R -- Net Enabled Command Capability Request for Information

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Net-Enabled Command Capability (NECC) Joint Program Management Office (JPMO), Falls Church, VA, is conducting market research to identify other (non-DoD) Federal agencies, private sector sources (industry), and academia that can provide assistance to DISA in acquiring information technology (IT) capabilities supporting command and control functions and operating in a services-based (services oriented architecture (SOA)) environment, in new and agile ways. DISA already has numerous processes to identify and obtain such capabilities and services from DoD organizations and traditional DoD industrial partners. DISA is looking for innovative suggestions to acquire similar services from non-traditional sources and intends to employ a capability broker, as described later in this RFI, to assist and advise the JPMO and Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO). Recognizing that desired capabilities are continually emerging, NECCs market research efforts are expected to continue throughout the life of the program. The insights gained from this market research will support efforts to reduce program risk, maintain schedules, and control acquisition costs while gaining access to new and more effective technologies. The NECC program works particularly closely with DISAs Net-Centric Enterprise Services (NCES) Program since the programs technologies and architectures are closely associated. Additional general information regarding the NECC program can be found at the following web site: http://www.disa.mil/necc/overview.html. Additional general information regarding the NCES program can be found at the following web site: http://www.disa.mil/nces/. Many capabilities, services, and technologies, both those that respond directly to warfighter needs and those that do so indirectly through improved infrastructure operations, will not originate within the Defense Information Systems Agency. Academia, non-DoD related private sector commercial organizations (including those that are consumer-focused), the Federal civilian agencies, the national laboratories, and other communities are actively doing work of potential value to the NECC program. The NECC program is creating a construct to learn about such work, determine which functionalities could become Capability Modules (CMs), and implement the way-ahead with potential provider organizations. CMs are defined as are small, loosely coupled, militarily useful services (pieces of software) resident on the Global Information Grid (GIG) that can be coupled or mashed to suit a particular mission, place, and time. The NECC program will solicit best practices, lessons learned, ideas, and requirements and specifications through a variety of information sharing activities. To date, NECC has held broad outreach events and numerous one-on-one exchanges with companies and organizations. NECC intends to continue this information exchange between the Government and other sources. DISA still needs private and public sector assistance in finding and delivering capabilities and services to meet DoDs requirement using an agile procurement process that will occur on a smaller scale than in the past. One particular aspect of the NECC program will be the employment of a third party capability broker. Once DISAs NECC program defines capability architecture, NECC will use the capability broker to identify and nominate specific technologies and capabilities from the public sector outside DoD, the private sector, or other organizations/activities. NECC may acquire some computing capabilities as a managed service or buy easy-to-implement commercial solutions, and subdivide large projects into smaller components that can be combined using service-oriented architecture (SOA) specifications and standards. The capability broker is an individual or small team of personnel who will continuously review the market for technological opportunities to meet capability needs of NECC. The broker may be, for example, a small or large business, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, or an academic organization. Prospective brokers shall identify any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest, as described in FAR Part 2 and FAR Subpart 9.5, when responding to this Request For Information (RFI). For additional information, see DARS Clause 52.209-9000, Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest (OCCI) (December 2005), which is likely to be in any resulting solicitation and contract. Prospective brokers are also advised that the capability broker requirement is to assist DISA in identifying technologies/capabilities, not purchasing technologies/capabilities on behalf of DISA. DISA comes to the table with technically capable engineers and acquisition experts to contribute to the process. A new approach is to include commercial companies which have led in using emerging technical solutions and processes, to assist DoD in applying commercial best practices to result in a higher success rate for IT initiatives. The Defense Information Systems Agency is requesting information from appropriate companies or other parties interested in the NECC capability broker strategy. DISA is particularly interested in innovative and creative ideas for: identifying SOA-enabled software services or capabilities components of potential military C2 utility; for engaging with originators of such components; for acquiring components in a developmental, test, or operational state at little or no incremental cost to the Government; for techniques for configuration management and control, and performance management, of third-party software in a distributed, web-enabled environment, etc. NECCs requirements for speed, agility and adaptability prohibit proprietary solutions or tightly coupled systems. NECCs preference is for a loose SOA framework to link modules that NECC can add and subtract from at will. Previously, the Government acquired monolithic systems using proprietary technologies. The pace of technological change and the evolving nature of how the military uses IT, combined with tightened budgets and the urgency of the war effort, require a new approach. The Defense Information Systems Agency is requesting white papers that include (1) a cover page identifying the company or party CAGE code (if a CAGE code is applicable), street address, proposed NAICS code and size standard, and the names and telephone numbers of the technical point of contact and the overall point of contract for the company or party (in the case of a partnership, please provide the appropriate CAGE code and POC information for the lead company), (2) a summary statement of the companys or partys experience/capabilities, and (3) a discussion of related company or party experience in the areas described above. The white paper should be prepared in Microsoft Word format and is limited to fifteen (15) pages. Submissions are required within thirty (30) days of this announcement and may be made by e-mail or mailing your response to: Ms. Lynne Houde, DISA PEO-C2C, PO Box 4502, Arlington, VA 22204 or Email:LYNNE.HOUDE@DISA.MIL. The submitted documentation becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. No solicitation documents exist at this time. This is NOT an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this advertisement. This is a request for information/market research announcement for planning purposes only. The Government will not reimburse costs associated with the documentation submitted under this request. Although proposal terminology may be used in this inquiry, your response will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. This announcement is not to be construed as a formal solicitation. It does not commit the Government to reply to information received, or to later publish a solicitation, or to award a contract based on this information. This notice is part of Government market research, a continuous process for obtaining the latest information on the art of the possible from industry, other Department of Defense organizations, other Federal agencies, industry, and academia. The information collected may be used by the Government to explore future strategies for the NECC program. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as sensitive and will be protected as such. Any company or industry proprietary information contained in responses should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, such that publicly releasable and proprietary information are clearly distinguished. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protested from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one source to establish the capability and requirements for any future acquisition, so as to inadvertently restrict competition.