Tables

C.3.2.93 Instruments, Sensors - Characterization & Traceability to Standards

C.3.2.94 Instruments, Sensors - Compatibility, Interfaces, Integration

C.3.2.95 Instruments, Sensors - Engineering

C.3.2.96 Instruments, Sensors - Installation https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Operations/satellite_operations.html

C.3.2.97 Instruments, Sensors - Inter-satellite Calibration, Validation, Global Space-

Based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS)

C.3.2.98 Instruments, Sensors - Monitoring, Performance

C.3.2.99 Instruments, Sensors - Pre-Launch, Launch, Early Orbit Raising

C.3.2.100 Instruments, Sensors - Transition to Operations

C.3.2.101 Instruments, Sensors - Validation & Verification

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.J: Models

Services under this Service Area support models and modeling, defined as mathematical characterizations of the state of natural or engineering phenomena, typically expressed as a function of time. Models may be analytical or numerical, or include both analytical and numerical components. Due to their time dependency, models enable the study of past, present, or future phenomena states. Varying a model’s input state vector supports impact studies under different, even hypothetical, conditions.

C.3.2.102 Models - Climate, Meteorological

C.3.2.103 Models - Cryospheric

C.3.2.104 Models - Data Assimilation

C.3.2.105 Models - Emissivity & Radiative Transfer

C.3.2.106 Models - Environmental Assessment, Monitoring, Prediction, Warnings

C.3.2.107 Models - Hydrodynamic

C.3.2.108 Models - Impact Assessments

C.3.2.109 Models - Numerical Weather Prediction

C.3.2.110 Models - Oceanographic

C.3.2.111 Models - Orbit, Conjunction Analysis

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.K: Products (Includes any of Level 0 - 4

Processing)

Services under this Service Area support products, defined as aggregations of raw or processed data, generated to meet an enterprise goal. While NESDIS enterprise goals are not exclusively scientific, this Service Area focuses on science, engineering, and technical goals.

Refer to https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ or https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products for some representative NESDIS science products. NOAA processing levels are described at https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wiki/index.php/NOAA_Processing_Levels https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wiki/index.php/NOAA_Processing_Levels

C.3.2.112 Products - Advanced/Future/Innovations

C.3.2.113 Products - Archival Storage6, Temporary Storage

C.3.2.114 Products - Blended (Multi-Platform, Multi-Spectral, etc.)

C.3.2.115 Products - Calibration, Validation, Verification

C.3.2.116 Products - Development Environments, Testbeds

C.3.2.117 Products - Generation

C.3.2.118 Products - Dissemination, Distribution

C.3.2.119 Products - Maintenance & Sustainment

C.3.2.120 Products - Research to Operations, Operations to Research (R2O, O2R)

C.3.2.121 Products - Stewardship & Quality Assurance

C.3.2.122 Products - Atmospheric

C.3.2.123 Products - Coastal Zone

C.3.2.124 Products - Cryospheric

C.3.2.125 Products - Land and Surface Hydrologic

C.3.2.126 Products - Meteorologic

C.3.2.127 Products - Oceanographic

C.3.2.128 Products - Space Weather

C.3.2.129 Products - Topographic, Bathymetric, Sea Surface Heights

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.L: Requirements

Services under this Service Area support requirements to identify performance conditions or capabilities necessary for a solution to fulfill a stakeholder objective. NESDIS requirements range from the enterprise level, pertaining to NESDIS mission objectives, to programs, projects, contracts and grants. Requirements may be expressed as standards, specifications, or criteria in other forms of formal agreements.

C.3.2.130 Requirements - Enterprise - Databases, Tools

C.3.2.131 Requirements - Enterprise - Allocation, Definition, Derivation, Identification

6 The Archival Storage Functional Entity (aka, “Archival Storage”) requires contractors to provide the services and functions for the storage, maintenance and retrieval of Archival Information Packages (as defined in the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) — Reference model https://www.iso.org/standard/57284.html and https://public.ccsds.org/pubs/650x0m2.pdf).

https://www.iso.org/standard/57284.html https://public.ccsds.org/pubs/650x0m2.pdf

C.3.2.132 Requirements - Enterprise - Management

C.3.2.133 Requirements - Enterprise - Systems

C.3.2.134 Requirements - Enterprise - Traceability

C.3.2.135 Requirements - Enterprise - Verification

C.3.2.136 Requirements - User - Applications, Data, Products

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.M: RFI & Spectrum Management

Services under this Service Area support Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Spectrum

Management, which comprises the analysis of sources of RFI, tactics for RFI mitigation, and the custodianship and coordination of RF spectra assignments to prevent sources of interference from using frequencies allocated to NESDIS missions.

C.3.2.137 Radio Frequency Interference

C.3.2.138 RF Spectrum Allocation, Utilization

C.3.2.139 RF Spectrum - Domestic, International Coordination

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.N: Simulators & Field Experiments

Services under this Service Area support simulators. Simulators are defined as systems that provide a high fidelity imitation of the actions of platforms (satellite, aircraft, ship, autonomous vehicle), instruments, or sensors, principally as a convenience for testing.

Simulators may include certain hardware components of the platform, instrument, or sensor, or implement the action model entirely in software. A simulator implemented entirely in software is sometimes referred to as an emulator.

C.3.2.140 Field Experiments, Observing System Experiments (OSE), Observing System

Simulation Experiments (OSSE), Site Selection

C.3.2.141 Simulators - Non-Space Sensors

C.3.2.142 Simulators - Space Sensors

C.3.2.143 Simulators - Satellites and their Subsystems

C.3.2.144 Simulators - System Loading, Processing

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.O: Systems Engineering

Services under this Service Area support systems engineering. The industry-recognized definition of systems engineering, applicable to systems engineering of NESDIS systems, is found at https://www.incose.org/about-systems-engineering/system-and-se-definition/systems-engineering-definition.

C.3.2.145 Systems Engineering - Standards, Specifications

C.3.2.146 Systems Engineering - Test, Integration https://www.incose.org/about-systems-engineering/system-and-se-definition/systems-engineering-definition https://www.incose.org/about-systems-engineering/system-and-se-definition/systems-engineering-definition

C.3.2.147 Systems Engineering - Risk

C.3.2.148 Systems Engineering - Requirements

C.3.2.149 Systems Engineering - Planning

C.3.2.150 Systems Engineering - System Function, Performance, Utility

Technical and Scientific Service Area 2.P: General Technical Services

Services under this Service Area support all of the above Technical and Scientific Service

Areas.

C.3.2.151 Technical - Concepts of Operations

C.3.2.152 Technical - Documentation

C.3.2.153 Technical - Program/Project Assessments, Evaluations, Reviews

C.3.2.154 Technical - Technology Assessments, Evaluations

C.3.2.155 Technical - Forum Participation (Meetings, Symposia, Work Groups, etc.)

C.3.2.156 Technical - Statistically Designed Surveys to Support Analysis

C.3.2.157 Technical - Review Participation (Preliminary Design, Critical Design, etc.)

C.4 GENERAL DEFINITIONS

Applied Research: Applied research is an original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.

Applied research is undertaken either to determine possible uses for the findings of basic research or to determine new methods or ways of achieving specific and predetermined objectives.