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**[[NOAA\*Link]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/103)
(1)**

The following questions and/or comments/suggestions were submitted in
response to NOAA\'s Industry Kick-Off Conference.

1.  [[Will the questions be posted on the
    site?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/348)

    **[[Answer
    Now]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/145)
    (62)**

The following questions are deemed critical to the finalization of
overall thought and strategy of the project and need to be answered now.

1.  [[Page 13; Part II, Table 3, under GOAL Will NOAA link not be the
    only contract vehicle available to NOAA for IT
    contracts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/905)

2.  [[What form of performance based contract(s) is/are
    contemplated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/896)

3.  [[Which elements of NOAA Link will be multiple
    awards?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/895)

4.  [[Can NOAA provide information about its NOAA Link procurement
    strategy and IT environment so that technical solutions, transition
    strategies and teaming plans can be addressed by potential
    bidders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/885)

5.  [[For Consolidated Helpdesk Operations, the government suggests that
    this Tower will be separate from the other service Towers. Does the
    government intend to award the Consolidated Helpdesk Operations
    tower to a different Prime contractor than the Prime contractor
    responsible for the Technology Infrastructure
    implementation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/878)

6.  [[Under the Shared One NOAA Vision, how will the government ensure
    that the technology infrastructure for the NOAA enterprise will be
    compatible with Value Added Services, Capabilities (e.g.,
    eSourcing), Web-based Transaction capability, Network services,
    Database services, Workstation services, and Security requirements
    if the NOAALink contract is awarded to multiple Prime
    contractors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/875)

7.  [[Under the Shared One NOAA Vision, Strategic Planning is a critical
    activity that drives the end state of the NOAALink initiative. Has
    Strategic Planning already taken place or will the Prime
    contractor(s) that win the NOAALink award(s) be involved in all
    Strategic Planning
    activities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/872)

8.  [[Will the government expect a small business to recruit a very
    large company to achieve a high score in the "do everything"
    category; or will the government consider the past performance of a
    small business that has demonstrated exceptional performance in
    managing a team of subcontractors who have demonstrated the ability
    to meet all NOAALink
    requirements?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/869)

9.  [[Will the government break the 10 critical innovative acquisition
    areas into separate Towers that will be awarded to 10 separate Prime
    contractors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/868)

10. [[How is this opportunity funded, and to what level is it
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/862)

11. [[As we anticipate the release of your Request for Proposal, it is
    important that we understand the acquisition strategy to determine
    whether our company is best suited to be a prime contractor (and
    find subs to support our team) or to be a subcontractor (supporting
    the efforts of another team). Any insight you can provide will help
    the IT community be better prepared to respond to your
    RFP.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/861)

12. [[Question: What is the schedule when existing contracts will
    transition to NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/772)

13. [[What type of contract vehicle is
    anticipated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/771)

14. [[When are contract awards expected to be
    made?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/770)

15. [[When is the solicitation expected to be
    released?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/769)

16. [[What provisions will the solicitation have for participation by
    Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Veteran Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran
    Owned, and Woman Owned Small Businesses? Will the solicitation
    include set-asides for small
    businesses?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/768)

17. [[Does NOAA anticipate mandating the use of the NOAA Link contract
    vehicle throughout the NOAA
    organization?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/755)

18. [[Page 15 of 44 Part III: Service Area Requirements-- This section
    states: "The key feature of this part is the arrangement of the IT
    Service Areas into five major 'Management Components:' Has there
    been a decision to award contracts for each of these five major
    Management
    Components?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/721)

19. [[SOME OR ALL TO BE ANSWERED:  Page 6 of 44 Section1 Paragraph 3
    Complementary Relationships with Other Contract Vehicles -- "This
    initiative leverages the capabilities of other contract vehicles
    already in use to support NOAA mission and operational programs."
    What will be the process for leveraging the capabilities of other
    contract vehicles? What will be the basis for the decision to
    transition from a current contract to the new awarded contract? Will
    this happen when contracts reach their option period or only after
    the total award
    period?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/718)

20. [[Page 6 of 44 Section 1 Paragraph 2 Strategic Intent -- "The
    contract vehicle for acquiring IT products and services offers
    comprehensive hardware, software and IT services agreements to
    enhance the return on investments and achieve significant cost
    efficiencies for information resource management". In a number of
    government agencies there has been an approach that separates and
    consequently awards two different contracts for Products vs. pure IT
    Services as a cost saving benefit. Two instances are DHS with Eagle
    and First Source and USAF NETCENTS II with Services and Product.
    Procurements. Does NOAA plan to separate awards for product and
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/717)

21. [[As the intent is to replace a suite of existing IT contracts with
    NOAA Link, NOAA should provide a list of the current contracts being
    considered for
    consolidation.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/679)

22. [[Will the work under each service area require secret or top secret
    cleared
    personnel?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/675)

23. [[Are there any security clearance requirements for personnel or
    vendor facilities under Section 5: Information Security and Risk
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/674)

24. [[Will the work being performed under one service area preclude
    performing work under another service area? Will an organizational
    conflict of interest clause be
    included?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/673)

25. [[Will there be any key personnel requirements for the
    response?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/672)

26. [[Will the PMO, in effect the first of the 11 "Towers" be the Prime
    Contact
    award?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/550)

27. [[What is the schedule for release of the Draft Statement of
    Objectives?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/547)

28. [[Under the NOAALink resulting contract, will the OCIO look to the
    Prime Contractor to manage relationships and services with the
    current Networx
    vendors/providers?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/546)

29. [[How will NOAA evaluate offerors ability to meet requirements for
    the Procurement/Catalog Services? Will a demo / prototype be
    required?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/545)

30. [[From our understanding, specific tasks may be required to be
    competed within the awardees' team. What is the turn around time
    NOAA will be seeking for the Prime Contractor to respond to Task
    Order
    proposals?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/544)

31. [[Does NOAA intend to release the NOAALink procurement as a Multiple
    Award BPA / IDIQ? Or will NOAA seek to award to one Prime team, and
    have the majority of task fulfilled by that
    team?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/543)

32. [[Will there be sample tasks issued as part of the RFP? If so, will
    the sample tasks be representative of tasks expected to be issued on
    the actual
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/540)

33. [[WAS THIS A DON\'T ANSWER?  Can we respond to this solicitation via
    multiple
    submissions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/539)

34. [[IDIQ contracts of this size are usually awarded to companies with
    experience in managing subcontractors. If this is aimed at the small
    business as a set-aside, how are you measuring their past
    performance on IDIQ contracts of this magnitude? Are you soliciting
    responses for prime contractors with associated with teams of
    subcontractors under
    IDIQ?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/538)

35. [[Is this solicitation "full and open", or is it a "small-business
    set-aside"?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/537)

36. [[The procurement seems more focused towards IT services, and yet
    the NAICS code is 517110 (Wired Telecommunication Carriers). Would
    you consider changing the NAICS code to 514511 (Custom Computer
    Programming Services) or 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services),
    or 541513 (Computer Facilities
    Management)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/536)

37. [[My understanding of an IDIQ is that we would bid with rates for
    specific job categories, but the Government has indicated a Catalog
    of Services. Should we respond with a catalog of pricing, applicable
    to each Catalog of Services -- how will this
    work?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/535)

38. [[Are there present guidelines for contract management, which can be
    used as the basis of these principles and practices? Or are these to
    be developed as part of the initial task
    orders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/517)

39. [[Appendices: A.4 Other References of Interest (page 42) a)
    Question: Why is "ISO/SEC 20000 listed as Other References of
    Interest" versus a required standard that will provide NOAA
    additional assurances that the contractor can implement quality
    processes and documentation throughout the performance
    period?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/506)

40. [[Part 1: Strategic Framework, second paragraph (page 2) a)
    Clarification: Please confirm our understanding that Phase 1 is the
    NOAA Link pre-award phase and Phase 2 is the post-award
    phase.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/477)

41. [[1. Executive Summary (page 2) --"These requirements form part of a
    larger contract vehicle for acquiring IT products and
    services\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--" a)Is this referring to the NOAA Link
    contract? If not, what is the larger contract vehicle referred to
    here?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/476)

42. [[Does NOAA have any documentation on AS-IS business process for
    legacy
    applications?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/468)

43. [[Has the government considered the establishment of an enterprise
    level risk management board? The risk and mitigation strategies
    must, by necessity, be considered from an enterprise perspective to
    properly assess their potential impact or
    likelihood.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/463)

44. [[Has the government thought about a share-in-savings
    approach?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/462)

45. [[FOR INTERNAL ANSWER AND DISCUSSION: Does the government have a
    timeline to do the migration from existing small contracts to this
    consolidated and streamlined IT operations? If so, what do you
    anticipate as the duration of Phase
    I?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/461)

46. [[If this is a multiple award IDIQ, how do you intend to break up
    the work (4 similar vendors or 4 functional categories type vendors,
    i.e. similar to DHS Eagle functional
    categories)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/460)

47. [[How many users are within NOAA? p 23
    C.4.a]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/432)

48. [[Is the organization looking to develop a center of excellence
    (COE) around project/program/portfolio management? p. 19.
    3.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/429)

49. [[Is Earned Value Management being considered in order to achieve
    tighter controls over cost and efficiencies? p. 17.
    C.1.C.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/428)

50. [[What are the current contracts vehicles NOAA is planning to
    leverage &amp; consolidate under this initiative? What is the
    timeline?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/423)

51. [[Will the organization foster a sharing environment so the
    appropriate participants can gain from each other while the
    organization gains as a
    whole?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/422)

52. [[Are vendors' certifications e.g., PMP, 6-Sigma, etc. a direction
    in which the organization is
    moving?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/421)

53. [[Will the Government require a small business subcontracting plan
    that includes the various strata of various socio-economic groups?
    What percentage of small contracting dollars will be required to go
    to small businesses aside from the
    prime?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/410)

54. [[Is the Government considering issuing a separate contract for the
    Strategic Management function based on potential OCI
    issues?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/407)

55. [[Will potential bidders be provided historical data regarding costs
    and potential dates that current contracts could matriculate into
    this contract? A listing of all current help desk contracts with
    expiration dates would be of value to accurately assess the
    TCO.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/405)

56. [[Will contractors be required to develop the PWS as part of their
    proposal
    submission?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/404)

57. [[Will NOAA require real time performance reporting information or
    will the vendor provide it on an established timetable (i.e. daily,
    weekly,
    monthly)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/403)

58. [[Will the selected vendor be required to provide ISO 20000 (ITIL)
    and ISO 9001 certified
    processes?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/402)

59. [[Can the government provide additional information regarding the
    type and frequency of IV&amp;V activities? We believe that Decision
    Support, Enterprise Architecture, Hardware/Software recommendations
    and Portfolio Management services should be compartmentalized. How
    will potential OCI issues to be
    mitigated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/391)

60. [[Given the service delivery paradigm is based on ISO 20000, we
    believe some of the activities better lend themselves to a single
    award such as Customer Care and Infrastructure Management because
    they are core O&amp;M functions. These functions should be
    integrated because the performance metrics would have
    interdependencies. Other activities may better lend themselves to
    task competition such as Application Development and
    hardware/software procurement. How many contracts does the
    Government anticipate awarding? How will these be delineated? What
    is the composition of the proposed contract governance model to
    address potential conflicts between
    functions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/390)

61. [[Zach indicated that there could potentially be multiple awards?
    How might that scenario work (i.e., similar to an IDIQ with multiple
    awards where we could compete for each task as issued? We to mean a
    Team or
    Company?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/356)

62. [[Have you decided the number of winners? Still small
    business?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/335)

    **[[Answer
    Later]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/146)
    (22)**

The following questions are important but not critical to answer at this
time.

