Earned Value Management Software
Sources Sought Synopsis
This notice serves as market research in accordance with FAR Part 10. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. This sources sought synopsis is issued solely for information and planning purposes. The purpose is to improve the Government's understanding of the current marketplace and to identify capable sources for the conduct of a comparative analysis alongside Deltek Inc.'s wInsight Analytics, the software the Government currently uses for earned value and schedule analysis.
This Sources Sought is to determine if there are any businesses available who have software capable of performing the effort described herein. The United States Air Force (USAF), through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH is seeking sources to provide: an integrated program performance management system (including earned value and schedule analysis) that uses relational databases to manage different defense contractors' projects, programs, and contracts, and to access and transform contractors' data into useful intelligence for effective management, control and oversight. This highly-scalable system shall easily integrate with a wide range of project management tools to provide a common database(s) for analysis and reporting on all individual contracts in a portfolio or group of portfolios. The system shall be easy to configure and manage, and will have the necessary tools and built-in features to review contractors' planning, scheduling, managing, and executing data on their projects. In addition, the system shall be configured to accept XML, Microsoft (MS) Project, MS Excel, and RTF file formats that are submitted by the contractor. The system shall be able to read the contractual data, perform analysis, and display performance/predictability information on data such as Earned Value Management (EVM) and schedule metrics. The software tool should also have the following capabilities:
1. Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) tool suite that provides for relational database capability to integrate EVM, schedule, risk, technical, and financial information.
2. Integrate cost, schedule, technical, risk, and other project-related information in one place and allow inclusion of other relevant information from contracts (such as CDRL, WBS dictionary, IMP, etc.).
3. Ability to receive EVM data (schedule, cost, risk, etc.) in XML from the contractor's EVM tools (such as Cobra, MPM, Artemis, etc.) and schedule data from major schedule tools (such as MS Project, Artemis Views, Open Plan, Primavera, etc.).
4. Compatibility with Microsoft Windows and allows for transfer of data to Excel and PowerPoint, (pdf a plus) and other interchangeable data formats.
5. Works with MS Project and Project Server and other project management systems. Can output complete schedules (or part of the schedule such as critical path and near-critical path) views from the system into MS Project without user or admin roles having to leave primary software tool.
6. Perform schedule analysis on schedules provided in XML to include:
•· Critical and driving path analysis
•· Schedule execution metrics
•· Schedule health assessment
•· Schedule risk assessment
•· Associated schedule analysis files, views, pop-ups, metrics will include hotlink into schedule file/s
7. Capability to both install on a desktop with access to a server(s), and be web-based with user access to a web browser providing full functionality in both cases.
8. Performs EVM analysis calculations, generates EVM and schedule metrics including but not limited to CPI, SPI, TCPI, EAC, BEI, and CPLI, and has the ability to be tailored to multiple organizations and needs.
9. Identifies existing and potential cost and schedule performance problems against any data element through the use of both pre-defined and customizable features that provide alerts and indicates trends allowing decision makers to manage by exception.
10. Supports a wide range of summary and lower level analysis with both pre-defined and customizable charts and reports that graphically display historical, trend, and projected future data.
11. Provides both incremental and cumulative performance data for all organizational and work breakdown structure (OBS/WBS) elements.
12. View data (CPI, SPI, EAC, etc.) at any point in time (not just from inception and current period) to measure changes and differences in real-time.
13. Generates artificial intelligence narratives that simplistically explain what the earned value data indicates.
14. Integrates project data into a consolidated, customizable dashboard view with drill-down capabilities.
15. Provides state-of-the-art techniques to quickly locate project performance problem areas, graphically review performance trends, generate statistical estimates at completion, and is capable of sharing analysis with others for collaboration.
16. Allows data to be viewed in units, including but not limited to, dollars, hours, and equivalent persons (EQP).
17. Provides integrated cost, schedule, and earned value data per the requirements of DI-MGMT-81861A, DI-MGMT-81466A, and DI-MGMT-81650, and generates the DD Forms specified in those Data Item Descriptions (DID)s.
18. Imports files in the UN/CEFACT XML schema as required by OUSD/PARCA to support Dl-MGMT-81861, and additionally imports XML files in the appropriate format called for in DI-MGMT-81466A and DI-MGMT-81650 to support legacy CPR and IMS file submissions. Software must include capability of seamless import of CR files from web repository.
