Request for Information (RFI) for

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

Communications Section, Fort Monmouth, NJ

IPv6 Standard Support

 

Contracting Office Address:

Defense Information Systems Agency, DITCO-Scott PL8313, P.O. 2300 East Drive, Bldg 3600, Scott AFB, IL, 62225-5406

Description:

PURPOSE:  The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), GE3313 Communications Section, Fort Monmouth, NJ is conducting this RFI as market research to determine sources with competencies to promote IPv6 standards work by supporting the IPv6 Standard Support task.  The support being identified will be provided to a subordinate DISA organization, GE 3313 Communications Section, located at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.  The Interface Standards Division and its Branch (GE331) are a part of the DISA Systems Engineering Center (GE3).  The Systems Engineering Center's principal mission and functions center on providing architecture, systems engineering, IT Standards, modeling and simulation analysis, and Global Information Grid (GIG) enterprise engineering for DISA programs and its customers.

The objective of this effort is to obtain contractor support specifically for the Communications Section (GE3313) mission to maintain a library of commercial standards for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) in the Defense Information Technology Standards Registry (DISR) and the publication of the annual update of the Department of Defense Standard Profiles for IPv6 Capable Products.  The Department of Defense has moved away from the use of Military Standards to commercial standards based acquisitions. However, commercial standards often lack the support for DOD's critical and essential requirements. For this reason, it is of critical importance to influence the development of commercial standards, so that DOD unique and essential requirements are incorporated in selected commercial standards. This requires research to develop technical proposals for commercial standards organizations. The commercial standard organization of interest to this task is the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR REIMBURSE ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS RFI.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Whatever information is provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process for IPv6 Standards Support contracts.  In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

This RFI is a request for interested parties to describe their technical capabilities and demonstrated experience with support for IPv6 Standards Support.  All interested contractors are requested to provide written response to the tasks identified below.  A response to this RFI is necessary in order to assist DISA in determining the potential levels of interest, adequate competition, and technical capability within the Small Business Community to provide the required services.  In addition, this information will also be used to assist DISA in establishing a basis for developing any subsequent potential subcontract/small business participation plan and/or small business goal percentages.

Sources Sought:

This Sources Sought Synopsis is requesting responses to the following criteria from small businesses that can provide the required services under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541712.  In addition to Small Businesses, this Synopsis is encouraging responses from qualified and capable Service Disabled-Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Women-owned Small Businesses, HUBZone Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Small Businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, Small Business Joint Ventures, Consortiums and Teaming Partners.  This Sources Sought Synopsis is issued to assist the agency in performing market research to determine whether or not there are two or more qualified and capable Small Businesses to provide the aforementioned service.

Please note that personnel with current DoD Secret clearances (minimum) and specified personnel with current DoD Top Secret clearance will be required at contract award.  Responses must demonstrate the company's ability to perform in accordance with the Limitations on Subcontracting clause (FAR 52.219-14).  Interested small businesses meeting the small business standard of NAICS code 541712 are requested to submit a response to the Contracting Officer within 7 calendar days of issuance of this RFI.  Late responses will not be considered.  Responses should provide the business's DUNS number and CAGE code and include a statement of self certification under the NAICS code.  Additionally, responses should include recent (within the past three years or work that is on-going) and relevant experience (work similar in type, scope, and complexity) to include contract numbers, project titles, dollar amounts, and points of contact with telephone numbers where the responder performed the relevant work.  Provide a list of the current contract vehicles your services may be procured from, to include the General Service Administration (GSA), Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) and any other government contract vehicle.  Marketing brochures and/or generic company literature will not be considered.  Not addressing all the requested information may result in the Government determining the responder is not capable of performing the scope of work required.

Requested Information:

Interested vendors are requested to submit a maximum 15 page statement of their knowledge and capabilities to perform the following:

1. Analyze the technical issues related to DoD's critical and essential requirements for IPv6 and propose technical solutions for the requirements.
   
   
2. Prepare internal documentation to include problem statements, the requirements, and technical solutions for the requirements, memoranda, white papers and reports intended for government use and standards information for inclusion in the Defense Information Technology Standards Registry (DISR) database; prepare external contributions to include review and comment on Internet-Drafts circulating in various IETF Working Groups, discussion on the mailing lists of those groups, authorship/co-authorship of Internet-Drafts submitted to the IETF and papers submitted to other conferences and symposia
   
   
3. Assist DISA in preparing the annual update of the DoD IPv6 Standard Profiles for IPv6 Capable Products document with approved DoD changes to the IPv6 capable requirements.  The contractor shall coordinate changes with DISR IPv6 TWG members and industry representatives.  This includes the following: reviewing comments; providing recommended resolutions; adjudicating changes with the DISR IPv6 TWG; and preparing two draft updates and the final document.
   
   
4. Support the GTL in conducting three DISA IPv6 Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings. Prior to each meeting the contractor shall assist the GTL in preparing the meeting agenda, briefing materials and background analysis supporting the agenda topics.  At these meetings, the contractor shall assist GTL in presenting and evaluating technical issues related to IPv6 standards selection, DoD IPv6 solutions/requirements, and IPv6 test data. After each meeting, the contractor shall prepare a meeting report, which covers major outcomes of the meeting and actions taken.

1. The contractor shall participate in three annual IETF commercial standards meetings. The specific working group (WG) activities of IETF include but are not limited to the following: IPv6 Maintenance WG, IPv6 Operations WG, Mobility Extensions (MEXT) WG, Behavior Avoidance for Hindrance Avoidance (BEHAVE) WG, and other IETF IPv6 related WG.  At IETF commercial standard meetings, the contractor shall assist the GTL in presenting and defending the contributions and participating in technical discussions. After each meeting, the contractor shall prepare a meeting report, which covers major outcomes of the IETF meeting.
   
   
2. As need arises, provide subject matter expertise on IPv6 interoperability and security issues, including liaison with other DoD and US Government agencies responsible for IPv6 transition, including but not limited to:  the DISA Joint Interoperability Testing Command (JITC), the Unified Capabilities Requirements activity, the DoD IPv6 Transition Office (DITO) and other DISA areas; the DISR Security Information Assurance and Cryptography (SIAC) TWG; the National Security Agency (NSA); National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST); the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense - Networks and Information Integration (ASD-NII); and the various clients of DISA including the Services.

Responses:

The responses should be in a white paper format, no longer than fifteen (15) pages in length and add one (1) appendix that consists of at least two past performances to include Government points of contact describing the vendor's capabilities. 

Firms who wish to respond to this should send responses via email NLT 12 November 2009 at 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  The response should not exceed a 5 MB e-mail limit for all items associated with the RFI response.  The responses should be sent to Ralph Liguori at [email protected].

Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials.  All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly.  Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.  All government and contractor personal reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 423.  The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.