Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) HQ Joint Training Team (JTT) Request for Information (RFI), 6 September 2016

NOTE: The purpose of this notice is to conduct market research in order to 1) refine the Government's requirement and 2) identify potential sources possessing the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet the AF's stated requirement. This is a request for information ONLY; full proposals received as a result of this notice WILL NOT be accepted. Submitted information will be used for planning purposes only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement contract will be issued. No entitlement to payment by the Government of direct costs or charges will arise as a result of information provided. The Government shall not be liable or suffer consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with applicable Government regulations. BACKGROUND: The Government acquisition process has been described as long, arduous, and confusing. Additionally, due to past funding/hiring limitations, many Government acquisitions are being conducted by Contracting Officers (COs) and Project Engineers (PEs) with limited acquisition process and business experience. In the research and development (R&D) area, it can be difficult for the junior workforce to find useful "how-to" acquisition information. Most formal acquisition training addresses non-R&D services, supplies, or major weapon systems, and the R&D-specific acquisition training available is rooted in policy versus process. The lack of acquisition experience coupled with inadequate process knowledge can result in substantial rework and longer acquisition lead times, with potential for delayed award dates. In the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics' (USD(AT&L)) 2012 Better Buying Power 1.0 memo, one of the identified fundamental acquisition principles is "Improve the Professionalism of the Total Acquisition Workforce". To this end, a multi-functional HQ AFRL group has teamed to create a laboratory-specific acquisition training and process navigation tool. The team identified six main acquisition phases, the major products resulting from each, and their individual elements. Training modules are in development by the appropriate AFRL functionals. To combine the modules into a seamless educational experience, various presentation approaches have been considered. The ideal approach would be an innovative, interactive user experience catering to AFRL R&D acquisition newcomers, while accommodating the more experienced workforce. The group hopes to employ a spectrum of inventive presentation techniques, while ensuring appropriate interfaces with existing Air Force IT systems. The intended end product is an interactive, effective acquisition guidance tool accessible to all laboratory employees but tailorable to the individual's experience/knowledge levels. The tool would be employed by all AFRL personnel involved in the acquisition process, including but not limited to, Contracting, Finance, Logistics, Plans and Programs, Legal, Small Business, and Project Engineers. OBJECTIVE: The Government seeks input from companies engaged in learning solutions, combining the acquisition content and information to be provided by the AFRL subject matter experts with the companies' education / motivation / visualization / presentation capabilities into a notional end product. In providing ideas to the Government, respondents must consider the information in the "SPECIFICATIONS" section below, within which the end product must operate. SPECIFICATIONS: The notional end product shall be hosted and execute fully to its planned level of capability within the constraints of the Air Force Network (AFNET). From a technical perspective, the notional end product must execute within the latest internet browser included with the Air Force Standard Desktop Configuration (SDC) v5.2, which is currently Internet Explorer 11, without any additional plugins required or software installed on the client device. The notional end product will be hosted within OpenText's Content Server v10.5 which is currently supporting HTML 5.0, CCS, Ajax, jQuery, JSON, JavaScript, and Angular. SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Companies are invited to submit white papers, not to exceed five (5) pages, reflecting their ideas for and capability in meeting the above requirement. Information submitted should be pertinent and specific to the need outlined above, based on each of the following areas: 1) Functional Description - Describe how the end user would interact with the notional end product, including any unique or novel features. 2) Technical Description -Outline technologies to be leveraged to create the notional end product, including version numbers as appropriate. 3) Experience - Provide an outline of relevant projects, including any Air Force or other Department of Defense projects previously or currently being performed. If possible, include the Government customer's name, office symbol, email address, phone number and a brief description of the project's application. 4) Facilities/Equipment - Provide availability of and describe special facilities or equipment needed to perform the notional project. Also, if performance for another project took or is taking place on a Government installation, identify the location, if possible. 5) Other - Provide any other information specifically applying to this area that will enhance the Government's understanding of the interest and capabilities of the company. Security classification for the program is anticipated to be Unclassified. The North American Classification System (NAICS) codes for this announcement are 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, and 611430, Professional and Management Development Training. In the submission, include the company's name and address; point of contact, including telephone number and email address; and business size, i.e., large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), woman-owned, economically disadvantaged woman-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or HUBZone. Electronic submissions are due no later than 3:00 p.m. EST, 6 October 2016, to the following AFRL individuals: Mr. Chad Pfoutz, chadwick.pfoutz.1@us.af.mil Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil QUESTIONS: Address contractual questions to Ms. Kris Croake, Contracting Point of Contact, AFRL/PK, at (937) 255-2230, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. Address technical questions to Mr. Chad Pfoutz, Technical Point of Contact, AFRL/RCB, at (937) 656-6294, chadwick.pfoutz.1@us.af.mil.