Department of Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Federally Funded Research and Development Center

1. This notice is the third of three Notices made pursuant to FAR 5.205(b) indicating The Department of Homeland Security's intent to continue to sponsor a studies and analysis Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). The typical role of the proposed FFRDC is to help DHS address its most critical issues by providing independent and objective analyses for strategic resource & support planning particularly in those areas that cut across multiple operating components of the Department, operational assessments including operational test & evaluation support, systems evaluations to include development of measurable performance metrics, and technology evaluations. 2. By The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (PL 107-296, as amended) Section 305, Congress authorized DHS to establish one or more FFRDCs to assist DHS in formulating and addressing important homeland security issues, particularly those where scientific, technical, and analytical expertise is involved. 3. DHS will be the ultimate sponsor of this studies and analyses FFRDC; however, the Science and Technology Directorate (DHS (S&T)) should be viewed as its primary sponsor. In general, the DHS (S&T) will provide technical quality, business, financial and contractual oversight. The studies and analysis FFRDC shall conduct its business in a manner befitting its special relationship with the Government; i.e., to operate with objectivity and be free from conflicts-of-interest, to fully disclose its affairs to its sponsors, and to serve the unique needs of its sponsors, while holding its full confidence and trust. Any subsidiary relationship the studies and analysis FFRDC may have with a parent organization or consortia of organizations must demonstrate and maintain strict safeguards from conflicts of interest with such parent organizations. Work performed by the studies and analysis FFRDC for non-DHS customers may be performed only with the explicit permission of DHS (S&T). 4. The studies and analysis FFRDC Contractor shall provide all required and necessary space, equipment, support and technical personnel (except that as may be Government furnished) to establish, set up and manage the studies and analysis FFRDC. Performance of the studies and analysis FFRDC management function required under the contract will take place in the Washington DC metropolitan areas, with the exception of assignees to field operations. 5. The work to be performed under this contract will involve access to, handling of, and generation of classified information up to, and including, Top Secret and sensitive compartmented information (SCI). 6. The Contractor shall provide a wide range of functions, including: ? Provide independent analysis about the Nation's vulnerabilities and the effectiveness of systems deployed to make the Nation safer; ? Provide intra-departmental and inter-agency cross-cutting, risk-informed analysis of alternative resource approaches; ? Develop and deploy analytical tools and techniques to evaluate system alternatives (e.g., policy-operations-technology tradeoffs, etc.), and life-cycle costs that have broad application across the Department; ? Development of measurable performance metrics, models, and simulations for determining progress in securing the homeland; ? Provide independent and objective operational test and evaluation analysis support for major acquisition programs; ? Develop recommendations for guidance on the best practices for standards, particularly to improve the inter-operability of first responders; ? Assessments of technologies and evaluations of technology test-beds for accurate simulation of operational conditions; ? Support critical thinking about the DHS enterprise and develop analytic tools that can be applied consistently across Department programs; ? Support institutional memory through changes in leadership and organizational structure likely in the standing up of a new Department; ? Support system of systems integration that contribute to a larger DHS intra-agency and inter-agency enterprise as well as collaboration with state, local tribal governments, the business sector (for-profit and not-for-profits), academia and the public; ? Provide independent development evaluation and audit support for major programs, including: performance metrics, evaluation criteria, product quality assurance/control, development verification and validation studies at the system and system-of-system level; ? Provide recommendations for standards for top-level Homeland Security systems requirements and performance metrics best practices for an integrated DHS approach to systems solutions; ? Understand key homeland security organizations and their specific role and major acquisition requirements. The intent of the studies and analysis FFRDC is to provide long-term, independent and objective advice to the government, using technical talent that is generally not available inside the government. The studies and analysis FFRDC will provide support to all major DHS components in an integrative and cross-cutting manner, with other DHS FFRDCs, so that over time DHS's FFRDCs will provide greater synergy, best practices, and lessons learned in relevant areas. The studies and analysis FFRDC will operate in a manner that is free of real and perceived conflicts of interest through the rigorous application of corporate firewalls and personnel conflict of interest and non-disclosure agreements approved by the DHS. Corporate entities that operate the DHS National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures center (NBACC) or receive an award to operate the proposed DHS FFRDC for system engineering and development institute (SEDI) shall not be eligible to operate the studies and analysis FFRDC, so that the DHS FFRDCs may be used to provide independent and objective cross validation as necessary. 7. This studies and analysis FFRDC contract has an anticipated award date on or about December 2008. It is anticipated that the studies and analysis FFRDC will be provided approximately $10M in annual "core" funding but will subsist primarily on task orders from the major DHS operating components. The annual - core funding shall be used to develop an annual research plan to address the most critical issues of the Department --particularly those efforts that require a cross-cutting approach to understand issues and formulate solutions. The studies and analysis FFRDC workload is anticipated not to exceed 200 Staff-years of technical effort (STE) annually. 8. DHS requests comments on this Notice of Intent to Sponsor a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for Studies and Analysis. Any comments should be submitted electronically to s&a_ffrdc@hq.dhs.gov. Comments must be received on or before September 11, 2008.