Disclaimer: This is not a solicitation. This is not a request for quote (RFQ), invitation for bid (IFB), request for proposal (RFP), request for application (RFA) or an announcement of a solicitation and does not assume the government will award a contract or proceed with any of the above solicitations in the near future. The information requested herein is for information purposes and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will be issued or awarded. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect cost or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the submission of information. All information considered proprietary shall be marked accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. Properly identified proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with government regulations. The purpose of this announcement is solely to gather information from the market place and any responses received will not be considered an offer by the responding party and cannot be returned. No telephone or email inquiries will be accepted and requests for solicitation packages will not granted, as no solicitation has been prepared at this time. Synopsis: Request for Information (RFI) All responsible businesses' responses will be considered by the Government. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is conducting market research for the purposes of identifying sources who have demonstrated capabilities in the area of membership-based strategic Information Technology (IT) Management Research and Analytic service. No solicitation of offers is made by this synopsis. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. The Government will not be obligated to provide the services described herein and it is understood by the United States Government that the cost estimates provided as a result of this request are "best" estimates only. Submissions will be kept confidential. Background: NOAA, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) serves as a vital contributor to the NOAA mission. The OCIO leads NOAA's principal IT research through the NOAA High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program, and provides advice to NOAA management about information resources and information systems management. The OCIO also promotes and shapes an effective strategic and operational IT planning process for NOAA, coordinates the preparation of NOAA's IT budget and associated materials, oversees select NOAA-wide operational IT systems and services, and is responsible for other assigned programs that are interagency and/or international in scope. At the same time, the OCIO face challenges that increase every year. Federal policies to meet the technological challenges, address users' desires for the latest technological advances, and tackle never-ending IT initiatives to develop and deploy new programs while maintaining the current infrastructure - all these factors require more resources than are often available. In order to carry out their duties, and to deal with these demands and make informed decisions concerning strategic and tactical direction, the OCIO must maintain an awareness of the industry and of the global implications of IT in the Federal Government, state and local governments, international organizations, higher education and the commercial marketplace. They must stay current with Federal and industry IT trends, best practices, and industry-recognized alternatives. Requirement: OCIO requires a license-based, IT Strategic Analytic and Research Service offered by an independent third-party. The service shall provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year access to a comprehensive database of research, subject matter experts, libraries of reports and IT studies, lessons learned, and bench marking data with global entities with similar environments, presented in an objective manner and supporting several levels including executive level and subject matter levels. The service shall also provide one-on-one advisory sessions with experts in the domains covered by the Offeror's research. The service shall strategically position OCIO to implement cost effective, sound and industry proven Information Technology (IT) strategies to support the NOAA mission and needs of the American public. Information Requested: All interested companies must include a response with the requested company information, a written statement of interest or capability, and discussion of the following areas: 1. Description of membership services offered. 2. Description of companies' global research and advisory services offered and the method of delivery. 3. Description of the companies Federal Government IT advisory services and method of delivery. 4. Details on the companies' roster of IT personnel services and information on the offered access to Federal Government IT industry experts. 5. Ability to assist with implementation of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandates and Agency-level CIO portfolio management for shared services and commodity IT. 6. Details of the companies' Research methodologies and tools. 7. Annual estimated cost of membership and above mentioned services offered at the CIO/ Executive Level. Company Information: - Name and address of firm; - Size of business and socioeconomic status (i.e., small, small disadvantaged business, woman owned, etc.); - Average annual revenue for the past 3 years and number of employees; - Ownership; - Number of years in business; - Affiliate information; - Parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential subcontractor) or subcontractors (if potential prime); - List of customers, especially Government, covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement); - Point of contact - address and phone number Standard product brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this synopsis. Submittal Requirements: Telephone and email responses are NOT solicited. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. This synopsis is not be construed as a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for the solicited information. Please submit your submission via email to the attention of Contact Specialist (CS) Saundra Kpadeh (Saundra.Kpadeh@noaa.gov) no later than March 26, 2014, 11:00am EST, Silver Spring, MD. The response shall be submitted as Microsoft Word documents, using Version 2007. The response shall be no more 10 single-sided, single-spaced pages (excluding the cover page), and use a minimum font of 12 point (Times New Roman) on 8 - x 11-inch paper. Each page shall be separately numbered. It is the Offeror's responsibility to ensure it arrives by the required date and time. For the purpose of establishing timely receipt of a quotation, the time will be established based upon the electronic copy submission.
