Composition System Replacement

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for market research, budgetary and planning purposes only! The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) is establishing a composition system designed to replace its current composition system. The existing system is focused around a legacy batch composition engine, Microcomp. Microcomp is a composition program that specifically addresses key challenges in the production of Congressional publications. An estimated 700 related applications and utilities have been developed over the years to sustain and enhance Microcomp in order to support the evolving needs of GPO's Congressional customers, in-house print and electronic access. Microcomp is currently used to compose the majority of Congressional documents produced by GPO as well as key Executive agency publications. These products are printed and disseminated electronically by GPO. The opportunity expressed in this RFI is referred to as the Composition System Replacement (CSR) and is envisioned as a replacement to and improvement of the current functionality provided by Microcomp. The envisioned CSR system will be aligned with GPO's Strategic Vision for the 21st Century and the agency's Enterprise Architecture (EA). It will also integrate with evolving enterprise architecture in order to automate many content lifecycle processes, back office functions, and delivery of the content in formats suited to the needs of GPO customers. The system will be rules based to facilitate the migration of content into future data tagging schemes/technologies, while utilizing industry best practices. CSR must use the typographic style and page layout of current printed publications as well as support enhanced search, retrieval, data formats, and repurposing of data. GPO is requesting industry assessment of our documentation as well as information to determine the capabilities of vendors to provide some or all of the services required for CSR, including master integrator and individual solution sets. This information will be used to revise, if necessary, our Requirements and Concept documentation, Implementation Plan and Acquisition Strategy in order to deliver a world-class composition system. Background GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all its forms. Since its inception, under the authority of Title 44 of the U.S. Code, GPO has provided all three branches of the federal government with a set of centralized services that enables them to efficiently and cost effectively produce both printed and electronic documents. GPO has offered these publications for sale to the public and made them widely available for no fee public access through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP has also served the purpose of providing permanent public access to government publications. Microcomp is currently used to compose the majority of Congressional documents and select Federal agency publications that are printed and disseminated electronically by GPO. Microcomp was originally designed to compose data files with typesetting-specific codes called Locators. Locator codes are tied to external format files that specify style attributes to be applied to segments of content. CSR will count among its user classes over 200 content creators working in all branches of the government and over 100 Government composition operators. Opportunity GPO is seeking to identify a vendor(s) that can provide integration services or Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and custom solution sets to support the development of CSR. The ultimate objective for the program will be to integrate and deliver a fully functional system to meet the requirements as defined in the CSR documentation. Contractor responsibilities may include: ? Development of integration software to implement CSR in conformance with GPO system development methodologies; ? Development of custom solutions for functionality that cannot be met through COTS tools. ? Assisting in the selection of COTS technology components for CSR. ? Acquisition of additional IT and network products with sufficient capacity to meet the CSR's load performance, security, legacy conversion/migration, configuration management and reliability specifications; ? Assisting GPO in testing the system; ? Training the user community; ? Providing short and/or long-term support for the system once operational. ? Providing necessary plans and participate in GPO reviews Informational Meeting (Industry Day) On 6 May 2008 from 8:30 AM until 12:30 PM (prior to the release of any formal request for proposal), GPO will be conducting an informational meeting (Industry Day) at its headquarters in Washington, DC. The meeting is open to any interested vendor who has products or services that are in direct support of the requirements identified for the CSR. Space for the event is limited to 80 people and pre-registration is required. Vendors are allowed no more than two (2) representatives total for an entire company and GPO reserves the right to reduce that number to one (1) in order to mitigate overcrowding. Individual divisions or groups of a single company are considered a single parent company. It is strongly recommended that at least one (1) of the participants be from one of the vendor's technical division(s). All wishing to participate in Industry Day must pre-register by providing the names of attendees and indication of interest via email to pmo@gpo.gov (subject heading - CSR Industry Day Pre-registration) no later than 12:00 (noon) eastern time on 29 April 2008. The session will be open to only those vendors who have pre-registered. NOTE: Accessibility for persons with a disability is provided, but must be noted in the pre-registration email. Please include the type of accommodation required in the email. Vendors are also encouraged to submit questions about CSR to GPO prior to Industry Day. These questions will be addressed by GPO personnel at Industry Day. All questions must be submitted in writing via email to pmo@gpo.gov (subject heading - CSR Industry Day Questions) no later than 12:00 (noon) eastern time on 29 April 2008. Background Material Additional background material is available through the Program Management Office website (http://www.gpo.gov/compsys.htm). It is strongly encouraged that all attendees be familiar with the following documents: ? CSR Concept of Operations V 1.1 (PDF) - The document which provides a high-level conceptual vision of CSR. ? CSR Requirements Document V 1.0 (PDF) - The document which identifies the requirements for the CSR. ? CSR Preliminary Requirements Document Supplement (PDF) - The document which illustrates specific requirements through graphic examples. Requested Information: Vendors should furnish the following information to GPO: 1. Capability statement 2. Requirements matrix 3. White Paper: Comments on CSR Documentation (RD, ConOps, etc.) Capability Statement: Keeping GPO's goals in mind please outline how your organization would perform the services of an integrator or how your organization's products and/or technology map to a solution set. Vendors are hereby requested to submit a capability statement (10 pages or less and no marketing material) that addresses their ability to deliver the required products and/or services to develop and implement CSR. Vendors who are interested in specific solution sets must submit a capability statement that addresses specific solution sets. Vendors may submit separate statements for both integrator and solution sets. Please also list company points of contact and GSA Schedule number (if applicable). Requirements Matrix: GPO has created a requirements matrix that will allow the opportunity for vendors to show how their solution sets meet specific CSR requirements. This Excel spreadsheet has been included as a separate attachment to this RFI. Vendors should complete this spreadsheet as completely as possible. White Paper: Comments on CSR Documentation: (RD, ConOps, etc.) Vendors should submit a separate document (20 pages or less) that summarizes the vendor's comments on the various documentation provided by GPO on CSR. Vendors should identify any gaps in the documentation and approach, including areas requiring further technology development or solutions, missing or ambiguous requirements, and any other general comments or concerns. Feedback in the white paper should also include specific comments and suggestions for refining the documents to reflect clear guidance to industry and industry best practices. Capability statements, Requirements Matrices, and Comments on CSR Documentation must be submitted in a singular email by noon on 23 May 2008, to pmo@gpo.gov (subject heading - CSR Industry Day RFI Response: YOUR COMPANY NAME). Faxed copies are not acceptable. Questions (post-industry day) Questions regarding capability statements, white papers and other documentation must be submitted to pmo@gpo.gov (subject heading - CSR Industry Day RFI Question: YOUR COMPANY NAME). Faxed copies are not acceptable. Questions must be submitted to GPO by 13 May 2008. NOTICE: This announcement is a request for information only and does not obligate the GPO in any way. This is not a request for proposal and the GPO will not pay for any information submitted or for any expenses associated with providing information. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. Material submitted will be deemed proprietary to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations if so marked by the respondent. Original Point of Contact Arza E. Gardner, Director, Complex Acquisitions and Special Projects U.S. Government Printing Office, Acquisition Services Division, 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Room A340, Washington, DC 20401 Place of Performance Location: Government Facility, U.S. Government Printing Office Address: 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Carl Hayden Room, Washington, DC 20401