Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting

Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA) Request for Information (RFI) General Information: Document Type: Sources Sought Reference Number: 14-007 Posted Date: 28 October 2013 Response Date: 19 November 2013 Classification Code: C NAICS Code: 541330 Contracting Office Address: Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Development Planning Directorate (SMC/XRC), 483 N. Aviation Blvd., El Segundo, CA, 90245 I. Description / Purpose: 1. The SMC Development Planning Directorate (XR) is conducting acquisition planning and market research for the Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA) Requirement. The Government requests that interested companies submit a Statement of Capability (SOC) and provide information for requirements outlined in Section II (1) below. SOCs must be submitted per the content and format defined in Section III below. The Government may use any information received for planning purposes in support of market research and to improve the understanding of industry capabilities as outlined in the SOC. The Government will use the SOC to determine if there is sufficient interest in the marketplace from qualified sources to develop its acquisition strategy. 2. The Government intends to award a -Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA)? contract which includes all SMC/XRs Architecting, Systems Engineering & Integration, and Technical requirements. Interested parties who believe they have the capability to perform as a prime integrating contractor in support of this effort may submit a Statement of Technical Capabilities (SOC). 3. SOCs for the Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA)? requirement should be submitted to the Government POCs identified in Section V. The Government requests this information be submitted no later than (NLT) 19 November 2013. II. Background 1. The Directorate currently has two Task Orders, one for Architecting, Engineering & Integration (AE&I) Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Support and the second Task Order for Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) Support. The Government is evaluating combining these two Task Orders into one contract. The follow-on contract will be known as -Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA)?. The Systems Concept Engineering and Architecting (SCEA) will include the following requirements: - Systems of Systems and Family of Systems engineering and integration for future space architectures, including evaluation and assessment of future space and missile Systems of Systems (SoS) and Families of Systems (FoS) at the cross-enterprise level, linking materiel solutions to warfighter capability needs in new combinations. These efforts also include assessing new SoS and FoS materiel concepts and performing engineering studies to satisfy space requirements shortfalls and to enhance integrated enterprise level space systems capabilities while crossing traditional program boundaries. Efforts include performing Development Planning, Wargaming, Software Development, Analysis, Technology Development, and Demonstration Support. More specifically, development planning for future space and missile systems links materiel solutions to warfighter capability needs; identifies, assesses, and develops new materiel concepts and conducts engineering studies to satisfy space requirements shortfalls and enhances integrated space systems capabilities; conducts modeling, simulation, and wargaming to assess the operations performance and military utility of current and future concepts; and establishes technology strategies and roadmaps to ensure technology investment and development supports the acquisition of future space and missile systems. XR also conducts demonstrations and validates concepts before Milestone A and Milestone B as risk reduction efforts for emerging programs as needed or directed by the AFPEO/SP and AFSPC/CC. - Provide SoS and FoS planning and decision support for developing and acquiring new military space systems capabilities and solutions. The Contractor shall support the development of decision support products for force modernization planning, acquisition management, disciplined SoS engineering management and control, and integration. The primary timeframe of interest for the decision products is during the DoD 5000.02 Pre Milestone B with additional heavy emphasis on high quality Pre Milestone A decision support and technology development. - Create decision support products for materiel development decisions for the Directorate of Plans and Requirements (A5) and Strategic Plans and Programs (A8) at Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). As the centralized architecting lead for SMC, SMC/XR supports SMC Directorates and other acquirers of space capabilities. - Creating and documenting for the Government an analytic framework for modeling and simulating potential SoS and FoS materiel solutions in appropriate scenarios in order to evaluate and recommend modernization changes. Material solutions may include concepts from national organizations (including the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Architect), DoD agencies, civil agencies (including NASA), and industry as well as concepts created within the XR organization. The Contractor shall create analytic tooling and perform trade study assessments of and recommend changes to candidate surface, air, and space mission SoS and FoS to include: System of systems factors which include joint or shared accomplishment of certain missions; System vulnerability and survivability; Survivability to natural environment (radiation analysis); System commonality such as shared, distributed, or common ground infrastructures or shared, distributed on-orbit infrastructures; Enhancements and new technologies to improve system performance, utility trades, and technology readiness assessment; Cost effectiveness, performance, and utility; Enterprise level plans, need statements, and assurance process improvement; SoS and FoS System and technical roadmaps; Quick turn (less than 90 days) studies; Operational requirements generation and refinement; and Operations research analyses. - Data management, technology roadmap development, mission planning, concept development, architecture development, systems safety engineering, information protection and program security. More specifically, SMC/XR leadership expects the most rigorous and compelling engineering processes and SETA technical expertise to immediately conduct systems engineering integration and analyses to produce capability-based development plans (DP) according to AFI 63-101 and AFI 63-1201. Deliver Concept Characterization and Technical Descriptions (CCTDs) in accordance with guidance published by SAF/AQ (draft dated 19 Mar 10). - Assess and provide analyses of alternative SoS and FoS to meet space enterprise requirements, including levels of solution from the full requirements compliance to the minimum acceptable capability. - Analyze and interpret guidance from AFSPC, analyze and recommend technology push and requirements pull synergies for further exploitation, coordinate meetings, and generate roadmaps and reports for both Functional and Mission Area CFMP processes and innovation processes within AFSPC. Create technology push innovation products for injection into the SMC S&T activities included in the Program Executive Officer - Technology Executive Officer (PEO-TEO) review and assist with merging these products with other products to flow into AFSPC S&T Guidance documentation. Support Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topic development and maturation, Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) project support, Materiel Innovation working Groups (MIWG), Space Experiments Review Board (SERB), Applied Technology Councils (ATCs), and industry Independent Research and Development (IR&D) technical interchanges. - Advocate for Science and Technology innovation efforts for AFSPC, the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Space and other National Security Space (NSS) decision makers. Provide engineering products to the SMC Materiel Innovation Working Group (MIWG)-and related AFSPC Innovation and Architecting processes, to include inputs to the Core Function Master Plan (CFMP)-and integrate this information with other cross-enterprise architecting tasks. - Assess emerging disciplines and technology investments that enable the creation of technology development strategies mandated by the DoD 5000.02. - Provide planning, analysis, systems engineering, integration, acquisition security, and development capabilities to transition specific technologies to appropriate project or program offices. Perform specific technology assessments, and, if necessary, provide subject matter expertise to perform these technology assessments. - Conduct SoS engineering management -analysis? and support the -control? of XR engineering processes to ensure disciplined processes are in place and pedigreed and highly credible products are being generated within XR. The Contractor shall define, document, and assess the oversight processes used by XR in the conduct of Configuration Management (CM), Systems Engineering (SE), Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) preparation, Risk Management (RM), Logistics Management (LM), Interface Management (IM), systems safety, Test and Evaluation (TE), and systems security. - Participate in the analysis and assessment of technical documents produced by XR's divisions from these process perspectives. When necessary help tailor XR processes into XR division-level processes for individual products. The Contractor shall participate in: supporting the systems engineering management and oversight function for the XR/CC by supporting technical reviews and documenting command media and trade studies and effectiveness analysis, traditionally performed as part of the systems engineering oversight and control function. 2. At present, the Government is conducting market research for this procurement to determine if there is sufficient interest in the marketplace from qualified sources. The Government objective is to award a contract for this effort that will support the Engineering Requirements at the Space and Missile Systems Center. Information herein is based on the best information available at the time of this notice and is subject to revision(s). III. Statement of Capabilities Content and Format 1. Potential sources shall provide enough information in their Statement(s) of Capabilities (SOC) to demonstrate they have performed/supported systems engineering and integrations contracts that evaluate and assess future space and missile Systems of Systems (SoS) and Families of Systems (FoS) at the cross-enterprise level including the entirety of National Security Space. This capability represents the skill to assess and provide decision support for $10B outlay per year across tens of systems and hundreds of combinations of systems linking to the Joint Warfighter. All SOCs shall adhere to the content and format requirements detailed below. All SOCs shall address the following topics: a. Company Information: Provide Company Name, address, Point of Contact information, and Business Size Classification. Provide listing of Company's current General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules and other contract vehicles that have been awarded that are comparable to the requirements in this notice. b. Previous Program Experience: Summarize effort on previous work, programs or contracts that are comparable to the requirements in this notice. Include contract value, and contract type. c. Enough information should be provided in order for the Government to review their options and make a decision on the way ahead for this requirement. d. Technical Expertise: The proven ability to quickly enlist expertise in the 15 Prioritized Space Capabilities and 9 Prioritized Cyber Capabilities; the proven ability to perform detailed analysis at the cost, engineering, engagement, and campaign level; The proven ability to integrate cross-domain products (air, ground, sea, space) into a single-cohesive story through the use of analysis and research. 2. All responses shall adhere to the following format requirements: a. The response shall not exceed 15 pages single sided. The page limit does not apply to cover sheets, table of contents and acronyms. b. Pages shall be single-spaced and numbered, 8.5x11 inch size, and have 1 inch minimum margins on all sides. c. Main body text shall be 12-point Times New Roman text font. The font requirement does not apply to text within graphs or figures. Font used in tables must be the same as for main body text, except that it can be reduced to no lower than 10 point size. d. If the response contains proprietary information, it shall be marked accordingly. IV. Small Business Consideration: Participation from qualified small business and small disadvantaged business firms interested in prime contract opportunities are highly encouraged. V. Responses/Point of Contact Verbal responses will not be accepted. Responses must be submitted by 19 November 2013, 4:00pm Pacific Standard Time, Submit an electronic copy of the responses to Tiffany Trotter, Contract Specialist, Tiffany.Trotter@us.af.mil and Renee Berry, Contracting Officer Renee.Berry.us.af.mil. Mail one hard copy via U.S. Postal Services addressed to SMC/XRC, ATTN: Renee Berry, Contracting Officer, 483 N. Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, California 90245-2808. All communication associated with the RFI shall be submitted using the information below: Primary POC: Tiffany Trotter (SMC/XRC) Contract Specialist tiffany.trotter@us.af.mil Secondary Point of Contact: Renee Berry (SMC/XRC) Contracting Officer Renee.Berry@us.af.mil VI. DECLARATIONS: 1) This notice is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract, RFP, a promise to contract, or a commitment of any kind. 2) The Air Force will not assume liability for costs incurred in preparation of information in response to this notice. Such costs are not considered allowable direct charges to the Government. 3) The Government intends to use Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), support to assist in the review of the responses. All Government and FFRDC personnel will sign appropriate non-disclosure forms. 4) Non-participants will not be excluded from submitting a proposal in response to an RFP. The Government will use responses to the notice for informational purposes only as part of its acquisition planning and market research. Information obtained from responses to this notice will not be used to exclude potential future bidders on the Systems Concept and Architecting (SCEA) acquisition.