RFI: IT Systems Engineering/Operations & Maintenance Support

NOTE:  THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and market research planning purposes. This RFI shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. This is NOT a Request for Quotations or Proposals. No solicitation document exists, and the Government may or may not issue a formal solicitation as a result of the responses received to this RFI.

The Government will not pay for any response or demonstration expenses. All costs incurred responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Failure to respond to this RFI will not preclude participation in any future solicitation. Any information received will become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or sensitive information.

The Government’s explicit intent, in this request for information, is to not receive from respondents any proprietary data, trade secrets, business sensitive information, or information considered CONFIDENTIAL under 18 U.S.C. §1905. The Government’s constraint does not in any way relieve contractors from their responsibility to properly mark proprietary data when it is provided, nor does it alleviate any requirement for the Government to protect marked data. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data.

The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned.

Government technical experts drawn from staff within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies may review responses. The Government may use selected support Contractor personnel to assist in the review of the RFI responses. These support Contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary information.

1. PURPOSE OF THIS RFI

The purpose of this RFI is to collect information from qualified and interested sources with the capability and experience in providing services identified in the RFI and draft Statement of Work (SOW). 

2. BACKGROUND/DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) focuses on providing the tools, technologies, and knowledge products for the nation’s Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE). S&T strives to enable effective, efficient, and secure operations across all homeland security missions by applying scientific, engineering, analytics, and innovative approaches to deliver timely solutions in support of DHS's mission.

The S&T OCIO supports S&T by providing personnel, technology, property, security, and processes for S&T operations, supporting staff in Washington, D.C. and laboratories nationwide. S&T currently manages approximately 35 distinct Information Technology (IT) Systems with 2,500 endpoints and projects, anticipating growth to over 40 systems with approximately 4000+ endpoints over the period of performance (12 months from the date of award). These systems include multiple General Support Systems (or networks), three (3) distinct Cloud-based solutions, partnerships with two Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and a number of standalone and experimental systems supporting Laboratory Operations.

The DHS S&T OCIO requires technical IT support services to help achieve its mission and objectives by integrating innovative technology into daily operations for DHS components. IT support services are needed for the Technical Services Branch. This Branch is comprised of two distinct functional areas: (1) Systems Engineering, functional area which focuses on the architect, design, integration, and deployment of new innovative technical solutions as required by S&T CIO and S&T customers. This also includes reviewing systems currently in production, and providing advanced technical consulting services including complete documentation, design diagrams, and briefings toward service improvement. (2) IT Operations & Maintenance, functional area that supports IT operations and maintenance for the S&T network infrastructure, including capacity management, daily IT operations, and enhancement support services for S&T CIO IT systems. The scope of work also encompasses operational support for all S&T CIO production networks, network infrastructure services, help desk operations, and comprehensive maintenance of the S&T IT enterprise and data storage management.

See RFI and draft Statement of Work for details.