Defense Integrated Financial System (DIFS) Maintenance and Development Support

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL RESPONDENTS Notice Type: Sources Sought Questions Due: 5:00 PM EST, January 6, 2023 Responses to Questions Posted: January 11, 2023 RFI Closes: 5:00 PM EST, January 17, 2023 Introduction: All information contained in this RFI is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is not binding to the Government. The Government will not reimburse vendors for any information submitted in response to this request. The determination of a procurement strategy, based in part upon submissions by interested parties, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Please follow the instructions below for submittal. Instructions for Vendors: Please review and provide responses to the questions outlined below. Responses: Instructions on how to respond are contained in Section E. The responses to this RFI shall address the requirements and related questions in Section B. Section A provides the background on DFAS. DFAS requests a response by 5:00 PM EST on January 17, 2023. BACKGROUND: DFAS is seeking to learn from Industry what cost effective IT Support Services are available to meet DFAS need for IT Maintenance and Development Support of the Defense Integrated Financial System (DIFS). OBJECTIVE: DFAS is seeking Industry responses regarding commercial vendors that are capable of providing specialized application development, testing, and implementation support for DIFS. DFAS is looking for a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Contract to satisfy the various requirements for this project. In carrying out such efforts, primarily the contractor shall: Be responsible for taking requirement documentation and analysis and using that to design, develop, code, test and implement automated solutions in DIFS; following the Agile development methodology and adhering to documentation standards for federal financial systems. Code in COBOL designed for an IBM z/OS mainframe. Code in CICS COBOL designed for an IBM z/OS mainframe. In addition, the contractor may provide any of the following services in support of application development: Assist with software requirements definition Create or modify systems documentation (technical and operational Analysis related to software design, development and test Analysis of software design for compliance and auditability Problem/performance analysis Coordination of technical requirements with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Functional assistance to analysts (functionals) Technical assistance to programmers Risk management Project management Training (technical and operational) Labor Categories / Estimated Hours/ Key Personnel Base Year (12 months) Applications Software Developer or Equivalent Estimated Hours - 1920 # of Resources - 4 Total Hours - 7680 Option Year 1 (12months) - Applications Software Developer or Equivalent Estimated Hours - 1920 # of Resources - 4 Total Hours - 7680 Option Year 2 (12 months) - Applications Software Developer or Equivalent Estimated Hours - 1920 # of Resources - 4 Total Hours - 7680 Contractor support is to take place in one of the following DFAS Sites: Indianapolis, IN or Cleveland, OH. C. INFORMATION REQUESTED We seek Industry feedback and comment on the following questions: Can your company provide a description of the Labor Category your company would use as an equivalency to our description of the Applications Software Developer? Can your company provide pricing for the estimated hours outlined in Section B. Objectives - Labor Categories / Estimated Hours/ Key Personnel for an Applications Software Developer or Equivalent? Can your company provide any recommended structure for task orders or suggestions on the overall business arrangement, including industry practices for acceptance of deliverables, billing and payment? Can your company provide pricing for both three and four application software developer equivalents? Do your application software developer equivalents have CICS COBOL experience? In the event an official solicitation were to be released would your business be willing to submit a quote or proposal? Within your response to this RFI please include recent and relevant contracts (last 3 years), including the contract number, and dollar value for procurements you have offering this service. Please provide any contract vehicles available to the Government for the procurement of these types of services, to include General Service Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), or any other Government Agency contract vehicle. Please include any recommended common industry performance standards. D. SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: This RFI part of our market research activities to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Small Businesses, e.g., General Small Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HUBZone and others interested and capable of performing the work. Please note, we are only interested in communicating with vendors who provide their own Virtual Interpreting Services. Small Businesses are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI. Such responses will be used to assist DFAS in determining whether any small business vendors can provide the services outlined in this RFI request. Also, DFAS seeks to learn the potential levels of competition available in the industry, as well as helping to establish a basis for developing any subsequent potential subcontract plan goal percentages. Small Business firms who have services capable of performing the tasking described in this RFI are encouraged to respond. It should be noted that any resultant contract or task order for supplies (other than procurement from a non-manufacturer of such supplies), the concern shall perform work for at least 50 percent of the cost of manufacturing the supplies, not including the cost of materials. Your supply item (software) requires at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred to be expended for employees of the concern proposing as a prime. Please see FAR Clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting for prescription and complete version of the clause. Responses to this RFI will help shape the government's strategy for this acquisition, as well as any subsequent formalized solicitation. Does your small business provide Application Software Developer or Equivalent Services? If so, please describe it. What NAICS codes apply to Application Software Developer or Equivalent Services? Would you elect to submit to one or more of the following sub-categories; 8a, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business and/or HUBZone? If you would submit as an 8a and/or HUBZone, are you Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified in either or both of these sub-categories? What is your exit date for your certification(s) in 8a and/or HUBZone? E. RESPONSE: Responses to this RFI shall address all items listed in sections B. Objectives and C. RFI Questions and shall not exceed 10 pages. Responses shall be e-mailed as either a PDF or MS Word attachment and must include a cover letter with the institution name, points of contact (address, phone number, and e-mail), DUNS Number and CAGE code. DFAS requests a response by January 17, 2023. DFAS may establish a dialog with vendors who respond if needed to gain a better understanding of their service offerings or capabilities. Please e-mail responses by the date given to the attention of: Charolyn Jackson Email: contact@example.gov Stephanie Smith Email: contact@example.gov F. DISCLAIMER: This is a request for information only. It is not a Request for Proposal, a Request for Quotation, an Invitation for Bids, a solicitation, or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect cost or charges to the Government will arise as a result of a contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government's use of such information. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kind of offers will be considered in response to this RFI. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. At this time, questions concerning the composition and requirements for future RFPs will not be entertained. F. CLAUSES 252.223-7999 Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (Deviation 2021-O0009) (a) Definition. As used in this clause - United States or its outlying areas means (1) The fifty States; (2) The District of Columbia; (3) The commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; (4) The territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands; and (5) The minor outlying islands of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Atoll. (b) Authority. This clause implements Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, dated September 9, 2021 (published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2021, 86 FR 50985). (c) Compliance. The Contractor shall comply with all guidance, including guidance conveyed through Frequently Asked Questions, as amended during the performance of this contract, for contractor or subcontractor workplace locations published by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (Task Force Guidance) at https:/www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/. (d) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (d), in subcontracts at any tier that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 on the date of subcontract award, and are for services, including construction, performed in whole or in part within the United States or its outlying areas. NOTE: 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 sign 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.