Strategic Analysis Services for OUSDP

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE General Information Document Type: Sources Sought Notice Title: Strategic Analysis Services (SAS) for OUSD Policy NAICS Code: 541720 Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities Product Service Code: R499, Support-Professional: Other Background The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy OUSD (P) is the principal staff assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters on the formulation of national security and defense policy, and the integration and oversight of DoD policy and plans to achieve national security objectives. Department of Defense Directive 5111.1 further expands upon these responsibilities of the OUSD(P). Additionally, the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act instituted sweeping reforms to the Department's security cooperation authorities and Special Operations oversight, both impacting the oversight responsibilities of the OUSD(P). 1.0 SOURCES SOUGHT To facilitate market research, the Government is looking to identify qualified sources under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 541720 entitled "Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities." Responses from "all" sources is requested including Other than Small Businesses. Small Businesses, 8(a) small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Businesses are encouraged to respond. This Sources Sought (SS) Notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any concern responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the concern's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation MAY be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. The Government will NOT accept requests for meetings or briefings. No phone solicitations or email with regards to the status of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be accepted prior to its release. Information and materials submitted in response to this notice WILL NOT be returned. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses received nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, the Government MAY issue a Request for Proposal (RFP). There is no solicitation available at this time. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought Notice, or the Government's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process, or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. CONFIDENTIALITY: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). 2.0 PROGRAM DETAILS The Department of Defense (DoD), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Acquisition Directorate (AD) is issuing this notice to obtain information to assist the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in providing support for comprehensive national security policy, operations processes, management, organizational structure analysis, acquisition, budget planning and solution-development support with finished decision-ready products. Those products include thoroughly researched issue papers, as well as communications documents such as speeches and briefings, and implementation plans that are developed and completed within 1-week to 1-month The following service requirement critical task areas describe the broad range of functions and tasks in support of this effort: 3.0 SERVICE REQUIREMENT CRITICAL TASK AREAS/ELEMENTS All submissions *must include verifiable* information about its firm's ability to comply with the security requirements for this effort: Security Clearance Requirement. All contract and subcontract personnel shall have an active Top Secret (TS) clearance with SCI eligibility when the proposal is submitted and throughout contract performance. In addition, the prime contractor must have a TS facility clearance at the time of quote submission and throughout contract performance. Interested firms should submit their response via email to steven.m.slagle.civ@mail.mil and include a capabilities statement covering experience, staffing and technical capabilities. The capabilities' statement should address the 3 Task Areas and Key Capabilities identified below and for each provide information to demonstrate how the firm's experience and recent past performance (last 3 years) is relevant to the technical areas listed including the dollar value, period of performance, size and scope of the firm's prior contracts. Task Area 1: Policy Analysis Papers: The Contractor shall provide "Policy Analysis Papers" that provide analysis and summary of current defense policy issues that have near-term as well as future impacts on US military force structure, joint operations and military assistance opportunities. Each of the topics considered will provide suggestions for policy options. These policy analysis papers will have both unclassified and classified versions where appropriate and necessary. The value of these policy support documents is that the crisis du-jour does not drive the topics, but rather topics are selected to get out in-front of defense policy concerns that are looming on the horizon. Time for completion is between 1-week and 1-month. Task Area 2: Internal Management Analysis & Assessments: Contractor shall conduct independent analyses and assessments of specific management issues to include topics such as department missions, governance, organization, strategy, and processes. As part of the assessments the contractor shall provide actionable solution and implementation options. Time for completion is between 1-week and 1-month. Task Area 3 Policy Feasibility Analysis: Contractor will provide policy feasibility analysis papers that apply innovative but proven approaches to assist USD(P) in understanding options and developing transparent and actionable robust policies through rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis of genuine choices and testable conditions. Analysis will consider policy feasibility and impact from multiple and possibly heterogeneous viewpoints. Policies and analyses can include any topic pertinent to US national security matters including national defense and military strategy, capabilities and objectives of foreign nation-states and non-state actors, and understanding the beliefs and behaviors of influential non-US individuals, groups and organizations pertinent to US defense policy. Time for completion is between 1-week and 1-month. Other Key Capabilities National security policy, operations, acquisition and budget experience within the Department of Defense at the senior executive level. Ability to produce rapidly decision-ready, independent defense technology and policy analysis papers that are rigorous and comprehensive, data-driven, with a clear unimpeachable logic. Experienced personnel that can produce both classified and unclassified documents up to and including Top Secret Immediate availability of staff and senior consultants demonstrated experience in the national security regime including OSD and the Intelligence Community (IC) in order to evaluate and understand products from the IC and other agencies that directly influence Department of Defense (DOD) and national security policy. Ability to support the implementation of initiatives designed to satisfy and complete the requirements, but also to support implementation of initiatives designed to address other on-going or new projects to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of department-wide processes and activities. DoD funding, resource allocation, and budgeting experience of the Department of Defense to ensure that policy decisions are informed by budgeting and resource constraints Place of Performance: The majority of the work associated with this effort is anticipated to be performed on-site at Government furnished facilities. However, some work may be performed off-site at contractor facilities in the Washington, DC and surrounding metropolitan area. 4.0 CAPABILITY STATEMENTS Vendors must demonstrate their ability to comply with the requirements in this Sources Sought in order to be considered capable of satisfying the Government's requirement. Security Capability information must be displayed on page 1 of the response. All interested firms having the experience, skills and capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements are requested to provide capability statements not to exceed 5 pages in "Times New Roman" 12-pitch font on 8.5 x 11 paper that include the following information: 1) Company name, address, point of contact name, telephone, and email address. 2) CAGE Code and DUNS Number. 3) Business size status (business size/socio-economic category must be submitted to be used). 4) Vendor acknowledgement and capability to provide personnel that will need to successfully pass a National Agency Check. 5) Documentation that addresses each of the eight (8) Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements detailed above. 6) A description of Corporate Experience & Past Performance Information for similar contracts and/or projects accomplished within the last 3 years. The description must include where, when, and for whom each similar contract and/or project was performed and a brief description of each contract and/or project, including the size, scope, dollar value, and period of performance. This information must demonstrate how the firm's recent Corporate Experience and Past Performance (last 3 years) is relevant to the CMO Data Requirement. 5.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS The response to this notice is limited to five (5) single sided pages including all attachments, charts, etc. (single spaced, 11 point font minimum excluding charts and graphics) and should also include current business size status, and any applicable Federal Supply Schedule(s). This indication should be clearly marked on the first page of the response, as well as the eligible business concern's name, point of contact, address, and cage code. All responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to Steven Slagle, Contracting Officer, at steven.m.slagle.civ@mail.mil and WHS Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) point of contact: WHS.OSBP@mail.mil.. The subject of the email must be titled "Sources Sought: Strategic Analysis Services (SAS) for OUSD Policy." Facsimile responses will not be accepted. To facilitate a timely and comprehensive review of all submitted responses, firms must respond using the format requested in this Notice. Any deviation from this format may lead to the rejection of the response COMMON CUT-OFF TIME/DATE Responses to the information above are due no later than 4:30PM on Friday, June 29, 2018. Responses received after this date and time may not be considered. ATTACHMENT 1 CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY INFORMATION Part I. Business Information Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners: Company/Institute Name: Address: Point of Contact: CAGE Code: Phone Number: E-Mail Address: Web Page URL: Size business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is: Small Business (Yes/No) Woman Owned Small Business (Yes/No) Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes/No) 8(a) Certified (Yes/No) HUBZone Certified (Yes/No) Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes/No) Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes/No) Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (Yes/No) A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country ownership). List of any applicable Federal Supply Schedules and expiration dates: