Sources Sought-IT Forward Amend 1.docx

Sources Sought – USAID IT Systems and Infrastructure (IT Forward) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking Corporate Capabilities statements from interested vendors that have been awarded the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Information Technology (IT) Schedule 70.

The purpose of this request is to conduct market research to determine the interest, availability, and capabilities of firms under the GSA IT Schedule 70 to procure services and products related to the Agency’s IT Systems and Infrastructure. This request does not constitute a Request for Quotation (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFQ. This request does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service.

Based on USAID’s review of each vendor’s submitted Corporate Capabilities statement against the requirements outlined in Section 4.0 of this notice, USAID may select the most highly qualified vendors to issue an RFQ for purposes of establishing multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).

USAID is not at this time seeking proposals – only Corporate Capabilities statements should be submitted. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay any cost incurred in response to this request. All costs associated with responding to this request will be solely at the interested party’s expense. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned. Therefore, all items that are confidential to business, or contain trade secrets, proprietary, or personnel information must be clearly marked.

The information provided in this Sources Sought notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All capabilities statements sent in response to this Sources Sought notice must be submitted via e-mail to Joseph Witzgall at JWitzgall@usaid.gov no later than 11:00am EST, April 12, 2011.

The subject line of the email must include: 1) sources sought number, 2) “Capability Statement”, and 3) the name of the submitting vendor. The body of the email must include: 1) Company name and GSA IT Schedule 70 contract number, 2) name, phone number, and email address for the vendor’s single point of contact, 3) vendor’s mailing address, and 4) brief summary of the email’s content, including attached file names and description.

The total page count of all files submitted shall not exceed 20 pages in length. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

1.0 BACKGROUND

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has embarked on an ambitious reform effort, USAID FORWARD, to change the way the Agency does business—with new partnerships, an emphasis on innovation and a relentless focus on results. It gives USAID the opportunity to transform its agency and unleash its full potential to achieve high-impact development. Announced by USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID FORWARD is critical to achieving President Obama’s vision of the United States as the global leader in international development. This initiative is an early outcome of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) led by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and will help modernize and strengthen USAID so that it can meet the most pressing development challenges and work more efficiently towards its ultimate goal—creating the conditions where its work is no longer needed.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plays an essential role in United States (U.S.) foreign policy. USAID represents the U.S. abroad by working to establish a self-sustaining and continually improving living environment and to fairly and equitably distribute humanitarian assistance to those nations working to recover from disaster, escape poverty, or engage in democratic reforms. USAID also serves the interests of the U.S. and host nations by providing assistance in agriculture, democracy and governance, economic growth, the environment, education, health, global partnerships, and humanitarian aid. USAID operates in more than 80 countries, working to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives.

USAID relies heavily on the availability of Information Technology (IT) systems and infrastructure to serve nations around the globe. The Management Bureau Office of the Chief Information Officer (M/OCIO) delivers the necessary tools to enable individuals at headquarters and in the field to focus on completing the USAID mission. The M/OCIO is responsible for providing IT systems and infrastructure to our Agency customers.

Today, the USAID worldwide network supports approximately 11,000 network users in 90 locations around the world. Approximately 3,000 users are stationed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with the largest number in the USAID headquarters Ronald Reagan Building (RRB) in Washington, D.C. The Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) links six sites with network users, and a seventh location/MAN node will soon be added to the environment. The remaining 8,000 network users are located in 90 missions throughout the developing world. The smallest mission may consist of a few users, while the largest USAID missions have several hundred network users on-site. At each of the 90 sites, a Local Area Network (LAN) is installed to support the local users. All missions connect back through Washington via the Wide Area Network (WAN). Also, VPN connections are in place between many missions to enable direct access for applications and file sharing. Redundant paths are in place between each mission and Washington, DC to ensure this critical connectivity remains available at all times. In Washington, redundancy on the MAN is in place and critical. The network is supported by Cisco switches and routers. A strong security perimeter is maintained, with Juniper firewalls and Blue Coat network devices installed in all locations.

Microsoft Active Directory authenticates AIDNET users via a regional domain structure consisting of 5 primary domains. Microsoft Exchange is used for corporate email, with all email routing back through Washington. Microsoft Windows is the primary desktop and server operating system environment at USAID, with some UNIX server implementations to support applications/databases. All missions have some servers installed locally to support network login/authentication, email, file storage, print services, and software distribution services. Most missions have at least one server supporting corporate applications and data. These devices are all considered “core equipment” funded by the OCIO office. Missions may operate locally funded servers to support unique mission applications. Each mission has an on-site, local IT team to support the LAN and mission end users. Some of the core network devices installed in the missions (core router, switch, firewall) are managed centrally by OCIO in Washington. The server environment is managed locally by the mission IT team, following standards issued by OCIO. Management of core servers, the AD and Exchange environments, is centralized under the OCIO team.

In Washington, there are approximately 400 servers installed in the USAID Telecommunications and Computer Operations Center (TCOC) in the (RRB). There is a current effort to migrate these standalone servers to a virtual environment, using VMWare ESX and the OCIO is currently relocating the TCOC.

The OCIO currently supports a portfolio of approximately 40 business applications that provide support for Agency administrative, budget, CRM, financial, human resources, knowledge management, and procurement functions. These include a mix of primarily web-based packaged (COTS/GOTS) and custom-developed .NET and Java EE applications utilizing MS SQL Server or Oracle databases. Integrations exist between several of the applications utilizing web services, WebMethods messaging and Informatica PowerCenter ETL tools. The user base per application ranges from a couple of thousand users across the enterprise to less than 5 users in a particular business unit.

USAID is actively leveraging new technologies and innovation to continue to advance from the environment described above to a more cost effective, secure, mobile computing environment that will increase data access capabilities and improve communications throughout the Agency and with external development partners.

Examples of current initiatives and innovations in the OCIO include:

a. Google Applications

b. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

c. Wireless Networking

d. Mobile Applications

2.0 OBJECTIVE

USAID’s objective for this program is to leverage innovation in IT Systems and Infrastructure to advance its mission worldwide. M/OCIO must ensure existing infrastructure and systems are maintained and continue to operate effectively in parallel to the design/engineering and deployment of future systems and infrastructure that will support the USAID Forward goals and approach to bringing forth a more dynamic, collaborative, and innovative model for delivering international aid. The OCIO is building an environment that will allow access to services and data through device agnostic solutions across multiple heterogeneous networks from any location worldwide.

Critical success factors include:

a. Cost reduction

b. Increased Performance

c. Flexibility and Scalability

3.0 SCOPE

The scope of this potential contract vehicle is expected to encompass the following activities related to the Operations and Maintenance (Steady State) and the Design, Modernization, and Enhancement (DME) of USAID’s IT Systems and Infrastructure:

· Telecommunications infrastructure (e.g. data, voice, LAN/WAN/MAN, satellite support, cable)

· Network management

· Classified Network Management

· COMSEC

· Internet, Intranet, & Extranet Data services

· Logistics and Asset Management

· Infrastructure Deployment

· Desktop Support

· Computer Room and Operations Center

· Video and multimedia

· Integration and deployment of COTS products

· Software as a Service (SaaS)

· Application development and maintenance

· Software application support (including software distribution and deployment)

· Application integration services

· Data Management (including administration and creation of databases)

· Office automation tool suites

· Enterprise reporting and business intelligence

Cross-Cutting Activities

· Cloud Computing

· Mobile Computing

· Virtualization

· Knowledge Management

· Collaboration Management

· Disaster Recovery

· Capacity Planning

· Security Operations/Engineering/FISMA Compliance

· Problem/Incident Management

· Configuration Management

· Change Management

· Testing/Quality Management (Including Stress and Performance Testing)

· Help Desk support

· Lab Management

· Mission Assessments (IT Technical Consulting)

· Hardware/Software/Technical Expertise Procurement

· Service Level Agreement (SLA) tracking

· 508 Compliance

· IT Governance Compliance

4.0 VENDOR CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Interested firms holding the GSA FSS IT Schedule 70 must submit Capability Statements describing their firm’s demonstrated corporate capabilities and experiences in the following areas:

1. Provide a summary of demonstrated, relevant capabilities in operating and maintaining IT Systems and Infrastructure in global and international environments, including challenging and unstable environments (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan).

2. Provide a summary of demonstrated, relevant capabilities in the Design, Modernization, and Enhancement of IT Systems and Infrastructure in global and international environments, including challenging and unstable environments (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan).

3. Provide demonstrated capabilities in providing or procuring publically available, cost effective cloud infrastructure, including demonstrated performance migrating organizations in full or part to a cloud-based solution; design of internal/external clouds; demonstrated capabilities in secured virtual desktop solutions.

4. Provide demonstrated capabilities in managing data and business services across multiple heterogeneous networks.

5. Provide demonstrated capabilities in mobile and wireless communications.

6. Provide demonstrated capabilities in Enterprise collaboration.

7. Provide a summary of the firm’s demonstrated capability mobilizing IT solutions immediately for disaster response internationally.

8. Provide a summary of the firm’s demonstrated ability to understand and work within the constraints of the international business and legislative environment that impacts the ability to deliver business services and data.

9. Provide at least two past performances in the last three years where the firm enabled cost reductions in overall IT systems and infrastructure for its clients.