General Information Request For Information No. 10-01 Project Title Civil Military Fusion Centre/Civil Military Overview (Capability Engineering Division, Operational Experimentation Branch) Due date for submission of White papers 25 June 2010, 1700 EST (Norfolk, VA Local Time) Contracting Office Address NATO, HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) Purchasing & Contracting Suite 100 7857 Blandy Rd. Norfolk, VA, 23511-2490 Point of Contact Mr. Curt Day, Contracting Officer (Research and Development), NATO/HQ SACT Tel: (757) 747-3861 Fax: (757) 747-3525 E-mail: curtis.day@act.nato.int 1.0 Description 1.1 HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) announcement on behalf of the Capability Engineering Division, Operational Experimentation Branch. 1.2 This is a Request For Information (RFI) only. 1.3 The intent of HQ SACT is to obtain information from industry that can support ACT capability development projects and also to identify if there are areas where a basis of mutual interest exists for industry to contribute to ACT capability development efforts through a collaborative, nonprocurement project. RFI respondents may be offered an opportunity to enter into one or more collaborative projects with ACT. In some cases these will need a Statement of Collaboration (SOC) to be agreed by both parties, to address specific non-technical and technical terms and conditions under which a collaborative project will be conducted. It is the intent of HQ SACT that such a SOC will be acceptable to both parties. 1.4 This RFI DOES NOT constitute a current Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment to issue a future RFP. HQ SACT is not seeking proposals at this time, and will not accept unsolicited proposals in respect of this RFI. Respondents are advised that HQ SACT will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in responding to this RFI. The costs for responding to this RFI shall be borne solely by the responding vendor. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP when issued. Page 1 of 7
1.5 Any potential future RFP shall be listed on the HQ SACT Purchasing and Contracting website (http://www.act.nato.int/content.asp?pageid=123). Vendors are responsible for monitoring this site for additional information on this requirement. 2.0 Background 2.1 About the NATO ACT Capabilities Engineering Division. 2.1.1 In the near future, ACT is anticipating the implementation of a new Peacetime Establishment (PE) in which the newly formed Capabilities Engineering Division will oversee Concept Development (CD), Operational Experimentation (OE), and Operational Analysis (OA) branches in order to support Capability Development at Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation (HQ SACT). 2.2 About Concept Development and Experimentation. 2.2.1 ACT contributions to the development of new capabilities will be directed by the ACT Capability Engineering Division, led by Rear-Admiral Christian Canova who has been appointed as the Division Head for Capability Engineering (CE). ACT contributes to all stages of the development of new and transformational operational capabilities through a range of mechanisms, including Concept Development and Experimentation (CD&E). ACT has developed CD&E processes and practices that promote innovation and efficiency while avoiding duplications. It has established a vibrant network of Nation partners engaged in sharing information through collaborative development and experimentation. 2.3 About the Operational Experimentation (OE) Branch 2.3.1 The Operational Experimentation Branch develops and executes NATO s experimentation program. The Branch comprises Staff Officers and civilians who coordinate experimentation efforts within exercises and other venues to contribute to transformation of the Alliance. 2.3.2 The OE Branch maintains experimentation links and working relationships within ACT and, in the wider NATO domain, with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Research & Technology Organisation (RTO), Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) and other appropriate subordinate commands, bodies and agencies. To enhance their effectiveness, the Branch also liaises with NATO Centres of Excellence through appropriate channels and, as required, with industry, nongovernmental organisations, and academia. The Branch emphasises collaboration with national transformational centres. Within HQ SACT, the OE Branch works in close relation with the Operational Concept Development, the Operational Analysis, and the R&T Coordination branches. Page 2 of 7
