RFI - Enterprise Application Design and Development.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Enterprise Application Design and Development Services

OVERVIEW:

This Request for Information (RFI) is being released pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 10 Market Research. The information collected through the process is before market research purposes as described by FAR 2.101 and in accordance with FAR

10.002. This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP), and nothing shall be construed herein or through the Sources Sought process to commit or obligate the Government to further action. In addition, vendors responding to this request for information shall bear all risks and expenses of any resources used to provide the requested information. The submission of capability information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary.

The Government intends to issue one or more contracts for these services. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to these proposed services are:

1. 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services

2. 541512 Computer Systems Design Services

BACKGROUND:

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is issuing this RFI to identify qualified and responsible vendors who possess the experience and resources capable of providing Enterprise Application Design and Development Services in one or more of the following areas:

1. IT Architecture and Innovation

2. Data Integration and Security Operations (SecOps)

3. Digital/Public Web Experience (DEx)

4. Data Management, Reporting and Analytics (DMRA)

5. Grants Management (Award & Reimbursement)

6. Grants Management (Planning & Compliance)

7. Justice Grants System (JustGrants)

8. Enterprise Business Management

9. Service Management/Automated Contact Center

10. Enterprise Content Solutions

11. Grants Training & Technical Assistance Services

12. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

13. Digital Identity and Access Management (DIAMD)

14. Product and Engineering Center of Excellence

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE STATEMENT

OJP/OCIO is known for a collaborative, innovative, and knowledge-driven environment where each team member plays a crucial role in delivering outstanding results. Below are the key elements that define our organizational culture:

TEAM COMPOSITION & EXPERIENCE

The technical teams are composed of highly skilled professionals with diverse expertise and extensive experience. Each team assigned to a project is structured with a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, ensuring effective collaboration and accountability. Team members bring a wide range of technical certifications, years of relevant experience, and specialized knowledge. Reporting relationships and team dynamics are designed to support both individual growth and collective success, fostering a culture of empowerment and collaboration.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER & TRAINING

OCIO prioritizes seamless knowledge transfer within our teams and to our clients. We adopt a structured approach to training that includes comprehensive documentation practices, mentorship programs, and thorough transition planning. The goal is to ensure that knowledge is consistently retained, shared, and applied effectively across teams. This commitment to continuous learning ensures that our clients benefit from the most up-to-date insights and practices, while our team members evolve through ongoing development.

INNOVATION & CONTINUOUS LEARNING

Innovation is at the heart of OCIO’s work. OCIO actively encourages and supports continuous learning, with practices such as research and development initiatives, technical training programs, and participation in industry conferences. The teams are empowered to think creatively, explore new ideas, and contribute to advancements in the industry. This fosters a culture where technical excellence is not just a goal but an ongoing process, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of innovation.

COLLABORATION

OCIO’s approach to hybrid work and collaboration emphasizes flexibility, communication, and engagement. It leverages advanced virtual tools to ensure seamless collaboration, regardless of location. Teams are equipped to manage time zone differences effectively, maintaining productivity and inclusivity. Adopted clear communication practices, foster team engagement strategies, and monitor performance to ensure that remote collaboration remains as effective and dynamic as in-person interactions.

PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING

OCIO teams approach technical problem-solving and decision-making with a structured and transparent mindset. They utilize decision-making frameworks, risk assessment methods, and escalation procedures to address challenges and ensure that the best solutions are implemented.

Conflict resolution practices and a lessons-learned process are integral parts of OCIO’s approach, allowing continuous improvement and refinement of these strategies. This ensures that teams remain agile, adaptable, and equipped to navigate complex issues with confidence.

SCOPE:

The government has provided a draft Statement of Objectives (SOO), (Appendix A), and Known Constraints (Appendix B) as attached to this RFI. High-level objectives known at this time are:

1. Continuously identify, prioritize, and resolve business problems and core customer needs.

2. Improve technical and business efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

3. Measure and advance mission impact.

4. Digital service best practices include but are not limited to:

5. True iterative agile development with frequent, data-driven feedback loops.

6. Technical product management.

7. Human-centered design methodologies.

8. Customer research and usability testing.

9. Automated code and data testing, scanning, pipelines, and deployment (i.e., Continuous

Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CI/CD)).

10. DevSecOps and release management.

11. Data migration and management.

12. Artificial (AI) and AI-enabling research, analysis, and innovation.

13. Ensures full and equal access to all users, including those with disabilities, through strict adherence to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Standards (Section 508).

