SSA Independent Verification and Validation Services for IT Information Security

Added: May 05, 2012 10:24 am The Social Security Administration (SSA) intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the competitive acquisition of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) support services for the Agency's Information Technology (IT) Information Assurance program. The Agency requires IV&V services under four functional areas that support the Agency's information security, including security assessments; penetration tests; development of information assurance policies and procedures; and risk management framework support. The Agency requires these services principally at its headquarters in Baltimore, MD; however, 25-percent of the work performed may include travel to major cities located throughout the United States.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directs executive agencies to assess and authorize its major information systems through IV&V pursuant to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-37 rev. 1 (February 2010), Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems. The Agency presently has 22 systems that it considers as major and having significant influence on our mission. The Agency utilizes Contractor support to insure compliance with Federal rules and regulations, including Federal Information Systems Management Act (FISMA) and NIST 800-series guidance, and to follow industry best practices for information security.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) accepted the Agency's offer to conduct this anticipated acquisition under the 8(a) Small Business Development Program exclusively as an 8(a) competition. We anticipate conducting a competition amongst 8(a) firms pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.2, Full and Open Competition After Exclusion of Sources, and Subpart 19.8, Contracting with the Small Business Administration (the 8(a) Program). Our intent is to award a single Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quality (ID/IQ)-type contract with firm-fixed price (FFP), and FFP level-of-effort term (FFP LOE) elements, from this competition. Furthermore, we anticipate an ordering period, from September 29, 2012 through September 28, 2017. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541519, Other Computer Related Services, with a size standard of $25 million.

The applicable FAR references that we believe will govern this proposed acquisition include FAR Part 12, acquisition of commercial items; Part 15, contract by negotiation; Subpart 16.5, Indefinite-Delivery contracts; Subpart 17.2, options as a special contracting method; and under the authority of FAR Part 19.8, Contracting with the SBA.

We intend to issue a solicitation for these services under RFP Number SSA-RFP-12-1036 within approximately one week from the issuance of this notice. Interested parties must respond to the RFP in order for the Agency to consider them for any resultant contract. Once available, the Agency will make the RFP and any related documents for this procurement available to interested parties through electronic media for downloading via the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOps) website, located at http://www.fbo.gov. THE AGENCY WILL NEITHER MAKE HARD COPIES OF THE RFP AVAILABLE, NOR ACCEPT ANY TELEPHONE CALLS IN REFERENCE TO THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE.