SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- Joint Financial Management Improvement Program - Governmentwide Financial Management Systems Support
- Notice Date
- 2/14/2003
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Federal Technology Service (FTS), Federal Systems Integration & Management Center (TFM), 6354 Walker Lane Suite 200, Alexandria, VA, 22310
- ZIP Code
- 22310
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-20169GSA-02-1
- Archive Date
- 4/1/2003
- Point of Contact
- Larry Ries, Project Manager, Phone 703-306-7694, Fax 703-306-7713, - Maxine Thomas, Project Manager, Phone 703-306-7574, Fax 703-306-7713,
- E-Mail Address
-
larry.ries@gsa.gov, maxine.thomas@gsa.gov
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: The purpose of this Sources Sought Request/Request for Information is to gather information from interested parties and determine market interest from prospective vendors on providing financial management software testing/benchmarking strategies that minimize costs both to potentially interested parties and the government, and improve the quality of software to the Federal agencies. The Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) seeks to identify responsible potential sources of support and obtain information about methods, including new alternative process approaches, for testing and certifying financial management system (FMS) software for compliance with federal financial system requirements. Support also is sought in performing other study and analysis tasks related to improving government wide financial management performance. RESTRICTION ON CONTRACTOR ACTIVITIES: (1) The Contractor who performs the work shall be prohibited for a reasonable period of time from providing core financial systems software on the Financial Management Systems Software (FMSS) Program. (2) Performance of this effort will not preclude the Contractor from participating as a support service provider under the Financial Management Systems Software (FMSS) Program. However, the Contractor shall be precluded from providing FMSS certified software packages or support related to such packages. See FAR 9.505. In addition, the offeror must disclose in its response all affiliations (e.g. partnerships, reseller agreements, etc.) with vendors providing Financial Management Services hardware and software. DESCRIPTION: OMB Circular A-127 requires federal agency financial management systems to conform to the requirements defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of the Treasury, and other central agencies and published by the JFMIP in the Federal Financial Management System Requirements (FFMSR). A-127 further requires that federal agencies replacing core financial management system software must do so using software that has been ?benchmarked? as complying with the requirements. The JFMIP is responsible for managing the testing process. In this role, the JFMIP is responsible for maintaining the database of requirements and related tests, reviewing applications for the test, gathering information from the vendors on the financial management software, administering the test, and communicating with the federal agency community. The core financial system stands at the center of agency financial systems and must interface with other financial systems that are critical to acquiring information and managing financial resources and program delivery. These other systems, listed below, are not included under the current benchmarking process. -- Personnel and Payroll; -- Inventory; -- Travel; -- Property Management; -- Seized and Forfeited Assets; Acquisition; -- Direct Loans; -- Revenue; -- Guaranteed Loans --Budget Formulation; -- Benefit Payments; -- Managerial Cost Accounting; -- Insurance Claims; -- Financial Reporting; -- Grants; -- Framework.--------- DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT JFMIP CORE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM QUALIFICATION TEST PROCESS: This test is comprised of a set-up phase followed by a series of cycles containing financial transactions and standard outputs to demonstrate posting effects and reporting capabilities of the tested software. The test is conducted at the vendor site. JFMIP observes the entry of transactions, reviews the system output files and reports, and determines if the test has been successfully passed. Vendors successfully passing the test receive a certificate issued by the JFMIP signifying that its product has met the currently published requirements. An FMS product cannot be acquired by a federal agency without this certification. Certificates are valid for three years. ADDITIONAL NON-TESTING TASKS: Additional tasks not related to conducting software benchmarking also may be performed. The tasks fall into three broad categories of activities, as follows, but are not limited to those listed. PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT: -- Conduct a wide range of studies related to improving governmentwide financial management performance, e.g., human capital recruitment and retention -- Conduct analysis and assemble information on a wide variety of projects, including time lines for completion, supporting documentation, and appropriate publications that are published electronically and in hardcopy; -- Facilitate project and document vetting processes in a governmentwide framework, including public, private, and not-for-profit participants; -- Provide research, technical expertise, and other program support for special studies. REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFICATION: -- Identify, document, conduct research, and provide expertise that results in the identification of statutory, regulatory, and best practices requirements for all components of the federal financial management system architecture; -- Facilitate and provide expert support in of the vetting processes throughout all three phases of the requirements identification and publication processes, i.e., project initiation, exposure draft publication; and final document publication; -- SOFTWARE TESTING: - Identify and use innovative methodologies to test financial management systems software; --Evaluate vendor software capabilities; -- Develop test scripts; -- Conduct software tests; -- Develop and produce test documentation. ------------------------------------------------------------ Should insufficient credible interest be determined for this proposed contract action, it is possible that no formal solicitation will be issued. Should interest be determined sufficient, a formal Request for Proposal may be forthcoming. Offerors may express an interest in providing support for a subset of the proposed tasks, e.g., only benchmark testing, only program support tasks. Interest in providing alternative software benchmarking processes also is sought and should be described in your statement of interest. Interested parties should provide a statement of interest on company letterhead. The response statement must provide the following: --Evidence in the form of references, examples, or contracts wherein the Offeror has conducted software testing using the current JFMIP approach and methodology, as well as others, including what methodologies have been used, e.g., using test bed capabilities in the private, public, not-for-profit, or academic arenas. --Evidence that the vendor has in-depth experience in federal financial management systems. --Evidence that the vendor is free of any real or perceived conflict of interest. --Information demonstrating that the vendor has competency in general and federal accounting principles. --Evidence that the vendor has competency in general software testing processes and specific experience and/or capability with testing financial management systems. --Evidence that the vendor has the capability to use innovative and state-of-the-art approaches for software testing and software testing methodology. --Confirmation that the vendor has the financial capability to carry out the work. Data that identifies what type of business the vendor is, i.e., non-profit, large business, small business, Section 8(a), etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------- This synopsis neither constitutes a Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. This Sources Sought Request/Request for Information should not be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. Any information submitted by respondents to this synopsis is strictly voluntary and any offer submitted by such a firm will be evaluated without prejudice. The Government will not pay for any information that is submitted by respondents to this Request. Please direct any questions on this announcement to FEDSIM, e-mail: larry.ries@gsa.gov, (703) 306-7694. If available, Offeror may submit no more than two (2) evidences of prior related or similar experience. DUE DATE: March 17, 2003 Statements of interest may be submitted electronically to larry.ries@gsa.gov.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 1900 K Street, NW, Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20006
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 20006
- Record
- SN00260022-W 20030216/030214213732 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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