The Department of Interior (DoI) Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) on behalf of the Department of the Air Force (AF) A8 Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Directorate of Strategic Planning (A8) through the use of the Interior Franchise Fund (IFF) is seeking to obtain market research from vendors to assist the Government in understanding the capabilities available in the industry to provide technical and analytical support , strategic planning processes and products. This includes but is not limited to technical and analytical support, training, administrative, meeting and conference support. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The mission of the United States Air Force (USAF) is to fly, fight and winin air, space and cyberspace. The AF shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The AF is responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the AF to meet the needs of war. Actions undertaken to achieve these objectives contribute to the joint teams support of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). The Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs mission is to lead and integrate the AF processes for planning and programming future air, space and cyberspace power capabilities, by developing and establishing AF strategic goals, priorities, plans, and long range concepts, leading the Corporate Structure to ensure effective programming decisions, providing integrated solutions to critical cross-staff issues for AF senior leadership, representing AF positions to other organizations, and ensuring strategic initiatives are effectively communicated and implemented. AF/A8 is the office of primary responsibility for the AF Strategic Plan, will continue to lead the AF Strategic Planning System outlined in AF Policy Directive 90-11, and retains responsibility for the development, maintenance, reporting, and revisions of the AF Strategic Plan. The responsibilities of the AF Directorate of Strategic Planning (AF/A8X) include developing strategies, concepts and plans for all future AF activities, with special emphasis on long-range strategic planning as an input to AF programming activities and a 20-year planning horizon for long range strategic planning. AF/A8X is responsible for creating and institutionalizing an effective strategic planning process that advocates air, space, and cyber power in a variety of national forums and provides sufficient guidance to AF programming and budgeting processes. Other key responsibilities are to support AF corporate strategic planning and help prepare the AF for the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), preparing senior AF leaders for investment opportunities, and review of innovative concepts for future aerospace capabilities. The responsibilities of the Directorate of Programs (AF/A8P) include integrating, analyzing, and evaluating a multi-billion dollar per year AF program and presenting it to the Air Force Corporate Structure (AFCS), Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF), and Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) for approval. The program must represent the best total AF solution for meeting its commitments in a highly constrained fiscal environment. To do this, the AFCS must consider the merits of competing programs, and assign priorities based on national, DoD, and AF policies and strategies. Because the AFCS has responsibility for making resource allocation recommendations to the SecAF/CSAF, AF/A8P is closely linked with it at all levels and is instrumental to its integrity and success. The Government is anticipating multiple award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to meet these requirements. The Contract vehicles will assists the AF/A8 - Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, by performing a wide range of technical research and analysis activities in support of its processes and products. The Contractor will also provide technical and analytical support for the development, refinement, and articulation of strategic planning related issues and analyses. The contracts will support a broad range of activities necessary to identify, coordinate, and advocate AF priorities for use across AF-wide programming and lower echelon planning activities. The effort will provide AF/A8 with broad capabilities in a variety of technical and non-technical areas across many functions such as planning, programming, budgeting, operating, and providing conference and workshop support for senior leader and Deputys Management Action Group. The contracts will provide a full range of analytical, technical, and assistance services necessary to support the AF in developing strategic plans, programs, and studies by producing comprehensive and effective documents, papers, studies, presentations, analytic scenarios and modeling requirements, and to equip the AF Divisions with the information necessary to accomplish their priorities and goals. The information provided to the Divisions will enable AF Senior Leadership decision making. The IDIQ is a vehicle for recurring Plans and Programs, Strategic Planning projects and activities using the most up to date commercial technologies and practices available. NOTICE: This RFI is being issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to a contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the Government will not reimburse for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested parties expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in a future RFP, if one is issued. Sources Sought: This RFI is seeking responses from all businesses that can provide the required services under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. The data obtained from this RFI will assist the Government in understanding the capabilities available in the marketplace and to inform the development of a way-ahead for A8 to obtain Technical and Analytical support services in support of the mission. Responses should provide the business DUNS number and CAGE code and include a business size self-certification under NAICS code 541990. Additionally, responses should include recent (within the past three years or work that in on-going) and relevant experience (work similar in type and scope) to include contract numbers, project titles, dollar amounts, and points of contact with telephone numbers whether the responder performed the relevant work. Similar projects in terms of scope, size and complexity include but are not limited to support to DoD or IC organizations in a Secret work environment. Marketing brochures and/or generic company literature will not be considered. Not addressing all the requested information may result in the Government determining the responder is not capable of performing the scope of work required. Capability Statement Requirements: 1. VENDOR/CORPORATE EXPERIENCE a. Briefly describe the company, type of technical and analytical expertise, history, ownership, financial information, and any other information deemed relevant. b. Describe a relevant project the company has been involved in that is similar in size, scope and complexity to the NAICS Code in support of the Department of Defense, in particular AF/A8s mission area of Plans and Programs, and Strategic Planning projects. 2. STRATEGIC PLANNING a. Describe relevant projects in which your company has provided expertise to assist and support of the Department of Defense in the areas of Strategic Environment Assessments, development of National Defense Strategic Guidance, and biannual Air Force Strategic Guidance and Plan. b. Describe relevant projects in which your company has provided expertise to assist and support in the areas of Service Core Function Master Plans and Planning Force and Force Composition Analysis. c. Describe relevant projects in which your company has provided support for a biannual enterprise‐level Title 10 Future Capabilities Game and the overall exploration of alternative force structures and concepts. 