27 June 1997

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     ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE
     MANAGEMENT 

     June 27, 1997, Commerce Business Daily

     SOL BAA 97-05-PKPX 
     POC Richard Simard, Program Manager,
     RL/IRRE, 315/330-1798; Gregory Hadynski, Deputy
     Program Manager, RL/C3BA, 315/330-4218; Joetta Bernhard,
     Contracting Officer, RL/PKPX, 315/330-2308 

     Rome Laboratory (RL) and the Defense Advanced Research
     Projects Agency (DARPA) are soliciting white papers in
     support of DARPA's Advanced Intelligence, Surveillance, and
     Reconnaissance Management (AIM) program (formally the
     Advanced Cooperative Collection Management or ACCM
     program). Formal proposals will be solicited on the basis of
     the white paper submittal. The goal of the AIM program is to
     drastically shorten the operations planning to information
     product delivery cycles in order to provide near real time,
     focused information support to warfighters. 

     Activities essential to this goal include the management of 
     information system processes, development of strategies for 
     the optimization of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and
     Reconnaissance (ISR) confederation, and the development of
     technologies and processes for multi-asset synchronization.

     Technologies and processes developed under AIM may be
     transitioned into the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA)
     Integrated Collection Management Advanced Concept
     Technology Demonstration (ICM ACTD), the Joint Collection
     Management Tool (JCMT), the Joint Task Force (JTF)
     reference architecture, and individual operations management
     and ISR programs where applicable. 

     Other important program linkages for AIM include DARPA's 
     Dynamic Data Base, Battlefield Awareness and Data 
     Dissemination (BADD) ACTD, Joint Forces Air Component Command 
     (JFACC) program, and the Joint Task Force Advanced Technology
     Demonstration (JTF ATD). 

     Information dominance within the dynamic battlefield demands 
     that the ISR confederation provide the necessary information to 
     the correct operational echelon within required timelines. 
     Consequently, the ISR management process -- from information 
     need generation, to tasking, collection, exploitation, and 
     dissemination -- must be tightly integrated into the operational 
     cycles and optimized for requirements satisfaction and 
     responsive to real-time needs.

     Current ISR management process and asset planning systems
     must be upgraded to greatly improve single and multiple asset
     technology capabilities and satisfy the associated
     requirements for dynamic responses. The goal of the AIM
     Program is to develop and transition capabilities that will
     allow the ISR confederation to operate in a time compressed
     and cooperative collection capacity necessary for synergistic
     collections, time critical targeting, and dynamic battlefield
     awareness. 

     AIM will concentrate on three major areas to achieve its goal: 

     1. Information Management: AIM will develop and transition 
     technologies and processes for 

        (1) continuous interactive feedback to the requester on the 
        status of the information need satisfaction, 

        (2) coordination between strategic, operational, and ISR 
        planning, 

        (3) generation of subordinate priorities for support, and 

        (4) computer-aided management of information needs. 

     2. Strategy Development: AIM will develop and transition 
     technologies and processes to

        (1) decompose information needs into technical specifications
        for tasking based on user priorities, 

        (2) conduct performance analysis to determine strategies for 
        maximum military utility for the ISR confederation, 

        (3) develop alternative strategies for tasking and determine 
        the feasibility of these strategies, and 

        (4) compose optimal, timely deployment and execution
        strategies to include platform trajectories, sensor schedules,
        and exploitation loading. 

     3. Multi-Asset Synchronization: AIM will develop and transition 
     the capabilities to 

        (1) synchronize collection, exploitation, and fusion of 
        information to optimally satisfy selected strategies, 

        (2) determine the feasibility of tasking through the 
        continuous coordination with ISR assets; and 

        (3) provide coordination and feedback within a collaborative 
        operations environment. 

     Technologies that are applicable to AIM's three major areas 
     include, but are not limited to, the following: work flow 
     management, asset deployment planning, sensor configuration 
     planning, plan coordination, confederation geographical planning,
     priority-based requirements decomposition and recomposition, 
     performance analysis and metrics, computer-aided information 
     needs generation, common data and object representations, and 
     development of rules of behavior for intelligent system 
     technologies. 

     Applicable support activities include: system integration of 
     developed software/models; transition of developed capabilities 
     into ICM ACTD or JCMT; and visualization of analysis and military
     utility metrics. 

     Important areas for offerors to be familiar with include: 
     existing low, medium, and high fidelity modeling
     and simulation efforts in the areas of intelligence, surveillance,
     reconnaissance, and communications; capabilities,
     performance, and employment of national, theater and tactical
     intelligence collection, processing, exploitation, reporting, and
     dissemination systems; the DARPA/DISA Joint Program
     Office operational concepts and architecture; intelligent agent
     technologies; programs identified above as possible linkages
     or transition opportunities; and ISR confederation
     contributions to military operations. 

     For interested parties, a bidder's briefing for this BAA will be 
     held in mid-July 97 in the Washington DC area. Please contact Mr. 
     Simard or Mr. Hadynski for further information about the bidder's 
     briefing and to register for attendance. It is recommended that all
     parties interested in attending the bidder's briefing register by
     9 July 97 to ensure adequate time for coordinating clearance
     information. 

     Information in this announcement is not complete. The Proposer 
     Information Package (PIP) will be available not later than 14 
     July and may be accessed via the ACCM Homepage, or obtained at 
     the bidder's conference.

     Information on other programs mentioned above may also be
     found at the following Web addresses: Information Systems
     Office (ISO): http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso. AIM/ACCM:
     http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso/planning/accm.html. BADD:
     http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso/battle/badd.html. DDB:
     http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso/battle/ddb.html (under
     construction). JFACC:
     http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso/planning/jfacc.html.
     JTF-ATD:
     http://yorktown.dc.isx.com/iso/planning/jtfatd.html.
     JTF-ATD Reference Architecture:
     http://www.teknowledge.com:80/JTF/. DARPA/DISA JPO:
     http://www.les.mil. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

     CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT
     SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors
     are required to submit three (3) copies of a five (5) page or
     less white paper with a cover letter (include softcopy on 3.5''
     disk/in Microsoft Word), indicating whether the offeror is a
     large, small, women-owned small, or small disadvantaged
     business, or Historically Black College, University, or
     Minority Institution. The white paper must be formatted as
     follows: Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Cost of
     Task, Name of Company; Section B: Task Objective; and
     Section C: Technical Summary. 

     All responses to this announcement must be addressed to 
     ATTN: Richard Simard, Reference BAA #97-05-PKPX, 
     Rome Laboratory/IRRE, 32 Hangar Rd, Rome, NY 13441-4114. 
     Also send one (1) copy of the cover letter only, by First 
     Class mail (DO NOT SEND CLASSIFIED), ATTN: Jan Norelli, 
     Rome Laboratory/BC, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY 
     13441-4514. 

     Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement 
     may be submitted by each offeror. The purpose of the white 
     paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror
     whose proposed work is not of interest to the Government.
     All white papers submitted will be reviewed and those found
     to be consistent with the intent of the BAA may be invited to
     submit a technical and cost proposal. Such invitation does not
     assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a
     contract. Complete instructions for proposal preparation will
     be forwarded with the invitation for proposal submission and
     will be contained within the PIP. 

     Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following 
     criteria: 

        (1) innovation of the approach based on the overall goal 
        and/or technical areas described above; 

        (2) soundness and applicability of approach;and 

        (3) reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees 
        (if any). 

     In addition, the Government may consider other
     factors such as: 

        (1) offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, 
        techniques, or a unique combination of these which are 
        integral factors for achieving program objectives; 

        (2) offeror's qualifications, capabilities and experience 
        of proposed principal investigator, team leader, and other 
        key personnel who are critical to achieving proposal 
        objectives; and 

        (3) offeror's record of past and present performance. 

     No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting the
     proposals. The technical criteria will also be used to
     determine whether white papers submitted are consistent with
     the intent of this BAA and of interest to the Government.
     Proposals submitted will be evaluated as they are received.
     Individual proposal evaluations will be based on acceptability
     or unacceptability without regard to other proposals
     submitted under this BAA. Unpriced options will not be
     considered for award. 

     Funding of this BAA and the anticipated award of contracts 
     are contemplated to start in FY 98. 

     Individual awards will not normally exceed 18 months in
     duration, with dollar amounts normally ranging from
     $100,000 to $1,500,000. Total funding for this BAA is
     anticipated to be $35,000,000. Foreign participation at the
     prime contractor level is not authorized for this acquisition.

     Data subject to export control constraints will be involved and
     only firms on the Certified Contractor Access List (CCAL)
     will be allowed access to such data. The cost of preparing
     proposals in response to this announcement is not an
     allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other
     contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid
     and proposal indirect cost in FAR 31.205-18. 

     The work to be performed may require a Top Secret/SCI facility 
     clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore, personnel 
     identified for assignment to a classified effort must have a 
     Top Secret/SCI clearance at time of award. 

     In addition, to qualify as a responsible contractor, the 
     offeror may need access, or have access, to a certified and 
     Government approved facility available to support work under 
     this BAA. 

     An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear significant concerns 
     from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal 
     development phase of this acquisition. Routine questions are 
     not considered to be "significant concerns" and should be 
     communicated directly to the Contracting Officer, Joetta 
     Bernhard, 315-330-2308.

     The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the
     authority of the contracting officer or program manager, but
     to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements
     and recommendations to the appropriate Government
     personnel. 

     The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Vincent
     Palmiero, Chief, Policy and Management Division, at
     315-330-7746. 

     When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict 
     confidentiality as to the source of the concern.
     The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of
     proposals or in the source selection process. 

     It is recommended that white papers be received by the following
     dates to participate in the source selection and maximize
     chance of award: FY-98-15Aug97; FY-99-15Aug98;
     FY-00-15Aug99; FY-01-15Aug00. White papers will be
     accepted out of this cycle, but it is less likely that funding 
     will be available out of the source selection cycle. This BAA is
     open and effective until 30 Sep 2001. 

     To receive a copy of the Rome Laboratory "BAA & PRDA: A Guide 
     for Industry," Sep 1996 (Rev), write to ATTN: Lucille Argenzia, 
     Rome Laboratory/PKR, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY
     13441-4514, or the Guide may be accessed at:
     http://www.rl.af.mil/Lab/PK/pk-main.html. 

     All responsible firms may submit a white paper which shall be 
     considered.

     Respondents are asked to provide their Commercial and
     Government Entity (CAGE) number with their submission
     and reference BAA #97-05-PKPX. Only Contracting Officers
     are legally authorized to commit the Government. (W-176
     SN088894) 

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