The objectives in this requirement must be met by the vendor through the engagement of professional engineering personnel who are highly skilled and experienced in delivering complex, integrated solutions. To this end, the OJP/OCIO is seeking the following information, items or questions from interested vendors:

1. Talent & Culture: How does your organization integrate with and align to our organizational culture? What is your approach to supporting the operational aspects of the Product-Oriented Portfolio, including any strategies, tools, or processes you implement to ensure ongoing efficiency and effectiveness?

2. Architecture & Design Philosophy: What is your overall technical philosophy and approach to system design, including design principles, architecture patterns, technology selection criteria, scalability considerations, performance optimization strategies?

3. Development Methodology: What development methodology do you use and how do you implement it? Include details about agile/scrum practices, sprint planning, code review processes, quality assurance methods, shift left and CI/CD, release management.

4. Technical Risk Management: How do you identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks, including risk assessment frameworks, mitigation strategies, contingency planning, technical debt management, security risk handling?

5. Integration & Interoperability: What is your approach to system integration and ensuring interoperability? Include information about API design principles, integration patterns, data exchange methods, legacy system integration, third-party integration management.

6. Performance & Scalability Strategy: How do you ensure system performance and scalability? Describe your approach to performance testing, load testing, capacity planning, scaling strategies, performance monitoring.

INFORMATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Responses are limited to ten (10) single sided pages (including all attachments, charts, etc.). In addition to addressing the items above, vendors are requested to have the following information clearly marked on the initial page(s) of your response:

1) Vendor’s name, address, points-of-contact information, website, DUNS, and cage code

2) Vendor’s current business designation and socioeconomic status

3) Vendor’s government-wide contracting vehicles (i.e., GSA Schedule Contract, OASIS, etc.) that could be used to fulfill this requirement.

4) Vendor’s tailored capability statements explaining the complexity and amount of effort expected of each task and addressing the tasking areas of this requirement, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability

5) Vendor’s Past Performance or Corporate Experience—Provide a list of three previous contracts where similar services were provided in the last 3 years. Provide customer/Government Agency contact information where these services were provided, including contract number (if applicable), period of performance, total contract value, contracting officer contact (telephone number and email address), and contract program manager contact (telephone number and email address).

SUBMISSION TIME AND DATE

Responses must be submitted electronically via e-mail to Zipora Chepkoit at zipora.chepkoit@usdoj.gov, Responses are due no later than April 3, 2025, at 2:00PM ET.

Responses received after this date and time may not be considered.

DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES:

This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government. It does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Vendors should ensure that their response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the vendor’s ability to perform the work.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a solicitation MAY be published. Responses to this RFI will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

There is no solicitation available at this time. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise based on your response to this RFI.

Additionally, the Government may use information provided as either part of the evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.

CONFIDENTIALITY: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).

Appendix A.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

BACKGROUND:

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is a component within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) comprised of six statutorily authorized offices and bureaus and supported by several key business offices. The DOJ/OJP provides grants to federal, state, and local governments within the fifty (50) states and U.S. territories. OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce and prevent crimes, improve the criminal and juvenile justice systems, influence and increase the knowledge about crime and related issues, and assist crime victims in communities and across the nation at the federal, state, and local levels. OJP works to form partnerships among federal, state, and local government officials to control drug abuse and trafficking; rehabilitate neighborhoods; improve the administration of justice in America; meet the needs of crime victims;

and address problems such as gang violence, prison crowding, and juvenile and white-collar crime.

OJP’s systems are utilized by OJP Program and Business Offices to include:

• Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA),

• Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS),

• Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO),

• National Institute of Justice (NIJ),

• Office of Administration (OA),

• Office of Audit, Assessment, and Management (OAAM),

• Office of Communication (OCOM)

• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP),

• Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO),

• Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO),

• Office of the General Counsel (OGC),

• Office for Civil Rights (OCR),

• Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and,

• Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and

Tracking (SMART).

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) seeks to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide Enterprise Application Design and Development Services that includes Product Management, Software Engineering, Human-Centered Design (HCD), and other related Services. This BPA will support ongoing and future technology modernization efforts, digital transformation initiatives, and enterprise IT services required to meet

OJP’s mission and operational objectives.

Task 1: IT Architecture and Innovation

The IT Architecture and Innovation Team shall perform technology research, development, evaluation, innovation prototyping, and testing to align with the organizational strategic goals. In addition, this team shall discover, design, prototype, evaluate, test, pilot, develop, release, support, and enhance a wide variety of products and platforms to determine, establish, and maintain optimal (e.g., modular, loosely coupled, interoperable) architectures, standards, and processes for product development, reduce technical debt and duplicative systems, minimize customer burdens, meet evolving needs, and enhance mission impact.

The Contractor shall evaluate, architect, document, deploy, and manage modern data, AI, and other products, platforms, and services utilizing digital service and product management techniques and methodologies. Establish and maintain modern, near-real-time data pipelines and integrations to ensure data can be used and exchanged across multiple services without duplication or errors

A representative sample of the technologies that support this work include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Snowflake, Rhino.AI, Cloud Computing, Blockchain, Low-Code/No Code, and DevOps tools.

Task 2: Data Integration and SecOps

The Data Integration and Security Operations (SecOps) Product Team shall develop a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of products and processes that addresses the challenges of delivering high quality, responsive products at scale, by providing a shared platform for Data Integration, SecOps, Application Programming Interface (API) management, compliance, knowledge management, and system monitoring.

The Contractor shall support integrated technologies based on data-driven insights to deliver continuous integration/continuous delivery services for high quality, secure, and compliant digital products. The Contractor shall also enhance consistent product delivery standards, automation pipelines across products, and transform solutions to an ecosystem of micro-service delivery.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include WSO2 API-Manager, FOIA Xpress, Jenkins, GIT, StatusCake and Azure DevOps.

Task 3: Digital/Public Web Experience (DEx)

The Digital/Public Web Experience Product Team provides a centralized platform for standardized website development, deployment, and maintenance, enabling the creation of high quality, accessible, and user-centered websites that effectively serve the needs of OJP stakeholders.

The Contractor shall adhere to the following tenets for success for work in this area:

• User centered design, prioritizing the needs and experiences of users in all aspects of platform design and development,

• Accessible design which ensures full and equal access to all users including those with disabilities,

• Data driven design which leverages data and analytics to understand user behavior, identify areas for improvement, and enhance the platform’s effectiveness.

As a subtask to the DEx task, the Contractor shall provide support for the Operations and Maintenance for software systems and applications used to support the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Activities also include application software maintenance (bug fix, minor enhancements), Data reporting support (report development and execution), testing, configuration management, integration services, application system administration, user experience, application training, website design & implementation, end-user IT Service Desk Tier-2 (in coordination with OCIO’s Tier-1 Service Desk (EIED) and NIJ SME Tier-3).

NamUs is both a system and a public facing program website (https://namus.nij.ojp.gov) with information exchange between the NamUs system and the NamUs website facilitated through the Data Management, Reporting and Analytics (DMRA) service.

A representative sample of the tools for this task area that support this work include Drupal, Siteimprove, AWS, and Java.

Task 4: Data Management, Reporting and Analytics (DMRA)

The Data Management, Reporting and Analytics (DMRA) Product Team shall serve as the central data hub for all OJP-related data. It aggregates and integrates information extracted from JustGrants and other external systems, including, but not limited to the Unified Financial Management System (UFMS) and System for Award Management (SAM). By consolidating and harmonizing this and other data, DMRA enables the production of comprehensive, user-friendly reports that stakeholders can easily consume and act upon.

The Contractor shall provide a reliable and integrated platform which consolidates data from multiple sources; envision and deliver reports and data catalogs; partner with other product teams to deliver analytics, improve user interfaces, metadata, and taxonomy; and focus on data quality and governance initiatives.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Socrata, Tableau, Informatica, SAS Viya, and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) pipeline.

Task 5: Grants Management (Awards & Reimbursement)

The Grants Management (Awards & Reimbursement) Product Family is comprised of three unique applications: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Denial Federal Benefits (DFB), and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Online Audit System (OAS). These applications provide award funding and reimbursements to OJP grantees in a formulaic manner. Likewise, they are all impacted by the absence of a modernization strategy.

As a result, these outdated systems are increasingly plagued by compatibility issues, creating operational challenges, and reducing the capability for OCIO to provide enhanced capabilities.

By grouping them together, OCIO can more holistically tackle the modernization challenge.

The Contractor shall build trust and enhance grant-making by providing efficient, accessible, and user-friendly digital products and services that empower the OJP, individuals, and organizations in their award and reimbursement activities.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Wildfly, Open Liberty, Oracle, and Amazon Corretto.

Task 6: Grants Management (Planning & Compliance)

The Grants Management (Planning & Compliance) Product Family is a grouping of multiple applications: Performance Management/Measurement Tools (PMT), Forecaster, and EEOP which all include functions that support the grants lifecycle but have traditionally been managed outside of the primary grants management system. They comprise pre-award and post-award functions managed by both business and program offices at OJP. They are grouped together because they share an opportunity for modernization. By either integrating them into the primary grants management system or ensuring their integration is more seamless, OCIO’s goal is to simplify the user experience and minimize the maintenance burden.

The Contractor shall build trust and enhance grant-making by providing efficient, accessible, and user-friendly digital products and services that empower the OJP, individuals, and organizations in their planning and compliance activities.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Microsoft Windows Server, SQL Server, ColdFusion, and Java.

Task 7: Justice Grants System (JustGrants)

The Justice Grants System (JustGrants) is the Department of Justice’s grant management system for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The JustGrants product, fosters collaboration, accountability and provides actionable insights to Department leadership in providing national leadership, resources, and research to state, local and tribal justice stakeholders. JustGrants is critical in promoting public safety, reducing crime and juvenile delinquency, supporting officer safety and serving the needs of crime victims.

The Contractor shall support the grant application and award management system to enhance efficiency, transparency, and the effectiveness of the Department’s federal grant making process.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Pega Dynamic Case Management, Pega Deployment Manager, Pega Surveys, and Pega Business Intelligence Exchange Tool.

Task 8: Enterprise Business Management

The Enterprise Business Management Product team enables OJP program and business offices to leverage best in class capabilities to manage internal work efficiently and provide world-class services to internal and external customers.

The Contractor shall provide business workflows, self-service workflows, and knowledge management capabilities aimed and meeting the needs of OJP’s evolving workforce. The Contractor shall support business teams in tracking and managing their internal work and communications. The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive management capability for portfolio and project management.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include the OJP People Platform (ServiceNow Human Resources Service Delivery), Core Requirements Tracker, ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management, etc.).

Task 9: Service Management-Automated Contact Center

The Service Management-Automated Contact Center Product is a grouping of the OCIO operational functions that include customer service management (service desks), change and configuration management, including CMDB, request/knowledge management, and other related functions.

The Contractor shall enable OJP program and business offices to leverage the best-in-class capabilities to manage internal work efficiently and provide world class IT services to OJP internal and external customers. The contractor shall maintain existing platform capabilities and deliver new, cutting-edge capabilities to meet evolving needs.

A representative sample of the tools that support this include ServiceNow’s Customer Service Management (CSM) and Portal, IT Service Management (ITSM) to include the following processes: Change Management, Request Management, Knowledge Management, and more.

Task 10: Enterprise Content Solutions

The Enterprise Content Solutions (ECS) product team supports organizational priorities by leveraging a variety of tools, solutions, and licenses. This product team streamlines operations, enhances productivity, and ensures compliance with organizational standards and Section 508 accessibility requirements. The ECS product team organizes solutions that integrate with or complement SharePoint. This includes workflow automation, data visualization and analytics, and content management. By effectively utilizing these resources, the product team ensures continuity, supports modernization efforts, and enhances the organization's ability to meet its goals efficiently and compliantly.

The Contractor shall support customer-centric, adaptable digital solutions that empower OJP to achieve its mission through secure, scalable, and user-centered IT platforms. By leveraging the products like SharePoint, PowerApps, and Power BI platforms, the Contractor shall aim to enhance collaboration, improve data access, and support data-driven decision-making across program offices.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Power Automate, Power BI, SharePoint, and ShareGate.

Task 11: Grants Training & Technical Assistance Services

The Grants Training & Technical Assistance Services product team guarantees that all award recipients are well-equipped in financial management; provides award recipients access to centralized training and technical assistance systems; provides users a secure plan to nominate potential peer reviewers for participation in grant reviews; and also considers streamlining opportunities for future learning management system solutions.

The Contractor shall ensure that every office has seamless access to tools such as the OJJDP’s Training and Technical Assistance application (TTA360), the Online Grants Financial Management Training website (FMT), the OJP Peer Review Management System (PRMS), as well as other Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) applications. Our goal is to deliver equitable, comprehensive, and high-quality training and technical assistance support, empowering grantees to achieve their objectives and drive positive impact within their communities.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Microsoft and Windows Servers, Moodle, Mura CMS, and Java.

Task 12: Customer Relationship Management

The Customer Relationship Management Product family supports three OJP programs: BJA’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOB), OVC’s International Terrorism Victim Reimbursement Program (ITVERP), and OVC’s Defined Monetary Assistance Victim Reserve (DMAVR). These three programs are case management systems that accept applications or claims from a public facing Portal and obtain the necessary information and documents from the Portal user. The application or claim is then available to program office teams of claims processing specialists that use the application’s customized workflows to perform automation and processing of the claims to next stages or, notify users of specific actions. The workflow phases start at inception of the application and proceed through to final determination and/or payment of the claim.

The Contractor shall support prioritized roadmap initiatives in support of these applications to include:

1. For PSOB, application maintenance and enhancement, as well as reports and performance metrics to address the Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit findings,

2. For ITVERP, application maintenance and enhancement of new features, such as an appeals process,

3. For DMAVR, application maintenance and enhancement beyond the Minimum Viable

Product (MVP) version.

A representative sample of the tools that support this work include Microsoft Dynamics 365, Dataverse, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Azure.

Task 13: Digital Identity and Access Management (DIAMD)

The Digital Identity and Access Management Directory (DIAMD) is a modernized Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) solution designed to streamline identity lifecycle management, authentication, and authorization services across the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). The Contactor shall establish a cutting-edge, customer-focused, and secure Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) solution that serves as the foundation of digital identity management for OJP to enable seamless, secure, and efficient identity lifecycle management for all OJP users—internal staff, DOJ Component users, and external partners— across all OJP systems and applications.

Task 14: Product and Engineering Center of Excellence

The contractor shall support the alignment of the Product and Project Management product family with the OCIO Center for Innovation. As part of establishing the Product and Engineering Center of Excellence, the contractor shall provide support in the following areas: Product Management methodologies and best practices, Project Management methodologies and best practices, Business Analysis methodologies integrated with Customer Experience (CX)/Human-Centered Design (HCD) best practices, Data/Document Management, development, management, and reporting of performance metrics, training in Product, Project, and Business Analysis methodologies and best practices, and IT Governance processes, procedures, and documentation.

The Contractor shall establish the Product & Engineering Center of Excellence and provide overall governance to manage OJP IT product, project, and service delivery that uses digital service best practices.

DELIVERABLES

Deliverables will be identified at the Order level. The individual Orders will specify the deliverables, the due dates, formats to be used, and distribution for specific requirements.

Appendix B

KNOWN OPERATING CONSTRAINTS

Products, product families, and services will continually evolve as the nature and circumstances of the business problem changes. However, at present, these product families are comprised of the following items, which must be supported or used by a contractor team unless or until they are decommissioned:

Component

.NET

Acquia Amazon Corretto Apache httpd Apache TomEE application Server:

Applitools AWS MySQL RDS AWS Pipeline AWS Server AWS Virtual machine ColdFusion FOIAXpress Foresee Granicus – GovDelivery

IIS

Informatica Internet Information Services (IIS) Java Java (CF runs on top of Java) Jenkins Microsoft Azure Blob Microsoft Azure DevOps Microsoft Azure Government Cloud Microsoft Dataverse Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Power Automate Pro Microsoft PowerBI Microsoft SQL Server Moodle MSSQL Server Mura CMS MySQL RDS National Archive of Criminal Justice Data Okta Pega ® Business Intelligence Exchange (BIX) ETL Tool Pega ® Deployment Manager Pega® Dynamic Case Management (DCM) Pega® Surveys PHP language PRPC (Pega Rule Command Center) version 23 .1.3 Red Hat Ansible Tower Red Hat Enterprise Linux Rhino.AI SailPoint Salesforce SAS Viya ServiceNow Agile Team ServiceNow App Engine ServiceNow Business Stakeholder ServiceNow Customer Service Management (CSM) Professional ServiceNow Government Data Center ServiceNow HR Service Delivery (HRSD) Enterprise ServiceNow IntegrationHub Professional ServiceNow IT Business Management (ITBM) Professional ShareGate SharePoint Siteimprove Snowflake StatusCake Tableau Creator Desktop

Tableau Prep Builder Tableau Server Tomcat (CF is packaged with tomcat) Windows Server Windows server 2019

WSO2