19. Easily configure and set alerts against any data element allowing decision-makers to manage by exception and set an early warning for predefined conditions.
20. Provides customizable dashboard to allow management quick and easy access to real-time reports of summary level performance information with drill-down capabilities.
21. Allows for inclusion, tracking and integrated analysis of technical requirements such as technical performance measures (TPMs) and key performance parameters (KPPs).
22. Show financial data (expenditures and obligations) and the remaining amount or outstanding balance of the project/contract.
23. Allows the users to add notes or documents.
24. Ability to sort and filter information by contractor, project, program, organization and ACAT category, and consolidate data to specific portfolios based on predefined rules
25. Customize and tailor menus and views based on specific user login information.
26. Report wizard or set of templates that allows average users to produce reports easily and efficiently.
27. Uses standard report writer (such as MS Excel, Crystal Ball, etc.) or a proprietary report writer, which does not require user knowledge of programming languages (such as JAVA, Visual Basic, C++, etc.) and includes ability to share customized reports with other users.
28. Live user helpdesk support for life of contract
It should be noted that for the proposals received from this Sources Sought Synopsis that are determined to meet the government's requirements, any proposed software should be listed on the Air Force Evaluated Products List (AF EPL). Software that is not currently listed on the AF EPL will need to be tested and certified by the Air Force Network Integration Center (AFNIC). The program management office at HQ AFMC/FMC will coordinate this effort with the prospective vendor(s). Subsequent to placement of any software on the AF EPL, the software will need to be submitted to the Unit Software License Management (USLM) Administrator (or equivalent) for local approval at any Air Force location where the software will actually be installed. And finally, after any proposed software has received Air Force certification and approval to be installed at the local level, the software will be evaluated by the AFMC team of analysts who are responsible for the evaluation of the proposals received as a result of this Sources Sought Synopsis.
If a contractor believes that they have the capability and are qualified to meet the government's requirement, please respond to this Sources Sought Synopsis with a capabilities package.
Capabilities Package
The capabilities package shall not exceed 15 total pages with the following breakdown: up to 10 pages for demonstrating an ability to meet the stated requirements, up to five pages of charts/graphs. Failure to follow these page limit guidelines will result in your package not being reviewed. The package should be brief and concise, yet clearly demonstrate an ability to meet the stated requirements. The package shall include the following information:
1. Name of Company
2. Address
3. Point of Contact (to include phone number and email address)
4. Recent, relevant experience in all areas should be provided
5. Firms responding to this announcement should indicate whether they are a large business, small business (small business size certification if applicable), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), 8(a) certified business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), or Historically Underutilized Business (HUBZone) under the NAICS code provided below.
6. Company Size and CAGE code
7. Is your company domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership)
The Government reserves the right to contact the submitting parties as required, for further clarification on material provided. In addition, the Government will use its assessment of the information and other research to determine which sources appear capable of performing the work required by the Government.
The National American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this action is 511210. All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract.
This is an INDUSTRY NOTIFICATION and is for information purposes ONLY. This is NOT A SOLICITATION. In accordance with FAR 15.201, this announcement shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or otherwise pay for information solicited. All submissions are requested to be made electronically via PDF (1 copy) by 11:59pm EST on 10 April 2017 and emailed to Randy Bradley (randall.bradley@us.af.mil) and Maria Sheedy (maria.sheedy.2@us.af.mil) .
The Government will neither award a contract solely on the basis of this synopsis nor will it reimburse the contractor for any cost associated with preparing or submitting a response to this notice. This synopsis does not constitute a Request For Quotation (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP), or an Invitation For Bid (IFB), nor does this issuance restrict the Government's acquisition approach. The Government reserves the right to reject in whole or in part any industry input as a result of this announcement. The Government recognizes that proprietary data may be a part of this effort. If so, clearly mark such restricted or proprietary data and present it as an addendum to the non-restricted/non-proprietary information. If the Government decides to award a contract for this or related effort, a solicitation will be published and posted on the FBO website.
If you have any questions, you may contact Randy Bradley at randall.bradley@us.af.mil.
Randall Bradley, Phone 937-257-7472, Email randall.bradley@us.af.mil - Maria Sheedy, Email maria.sheedy.2@us.af.mil