2.4 About ACT Framework for Collaborative Interaction (FFCI) 2.4.1 ACT has begun to implement a Framework for Collaborative Interaction (FFCI) to increase opportunities for industry (and academia) to contribute to ACT capability development efforts though collaborative work. Such collaboration will to enable HQ SACT (and NATO as a whole) to benefit from industry advice, capabilities and experience in the course of its work. Industry should benefit from the collaboration through improved understanding of capability development challenges and issues to be addressed by ACT (such as improving interoperability). Potential collaborative projects will be in specific topics that are of mutual interest to both parties and shall be restricted to collaborations in non-procurement areas. Several mechanisms are being developed to support the initiation of collaborative projects between industry and ACT ranging from informal information exchange, workshops, studies or more extensive collaboration on research and experimentation. 2.4.2 More extensive information on the ACT FFCI initiative can be found on the ACT web site which is being developed to support FFCI projects at: http://www.act.nato.int/ffci. 2.5 About the Civil Military Fusion Centre/Civil Military Overview (CFC/CMO). 2.5.1 General Overview. The Civil Military Fusion Centre (CFC) is an ACT initiated project that has established, on an experimental basis, a development organisation that works closely with interested and likeminded civil and military actors to share, gather, process, organize and disseminate non-classified information available about a crisis to a wide range of participants via the Civil Military Overview (CMO). The CFC provides benefit to participants by providing Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) support for designated crisis/focus areas. 2.5.2 Description of the CFC. Knowledge Managers (KM) form the core element of the CFC. Their experience and subject matter expertise in their particular focus area enables them to gather, summarize and disseminate information of value to the CMO user community. Conceptually, most of these KMs would be representatives from recognized, credible, and like-minded security, humanitarian and development organisations. They provide an ability to reach-back to the resources, expertise and contacts of their parent organisations. This arrangement greatly expands the social network of the CFC and its access to relevant information. 2.5.3 Description of the CMO. The CMO is a web portal that provides an holistic overview of the engagement space on non-classified military/security, humanitarian and development information gathered from functional experts in relevant organisations. The CMO is the main conduit of information exchange between users and the CFC. As such, it provides users with quick, easy and intuitive access to information related to a crisis, in addition to providing a virtual environment through which they can communicate with other like-minded actors. Over time, several improvements have been made to increase the value of the CMO to participants. It is believed that HQ SACT could benefit from industry knowledge and experience to identify how to further enhance the support provided by the CMO. Page 3 of 7
2.5.4 History of the CFC/CMO. The CFC/CMO has been operating under HQ SACT leadership since January 2008 and has supported SHAPE-endorsed operational requirements regarding information sharing and enhanced situational awareness between NATO and other actors operating in Afghanistan and North East Africa. On the 14 January 2010, the CFC opened a new web page to support information sharing and enhancing situational awareness for relief, stabilization, and reconstruction efforts responding to the Haiti earthquake disaster. There are currently nine Knowledge Managers including two Fusion Managers, two CMO Information Technology Architects, four Interns, an Outreach Liaison Officer, and four positions in the Direction Group including a Director. 2.5.5 About the Consortium Vision for CFC. In future, the CFC is envisioned to become a multi-national and multi-agency organisation composed of like-minded partners in the civilian and military communities who work together to share and disseminate relevant holistic information to for global use by crisis managers. Members of a consortium would help to transition the CFC into a multi-organizational owned, resourced and operated entity. Respondents to this RFI may have knowledge and experience that would be helpful in developing a future CFC Consortium. 2.5.6 Access to the CFC/CMO. The CFC is located near the NATO HQ SACT in Norfolk, Virginia. The CMO web page is located at www.cimicweb.org. Please request an account in order to obtain full access to the CMO. 2.6 About the Collaborative Project under ACT s Framework for Collaborative Interaction. NATO HQ SACT would like to pursue the following areas for potential collaboration with industry and other entities. Depending on the level and type of interaction needed for a collaborative project, a specific agreement may be needed between parties. The FFCI agreement for any specific project, if required by either party for the project to proceed, will range from Non-disclosure Agreements for projects involving exchange of specific information, to more extensive Statements of Collaboration (SOC) to address intellectual property and other issues. For most of the topics listed below, it is envisaged that the level of contribution will be such that RFI respondents will wish to sign an SOC before entering into any significant collaborative work with ACT: 2.6.1 Intent for the Collaborative Project. Under a collaborative project, RFI respondents would be willing to share their technical knowledge, expertise, and recommendations with ACT staff, and where necessary provide appropriate training to ACT personnel and support staff. This support is envisaged to be in the area of enhancing transformational capabilities rather than providing support to existing systems or capabilities. ACT is interested in developmental collaboration in technical and procedural innovation rather than existing commercially available products. Areas of particular technical and procedural interest include, but are not limited to, the following: 2.6.1.1 Geospatial mapping. What approaches are available to translate specific data points onto a map and collate or summarize this information using automation? How can important data most efficiently be represented in a geospatial format? How is it possible to have collaborative discussions embedded on a map? Page 4 of 7