1.  [[Appendices- B- please verify if NOAA has permanent or long term
    temporary offices outside the US and its possessions that will be
    supported by this contract. If so indicate the agency and
    location]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/954)

2.  [[As the transformation advances, how will cultural change and
    business process issues be
    managed?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/948)

3.  [[How will the new workforce with integrated functions, missions,
    systems and portfolio management be designed and managed from a
    human capital
    perspective?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/947)

4.  [[Will there be a need to perform a workforce strategy with
    organization design, gap analysis and skills assessment up front and
    during the
    transformation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/946)

5.  [[When will the comprehensive Human Capital Strategy be developed
    that aligns people with current and future
    missions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/945)

6.  [[Is there an internal training office currently supporting the IT
    department in their development needs? Are there training authoring
    tools we should be aware of?
    LMS?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/944)

7.  [[Is there documentation addressing NOAA's current business
    processes that are relevant to NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/898)

8.  [[Performance measures that are described as "customer satisfaction"
    measures are viewed favorably in proposals, but have specific costs
    that the government customer views as excessive. How important to
    NOAA are customer satisfaction measures that would become part of
    the service level agreements established for the NOAALink
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/866)

9.  [[WAS THIS A DON\'T ANSWER?  Will there be a need for talent
    management and succession planning during this process of
    change?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/715)

10. [[Is there any information available regarding funding projections
    for NOAA Link and IT spending in
    general?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/663)

11. [[Reference: Page 13: Section 2: Contract Management Principles and
    Practices. Questions: Does NOAA anticipate using a vendor-provided
    procurement and contract management system to automate and
    consolidate all contracting activities in support of this program?
    Or, will NOAA mandate that the awarded vendor(s) utilize an existing
    NOAA procurement
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/647)

12. [[NOAA requires a Data Analysis Software solution to be implemented;
    does NOAA have any existing Data Analysis Software tools available?
    If so, could these assets be shared to
    vendors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/469)

13. [[What is NOAA\'s current Software Development Life Cycle? p 32
    C.16]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/435)

14. [[How many new software applications are developed by NOAA each
    year? p 32
    C.11]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/434)

15. [[What type of infrastructure monitoring tools is currently used at
    NOAA? p 31
    C.4]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/433)

16. [[Is virtualization of servers and desktops something that the
    organization is willing to explore to meet the cost constraints, and
    reduce server footprint
    substantially?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/419)

17. [[How does the Government recommend implementing a firewall between
    various C&amp;A activities and the development/implementation of
    policies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/409)

18. [[Does the Government currently have a Security Operations Center
    (SOC)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/408)

19. [[What is the current process to identify and track
    inventory?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/396)

20. [[Is automated discovery software being utilized today for NOAA's
    asset and configuration management and tracking? If so, does NOAA
    have an enterprise license
    agreement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/394)

21. [[What is the proposed refresh period for desktops, laptops and
    network
    equipment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/393)

22. [[What lessons learned are being applied from other contracts
    managed by the proposed
    team?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/104)

    **[[Don\'t
    Answer]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/147)
    (39)**

The following questions are either inappropriate, at a task order detail
level, or are solutions we are looking to industry to provide.

1.  [[Can the companies that take part in the development and deployment
    of NOAALink bid in response to solicitations issued from the
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/901)

2.  [[What are the scopes (tasks, deliverables and duration) of Phases 1
    and 2 of NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/886)

3.  [[The Statement of Requirements addresses an Enterprise Architecture
    (EA) key requirement to support research and assessment of new and
    emerging technologies. Which incumbent contractors (Prime and
    subcontractors) have participated in supporting research and
    assessment of new and emerging
    technologies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/884)

4.  [[The Statement of Requirements addresses Enterprise Architecture
    (EA) key requirements to demonstrate the ability to work
    collaboratively with other architecture domain teams. How many
    awards does the government anticipate (under NOAALink or other
    contracts) to provide future and on-going support to the
    architecture domain
    teams?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/883)

5.  [[Are there current (incumbent) contractors (Prime and
    subcontractor) have participated in the NOAA enterprise architecture
    team? Who are
    they?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/882)

6.  [[The NOAALink paradigm states that the design, deployment,
    operation, and transformation of NOAA's metasystems must function as
    an integrated complex system. With this paradigm shift "operational
    (mission) needs constrain and drive technical solutions, not vice
    versa". This statement creates a conflict. Lines of Business will
    view their parochial interests as "operational (mission) needs" and
    resist the standardization and efficiency that accompany enterprise
    architecture. How will NOAA leadership present standardization (and
    the accompanying efficiencies) as non- negotiable across the NOAA
    Lines of
    Business?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/879)

7.  [[Performance Based Acquisition tends to suggest that the government
    is interested in proposals that provide a well-defined solution or
    end-state. Will the government provide a more detailed description
    of the specific business and technical requirements for data
    manipulation, reports, and
    charts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/877)

8.  [[Are there any incumbent contractors (Prime or subcontractor) which
    are disqualified from competing for the NOAALink award(s) because of
    their current involvement in Strategic Planning, the development of
    the Shared Services Infrastructure, Analysis of Business Needs, and
    Assessment of Technical
    Alternatives.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/874)

9.  [[Have incumbent contractor(s) been involved in NOAA Strategic
    Planning
    activities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/873)

10. [[If multiple awards will be issued, will the government spend time
    with the proposed offerors during the solicitation process to make
    sure that the proposed solutions are compatible for creating the
    desired end state? Note: many "successful" implementations with high
    award fees became useless once the government moved to an enterprise
    model (and the "successful" implementations would not integrate with
    each
    other).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/871)

11. [[NOAA has stated that it is looking for innovative solutions.
    Service excellence and low cost is available through technology that
    is provided in exchange for reduced number of contractor personnel
    sitting at workstations. For exceptional service level performance,
    does the government require the same number of seats to be filled
    with contractor personnel in order to fund the contract adequately;
    or will the government accept high performance technology with
    drastically seduced contractor
    FTEs?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/870)

12. [[NOAA has stated that it is looking for innovative solutions. One
    of the best practices for technology integration is the Service
    Tower approach. Does the government view that the Service Tower
    approach to technology integration for NOAALink is
    preferred?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/867)

13. [[Performance Based Acquisition tends to suggest that the government
    is interested in proposals that offer detailed performance measures,
    metrics, and service level agreements. Would the government prefer a
    large number of service level measures (more than
    100)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/865)

14. [[Performance Based Acquisition has a major risk for the government
    in that the Statement of Objectives may not adequately address the
    specific needs of the government. Will the NOAALink contracting
    office meet with prospective offerors to address their detailed
    needs and expectations regarding the desired end
    state?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/864)

15. [[As the transformation advances, how will cultural change and
    business process issues be
    managed?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/714)

16. [[How will the new workforce with integrated functions, missions,
    systems and portfolio management be designed and managed from a
    human capital
    perspective?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/713)

17. [[NOAA Link has been described as a performance-based contract. What
    metrics does NOAA intend to use in establishing the evaluation
    criteria? The contract should indicate the incentives and penalties
    associated with missing individual
    metrics.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/678)

18. [[Have there been internal discussions regarding the agency's
    Information Technology Goals? Can you disclose this information so
    industry can better understand the direction of NOAALink and what
    the expectations are for NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/667)

19. [[Are all service areas outlined in the Statement of Requirements
    currently funded? If not, which service areas are
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/642)

20. [[Will each (or what percentage of) Tasks coming from these 10
    "Towers" require the Prime Contractor to compete the Task amongst
    it's team
    mates?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/552)

21. [[Will the remaining 10 "Towers" represent Task Order areas for the
    Prime Contractor and its team to submit
    solutions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/551)

22. [[Will NOAA limit software development work to T&amp;M since it
    would be very difficult to propose a firm fixed price (as defined in
    FAR) Statement of Work that is specific enough for a adequate
    response?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/542)

23. [[Does NOAA have any data model and entity relationship diagrams for
    the existing databases? What is the approximate size of each
    database?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/467)

24. [[Does Mission Support Systems require external interfaces (data
    sharing, data exchange, and workflow)? If so, does this include
    real-time or periodic feeds from other applications or
    databases?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/466)

25. [[What classes of service are required and how can we assure proper
    levels of service without gold
    plating?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/465)

26. [[Has the government considered what "appetite suppressants" may be
    necessary to assure that "anytime anywhere access to IT support" is
    properly aligned with mission requirements, while remaining
    sensitive to departmental
    budgets?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/464)

27. [[Is it the vision that Tier 0 help contain things that are totally
    customer driven i.e., FAQ, demos, etc.? p. 23.
    4.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/430)

28. [[Does the organization foresee LiveChat help for its end
    users?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/427)

29. [[Will your executive governance committees be comprised of state,
    federal, &amp; private sector
    partners?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/425)

30. [[Is remote Desktop support something that would be attractive to
    the
    organization?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/420)

31. [[The SOR identifies the desire to acquire hardware and software
    through the NOAA LINK contract after it is awarded. However the
    specific roles of contractor are somewhat unclear. Does NOAA desire
    to have the contractor represent the government as their "mini" PMO
    to provide lifecycle management of IT. Where we would help NOAA
    articulate requirements, obtain competitive bids, acquire goods and
    services, and then ultimately dispose of the outdated products when
    they no longer serve their purpose? Other areas identify the desire
    for the contractor to bid a catalog of goods and services that can
    be used. Under this model the contractor would have selected teaming
    partners for their ability to exclusively deliver goods and services
    based on pre-negotiated, competitive rates. If the government wants
    a streamlined acquisition process, a "mandatory use" catalog would
    be best. Of course, processes and procedures would be established
    for mission essential exceptions to the mandatory use policy. If
    NOAA wants the contractor to run the acquisition process start to
    finish than the contractor must know what is expected in order to
    properly identify the specific skill sets needed to meet
    requirements. Please clarify the roles of both government and
    industry partner in the acquisition process NOAA
    envisions.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/411)

32. [[If the government should award multiple contracts, how will
    "contractor gaps" be addressed across the various functions within
    the Management
    Framework?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/406)

33. [[Regarding the consolidation of the Help Desks, will NOAA want to
    leverage a vendor's multiple Help Desk locations while leveraging a
    single common set of
    tools?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/401)

34. [[Is NOAA open to using a vendor's ITIL-based incident and problem
    management system to leverage available cost savings in licensing,
    maintenance, administration, and disaster recovery capabilities or
    will the vendor be required to use GFE
    tools?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/400)

35. [[To minimize the impact of potential outages and service
    disruptions caused by acts of God, terrorism, or other would NOAA be
    inclined to staff the SPOC Help Desk at a vendor location away from
    more vulnerable areas like Washington, D.C. if the vendor has
    established disaster recovery
    capabilities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/399)

36. [[Would the Government consider making the entire Customer Care
    function
    FFP?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/395)

37. [[Will potential COOP/DR equipment be
    GFE?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/392)

38. [[How much of the NOAALink funding is under the control of each
    Line-Of-Business
    CIO?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/389)

39. [[Under the current management framework, which activities are
    currently
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/388)

    **[[General]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/148)
    (45)**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
1.  [[Appendices- B- please verify if NOAA has permanent or long term
    temporary offices outside the US and its possessions that will be
    supported by this contract. If so indicate the agency and
    location]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/954)

2.  [[As the transformation advances, how will cultural change and
    business process issues be
    managed?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/948)

3.  [[How will the new workforce with integrated functions, missions,
    systems and portfolio management be designed and managed from a
    human capital
    perspective?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/947)

4.  [[Will there be a need to perform a workforce strategy with
    organization design, gap analysis and skills assessment up front and
    during the
    transformation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/946)

5.  [[When will the comprehensive Human Capital Strategy be developed
    that aligns people with current and future
    missions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/945)

6.  [[Is there an internal training office currently supporting the IT
    department in their development needs? Are there training authoring
    tools we should be aware of?
    LMS?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/944)

7.  [[Is there documentation addressing NOAA's current business
    processes that are relevant to NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/898)

8.  [[The NOAALink paradigm states that the design, deployment,
    operation, and transformation of NOAA's metasystems must function as
    an integrated complex system. With this paradigm shift "operational
    (mission) needs constrain and drive technical solutions, not vice
    versa". This statement creates a conflict. Lines of Business will
    view their parochial interests as "operational (mission) needs" and
    resist the standardization and efficiency that accompany enterprise
    architecture. How will NOAA leadership present standardization (and
    the accompanying efficiencies) as non- negotiable across the NOAA
    Lines of
    Business?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/879)

9.  [[NOAA has stated that it is looking for innovative solutions.
    Service excellence and low cost is available through technology that
    is provided in exchange for reduced number of contractor personnel
    sitting at workstations. For exceptional service level performance,
    does the government require the same number of seats to be filled
    with contractor personnel in order to fund the contract adequately;
    or will the government accept high performance technology with
    drastically seduced contractor
    FTEs?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/870)

10. [[NOAA has stated that it is looking for innovative solutions. One
    of the best practices for technology integration is the Service
    Tower approach. Does the government view that the Service Tower
    approach to technology integration for NOAALink is
    preferred?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/867)

11. [[Performance measures that are described as "customer satisfaction"
    measures are viewed favorably in proposals, but have specific costs
    that the government customer views as excessive. How important to
    NOAA are customer satisfaction measures that would become part of
    the service level agreements established for the NOAALink
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/866)

12. [[WAS THIS A DON\'T ANSWER?  Will there be a need for talent
    management and succession planning during this process of
    change?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/715)

13. [[As the transformation advances, how will cultural change and
    business process issues be
    managed?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/714)

14. [[How will the new workforce with integrated functions, missions,
    systems and portfolio management be designed and managed from a
    human capital
    perspective?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/713)

15. [[Have there been internal discussions regarding the agency's
    Information Technology Goals? Can you disclose this information so
    industry can better understand the direction of NOAALink and what
    the expectations are for NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/667)

16. [[Appendices: A.4 Other References of Interest (page 42) a)
    Question: Why is "ISO/SEC 20000 listed as Other References of
    Interest" versus a required standard that will provide NOAA
    additional assurances that the contractor can implement quality
    processes and documentation throughout the performance
    period?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/506)

17. [[1. Executive Summary (page 2) --"These requirements form part of a
    larger contract vehicle for acquiring IT products and
    services\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--" a)Is this referring to the NOAA Link
    contract? If not, what is the larger contract vehicle referred to
    here?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/476)

18. [[NOAA requires a Data Analysis Software solution to be implemented;
    does NOAA have any existing Data Analysis Software tools available?
    If so, could these assets be shared to
    vendors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/469)

19. [[Does NOAA have any documentation on AS-IS business process for
    legacy
    applications?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/468)

20. [[Does NOAA have any data model and entity relationship diagrams for
    the existing databases? What is the approximate size of each
    database?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/467)

21. [[Does Mission Support Systems require external interfaces (data
    sharing, data exchange, and workflow)? If so, does this include
    real-time or periodic feeds from other applications or
    databases?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/466)

22. [[What classes of service are required and how can we assure proper
    levels of service without gold
    plating?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/465)

23. [[Has the government considered what "appetite suppressants" may be
    necessary to assure that "anytime anywhere access to IT support" is
    properly aligned with mission requirements, while remaining
    sensitive to departmental
    budgets?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/464)

24. [[Has the government considered the establishment of an enterprise
    level risk management board? The risk and mitigation strategies
    must, by necessity, be considered from an enterprise perspective to
    properly assess their potential impact or
    likelihood.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/463)

25. [[What is NOAA\'s current Software Development Life Cycle? p 32
    C.16]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/435)

26. [[How many new software applications are developed by NOAA each
    year? p 32
    C.11]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/434)

27. [[What type of infrastructure monitoring tools is currently used at
    NOAA? p 31
    C.4]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/433)

28. [[How many users are within NOAA? p 23
    C.4.a]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/432)

29. [[Is it the vision that Tier 0 help contain things that are totally
    customer driven i.e., FAQ, demos, etc.? p. 23.
    4.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/430)

30. [[Is the organization looking to develop a center of excellence
    (COE) around project/program/portfolio management? p. 19.
    3.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/429)

31. [[Is Earned Value Management being considered in order to achieve
    tighter controls over cost and efficiencies? p. 17.
    C.1.C.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/428)

32. [[Does the organization foresee LiveChat help for its end
    users?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/427)

33. [[Will your executive governance committees be comprised of state,
    federal, &amp; private sector
    partners?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/425)

34. [[What are the current contracts vehicles NOAA is planning to
    leverage &amp; consolidate under this initiative? What is the
    timeline?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/423)

35. [[Are vendors' certifications e.g., PMP, 6-Sigma, etc. a direction
    in which the organization is
    moving?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/421)

36. [[Is remote Desktop support something that would be attractive to
    the
    organization?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/420)

37. [[Is virtualization of servers and desktops something that the
    organization is willing to explore to meet the cost constraints, and
    reduce server footprint
    substantially?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/419)

38. [[The SOR identifies the desire to acquire hardware and software
    through the NOAA LINK contract after it is awarded. However the
    specific roles of contractor are somewhat unclear. Does NOAA desire
    to have the contractor represent the government as their "mini" PMO
    to provide lifecycle management of IT. Where we would help NOAA
    articulate requirements, obtain competitive bids, acquire goods and
    services, and then ultimately dispose of the outdated products when
    they no longer serve their purpose? Other areas identify the desire
    for the contractor to bid a catalog of goods and services that can
    be used. Under this model the contractor would have selected teaming
    partners for their ability to exclusively deliver goods and services
    based on pre-negotiated, competitive rates. If the government wants
    a streamlined acquisition process, a "mandatory use" catalog would
    be best. Of course, processes and procedures would be established
    for mission essential exceptions to the mandatory use policy. If
    NOAA wants the contractor to run the acquisition process start to
    finish than the contractor must know what is expected in order to
    properly identify the specific skill sets needed to meet
    requirements. Please clarify the roles of both government and
    industry partner in the acquisition process NOAA
    envisions.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/411)

39. [[Will NOAA require real time performance reporting information or
    will the vendor provide it on an established timetable (i.e. daily,
    weekly,
    monthly)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/403)

40. [[Will the selected vendor be required to provide ISO 20000 (ITIL)
    and ISO 9001 certified
    processes?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/402)

41. [[Is NOAA open to using a vendor's ITIL-based incident and problem
    management system to leverage available cost savings in licensing,
    maintenance, administration, and disaster recovery capabilities or
    will the vendor be required to use GFE
    tools?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/400)

42. [[What is the current process to identify and track
    inventory?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/396)

43. [[Is automated discovery software being utilized today for NOAA's
    asset and configuration management and tracking? If so, does NOAA
    have an enterprise license
    agreement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/394)

44. [[What is the proposed refresh period for desktops, laptops and
    network
    equipment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/393)

45. [[Can the government provide additional information regarding the
    type and frequency of IV&amp;V activities? We believe that Decision
    Support, Enterprise Architecture, Hardware/Software recommendations
    and Portfolio Management services should be compartmentalized. How
    will potential OCI issues to be
    mitigated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/391)