3. MONTHLY FUTURE SPEAKER SERIES a. Describe relevant projects in which your company has provided expertise to plan and execute a monthly future speaker series drawing upon the expertise from academic, industry and other experts to discuss Air Force centric topics in senior leader forum. b. Describe relevant projects in which demonstrates your companys ability to cultivate contacts in the broad Science & Technology community (e.g. hypersonic, energy, biotech, nanotech, advanced computing, and any other technology areas of interest to the Air Force). 4. POLICY, PLANNING, PROGRAMMING, BUDGETING, and EXECUTION SYSTEMS a. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided the expertise to support the Governments formulation, development, integration and coordination of policies, strategies, plans, roadmaps, and doctrine. b. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided expertise in analyzing and evaluating programs and force projections for balance, phasing, and feasibility in relation to known and anticipated availability of resources and higher authority decisions. c. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided expertise in analyzing and evaluating AF policy for resource allocation and Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Systems. d. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided budget/financial analysis to support the development of decision models/aids which assisted in the development of the Program Objective Memorandum. 5. ANALYSIS, MODELING & SIMULATION a. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided the expertise to perform analysis to support development of concepts, associated technologies, mission utility, architecture and integration analysis, cost assessments, and the effectiveness of proposed solutions. b. Describe relevant projects in which your company supported the conduct of industrial base assessments, detailed capability gaps analysis, trade studies, technical analysis, cost analysis, and simulation‐based support pertaining to the effects on any of the following: payloads, operations, maintenance, technology, requirements, performance, and acquisition. c. Describe relevant projects in which your company supported the definition, development, procurement, operation, and maintenance of modeling, simulation and analysis environment, including relevant database(s). Identify the modeling, simulation, architecture development, and/or analysis tools used. d. Describe relevant projects in which your company participated in the planning and conduct of analyses for test, demonstration, war-gaming and experiments. Description(s) should emphasize the integration of mission, architecture, and systems to ensure total system performance and sharing of assets. 6. BUSINESS SUPPORT BASELINE EFFORTS a. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided expertise conducting enterprise wide or organizational‐level training; maintenance of a records management program; electronically publishing results and reference materials and/or preparing a DVD of reference materials; providing administrative and graphics support; and preparing speeches, briefings, and presentations for Government representatives to present to Senior Government and industry leaders. b. Describe relevant projects in which your company provided expertise conducting training including instructional review, course maintenance, instructional logistics, and administration activities, in support of Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution related courses. 7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) SUPPORT a. The AF/A8 currently supports and maintains multiple databases to include the AF Toolbox and the Enhanced Tradespace Tool. These databases support up to 150 users, multiple networks, and sites. Describe relevant projects of similar size, scope, and complexity in which your company provided daily operations support (including network administration, trouble‐ticket management/resolution, hardware tracking/support, software tracking/support, license management, remote technology support, data backup/recovery, and user desktop support), testing and troubleshooting. 8. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI) MITIGATION Describe relevant projects in which your company utilized OCI mitigation plans/processes to mitigate actual, perceived or potential conflict of interest between Contractor personnel involved in supporting the Government in the development of requirements, programming/budgeting, architectures, plans, and program assessments and other elements of the Contractors organization that may be involved in future acquisition related to the aforementioned. Description should emphasize the companys use of firewalls between personnel assigned to the contract and other elements of the Contractors organization such that the Government was satisfied that no technical information would be transmitted to any part of the Contractors organization that might give that Contractor a competitive advantage Submission: Interested businesses are requested to submit a response by 5:00PM EDT on 23 August 2013 to the Contracting Officer, Ms. Kimberly Luke,
[email protected]. Submissions shall be submitted electronically and not exceed twenty-five (25) pages. Paper copies will not be accepted. Late responses will only be accepted if they contain extraordinary value to the Government. The responses must include the business size of the vender under NAICS code 541990 as well as the business DUNS. Submissions should be in a Microsoft Office compatible format (i.e., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) or Adobe Acrobat and not contain text smaller than 11 font. The maximum file size of the submission shall not exceed 8 MB. Tables, graphs, etc. will count against the total page count. Font size smaller than 11 may be used to label tables and graphs, but may not be smaller than 8 font. All data received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that are marked or designated as corporate or proprietary information will be fully protected from release outside the Evaluation Panel. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All Government and contractor personnel reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified. No telephone calls will be accepted requesting a bid package or solicitation. There is no bid package or solicitation. In order to protect the procurement integrity of any future procurement, if any, that may arise from this announcement, information regarding technical point of contact will not be given and no appointments for presentations will be made. Please refer all questions/comments to the Contracting Officer, Ms. Kimberly Luke,
[email protected]. FedBizOps will be the sole repository for all information related to this RFI. Vendor questions and Government responses will be posted to FedBizOps. No questions will be addressed via oral communication. Key Attributes: The assessment of capability statements will be based on the criteria listed below. Responders submitting capability statements should limit submissions to data essential to the assessment. Any and all information obtained for these purposes will be used solely to assist the Government in understanding the capabilities available in the marketplace and thus results will not be disclosed to respondents. 1. The Government will assess the degree to which the vendor can demonstrate their success in the above capability statement requirements. 2. The Government will assess the companys overall management structure and ability to successfully recruit, develop, manage and retain credentialed professionals in projects of similar size, scope and complexity.