Statement of Work Draft.pdf

First Responder Network Authority

CUI//SP‐PROCURE

Statement of Work Data Discovery and Virtualization Software and Services

1. Background The Middle‐Class Tax Relief Act of 2012 established the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and charged it with the responsibility to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) designed to meet the information and communications technology needs of first responders and public safety users. FirstNet Authority is an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Due to the lack of FirstNet Authority available tools and resources to adequately review all NPSBN data intensive Contractor deliverables, the FirstNet Authority is seeking a Data Discovery and Virtualization capability. This software or service will support Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support in verifying and validation of Contractor submitted data. Currently, the FirstNet SMEs are ingesting the data to the best of their abilities through manual line of sight review. The FirstNet Authority as such, cannot guarantee the accuracy or integrity of the data and is considering the acceptance of contract deliverables based on “best effort” and a manual sampling of the data during its SME reviews.

Currently, NPSBN data is scattered across various locations, including the Contractors Secure File

Transfer platform, SharePoint, OneDrive, and emails. Additionally, the information is contained within numerous structured and unstructured formats. Existing systems are not capable of or optimized to facilitate technical assisted reviews conducted by several teams to verify and validate requirements using thousands of large artifacts. The ability to verify the integrity of the data through the verification and validation process will also allow to better support existing and/or be better prepared for future audit‐related activities.

2. Scope The Contractor shall provide software and services to implement and maintain a Data Discovery and

Virtualization software or service. The software will at a minimum provide a searchable capability with the ability to perform analysis on various sources of disparate data. The Contractor‐provided expertise will include software related support for successful implement of the Data Discovery and Virtualization software or service.

3. Objectives The Contractor shall implement a software solution to support FirstNet Authority Data Validation and Verification Management for the verification and validation (V&V) program to achieve audit readiness.

The solution will support various outputs such as reporting, communications, and performance metrics.

In conducting these tasked objectives, the Contractor’s solution will:

3.1. Create a fully searchable new or restructured data repository to maintain contract data.

3.2. Support in verification and validation (V&V) activities for incoming Contractor/NPSBN data.

3.3. Enable timely access to disparate data sources.

3.4. Support the two overarching FirstNet Authority Use Cases:

3.4.1. Audit readiness through locating, identifying, and maintaining historical information, piecing together data and programs, and providing a repository for future data discovery, analysis and virtualization.

3.4.2. Review and analysis of performance metrics identified in the NPSBN Cybersecurity

Verification & Validation Scorecard.

3.5. Support secondary FirstNet Authority Use Cases:

3.5.1. Ability to quickly research, analyze and respond to internal and external data calls.

3.5.1.1. For example: Ability to find the latest relevant metrics across relevant FirstNet

Programs to include supporting documentation.

3.5.2. Ability to correlate information from multiple data sources – turning existing data into smart data.

3.5.2.1. For example: Such as raw data, formatted file types, unformatted data, SQL, or

Object‐oriented data, i.e., numbers, booleans, characters, arrays, and structures.

3.5.3. Ability to conduct extreme diligence when conducting verification & validation activities.

3.5.3.1. For example: Ability to provide searchable information such as success, fail, pass, exception and able to provide graphical or readable information. (Specific to verification and validation and its metrics).

3.5.4. Ability to inform the FirstNet Authority leadership prior to making business decisions.

3.5.4.1. Identify software solutions to support business reinvestment; support contractual overlap analysis.

3.5.4.2. For example: Ability to transform the searchable data to graphical output(s) for enhanced readability.

3.5.5. Ability to identify the root of the problem by searching through several data sources.

3.5.5.1. For example: Ability to base decisions on multiple sources of data by organizing the information to find the common theme of the problem.

4. Requirements:

This requirement includes functional/technical requirements and support services.

4.1. The Contractor’s solution shall provide FirstNet Authority with the following functionality:

4.1.1. Verification & Validation (V&V) audit activities to support the FirstNet Cyber Security

Program.

4.1.1.1. Displays all scorecards (performance metrics) as tiles or within a table. All data, including the full text of associated artifacts, must be available as a quick search function from a single view.

4.1.1.2. Provides a mechanism for subject matter experts to append scores (score, date created, and note) to the scorecard.

4.1.1.3. Provides a workspace for the subject matter expert to append notes to the scorecard.

4.1.1.4. Allows authorized users to upload artifacts (e.g., files) to the scorecard. A wide array of popular document specifications must be supported.

4.1.1.5. Allows subject matter experts to append both global and custom tags to the scorecard (performance metrics).

4.1.1.6. Logs a variety of actions performed by authorized users on the scorecard (add score, remove score, add artifact, etc.).

4.1.2. Search across enterprise platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Azure

4.1.2.1. Cloud‐based applications within Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Power Platform i.e., PowerApps, PowerBI, One‐Note, Shared OneDrive.

4.1.3. Searchable items include meta tags

4.1.4. Structured and unstructured file formats include at a minimum the following:

4.1.5. Video formats are flexible to search content.

4.1.5.1. (YouTube, Vimeo, MP4, mpeg‐4 is the standard on most videos received. The system should be able to handle other formats such as WAV, video links supporting

YouTube, Twitter feeds, etc.)

4.1.5.2. Process and pullout text, numerous artifacts, and put context around everything.

The user would provide user defined tags after the fact.

4.1.5.3. For ex. Scorecard user tag demonstrations and performance metrics.

4.1.6. Use SharePoint as cloud service with use of custom application.

4.1.7. Access permissions for sensitive files across FirstNet Authority business units.

4.1.8. Search preserved institutional knowledge across programs and locate the decisions points that were made.

4.1.9. The contractor shall provide change management support to include recorded training sessions for end‐users.

4.1.10. Create and use repository terms dictionary, thesaurus, and acronym library.

4.2. Technical Requirements ‐ The Contractor’s solution shall meet the following prioritized requirements:

Priority Level: High

1. Functionality shall dynamically correlate and identify relationships between relevant entities and documents contained within the data store.

2. When a search query is entered the data retrieved shall be saved in an easily digestible format.

3. Shall dynamically perform calculations and update the user interface as users are submitting data. As an example, after a user submits a Verification and Validation Scorecard score (performance metrics) the composite score on the Scorecard Summary is updated in real time.

4. Functionality that shall allow users to define and assign tags to each document/artifact that can be used to perform quick, system‐wide searches of all information within the data store. Includes automatic tags within the system and the ability to be custom built by end user.

5. Shall append user‐defined information (e.g., metadata) to artifacts for providing additional business context and facilitating fast retrieval of relevant information.

6. Functionality shall allow to simultaneously preview numerous documents/sub sections for quick use by Subject Matter Experts.

7. Shall sustain multiple users with searching capability, licensing options.

8. Solution shall allow to pick out key word (and phrases) and keep and search the word, retain search word history, and make search word or phrase suggestions.

9. Shall support file format, structured supporting Microsoft and Adobe Suites, to include the following file formats: (.grd, .tab, .dbf, .prj, .shp, .shx, .doc, .docx, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .csv, .mpp, .msg, .eml, .log, .odt, .rtf, .txt, .dat, .xml, .png, .jpeg, .db, .mdb, .odb, .pdb, .sql, .sqlite, .html, .json, .css, .zipx and .zip) at a minimum.

10. Functionality shall allow business‐defined logic to be automatically applied at run time when consuming documents into the data store. As an example, performing Natural Language Processing (NLP) functions (e.g., Named Entity Recognition) when a user uploads a document.

11. Shall pull from existing SQL Express databases.

12. System shall have the ability to data mine into the current and future database we have, or standard types commonly used today.

13. System shall create and maintain a new database for all Task Orders requirements and matrixes to come.

14. The system shall meet the standard query response time back to the user for than 10ms for complex searches.

15. The system shall have customizable query options for more advanced searches.

16. The system shall support multiple users conducting active search queries at any given time.

17. Shall have user permissions as they are logged into the software. Shall have the ability to create user accounts and role‐based responsibilities for the users, which library and sub library.

Priority Level: Medium

18. Single app that will incorporate a variety of user interface views, elements, workflows, and reporting for satisfying numerous verification and validation functions.

19. Rich mapping functionality will allow users to dynamically generate a variety of map views (e.g., pins, heat, polygons) from datasets consisting of millions of data points using popular specifications, including GeoJson and Shapefiles.

Priority Level: Low

20. Functionality that should upload image files, tag, and store user‐defined data with the image for fast, image‐only searches. (Like performing an image search using Google).

21. Global news and social media monitoring. Should provide real‐time analysis of news and social media information to infer outages, sentiment, and other topics of interest to the executive leadership.

22. Should provide integration with third‐party Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for bulk consumption of data and rendering dynamic views.

23. Should provide a view and workflows involving multiple users, expose a log on the UI that illustrates relevant actions by the user.

24. The system should be highly extensible for quickly incorporating new functionality as future program requirements are identified.