    **[[Acquisition]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/105)
    (74)**

```{=html}
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```
1.  [[Page 13; Part II, Table 3, under GOAL Will NOAA link not be the
    only contract vehicle available to NOAA for IT
    contracts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/905)

2.  [[Can the companies that take part in the development and deployment
    of NOAALink bid in response to solicitations issued from the
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/901)

3.  [[What form of performance based contract(s) is/are
    contemplated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/896)

4.  [[Which elements of NOAA Link will be multiple
    awards?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/895)

5.  [[What are the scopes (tasks, deliverables and duration) of Phases 1
    and 2 of NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/886)

6.  [[Can NOAA provide information about its NOAA Link procurement
    strategy and IT environment so that technical solutions, transition
    strategies and teaming plans can be addressed by potential
    bidders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/885)

7.  [[The Statement of Requirements addresses an Enterprise Architecture
    (EA) key requirement to support research and assessment of new and
    emerging technologies. Which incumbent contractors (Prime and
    subcontractors) have participated in supporting research and
    assessment of new and emerging
    technologies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/884)

8.  [[The Statement of Requirements addresses Enterprise Architecture
    (EA) key requirements to demonstrate the ability to work
    collaboratively with other architecture domain teams. How many
    awards does the government anticipate (under NOAALink or other
    contracts) to provide future and on-going support to the
    architecture domain
    teams?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/883)

9.  [[Are there current (incumbent) contractors (Prime and
    subcontractor) have participated in the NOAA enterprise architecture
    team? Who are
    they?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/882)

10. [[For Consolidated Helpdesk Operations, the government suggests that
    this Tower will be separate from the other service Towers. Does the
    government intend to award the Consolidated Helpdesk Operations
    tower to a different Prime contractor than the Prime contractor
    responsible for the Technology Infrastructure
    implementation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/878)

11. [[Performance Based Acquisition tends to suggest that the government
    is interested in proposals that provide a well-defined solution or
    end-state. Will the government provide a more detailed description
    of the specific business and technical requirements for data
    manipulation, reports, and
    charts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/877)

12. [[Under the Shared One NOAA Vision, how will the government ensure
    that the technology infrastructure for the NOAA enterprise will be
    compatible with Value Added Services, Capabilities (e.g.,
    eSourcing), Web-based Transaction capability, Network services,
    Database services, Workstation services, and Security requirements
    if the NOAALink contract is awarded to multiple Prime
    contractors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/875)

13. [[Are there any incumbent contractors (Prime or subcontractor) which
    are disqualified from competing for the NOAALink award(s) because of
    their current involvement in Strategic Planning, the development of
    the Shared Services Infrastructure, Analysis of Business Needs, and
    Assessment of Technical
    Alternatives.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/874)

14. [[Have incumbent contractor(s) been involved in NOAA Strategic
    Planning
    activities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/873)

15. [[Under the Shared One NOAA Vision, Strategic Planning is a critical
    activity that drives the end state of the NOAALink initiative. Has
    Strategic Planning already taken place or will the Prime
    contractor(s) that win the NOAALink award(s) be involved in all
    Strategic Planning
    activities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/872)

16. [[If multiple awards will be issued, will the government spend time
    with the proposed offerors during the solicitation process to make
    sure that the proposed solutions are compatible for creating the
    desired end state? Note: many "successful" implementations with high
    award fees became useless once the government moved to an enterprise
    model (and the "successful" implementations would not integrate with
    each
    other).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/871)

17. [[Will the government expect a small business to recruit a very
    large company to achieve a high score in the "do everything"
    category; or will the government consider the past performance of a
    small business that has demonstrated exceptional performance in
    managing a team of subcontractors who have demonstrated the ability
    to meet all NOAALink
    requirements?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/869)

18. [[Will the government break the 10 critical innovative acquisition
    areas into separate Towers that will be awarded to 10 separate Prime
    contractors?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/868)

19. [[Performance Based Acquisition tends to suggest that the government
    is interested in proposals that offer detailed performance measures,
    metrics, and service level agreements. Would the government prefer a
    large number of service level measures (more than
    100)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/865)

20. [[Performance Based Acquisition has a major risk for the government
    in that the Statement of Objectives may not adequately address the
    specific needs of the government. Will the NOAALink contracting
    office meet with prospective offerors to address their detailed
    needs and expectations regarding the desired end
    state?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/864)

21. [[How is this opportunity funded, and to what level is it
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/862)

22. [[As we anticipate the release of your Request for Proposal, it is
    important that we understand the acquisition strategy to determine
    whether our company is best suited to be a prime contractor (and
    find subs to support our team) or to be a subcontractor (supporting
    the efforts of another team). Any insight you can provide will help
    the IT community be better prepared to respond to your
    RFP.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/861)

23. [[We recommend that NOAA hold another Bidder's Conference. During or
    before this bidder's conference, we request a response to the
    following questions: What is the timeline for the release of NOAA's
    acquisition strategy for NOAA Link? What is NOAA's plan to
    transition existing IT contracts to NOAA Link? Are the IT components
    going to be broken out and then transitioned to NOAA Link and if so,
    what is the plan and timetable? NOAA has a number of technical
    support contracts that include IT as one component but the rest
    could include engineering, publication support, and administrative
    support.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/854)

24. [[Question: What is the schedule when existing contracts will
    transition to NOAA
    Link?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/772)

25. [[What type of contract vehicle is
    anticipated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/771)

26. [[When are contract awards expected to be
    made?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/770)

27. [[When is the solicitation expected to be
    released?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/769)

28. [[What provisions will the solicitation have for participation by
    Small Disadvantaged, 8(a), Veteran Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran
    Owned, and Woman Owned Small Businesses? Will the solicitation
    include set-asides for small
    businesses?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/768)

29. [[Does NOAA anticipate mandating the use of the NOAA Link contract
    vehicle throughout the NOAA
    organization?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/755)

30. [[Page 15 of 44 Part III: Service Area Requirements-- This section
    states: "The key feature of this part is the arrangement of the IT
    Service Areas into five major 'Management Components:' Has there
    been a decision to award contracts for each of these five major
    Management
    Components?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/721)

31. [[SOME OR ALL TO BE ANSWERED:  Page 6 of 44 Section1 Paragraph 3
    Complementary Relationships with Other Contract Vehicles -- "This
    initiative leverages the capabilities of other contract vehicles
    already in use to support NOAA mission and operational programs."
    What will be the process for leveraging the capabilities of other
    contract vehicles? What will be the basis for the decision to
    transition from a current contract to the new awarded contract? Will
    this happen when contracts reach their option period or only after
    the total award
    period?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/718)

32. [[Page 6 of 44 Section 1 Paragraph 2 Strategic Intent -- "The
    contract vehicle for acquiring IT products and services offers
    comprehensive hardware, software and IT services agreements to
    enhance the return on investments and achieve significant cost
    efficiencies for information resource management". In a number of
    government agencies there has been an approach that separates and
    consequently awards two different contracts for Products vs. pure IT
    Services as a cost saving benefit. Two instances are DHS with Eagle
    and First Source and USAF NETCENTS II with Services and Product.
    Procurements. Does NOAA plan to separate awards for product and
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/717)

33. [[As the intent is to replace a suite of existing IT contracts with
    NOAA Link, NOAA should provide a list of the current contracts being
    considered for
    consolidation.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/679)

34. [[NOAA Link has been described as a performance-based contract. What
    metrics does NOAA intend to use in establishing the evaluation
    criteria? The contract should indicate the incentives and penalties
    associated with missing individual
    metrics.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/678)

35. [[Will the work under each service area require secret or top secret
    cleared
    personnel?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/675)

36. [[Are there any security clearance requirements for personnel or
    vendor facilities under Section 5: Information Security and Risk
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/674)

37. [[Will the work being performed under one service area preclude
    performing work under another service area? Will an organizational
    conflict of interest clause be
    included?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/673)

38. [[Will there be any key personnel requirements for the
    response?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/672)

39. [[Is there any information available regarding funding projections
    for NOAA Link and IT spending in
    general?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/663)

40. [[Reference: Page 13: Section 2: Contract Management Principles and
    Practices. Questions: Does NOAA anticipate using a vendor-provided
    procurement and contract management system to automate and
    consolidate all contracting activities in support of this program?
    Or, will NOAA mandate that the awarded vendor(s) utilize an existing
    NOAA procurement
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/647)

41. [[Are all service areas outlined in the Statement of Requirements
    currently funded? If not, which service areas are
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/642)

42. [[Will each (or what percentage of) Tasks coming from these 10
    "Towers" require the Prime Contractor to compete the Task amongst
    it's team
    mates?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/552)

43. [[Will the remaining 10 "Towers" represent Task Order areas for the
    Prime Contractor and its team to submit
    solutions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/551)

44. [[Will the PMO, in effect the first of the 11 "Towers" be the Prime
    Contact
    award?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/550)

45. [[What is the schedule for release of the Draft Statement of
    Objectives?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/547)

46. [[Under the NOAALink resulting contract, will the OCIO look to the
    Prime Contractor to manage relationships and services with the
    current Networx
    vendors/providers?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/546)

47. [[How will NOAA evaluate offerors ability to meet requirements for
    the Procurement/Catalog Services? Will a demo / prototype be
    required?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/545)

48. [[From our understanding, specific tasks may be required to be
    competed within the awardees' team. What is the turn around time
    NOAA will be seeking for the Prime Contractor to respond to Task
    Order
    proposals?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/544)

49. [[Does NOAA intend to release the NOAALink procurement as a Multiple
    Award BPA / IDIQ? Or will NOAA seek to award to one Prime team, and
    have the majority of task fulfilled by that
    team?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/543)

50. [[Will NOAA limit software development work to T&amp;M since it
    would be very difficult to propose a firm fixed price (as defined in
    FAR) Statement of Work that is specific enough for a adequate
    response?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/542)

51. [[Will there be sample tasks issued as part of the RFP? If so, will
    the sample tasks be representative of tasks expected to be issued on
    the actual
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/540)

52. [[WAS THIS A DON\'T ANSWER?  Can we respond to this solicitation via
    multiple
    submissions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/539)

53. [[IDIQ contracts of this size are usually awarded to companies with
    experience in managing subcontractors. If this is aimed at the small
    business as a set-aside, how are you measuring their past
    performance on IDIQ contracts of this magnitude? Are you soliciting
    responses for prime contractors with associated with teams of
    subcontractors under
    IDIQ?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/538)

54. [[Is this solicitation "full and open", or is it a "small-business
    set-aside"?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/537)

55. [[The procurement seems more focused towards IT services, and yet
    the NAICS code is 517110 (Wired Telecommunication Carriers). Would
    you consider changing the NAICS code to 514511 (Custom Computer
    Programming Services) or 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services),
    or 541513 (Computer Facilities
    Management)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/536)

56. [[My understanding of an IDIQ is that we would bid with rates for
    specific job categories, but the Government has indicated a Catalog
    of Services. Should we respond with a catalog of pricing, applicable
    to each Catalog of Services -- how will this
    work?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/535)

57. [[Are there present guidelines for contract management, which can be
    used as the basis of these principles and practices? Or are these to
    be developed as part of the initial task
    orders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/517)

58. [[Part 1: Strategic Framework, second paragraph (page 2) a)
    Clarification: Please confirm our understanding that Phase 1 is the
    NOAA Link pre-award phase and Phase 2 is the post-award
    phase.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/477)

59. [[Has the government thought about a share-in-savings
    approach?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/462)

60. [[FOR INTERNAL ANSWER AND DISCUSSION: Does the government have a
    timeline to do the migration from existing small contracts to this
    consolidated and streamlined IT operations? If so, what do you
    anticipate as the duration of Phase
    I?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/461)

61. [[If this is a multiple award IDIQ, how do you intend to break up
    the work (4 similar vendors or 4 functional categories type vendors,
    i.e. similar to DHS Eagle functional
    categories)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/460)

62. [[Will the organization foster a sharing environment so the
    appropriate participants can gain from each other while the
    organization gains as a
    whole?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/422)

63. [[Will the Government require a small business subcontracting plan
    that includes the various strata of various socio-economic groups?
    What percentage of small contracting dollars will be required to go
    to small businesses aside from the
    prime?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/410)

64. [[Is the Government considering issuing a separate contract for the
    Strategic Management function based on potential OCI
    issues?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/407)

65. [[If the government should award multiple contracts, how will
