Added: March 31, 2008
Sources sought synopsis was previously accomplished under FA6643-08-1234. The solicitation number for this requirement will now be FA6643-08-R-0009.This requirement is for services needed for the operation, management, and sustainment of Air Force Reserve (AFR) Financial Management Systems. Headquarter AFRC, Financial Management Directorate, located at Robins AFB GA, is responsible for the management, design, development, implementation and maintenance of unique Air Force Reserve Financial Management Systems. These Financial Management Systems process pay and budget information for AFR and active duty personnel located throughout the United States, which include locations at HQ AFRC Robins AFB GA; SAF/RE Washington DC; and ARPC Denver CO. AFRC/FM systems also support certain common Reserve component financial applications and data bases in use at such places as the Air National Guard and all active duty locations. The financial data produced by these systems is transferred through various communications networks such as local area networks (LAN), wide are networks (WAN), and Defense Data Networks (DDN). The planned acquisition strategy is to award a five-year contract (a basic plus four one-year option periods). The contract will primarily consist of: (1) programming and maintenance of 12 financial management systems and related software: (2) Help-Desk services to provide daily assistance to personnel to support these systems; (3) software releases for the financial management systems and maintenance training on those software releases; (4) database administration for consolidated databases located throughout the United States; and (5) connectivity issues for FM servers to include port allocation requirements and troubleshooting. The requirement will also include the provision of IT materials required to support the effort. The objectives of this requirement are to: (1) Provide software engineering, software programming, software life cycle management (SLCM), network, help desk, financial management functional expertise, and security support for Financial Management Systems. This includes development and maintenance of software applications to provide the user more flexible and powerful tools to accomplish their financial management tasks. (2) Provide software reengineering for the migration of systems into web-based systems for Microsoft Windows XP, Visual Basic, .NET, and Windows 2003 server environments. (3) Provide Software reengineering of several PC-based and MAPPER mainframe-based systems into .NET web-based systems. The updated financial management systems will employ centralized processing techniques on networked file servers or web servers. This will result in more efficient processing and elimination of redundant data storage.
Below is additional information provided in response to questions received as a result of the previous sources sought synopsis which was posted on 15 Feb 08 under FA6643-08-1234.
1. Is this a sources sought for hardware, software, or licensed software?
This is for maintenance and sustainment of existing software.
2. Is this support for maintenance of systems or the development of new systems as exemplified by an ERP solution? Support is for maintenance of systems.
3. Where is this work to be performed? Robins AFB GA
4. What are the names of the 12 financial management systems?
PBASweb-Personnel Budget Analysis System
PBAS -Personnel Budget Analysis System
BRSweb - Budget Reporting System
BRSm - Budget Reporting System Mainframe
UTAPSweb Unit Training Assembly Processing System
AUDIT
UFR- Unfunded System
RTS - Reserve Travel System
Perstempo (RTS)
RTS Perdiem Utility
Executive Web View (EWV)
AROWS-R - Automated Reserve Order Writer System
5. Will there be a funding limit for this opportunity? Funding for this requirement will be provided based on the amount needed for the best value award. We expect incremental funding to be used.
6. What has precipitated the need for such services? There is a continuing need for Financial Management Systems support. HQ AFRC is responsible for the management, design, development, implementation and maintenance of unique AFR financial management systems. These financial systems process pay and budget information for AFR and active duty personnel located throughout the U.S.
7. Is there a time definition for close of business? Close of business is 04:00 p.m. on the day specified.
8. What types of databases are used today and are to be maintained as part of this effort?
Microsoft SQL databases and Oracle databases are maintained as part of this effort.
9. Is TekSouth Corporation, the incumbent contractor, allowed to compete? Yes.
10. Is there a Transition Plan in place? Not at this time.
11. What was accomplished by TekSouth? Design, development, maintenance, help-desk, network and database administration.
12. And what is still needed to be accomplished? Sustainment of existing systems, continued migration of some systems to new operating environment, interfaces to DOD financial systems.
13. What is the current phase of this project? (i.e., Scope Analysis, Specification, Software Architecture, Programming, Testing, Implementation, Documentation, User Training, etc.) Depends on the system but most are all in Programming, Testing, Implementation, Documentation, User Training, Maintenance and Sustainment phases.
14. Can you provide a context level systems diagram or picture of how the 12 systems interface with one another? Not available.
15. Can you elaborate on the payment and the budget management processes? AFRC is the only command besides the Guard that has the Reserve Personnel Appropriation. These systems manage that appropriation from calculating the pay of the reservists to executing the budget for that appropriation.
16. The description requests capabilities in reengineering and migrating systems to a web-based architecture using MS VB, .NET, etc. How are these systems currently architected and what is the present technology? Only PC-based and MAPPER are mentioned.
PBASweb -Personnel Budget Analysis System, BRSweb - Budget Reporting System, UTAPSweb Unit Training Assembly Processing System, UFR- Unfunded System, RTS - Reserve Travel System Perstempo (RTS) - Microsoft.net, JAVA Development Suite
RTS - Reserve Travel System Perstempo (RTS) PBAS - Personnel Budget Analysis System, AUDIT, - Visual Basic
Budget Reporting System Mainframe - Cobol & Mapper
AROWS-R - Automated Reserve Order Writer System - Oracle Suite
17. Is AFR specifically looking for a COTS solution? No
18. What are the unique issues associated with Reserve financial management? Management of the Reserve Personnel Appropriation. Reserve members pay and travel processes are different from active duty.
19. Will this replace the reserve pay system as well? No
20. Is there an external driver?Congressional or OSD? No
21. What are they really trying to accomplish? Maintain and modernize current systems.
22. Will the new system replace the 12 legacy systems? Not a new system.
23. Is CMMI level III certification a must requirement in order to bid on this opportunity? This is not a must requirement in order to bid on this effort; but a recommendation only that contractors have CMMI Appraisal Level III in at least one discipline.
