DTIC IAC Efficiency Initiatives Study

The 55th Contracting Squadron, Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Flight at Offutt AFB, NE intends to enter into a sole source award with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 1800 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006 under the authority of 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 to conduct an efficiency initiatives study of the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Information Analysis Centers (IACs) to identify steps the IACs, and potentially, DTIC as a whole, should take to support DoD efficiency initiatives. CSIS is a large, nonprofit organization. The study will conduct research by obtaining inputs from DTIC, DoD leadership, and customers in order to make recommendations to DTIC on optimal, cost effective and feasible approaches for implementing guidance issued by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD AT&L) on 14 September 2010, which set forth 23 initiatives for increasing efficiency in DoD acquisitions. DTIC serves the DoD community as the largest central resource for DoD and government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today. IACs (http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/iac/) are research and analysis organizations established by the DoD and operated by DTIC, to help researchers, engineers, scientists and program managers utilize existing Scientific and Technical Information (STI) to solve their most difficult challenges. Specifically, IACs improve productivity of researchers, engineers, and program managers in the defense research, development, and acquisition communities by collecting, analyzing, synthesizing, and disseminating worldwide STI in clearly defined, specialized fields or subject areas. IACs were established and are guided by DoD Directive 3200.12 and DODINST 3200.14. DTIC operates under the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) which sets policy for the IACs. To accomplish the objectives above, IACs establish and maintain comprehensive knowledge bases that include historical, technical, scientific, and other data and information collected worldwide. IACs also work directly with customers on Technical Area Tasks (TATs), which yield new STI; this is added to one or more of the ten IACs, based on its technical focus. Customers who use the IAC program are able to save federal dollars by not duplicating work that's already been performed across a broad spectrum of products and services. Services currently offered by the IACs range from basic Q&A to in-depth technical activities known as TATs. There are currently ten IACs managed by DTIC; all are operated and hosted under separate contracts by industry or academic institutions. Over the past several years, the IAC customer base has expanded exponentially, as the IACs have leveraged collective knowledge and skills to support their customers' growing needs. In addition to DoD, IAC customers include other federal agencies with an interest in national security issues, such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services and agencies throughout the intelligence community. In May, 2010, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates expressed a goal of achieving DoD-wide savings through efficiency initiatives. He expressed his intent to provide the equivalent of 2-3% real growth through these cost savings and outlined eight initiatives for immediate action. In September 2010, Dr. Ashton Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (USD (AT&L)), issued a memo to defense acquisition professionals providing detailed guidance for 23 principal actions to implement these DoD Efficiency Initiatives. Each DoD component must develop a plan to incorporate and implement these goals and steps. DoD leadership expects organizations to conduct careful oversight, make necessary adjustments and highlight issues or concerns. DTIC and the IACs have echoed these goals in the DTIC Strategic Plan. The IAC Program Office has identified a need to support these initiatives by taking steps to re-evaluate and streamline the IACs' missions, functions, resource pool and customer base. The DTIC IACs' mission is to improve the productivity of DoD researchers, engineers and program managers by collecting, analyzing, synthesizing, and disseminating worldwide scientific and technical information in clearly defined, specialized fields or subject areas. Because DTIC's mission has broad-ranging strategic and tactical impacts across DoD, and because the agency has such a large customer base, the challenge to implement efficiencies without adversely impacting DoD's mission is especially complex. The aforementioned sole source award to CSIS is intended to help the IAC Program Management Office (PMO) contribute to these goals. Specifically, this requirement is for services to conduct a study to identify steps the IACs, and potentially, DTIC as a whole, should take to support DoD efficiency initiatives. The study will investigate approaches to streamlining the IACs' missions, functions, resource pool and customer base. Because of the complexities of this requirement, the Government believes that only a contractor with a nationally regarded subject matter expertise who possess decades of high-level, first-hand experience in DoD strategic planning and efficiency/cost reform efforts is qualified to conduct this analysis. The contractor must be able to develop meaningful, well-informed and relevant recommendations that will carry credibility with DTIC and the Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) - DTIC's parent agency and an expert who is already well-versed in DTIC and the IACs' missions, with an in-depth understanding of current and past military programs, policies, initiatives and interrelationships from the perspective of having served successfully in the highest level senior DoD leadership positions. More specifically, CSIS employs a subject matter expert (SME) uniquely qualified in analyzing and implementing past DoD initiatives to increase efficiency, improve management, and reduce costs and the Government believes that expertise will substantially benefit this effort. The SME's direct and relevant experience includes: - An assessment in 1981 for the Deputy Secretary of Defense of the impact of and lessons learned from the McNamara Cost Reduction Program, the Laird Management-by-Objectives Program, and the Brown Zero-Based Budget Program. The results of the SME's study formed the basis of the Weinberger Economies and Efficiencies Program from 1981-1984. - In 1983-1984, the SME was Special Assistant to the DoD Comptroller, overseeing the implementation of the Weinberger Economies and Efficiencies Program and its incorporation into the DoD budget. - In 1989, the SME was a principal author of the Cheney Defense Management Report (DMR). From 1989-1992, the SM was responsible for implementing 70% of the savings derived from Defense Management Report Decisions (DMRDs). Those savings were later validated by the Odeen panel under Secretary of Defense Aspin. Among those actions were the creation of the Defense Contract Management Command (now Agency) and the Defense Commissary Agency. - In 1995-96, the SME was part of the 4-person team that conducted the OSD Management Review for the Deputy Secretary of Defense. This review formed the basis of the Defense Reform Initiative (DRI) and the related Defense Reform Initiative Decisions (DRIDs). - The SME was Executive Secretary of the Defense Council on Integrity and Management Improvement, Executive Secretary of the Packard Commission, and a DoD consultant on both the 1997 and 2005 QDR and on implementation of the 2005 QDR. - In 2007-2008, the SME was Principal Investigator on Defense Acquisition and Defense Business Transformation for the CSIS study for DoD on "Transitioning Defense Organizational Initiatives". This notice of intent, required by FAR 6.302-1(d)(2), is not a request for competitive proposals. No solicitation is available for this procurement. Any firm that believes it is equally or otherwise uniquely capable of meeting the requirements described herein may submit a capabilities statement (to include contact information, size status under NAICS 541611, DUNS Number, and CAGE Code) which, if received no later than 4:00 PM Central Time on 18 Jan 2011, will be considered. Responses to this posting must be submitted in writing via e-mail only to Jerry Martin, 55th CONS DTIC Flight at jerry.martin@offutt.af.mil. A determination not to compete the described contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Federal Government. To mitigate the potential for an organizational conflict of interest, CSIS shall be restricted from being a prime or a subcontractor on any of the DTIC IAC contracts. Similarly, DTIC IAC contractors and subcontractors shall be restricted from participating as a prime or subcontractor on this efficiencies study.