3.0 Requested Information 2.6.1.2 Document Library/Content Management. How can the CFC most efficiently present documentation on the CMO? How can the CFC present this information in the most user-friendly and visually appealing way? 2.6.1.3 Transformational ideas. What transformational ideas could enhance CFC/CMO capabilities and improve its performance and effectiveness? 3.1 White Paper. Vendor companies and organizations are invited to provide a white paper, of no more than 15 pages. This white paper should outline the scope of collaborative relationship that the Partner candidate would pursue with NATO ACT regarding the CFC, specifically as it relates to the topics mentioned in section 2.5 above. The white papers shall be due by 25 Jun 2010, 1700 EST (Local Norfolk, VA Time). Information in the white papers will be considered in developing proposals for collaborative projects to support the CMO development. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and clearly marked as such. Please be advised that all submissions become HQ SACT property and will not be returned. The white papers shall be in Microsoft Word for Office compatible format, and shall not contain classified information. The white papers shall address, at a minimum, the following: A. Executive Summary B. About the Company or Organization a. Non-Technical Competencies and Certifications b. Technical Competencies and Certifications c. Financial Standing, if applicable d. Organizational Structure C. Recommended Design of Partnership a. Assumptions made about the potential collaboration between Industry and ACT to improve CMO capabilities b. Organization and professional attributes of individual(s) that could contribute to the CMO development c. Addressing the issue of geospatial mapping d. Addressing the issue of content management e. Addressing other proposed transformational ideas f. Proposed schedule and medium of interactions with ACT g. Potential for longer term interest in contributing to a CFC D. Evidence of Past Performance 3.1.1 White Paper Addendum. The white paper shall include the following information in a separate attachment, which will not be included in the 15-page limitation. A. Company or organization name B. Complete mailing address C. Overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address) Page 5 of 7
D. Phone number E. Fax number F. E-mail address of designated point of contact 3.2.2 Presentation. Selected RFI respondents may be asked to provide one-hour, on-site or web-based presentations based on their white papers to HQ SACT and HQ SACT Contracting personnel in July/August 2010. Vendors must be prepared to answer indepth questions regarding their past experiences, capabilities, and certifications at that time. 4.0 Eligibility Requirements 4.1 Technical Certifications for Information Technology 5.0 Questions 4.1.1 NATO ACT requires that the interested Industry Partner and Consortium Member will hold a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level III Certification. No work will be performed directly on the NATO Development or Production Networks, but advice is sought on optimization of the technical underpinnings of the CMO. Questions of a Technical Nature about this RFI announcement and white paper shall be submitted by e-mail only to Mr. Curtis Day R&D Contracting Officer, at day@act.nato.int Accordingly, questions in an e-mail shall NOT contain proprietary and/or classified information. NATO/HQ SACT does not guarantee that questions received after 18 June 2010 will be answered. Answers will be posted on the HQ SACT P&C website at: http://www.act.nato.int/contracting.asp?contracttype=rfi 6.0 Response Date White papers are due no later than 25 June 2010, 1700 EST (Norfolk, VA Local Time). Responses shall be submitted via e-mail only (on company letterhead) to Mr. James Begonia, Senior Contracting Specialist, at jim.begonia@act.nato.int. 7.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify an Industry Partner or who can enter into a collaborative project with NATO HQ SACT in support of the Civil Military Fusion Centre and the Civil Military Overview. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on HQ SACT. HQ SACT has not made a commitment to procure any of the items described herein, and release of this RFI shall not be construed as such a commitment, nor as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement will be required or sought. It is emphasized that this is a RFI, and not a RFP of any kind. All submissions become HQ SACT property and will not be returned. Page 6 of 7
8.0 Place of Performance North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Headquarters (HQ SACT) 7857 Blandy Road, Suite 100 Norfolk, VA 23551-2490 Kevin Mills Head of Contracts - Allied Command Transformation (ACT) NATO/HQ SACT Tel: (757) 747-4283 Fax: (757) 747-4261 E-mail: kevin.mills@act.nato.int Page 7 of 7