4.3. Technical Support

The Contractor shall support all required activities leading to the successful implementation of the Data Discovery and Virtualization tool to include data assessments and analysis, data collection, and producing test reports. Contractor support activities will be coordinated with FirstNet Authority personnel.

4.4. Program and Financial Management

The Contractor shall provide monthly program and financial status reports detailing activities, progress, deliverables, and risks to the designated FirstNet Authority personnel. The Contractor shall coordinate, facilitate, and host a monthly Project Management Status call with the designated FirstNet Authority personnel.

5. Contractor Personnel It is the responsibility of the contractor to propose qualified contractor personnel to perform all requirements specified in the SOW.

6. Deliverable Schedule The vendor should deliver all deliverables within XX (XX) days after receipt of order (ARO). A 30‐day test trial should be given by the vendor.

7. Period of Performance TBD ‐ Month, Day, Year ‐ Month, Day, Year

8. Inspection and Acceptance FirstNet will verify acceptance on each deliverable within 30 calendar days from receipt of a given deliverable. The Contractor shall make any needed changes to the reports within 10 calendar days from receipt of electronic or written comments from the TPOC. The TPOC will provide written notification when a deliverable is accepted.

9. Cooperation with Other Contractors The Contractor must fully cooperate with, but not take direction from, the other Contractors and

Government employees. The Contractor shall not knowingly commit any act that will interfere with the performance of work awarded to another Contractor or with the performance of other Government employees.

10. Appendix Definitions:

The FirstNet Authority defines Data Discovery and Virtualization system or service(s) as the ability to have increased data visibility, improved data quality to better informed business decisions. Also, a system such as this would allow for a reduction in costs without reliance of disparate systems. The ability for increased agility to allow for quick data analyzing from a variety of disparate data sources.

Data Movement Topology ‐ multidirectional movement of data across endpoints (such as synchronize, compare‐repair, broadcast, consolidate and peer‐peer) via physical and virtual modes, meeting batch/microbatch/real‐time latency requirements.

Data Virtualization ‐ Executing distributed queries against disparate data sources that are virtually integrated. It requires adapters to data sources, a metadata repository and a distributed query engine that can provide results in various ways (e.g., API, JDBC) for downstream consumption.

Operational Data Integration — Supporting operational/transactional data integration use cases such as master data management (MDM), interenterprise data acquisition and sharing, B2B data sharing, synchronizing data and supporting data governance initiatives. This also includes integrating, consolidating and synchronizing data related to critical business processes.

Data Fabric — Data integration capabilities delivered in support of use cases related to the emerging data fabric design. This includes the ability to enable faster access to trusted data across distributed landscapes by utilizing active metadata, semantics and machine learning (ML) capabilities.

Operational Data Integration – Supporting operational/transactional data integration use cases such as MDM, interenterprise data acquisition and sharing. Integrate, consolidate, and synchronize data related to critical business processes and support data governance initiatives.

Data Governance and Data Quality– Capabilities that support data governance mandates (like data quality and data lineage) while handling data for meeting specific use cases (like MDM and data sharing).

Data Preparation ‐ The usability of DI tools both for data engineers and citizen integrators, and the suitability of data integration tools to support a range of business roles (e.g., citizen integrators, business analysts) for self‐service. The emphasis is on empowering nontechnical staff using various techniques such as low‐code/no‐code data blending and visual exploration.

Priority Level

High – The high level of requirements for the Data Discovery and Virtualization software or service(s) are critical to the success of the FirstNet Authority organization and the overall success of the Verification and Validation program. Components within this priority level must meet the FirstNet Authority strategic goals or objectives.

The project is critical to the FirstNet Authority organization's ability to comply with audit recommendations.

The project is critical to the FirstNet Authority organization's ability to understand the data it owns, protects, and communicates.

The project is critical to the FirstNet Authority organization's ability to make business informed decisions.

The project is critical to the FirstNet Authority organization's ability to improve its efficiency.

The project is critical to the organization's ability to reduce the number of resources and time spent on locating disparate data, identifying correlations, and final adjudications.

Medium – The medium level of requirements Data Discovery and Virtualization software or service(s) are important to the success of the FirstNet Authority organization and the overall success of the Verification and Validation program.

Low – The low level of requirements Data Discovery and Virtualization software or service(s) are not essential to the success of the FirstNet Authority organization and the overall success of the

Verification and Validation program.

The elements in this category would be nice to have allowing for enhanced functionality and information for awareness purposes.