D -- Acquisition Support for Migrant Student Information Exchange System

This notice is being issued as a result of the cancellation of ED-04-R-0005. The qualifications have been revised from CMM Level 3 to CMM level 2. Background: Congress directed the Department of Education to "assist the States in developing effective methods for the electronic transfer of student records and in determining the number of migratory children in each State" in section 1308 (b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). In particular, in section 1308(b)(2), Congress required the Department, in consultation with the States, to ensure the linkage of migrant student record systems for the purpose of electronically exchanging among the States health and educational information for migratory students. The linkage of migrant student record systems, including those systems used before and after the enactment of NCLB, is to occur in a cost-effective manner. Description: The U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Migrant Education (OME), anticipates acquiring the services of a contractor experienced in information technology (IT) and acquisition planning in support of federal agencies, to provide acquisition management assistance in planning, selecting, and managing acquisitions from other contractors and vendors. In addition to other activities, the offeror will develop a performance work statement for a contractor to design and build a migrant student record linking mechanism that uses leading edge technology to link the existing State migrant student record systems in order for those systems to exchange information on migrant children. The "linking mechanism" will be referred to as the Migrant Student Information Exchange System (MSIE) in this document. In assisting the Department to meet its need, the following broad areas may be required: 1. Developing performance work statements for planned acquisitions; 2. Assisting with preparation of acquisition documents; 3. Assisting with technical review of proposals; 4. Performing feasibility studies of alternatives derived from market research ; 5. Performing cost benefit analysis of alternatives; 6. Developing business cases and budget requests; 7. Assisting the COR with evaluation of existing migrant student record databases in preparation for developing MSIE user requirements; 8. Assisting the COR with creation of the user and technical requirements for the MSIE; 9. Attending meetings with State personnel and other customers to gather technical specifications for the planned acquisitions; 10. Assisting with pre-proposal meetings and request for information meetings; 11. Serving as technical advisor during the MSIE software development life cycle; 12. Assisting in the management of contract tasks with other contractors. It is expected that the successful prime offeror MUST meet all of the following conditions: 1) Offeror has been appraised at Level 2 or higher of the Capability Maturity Model (i.e. for Software (SW-SMM), Integration (CMMI-SE/SW), or Software Acquisition (SA-CMM)) by an SEI-authorized Lead Appraiser. As part of its response to the solicitation offerors will be required to submit proof that the business units within the contractor organization that will be performing the software acquisition support work for the Department of Education are operating at one of the following levels as appraised by a CMM Appraisal Framework (CAF) compliant appraisal, including self-appraisals, led by a SEI authorized lead assessor/evaluator: A. Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model for Software (SW-CMM) Level 2 or higher; B. Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model for Software Acquisition (SA-CMM) Level 2 or higher, or; C. Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model Integration for Systems and Software Engineering (CMMI-SE/SW) Level 2 or higher. 2) Prime offeror must perform at least 51% of work. 3) Offeror has prior understanding of the technical requirements for the general work to be performed through relevant work within past three years of comparable type and scope. At least one of the relevant work experiences must have been in direct support of acquisition support or software development requirements defined in a statement of work or statement of objectives by a Federal Agency. Offeror must demonstrate prior direct experience in planning acquisitions for software development projects in excess of $1 million and/or developing software development projects in excess of $1 million. All future information about this acquisition including the solicitation and solicitation amendments will be distributed solely through www.fedbizopps.gov. The solicitation will be open to all offerors and the estimated release date is any time after June 1, 2004. Note: The awardee of this contract will be prohibited from competing on any future requirements that it supports as a result of this contract. Additionally, any resultant software development contract(s) will be supported by a CMM Level 3 organization.