    "contractor gaps" be addressed across the various functions within
    the Management
    Framework?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/406)

66. [[Will potential bidders be provided historical data regarding costs
    and potential dates that current contracts could matriculate into
    this contract? A listing of all current help desk contracts with
    expiration dates would be of value to accurately assess the
    TCO.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/405)

67. [[Will contractors be required to develop the PWS as part of their
    proposal
    submission?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/404)

68. [[Would the Government consider making the entire Customer Care
    function
    FFP?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/395)

69. [[Given the service delivery paradigm is based on ISO 20000, we
    believe some of the activities better lend themselves to a single
    award such as Customer Care and Infrastructure Management because
    they are core O&amp;M functions. These functions should be
    integrated because the performance metrics would have
    interdependencies. Other activities may better lend themselves to
    task competition such as Application Development and
    hardware/software procurement. How many contracts does the
    Government anticipate awarding? How will these be delineated? What
    is the composition of the proposed contract governance model to
    address potential conflicts between
    functions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/390)

70. [[How much of the NOAALink funding is under the control of each
    Line-Of-Business
    CIO?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/389)

71. [[Under the current management framework, which activities are
    currently
    funded?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/388)

72. [[Zach indicated that there could potentially be multiple awards?
    How might that scenario work (i.e., similar to an IDIQ with multiple
    awards where we could compete for each task as issued? We to mean a
    Team or
    Company?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/356)

73. [[Have you decided the number of winners? Still small
    business?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/335)

74. [[What lessons learned are being applied from other contracts
    managed by the proposed
    team?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/104)

    **[[Statement of
    Requirements]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/106)
    (1)**

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1.  [[The Statement of Requirements states that the technically robust
    operating environment to support NOAA's mission will provide the
    highest data quality for emergency management officials, decision
    makers, researchers, and the general public as part of the strategic
    framework. Which incumbent contractors are currently involved in
    identifying the data requirements to support the strategic
    framework.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/881)

    **[[Part I - Strategic
    Framework]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/107)
    (32)**

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1.  [[Page 8; Part I, Section 2, Paragraph 3 It is stated that "Regional
    collaboration is aimed at integrating program activities to address
    NOAA's priorities at both the national and regional scale" Will the
    RFP specify current regional processes and their variance (if any)
    from those applied at HQ? Will the vendor perform work at the
    regions in support of the program integration
    effort?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/904)

2.  [[Page 8; Part I, Section 2: Are the staff offices clients of the
    CIO's? Will they have requirements in addition to those described in
    the Statement of Requirements for the Line
    Offices?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/903)

3.  [[Page 6; Part I, Section 1: 1st sentence: What contract vehicles
    are currently in place? What is their timetable for completion (and
    being folded in to NOAA
    link)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/902)

4.  [[Part 1: Strategic Framework, Section 4: Does the government intend
    to award a PMO contract to assist in executing Phase 1? Will that
    vehicle winner be excluded from Phase
    2?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/760)

5.  [[Part 1: Strategic Framework, Section 3, 1st paragraph, Last
    sentence: What is are the criteria that the government will need to
    pass to allow offices to maintain existing
    contracts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/759)

6.  [[Executive Summary, Part I, 2nd paragraph, Last sentence: Does the
    government intend to award to multiple vendors? Will there be
    multiple awardees by service area
    requirement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/757)

7.  [[Executive Summary, Part I, 1st paragraph, Last sentence: Would
    NOAA please fully explain what is meant by the phrase --"the project
    leverages the capabilities of other key contractual
    vehicles"]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/756)

8.  [[Page 6 of 44 Section 1 Paragraph 2 Strategic Intent -- "As part of
    this effort, NOAA seeks to establish a performance-based contract
    that unifies a myriad of individual contracts in the NOAA
    environment for delivery of IT operations." Please provide
    additional clarification on what is meant by "unifies a myriad of
    individual
    contracts"?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/716)

9.  [[Part 1: Strategic Framework: Is there a Strategic Plan for IT
    systems within NOAA? How does NOAA Link support this Strategic
    Plan?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/665)

10. [[Executive Summary, Part I: Strategic Framework page 2: Has there
    been consideration for having more than one contract and dividing
    NOAA Link into at least two different contracts: one for services
    and one for products? This would allow more bidders to emphasize
    their strengths, provide better service to the customers and support
    the Mission of NOAA as well as the potential for increased
    competition.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/664)

11. [[Are the governance bodies or groups to consist of shared
    performance responsibilities, or are these to be composed of NOAA
    OCIO, or Line Office
    representatives?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/514)

12. [[What are good examples of private sector or non-Governmental
    initiatives and opportunities which could be suitable for fostering
    strategic
    partnerships?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/513)

13. [[In leveraging economies of scale, to what does the Government
    expect to leverage existing systems or services? Are all IT systems
    or services, subject to replacement through new procurements, or are
    there some which are already subject to be leveraged by this new
    initiative?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/512)

14. [[Is CMMI the best example of Continuous Improvement in operations?
    Are there others which the Government has in
    mind?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/511)

15. [[What unique business requirements will need to be
    supported?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/510)

16. [[Is there a statement of business expectations to compare
    with?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/509)

17. [[Are the service requirements already in existence, or are these to
    be developed under a new task order
    agreement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/508)

18. [[Are there any preferred industry best practices for this
    procurement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/507)

19. [[Section 1: Introduction, 3. Complementary Relationships with other
    Contractual Vehicles (page 6) -- "This initiative leverages the
    capabilities of other contract vehicles already in use to support
    NOAA mission and operational programs." a) Question: What other
    contract vehicles are being referenced here? Are these contracts
    being transitioned to NOAA Link? b) Question: What is the schedule
    when existing contracts will transition to c) Question: How do you
    envision the NOAA Link contract working in concert with the GSA
    Network
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/478)

20. [[Part 1: Strategic Framework, second paragraph (page 2) a)
    Clarification: Please confirm our understanding that Phase 1 is the
    NOAA Link pre-award phase and Phase 2 is the post-award
    phase.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/477)

21. [[Have you decided to put in an ERP
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/360)

22. [[Do you still intend to award a Program Management Support task,
    and if so, when will that be
    released?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/337)

23. [[What services will be acquired under this contract and what
    services will be acquired through other contract vehicles? How will
    you
    decide?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/336)

24. [[When do you anticipate being able to specifically identify which
    local support contracts will not be incorporated under
    NOAALink?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/334)

25. [[Does NOAA plan to tie into DOC Strategy? If so,
    how?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/333)

26. [[Can you elaborate on which existing contract vehicles are being
    considered?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/332)

27. [[Please elaborate on the 2 phase implementation
    process?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/331)

28. [[With respect to "Infrastructure" will NOAA consider "a fully
    managed secure and compliant hosting service"? (e.g., a commercially
    owned and operated data
    center)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/330)

29. [[Regarding framework requirements, what is the expectation for
    current contract holders with respect to the new
    award?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/329)

30. [[What current contracts do you currently have to buy IT hardware
    including Printers MFD'd etc? How do you plan to do it (above) in
    the future? How do you manage printers and print management?
    Supplies -- paper --
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/327)

31. [[How will NOAAs Enterprise Architecture be supported to meet
    requirements of Strategic Framework, 1. Query based models that
    comprehend to be BPM effective in the budget planning Exhibit 300
    and budget process of years in the future for programs like GOES
    EOS,
    etc?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/326)

32. [[Given your stated objective to integrate and consolidate vast
    strategic, enterprise and services area requirements, across all
    NOAA line offices, will this result contract(s) be designated as a
    "Mandatory Use" vehicle for these required solutions and
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/325)

    **[[Part II - Enterprise
    Requirements]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/108)
    (18)**

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1.  [[Reference: Page 10: Part II: Enterprise Requirements 2nd
    paragraph. NOAA states a desire to ensure continuous visibility into
    the activities of the procurement vehicle;...development,
    maintenance, and use of an actionable catalog of service offerings
    and practical Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) for delivery of
    products and services;...implementation of a comprehensive and
    integrated system to measure contract performance. Questions: Does
    NOAA intend to procure such a system referenced above or will NOAA
    require the awarded vendor(s) to provide and maintain this
    integrated system? Are any elements of this system or systems
    already in place in NOAA and would they be made available to the
    awarded vendor as Government Furnished
    Equipment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/646)

2.  [[It appears that this requirement centers on the development of an
    actionable catalog of offerings and practical Service Level
    Agreements (SLAs) for delivery of products and services? Is this a
    catalog of principals and practices, which will enable the products
    and services described in Section 1,
    above?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/523)

3.  [[Are there present guidelines for contract management, which can be
    used as the basis of these principles and practices? Or are these to
    be developed as part of the initial task
    orders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/522)

4.  [[Will it be part of the requirement to add/subtract or modify this
    list of criteria? As criteria they should be measurable and
    objective. Can these criteria, as outlined in the Table 3, be stated
    more
    objectively?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/521)

5.  [[Where can we obtain a list of these already established criteria?
    i.e. those based on the four perspectives: 1) User Satisfaction, 2)
    Business Contribution, 3) Operational Excellence, and 4) Future
    Orientation.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/520)

6.  [[It appears that this requirement centers on the development of an
    actionable catalog of offerings and practical Service Level
    Agreements (SLAs) for delivery of products and services? Is this a
    catalog of principals and practices, which will enable the products
    and services described in Section 1,
    above?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/519)

7.  [[Are the governance bodies or groups to consist of shared
    performance responsibilities, or are these to be composed of NOAA
    OCIO, or Line Office
    representatives?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/516)

8.  [[In Foundation Pillar 1? Build Strategic Alignment, the
    requirements are to enable the NOAA OCIO and Line Office OCIOs to
    obtain products and services that maintain focus on the total
    enterprise and to directly support the vision and strategic
    priorities of NOAA. Is there implied here a catalog of services,
    which will enable procurement of these wide ranging
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/515)

9.  [[Part II: Enterprise Requirements, Section 1: Foundational Pillars,
    item 2. 6 (page 11) --"Strengthen NOAA's capability to support those
    members of its workforce with disabilities." a) Question: What is
    NOAA's current capability (or ability) for supporting those members
    of its work force with disabilities? Is there documentation
    available for reference
    purposes?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/482)

10. [[Part II: Enterprise Requirements, Section 1: Foundational Pillars,
    item 2. 1 (page 11) -- "Employ
    best-practice..................Capability Maturity Model Integration
    (CMMI)........ a) Question: What level of CMMI certification is
    required of Prime contractor? What level is required for the entire
    team? Suggest CMMI level 3
    minimum.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/481)

11. [[What commitments are being agreed to by all CIOs for funding based
    on unknown functions? Is it reasonable to expect an unequal cost
    responsibility against a disparate budget distribution? How much
    industry buy-in has this effort received? What is the succession
    plan that guarantees this long term endeavor? What metrics are
    expected for dynamic
    processes?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/368)

12. [[Will NOAA organizations and or mission areas be required to use
    the new
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/366)

13. [[Will there be a substantial training implementation of the new
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/365)

14. [[User satisfaction has been clearly defined. There is a NOAA
    tendency for "users' to be stakeholders with skin in the game rather
    than the USA public trying to manipulate petabytes of data without
    the tools to develop derivative data. Who is the user? What are
    their
    requirements?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/364)

15. [[Trust? What regulatory systems will be used to ensure development
    of a "trust"
    relationship?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/363)

16. [[You mentioned that the requirements encompassed NOAA field. How
    was that validated/included? Are we to assume each CIO's field
    offices are in the "enterprise" now or are they going to be included
    at a later date? Kansas City -- NWS Miami -- WFOs, Seattle -- Fish,
    Norman Regional, Boulder -- Research, Ann Arbor
    Labs?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/362)

17. [[How are you planning to staff and fund the strategic management
    functions (PMO, EA and Decision Support) that aren't currently done
    or funded centrally in NOAA? Or aren't even being done or funded to
    a very high degree by line
    offices?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/355)

18. [[Is NOAAlink funded in this
    FY?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/338)

    **[[Part III - Service Area
    Requirements]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/109)
    (75)**

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1.  [[Page 27, Part III, Section 3: So that transition plans can be
    developed for proposals, can NOAA provide information regarding the
    IT environment(s), including legacy systems, descriptions of
    existing contracted support (scope of services, magnitude and
    duration), in-house equipment (models and age) and software
    COTS/GOTS products (names, purpose and
    release/version)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/897)

2.  [[Part III, Sections 1-5: Will the services required by Part III -
    Services Area Requirements (Strategic Management, Customer Care,
    Infrastructure Management, Business Management and Information
    Security & Risk Management) be addressed in a single contract or by
    multiple contracts addressing one or more of services
    areas?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/894)

3.  [[Page19; Part III, Section 1: Will the PMO be granted a delegation
    of procurement authority to manage post award
    competitions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/893)

4.  [[Page19; Part III, Section 1: Will the PMO have management
    authority over the service delivery
    contractor?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/892)

5.  [[Page 38; Part III, Section 5: Will the PMO be contractually
    responsible for performing the activities required by the
    requirements of Section 5 -- Information Security & Risk
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/891)

6.  [[Page 19; Part III, Section 1 Page 38; Part III, Section 5 What is
    the relationship between the Independent Verification and Validation
    (IV&V) responsibilities of the PMO, as described in Project
    Management Services in Section 1 - Strategic Management of Part
    III - Services Area Requirements, and the various requirements
    described in Section 5 -- Information Security & Risk
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/890)

7.  [[Page 34; Part III, Section 4: Will the PMO be contractually
    responsible for performing the activities required by the
    requirements of Section 4 -- Business
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/889)

8.  [[Page 19; Part III, Section 1 Page 34; Part III, Section 4 What is
    the relationship between the responsibilities of the PMO, as
    described in Project Management Services in Section 1 - Strategic
    Management of Part III - Services Area Requirements, and the various
    requirements described in Section 4 - Business
    Management?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/888)

9.  [[Part III, Section 5 -- Information Security and Risk Management,
    Subsection 2 -- Continuity of Operations and Disaster Recovery
    Services. Under Assumptions and Constraints, does a roadmap exist on
    when/if current data center facilities will be retired? If so, can
    that data be
    provided?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/831)

10. [[Part III, Section 5 -- Information Security and Risk Management,
    Subsection 1 -- Security Services. Do comprehensive device asset
    management inventories exist today for all hardware and software
    components?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/830)

11. [[Part III, Section 5 -- Information Security and Risk Management,
    Subsection 1 -- Security Services. What intrusion detection,
    security auditing, incident response, and reporting tools being used
    today?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/829)

12. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 2 -
    Training, Professional, and Consulting Services. While this section
    title includes professional and consulting services, almost all of
    the section addresses training. Please clarify what is envisioned
    for the professional and consulting
    services.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/828)

13. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 2 -
    Training, Professional, and Consulting Services, Paragraph b --
    Objectives, Subparagraph 1, bullet a -- Training programs to support
    real world mission needs. This statement implies end mission support
    beyond the scope of IT enabled training and consulting. Does NOAA
    envision providing training support through this vehicle for mission
    support systems beyond the enabling aspects of the IT
    infrastructure? If so, please provide examples of the types of
    training
    envisioned.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/827)

14. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 1 -
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph d -- Assumptions and
    Constraints, Sub-bullets 2) The Service Catalog will integrate
    effectively with many other service fulfillment engines. What is the
    identification of these other service fulfillment engines and where
    are they
    identified?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/826)

15. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 1 -
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph d -- Assumptions and
    Constraints We recommend the list of procurement/catalog services be
    fluid and able to be updated to reflect evolving technologies over
    the life of the program to ensure NOAA is constantly offered Best in
    Class technology
    refresh.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/825)

16. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 1 -
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph b -Objectives,
    Sub-bullets 2) Consolidate hardware, software and service into a
    actionable service catalog and 3) increase value through centralized
    control of ordering and provisioning. Will the resulting centralized
    control of ordering and provisioning be made mandatory throughout
    the NOAA line offices or only available as the line offices need to
    use
    it?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/824)

17. [[Part III, Section 4 -- Business Management, Subsection 1 -
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph b -Objectives,
    Sub-bullets 2) Consolidate hardware, software and service into a
    actionable service catalog and 3) increase value through centralized
    control of ordering and provisioning. Does NOAA envision the
    bundling of various types of integration or analysis services into
    finite catalog line
    items?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/823)

18. [[Part III, Section 4 -Business Management, Subsection 1-
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph a -- Description,
    Subparagraph b. If the requirement is to integrate with NOAA\'s
    existing systems, will NOAA be providing an Interface Design
    Specification and other documentation to assist the Contractor in
    developing the required
    automation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/822)

19. [[Part III, Section 4 -Business Management, Subsection 1-
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph a -- Description,
    Subparagraph b. Will the funding for the system be included in the
    contract, or separately
    provided?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/821)

20. [[Part III, Section 4 -Business Management, Subsection 1-
    Procurement/Catalog Services, Paragraph a -- Description,
    Subparagraph b. Since there are several financial-procurement
    processing systems used by various Government agencies, we have the
    following questions: Will the Contractor be required to update
    NOAA\'s existing financial system to incorporate such a system, or
    does NOAA envision that the automation required in Paragraph b will
    integrate with NOAA\'s existing financial-procurement system? If the
    former, will the Contractor be required to conduct a competition for
    such a
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/820)

21. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 3 --
    Application Management Services Items number 33 and 35 in the
    infrastructure requirements appear to indicate that the government
    will perform the configuration management function for the
    application management services. Please
    clarify.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/819)

22. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 3 --
    Application Management Services Please clarify the intent of item
    number 21 listed in the infrastructure
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/818)

23. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 3 --
    Application Management Services Is it the intention of the
    government or is it possible to transition legacy applications to
    open architecture and or consolidate databases through the NOAA LINK
    contract independent of transitioning the
    infrastructure?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/816)

24. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 2 --
    Data Center Services Can the government provide example(s) of the
    most cost effective approaches for managing data center assets
    contracted today by
    NOAA?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/814)

25. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 2 --
    Data Center Services Will the government consider utilizing a
    vendor's facility to consolidate the infrastructure and support
    functions?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/813)

26. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 2 --
    Data Center Services Please clarify the intention of the first
    objective to acquire data center and hosting
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/812)

27. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 1 --
    Data and Voice Network Services It is recommended that the final
    NOAA LINK solicitation have a mandatory percentage of equipment be
    "green.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/811)

28. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 1 --
    Data and Voice Network Services Objective number 5 on page 28
    requires that the capacity projections are made before needs arise
    and performance problems are anticipated. The capacity planning
    process requires a solid baseline to achieve its objectives and
    goals. Are the current services running on the existing network
    baselined for throughput, network utilization, response times, etc.?
    If so, will NOAA make these available as part of the
    solicitation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/810)

29. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 1 --
    Data and Voice Network Services Objective number 5 on page 28
    requires meeting timing requirements. Please clarify the intention
    of timing
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/809)

30. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 1 --
    Data and Voice Network Services In reference to the statement "...to
    effectively establish a standardized mechanism and approach to
    transition to an integrated end-to-end voice network" that "requires
    services that can leverage operational scale and best practices to
    achieve optimum price performance for its users and consolidate
    voice networks..." economies of scale can be achieved but will
    require the as-is, requirements, design, planning and implementation
    approach for a sufficient number of contracts transitioning to NOAA
    LINK. Will the government work with the contractor to provide
    current data and voice network services and requirements for a
    minimum of 2 years out to enable the planning, designing and
    negotiation to effect expectations outlined in the
    description?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/808)

31. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 2 -- Desktop
    Management Services, Paragraph c -- Requirements Can you provide a
    list of the NOAA-certified standard business productivity software
    currently being
    used?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/807)

32. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 2 -- Desktop
    Management Services, Paragraph c -- Requirements To establish a
    baseline for modernization and efficiency improvement, will NOAA
    consider identifying tools and applications with which the
    contractor will have to interface (e.g., desktop support
    applications, remote management and deployment tools, and
    configuration management tools currently being
    used)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/806)

33. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 2 -- Desktop
    Management Services, Paragraph a -- Description Are there any
    virtualization or PC blade solutions currently in
    place?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/805)

34. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 2 -- Desktop
    Management Services, Paragraph a -- Description What software and
    hardware platforms are currently being used at NOAA for the desktop,
    laptop and other end user
    devices?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/804)

35. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 1 -- End-user
    Service Center Services, Paragraph b -- Objectives Are there any
    existing vendor-provided knowledge management systems or databases
    with which the contractor needs to interface? If so, what software,
    tools are currently being
    used?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/803)

36. [[Is the incident management limited to NOAA software and
    application environment service requests or will it be also used to
    record and track defects and new business enhancements needed to the
    various NOAA
    applications?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/802)

37. [[Part III, Section 2 --Customer Care, Subsection 1 -- End-user
    Service Center Services, Paragraph a -- Description Is there an
    existing incident management process in place? If so, will the
    contractor need to interface, reuse the existing process and
    software or develop a new
    one?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/801)

38. [[Part III, Service Area Requirements, Section 1: Strategic
    Management Enterprise Architecture Services Assumption and
    Constraints does not appear to require addressing NOAA's EA
    requirements within the overall context of Department of Commerce's
    EA. Since the DOC EA is a federated model, will the DOC Service
    Component Reference Model (SRM) and Technical Reference Model (TRM)
    data and artifacts be provided in order to respond to this RFP or is
    there existing SRM and TRM data for all of the IT investments within
    NOAA that is current that will be
    provided?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/800)

39. [[Executive Summary Part III, Table 1: Will any conflicts of
    interest exist between management components, which would exclude a
    vendor from participating as Prime or Sub on other management
    components?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/758)

40. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements: It would be helpful if
    information could be provided as to more specific needs and desires
    for potential purchases as part of NOAA Link. Industry needs to have
    a more informed understanding of NOAA's goals and needs to be able
    too provide compliant and realistic systems to support the agency's
    mission.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/666)

41. [[How many employees/contractors currently perform the service areas
    outlined in the Statement of Requirements? Please provide a
    breakdown by each service
    area.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/640)

42. [[Section 1; Strategic Management indicates a set of assumptions and
    constraints. The use of proposed solutions to facilitate horizontal
    integration, including sharing knowledge widely leading to
    meaningful change, and collaboration. In fostering a set of
    solutions, to meet NOAA objective, it would be useful to have a set
    of problems, which are in need of solving. How can this problem set
    be better
    defined?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/525)

43. [[Section 1; Strategic Management talks about the system -- in terms
    of its programs, processes, tools and technologies. Where can this
    list of items comprising the system be obtained? Is it part of the
    OCIO procurement team's objective to begin with a set of tools,
    processes, practices, and then define a new set which are to replace
    the old? How can we better envision this progression in the
    development of NOAA's IT
    Strategy?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/524)

44. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 5: Information
    Security and Risk Management 2.3.3 (page 41) a) Question: What is
    the definition of timely manner for the disaster recovery (failover)
    activities for critical and non-critical hardware/software? Is there
    currently a defined business
    expectation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/505)

45. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 5: Information
    Security and Risk Management 2.3 (page 41) a) Question: Is there a
    requirement for multiple "live" sites or can disaster recovery be
    supported by a passive site in the event of a
    disaster?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/504)

46. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 5: Information
    Security and Risk Management 1.c.2.c (page 40) a) Question: What
    application platforms (e.g. Java, .NET) will need to be supported by
    the application security
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/503)

47. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 4: Business
    Management 1.d.2 --"The Service Catalog will integrate effectively
    with many other service fulfillment engines" (page 36) a) Question:
    What other service fulfillment
    engines?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/502)

48. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.3: Application
    Management Services c.5 (page 32). a) Question: Per references to
    Open Source technology (e.g. Tomcat), are there current limitations
    on the use of Open Source for
    NOAA?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/501)

49. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.2.d: Data Center
    Services -- Assumptions and Constraints (page 31) a) Question: Per
    references to Operating Systems, are there current limitations on
    the use of any Operating Systems for
    NOAA?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/500)

50. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.2: Data Center
    Services b. 2 (page 30) a) Question: How do the current Line Offices
    procure assets (e.g. owning,
    leasing)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/499)

51. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services d.1.c (page 30) a) Question: Can this be
    interpreted to mean that there will be no specific requirements
    regarding pure IP vs. IP-enabled switch technologies and/or
    client/server vs. peer-to-peer signaling protocols. Can the
    environment comprise a hybrid of switching technologies and
    signaling
    protocols?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/498)

52. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.6.e (page 29) a) Question: Is the Automatic Call
    Distributor (ACD) for the End User Service Center only or will other
    locations require an
    ACD?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/497)

53. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.6.c (page 29) a) Question: Does Tier 2 and Tier 3
    support refer strictly to required contractor provided hardware and
    software support referenced on pages 22 and 23, or does it extend to
    service provider corrective and restoration response levels for
    network outages and/or
    anomalies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/496)

54. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.6.c (page 29) a) Question: Does Tier 2 and Tier 3
    support refer strictly to required contractor provided hardware and
    software support referenced on pages 22 and 23, or does it extend to
    service provider corrective and restoration response levels for
    network outages and/or
    anomalies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/495)

55. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.5.e (page 29) a) Question: Does this effort
    complement/include the LDAP directory services referenced on page
    27?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/494)

56. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.5.b (page 29) a) Question: Is it correct to
    assume that high availability/survivable services must be included
    in the event of an IP WAN failure? Will traffic engineering
    mechanisms be required to detect and select lesser used paths in
    order to ensure that voice quality is not diminished when large
    numbers of calls enter the
    network?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/493)

57. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.1.k (page 28) a) Question: Does converging
    sensing and telecommunications refer to the act of IP mimicking
    traditional telephony applications such as call signaling and voice
    mail. Can "VoIP" herein be used interchangeably with "IP telephony"
    or should "VoIP" be reserved for the transmission/transport of
    digitized voice and data over the IP network and "IP telephony" for
    voice applications such as call signaling, conference calling,
    call-waiting,
    etc.?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/492)

58. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.1.i (page 28) a) Question: What does "Rolling out
    IPv6 across NOAAnet" imply? For instance, what can be assumed for
    IPv6 conversion and transition? Will it essentially remain as an
    IPv6 compatible/capable effort for the near future, or is the
    rollout of an IPv6 operational capability imminent? Will there be a
    commitment to IPv6 operations entailing an expedited move to a true
    IPv6 backbone or is it assumed that dual stack mechanisms and/or
    IPv4 tunneling services (e.g., 6to4) will continue to ride IPv4
    backbones?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/491)

59. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services c.1.f (page 28) a) Question: Will WiMAX be used to
    replace traditional business-class DSL or T1 services and/or to
    provide last-mile coverage for Wi-Fi mesh networks? Can WiMAX be
    assumed to be Sprint's Xohm and will it be leveraged to
    inter-operate with NOAAnet's SPRINT PIP MPLS network. Note that the
    WiMAX (Xohm) maximum download speed currently is 10 Mbps, assuming
    there is an optimal line of sight to a base station located at a
    distance of up to 6 to 10
    miles.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/490)

60. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 3.1: Data and Voice
    network Services a. (page 27) a) Question: Does Voice/VoIP here
    imply the inclusion of video conferencing/meetings (VTC) and/or
    perhaps video surveillance as referenced/alluded to on pages 25, 26,
    and 27? If so, then it must be noted that video can require 5 to 25
    times the bandwidth of a typical G.711 voice
    session.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/489)

61. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 2.3: Communication
    and Collaboration Services b. 13 (page 26). a) Question: What is the
    NOAA Document and Records Management Initiative? When and how will
    information be provided on the
    initiative?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/488)

62. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 2.3: Communication
    and Collaboration Services b. 11 (page 26) a) Question: What is the
    Dept of Commerce standard for email and calendaring? What is the
    status of the implementation of that standard? What will be the
    status of that implementation when the NOAA Link contract begins? b)
    Question: What is the status of the Dept of Commerce email system
    upgrade?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/487)

63. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 2.3: Communication
    and Collaboration Services b. 5 (page 25) a) Question: Requirement 5
    references both internal and external users; will external users be
    required to authenticate? Does the Enterprise Active Directory
    currently support external users? If not, will external users be
    required to authenticate in the
    future?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/486)

64. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 2: Customer
    Care, 1. d. 6 (page 22) a) Question: What is the current status of
    the NOAA enterprise configuration management tool? Where can the
    documentation be
    located?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/485)

65. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 2: Customer
    Care, 1. d. 4 (page 22) a) Question: What is the status of the
    NOAANET implementation? What is the status of moving to MPLS? In
    particular, what is the status of moving the comprehensive AWIPS
    Frame Relay WAN and its associated services to the NOAANET (NWSNET)
    Sprint PIP MPLS network? What is the status of moving to IPv6? For
    the purpose of the NOAA Link acquisition, what can be assumed
    relative to the implementation of the three technologies listed
    above? For instance, what can be assumed for IPv6 conversion and
    transition? Will it essentially remain as an IPv6 compatible/capable
    effort for the near future, or is an IPv6 operational capability
    imminent? Would a commitment to IPv6 operations entail an expedited
    move to a true IPv6 backbone or would dual stack mechanisms and/or
    IPv4 tunneling services (e.g., 6to4) provide extended use of IPv4
    backbone clouds? Is there a timetable for completion
    available?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/484)

66. [[Part III: Service Area Requirements, Section 1: Strategic
    Management, 2. a (page 17) a) Question: Can you provide logical and
    physical layouts of the "as is" architecture? b) Question: Where can
    the NOAA Enterprise Architecture Plan be found? c) Recommendation:
    Suggest including Business Process Management software needs to
    improve Business
    Architecture.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/483)

67. [[Service Area Requirements: a) Reference the last sentence in the
    paragraph under Table 4, "..., nor should they be considered by
    vendors as areas of mandatory services." Please clarify/expound upon
    this statement. Does this statement mean that NOAA offices can
    accept or reject these enterprise service offerings and choose not
    to participate in service offerings provided by NOAA Link? Changing
    to an enterprise architecture has the potential to yield tremendous
    improvements in efficiency, stability, and reliability, while
    reducing costs. But this evolution will require change from the
    current way of doing business. It is human nature (especially within
    the scientific community) to resist change. Our experience based on
    leading virtually identical transformation efforts at Kirtland Air
    Force Base, The Air Force Research Laboratories, the Pentagon, and
    at Randolph Air Force Base is that NOAA is very unlikely attain the
    reliability, stability, efficiency, and economies of scale possible
    with an enterprise architecture if the program is not "mandatory"
    and or enforceable. Each one of the projects mentioned above were
    met with significant resistance by organizational leaders and work
    center personnel. It took a directive signed by the Secretary of the
    Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force to "motivate"
    organizations to evolve to an enterprise architecture. Has NOAA
    looked into the possibility of having the Secretary of Commerce
    issue a mandate to move to an enterprise architecture? b). Reference
    Section 1: Strategic Management, paragraph 2.0. Please
    expound/clarify the role of contractor(s) in the operation of the
    Office of Strategy Management (OSM). Will this be a gov't or
    contractor led group and if government lead then is contractor
    assistance part of the scope of work? c). Reference Section
    2.Enterprise Architecture Services, paragraph, paragraph a, first
    sentence "...support for NOAA e-Gov and related strategic
    initiatives." Can NOAA provide examples of e-Gov strategic
    initiatives that have been accomplished? d). Is there a specific
    format NOAA would like to see when contractors propose their vision
    for providing enterprise architecture services in the different
    service areas? e). Reference Section 2 Enterprise Architecture
    Services, and the statement in paragraph c.2.a: Please expound on
    this statement pertaining to "qualified businesses". What would be
    the qualification criteria? Is this a reference to previous
    experience performing required services? Does this mean identifying
    them in the initial proposal as part of a bidding team or being able
    to bring on businesses after award or both? f). Reference Section 2
    Enterprise Architecture Services, and the statement in paragraph
    c.3.b: "All Technologies" that "hold promise" seems like a very
    broad statement. How will NOAA monitor/enforce/measure this? Will
    contractors be penalized for not identifying certain technologies?
    g). Reference Section 2 Enterprise Architecture Services, and the
    statement in paragraph c.4.: Please clarify if the human capital
    referenced applies to gov't personnel or contractors, or both. What
    are the desired meaningful outcomes? Does NOAA intend for the
    contractor to propose training and educational programs such as
    computer based training or is the statement broader in nature in
    that the intent is for the government and contractors should form a
    cohesive team in which we each learn from each
    other.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/413)

68. [[How important to "Green" IT computing at
    NOAA?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/354)

69. [[Will the statement of requirement be addressing FDCC/SCAP/FISMA
    compliance
    requirements?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/353)

70. [[Egov as per President's Mgt
    Agenda?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/351)

71. [[COI integration in NOAA, DOC, or government
    wide?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/350)

72. [[Specifically Adrian's metric question? (PM services/EA
    services)]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/349)

73. [[Will NOAA define and enumerate all types of end user devices
    requiring
    support?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/344)

74. [[Are CTAs included in these
    requirements?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/343)

75. [[Apparently the NOAA Lo CIOs have come together to agree on a
    possible read map. To what extent have the LO Heads bought into this
    to what extent and possible lack of
    control?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/341)

    **[[Component 1 - Strategic
    Management]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/110)
    (1)**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
1.  [[Section 1: Strategic Management -- The Requirements document
    provides focus on Portfolio management, EA and PMO, but it misses
    the mark on providing a strategic transformational service that will
    tie EA and IT service delivery through an effective implementation
    of IT Service Management (ITSM) and ITIL. Additionally the document
    will need to include a section describing services associated with
    identification and streamlining of business processes and ensuring
    end user business processes are not impacted. These two functions
    are not covered by any other requirement listed in this or other
    sections of the
    document.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/765)

    **[[1.1 - Decision
    Support]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/115)
    (1)**

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1.  [[Does NOAA have an IT Governance Model in place? Can you share this
    model with the prospective
    bidders?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/638)

    **[[1.2 - Enterprise Architecture
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/116)
    (5)**

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1.  [[III.1.2.c. Enterprise Architecture, Requirements, item 4 (page
    18), "Developing human capital within NOAA..." seems to overlap the
    requirements of III.4.2, Business Management, Training, Professional
    and Consulting Services (pages 37-38) area. Does NOAA intend for
    training to be included in both
    areas?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/838)

2.  [[III.1.2.b Enterprise Architecture, Objectives: Has NOAA identified
    specific near term priorities eGov transformation and OMB
    compliance? If so can these be included in the requirements
    document?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/837)

3.  [[III.1.2 Enterprise Architecture Services (page 17): Does NOAA
    intend to standardize on a single Architecture Framework or will the
    Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF), the Department of
    Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF), The Open Group Architecture
    Frame¬work (TOGAF), and the Zachman framework all be
    utilized?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/836)

4.  [[OMB 300 requirements as part of EA
    development?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/347)

5.  [[Will NOAA provide their current Enterprise Architecture and IT
    Strategy guidelines and
    documentation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/345)

    **[[1.3 - Project Management
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/117)
    (6)**

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1.  [[III.1.3.b Project Management Services, Objectives (page 19). In
    Objective 1, are the NOAA customers defined as the NOAA employees as
    well as external users of NOAA
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/840)

2.  [[III.1.3, Project Management Services (pages 19-20) includes a
    broad-scope list of requirements that appear to overlap with the
    requirements of III.4.3. Special Project Services (page 38). If this
    is not intentional, can the requirements be revised to provide
    differentiation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/839)

3.  [[What is the current program and project management process? Will
    documentation be
    provided?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/671)

4.  [[What is the current IT portfolio management process? Will you
    provide
    documentation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/670)

5.  [[Project Management Services. a) Reference Section 3 Project
    Management Services, paragraph b.4: Please clarify and explicitly
    define the terms "light footprint" and "demand to delivery"; does
    NOAA desire for the contractor to provide the best services and
    features of a full blown Program Management Office without the large
    headcount and mission impeding bureaucracy associated with a large
    PMO? b). Reference Section 3 Project Management Services, paragraph
    c.1: Will this PMO be overseeing/providing direction to other
    contractors outside of what would normally considered within the
    scope of the NOAA Link contract? If not, will the PMO be primarily
    providing assistance and advisory services to government personnel?
    c). Reference Section 3 Project Management Services, paragraph
    c.1.c: Is it the government's intent to have the program management
    staff proposed by the NOAA Link contractor provide PMO services
    across all NOAA functions (ie. serve as the government
    representative) or just within projects that pertain to NOAA Link?
    d). Reference Section 3 Project Management Services, paragraph
    c.1.d.i: For consistency, we recommend the gov't consider moving
    this requirement under Section 4: Business management, Paragraph 2
    Training, Professional, and Consulting
    services.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/414)

6.  [[How will the PMO for this initiative be handled? Will it consist
    of both government and contractor support? Approx how many people
    will comprise the
    PMO?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/367)

    **[[Component 2 - Customer
    Care]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/111)
    (11)**

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1.  [[In evaluating and recommending standards for a common
    desktop/network environment, it is recommended that there be at
    least two standards so NOAA maintains flexibility for innovative
    applications and will not become captive to a vendor due to lock-in
    costs. For instance, here are 3 possible standards: (1) Microsoft
    Windows 2003, (2) Red Hat Enterprise Linux and/or (3) Novell/SUSE
    Linux.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/859)

2.  [[III..2.1, Customer Care, End User Service Center Services (page
    21). Is customer defined as NOAA employees as well as external users
    of NOAA services? Will the final requirements document provide more
    detailed information, including number of users and call
    volume?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/841)

3.  [[Section 2: Customer Care -- Provides a well defined structure for
    end user services and desktop management. But it misses the
    fundamental building blocks for a good service desk and that is the
    ITIL methods for service deliver and operations. Recommend adherence
    to ITIL version 3 recommended practices. May be best served with
    having a governing service management body (separate from the PMO)
    with QA oversight for these two
    areas.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/766)

4.  [[Has the Federal Desktop Core Configuration been rolled out across
    the NOAA
    enterprise?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/652)

5.  [[What, if any, remote management capabilities currently exist
    within NOAA End User Service
    Centers?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/651)

6.  [[Section 2; Desktop Management Services also discusses a set of
    assumptions and constraints. It is assumed that Help Desk
    consolidation begins with NOAA HQ (Silver Spring, MD) service desks
    and then expands incrementally to other regional and field offices.
    Can we assume therefore, that, the current NOAA HQ Help Desk is to
    be retained and provides a model for the other NOAA line offices
    which will be brought under this central system, or that the
    replacement of the current HQ Help Desk will be one of the first
    Task Orders under the IDIQ contract, followed by others to
    consolidate the other line
    offices?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/528)

7.  [[Section 2; Desktop Management Services discusses delivery of
    desktop and laptop computing services to support purchase/lease of
    all desktop, end-user devices, enterprise licensed software,
    productivity software and infrastructure. These are currently
    supplied to NOAA line offices through a myriad of supply contracts
    and services. Can we assume therefore, that, all the NOAA line
    offices will be brought under once central blanket purchasing system
    for desktops, laptops, infrastructure,
    etc.?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/527)

8.  [[Section 1; End-user Service Centers discusses a set of objectives
    e.g. to improve IT customer service and incident resolution. What
    are the measurable criteria which such an improvement could be
    tested
    against?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/526)

9.  [[Customer Care a). Reference Section 2: Customer Care: What is the
    current hardware and software being used to provide customer care?
    Will it be provided to the contractor as government furnished
    equipment if the contractor feels it is robust enough to service the
    entire enterprise? If the product is robust enough, this is an area
    where the government could save money. Recommend a complete
    inventory of hardware and software be made available so that the
    contractor can provide the most cost effective way to assist NOAA in
    achieving its strategic goals. b). Reference Section 2: Customer
    Care, paragraph 1.a5: Please clarify the reference to the
    "repository of IT requirements" is this to a Known error database
    (KEDB) or service catalog? Or is this envisioned to be a listing of
    unfunded requirements that the contractor maintains as known backlog
    that needs to be done if and when funds become available. c).
    Reference Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 1.b.4: Please clarify
    what the government means by "adopting" provider-leveraged knowledge
    data bases? d). Reference Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 1.c.6:
    Is this requirement similar to a known error database in which the
    contractor would have a database of corrections or workarounds for
    known problems? Please further explain what NOAA is seeking. e).
    Reference Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 1.d.1: Please
    expound/clarify what the "call tree database" is? Is this basically
    a re-call or after hour roster of service personnel? Or is this a
    problem escalation database for identifying experts that can solve
    increasingly complex issues / problems in a tiered response
    approach? The government's desired approach has a significant
    bearing cost and organizational structure proposed by the
    contractor. f). Reference Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 1.d.5:
    Please clarify the meaning of this sentence. Are we to infer that
    this is done for total cost of ownership calculations? If so, there
    are many factors that determine TCO beyond just labor time to
    service an incident or request. Will output from this calculation be
    used to evaluate contractor costs, or performance? How will this
    metric be used ? g). Reference Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph
    2.b.c: Will the Gov't provide (GFE) all the desktop management HW/SW
    needed to support the NOAA Desktop management Services environment?
    What is the current desk top configuration, HW and SW used ? Will
    contractors have the flexibility to recommend support tools in their
    proposal that aren't currently used within NOAA? h). Reference
    Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 2.c.7.e: This statement implies
    the existence of a NOAA CMDB. Can the gov't identify the current
    CMDB software suite/product used? i). Reference Section 2: Customer
    Care, paragraph 2.c.8.b: Please clarify what is meant by
    "application virtualization". Does the government mean PC based thin
    client virtualization solutions such as CITRIX or server
    virtualization techniques such as VMWARE to reduce the number of
    servers in the data center or both? j) Reference Section 2: Customer
    Care, paragraph 2.c.8.g: Is it the government's intent to have the
    contractor propose a total asset management system? k). Reference
    Section 2: Customer Care, paragraph 2.c.10.c: Does "disposal"
    include actual physical removal of HW/SW to a disposal site? Please
    make available NOAA's computer and related hardware (servers)
    disposal recycling policy and disposal plans? l). Reference Section
    2: Customer Care, paragraph 2.d.5: Please expound/clarify what is
    meant by "optimize flexibility of choices"? Is it the government's
    intent to have the contractor propose a configuration managed and
    controlled desktop with policies and procedures to obtain approval
    to accommodate deviations to accommodate unique mission related
    situations on a case by case bases? m). Reference Section 2:
    Customer Care, paragraph 3.b.11: What is the DOC's standard for
    e-mail and calendaring? Is this software specific or is it format
    specific.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/415)

10. [[Asset Management Section 2.C.10 -- NOAA wishes an Asset Management
    solution to be deployed as part of this effort, does NOAA have any
    existing Asset Management tools or data regarding current assets to
    share?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/398)

11. [[Section 2 Customer Care -- Does NOAA collect service center call
    volumes today? If so, could the statistics be shared pertaining to
    calls per day, calls per service type such as hardware, software,
    IMAC, network,
    etc.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/397)

    **[[2.1 - End-User Service Center
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/118)
    (3)**

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1.  [[Part III, Section 2, 1. End User Services Center Services: Will
    NOAA IT Security and End Users Accept an on-shore remote helpdesk
    with secure network access to the NOAANet that meets all functional
    and performance
    objectives?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/761)

2.  [[Regarding the consolidation of the Help Desks, will NOAA want to
    leverage a vendor's multiple Help Desk locations while leveraging a
    single common set of
    tools?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/401)

3.  [[Customer Care -- There was a well know report (by Deloitte?) that
    pointed out how many help desks there are in NOAA and how
    inefficient this is. Is the plan to consolidate these (or similar
    services)? Are the LO CIOs committed to this consolidation or do the
    components want to continue to maintain their
    control?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/340)

    **[[2.2 - Desktop Management
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/119)
    (71)**

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1.  [[Part III, Section 2, 2. Desktop Management Services, Section C,
    Assumption & Constraints: Under the assumption & constraints,
    bullets 2 &3 seem related to EUSC services and not desktop
    management services. Please confirm alignment of
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/763)

2.  [[Part III, Section 2, 2. Desktop Management Services, Section C,
    Requirements, bullet 4: Are the references to Tier 0/1 services a
    separate service desk or are they integrated with the EUSC
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/762)

3.  [[Are there current standard desktop image baselines enforced across
    the enterprise? How
    many?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/656)

4.  [[Can you clarify or give an example of what is meant by Part III,
    Section 2, Service Area 2 (Desktop Management Services), Requirement
    6 to "implement solutions for on-site support to users in
    problem-solving
    activities"?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/655)

5.  [[What is the current geographical profile of NOAA Desktop
    Management Services (e.g., regionally distributed field techs,
    individual on-site field
    techs)]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/654)

6.  [[Is there a published list of NOAA desktop, end user devices,
    enterprise licensed software, productivity software and
    infrastructure
    available?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/653)

7.  [[Reference: Page 24: Section d. Assumptions and Constraints.
    Point 2. Help Desk consolidation begins with NOAA HQ (Silver
    Spring, MD) service desks and then expands incrementally to other
    NOAA regional and field offices. Questions: Does NOAA already have
    an existing service desk that they plan to use as the foundation for
    your Help Desk Consolidation? If so, would NOAA consider utilizing a
    new Service Desk if it was more fully integrated into the contract
    management system, asset management, and service catalog functions
    described in the Statement of
    Requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/648)

8.  [[Have the existing workstations been deployed using a standard
    workstation image/build
    process?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/632)

9.  [[Client Environment What is the composition of the environment that
    is to be the target of auto discovery? \[ \]% DOS \[ \]% Windows 9x
    \[ \]% Windows NT \[ \]% Windows 2000 \[ \]% Windows XP \[ \]% Mac
    OS \[ \]% Novell \[ \]% Linux \[ \]%
    UNIX]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/631)

10. [[How many people manage the current Altiris
    infrastructure?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/630)

11. [[What platform are these clients running on (Wintel, Mac,
    Linux)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/629)

12. [[What functionality is provided by the current Altiris
    infrastructure?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/628)

13. [[How many clients contain the Altiris client
    agent?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/627)

14. [[What version of Altiris has been
    deployed?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/626)

15. [[Altiris Environment Can you describe the current software
    distribution
    infrastructure?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/625)

16. [[Image Management Services General Environment Where have these
    systems been deployed? What groups currently manage these
    systems?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/624)

17. [[Image Management Services General Environment What other
    management systems are being
    utilized?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/623)

18. [[Image Management Services General Environment What "personality"
    settings will need to be
    maintained?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/622)

19. [[Image Management Services General
    Environment]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/621)

20. [[Image Management Services General Environment Is there currently
    an auto discovery agent deployed? If so, where? Approximately what
    percentage of the devices in scope does it cover? What is the agent
    (title and
    version)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/620)

21. [[Image Management Services General Environment What tool do you use
    to maintain personal settings during a re-image? (Manual cut and
    Paste or
    AltirisPCT)]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/619)

22. [[Image Management Services General Environment What groups utilize
    these tools? How are they being
    used?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/618)

23. [[Image Management Services General Environment What tools are being
    used for remote control (for each group/location if not
    standardized)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/617)

24. [[Image Management Services General Environment Please describe your
    existing client disk configuration (e.g., OS on c:\\drive, Data on
    d:\\drive)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/616)

25. [[How do you dispose of old
    equipment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/615)

26. [[Describe your PC restore process. How long does this
    take?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/614)

27. [[How long does it take to restore a hard drive when a hard drive is
    replaced?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/613)

28. [[Are service requests such as installing an additional application
    categorized as an IMAC or a deskside software support
    incident?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/612)

29. [[Will there be Linux/MAC support requirements. Do you have an
    accurate inventory of Linux and MAC users similar to that requested
    in the previous questions stated below: Do you have an accurate
    inventory of desktop equipment by location for all of your
    facilities? Does your inventory include the location, business
    group, organization number/cost center, assigned user, OEM, model
    number, serial number, and warranty
    status?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/611)

30. [[Deskside Software Support---Resource and Infrastructure Costing We
    will need to confirm DSS SLAs, which we understand may vary by
    business
    unit.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/610)

31. [[Deskside Software Support---Resource and Infrastructure Costing We
    will need to confirm DSS SLAs, which we understand may vary by
    business
    unit.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/609)

32. [[How do you support mobile, remote, and home
    users?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/608)

33. [[What types of infrastructure limitations exist within your
    infrastructure that requires additional time during a deskside
    support
    visit?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/607)

34. [[What are your policies regarding data security as it relates to
    providing deskside support? Example 1: Are there designated end
    users that require hard drive retention or erasure if a hard drive
    replacement is required? Example 2: What are your policies regarding
    administrative rights for the desktop? Example 3: What are your
    policies regarding access to file and application
    servers?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/606)

35. [[What are your policies regarding nonapproved
    software?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/605)

36. [[What are your corporate policies regarding desktop virus and
    eradication?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/604)

37. [[What are corporate policies regarding end user data backup and
    restore?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/603)

38. [[What types of tools have been implemented in the enterprise to
    facilitate automation with loading applications, images, or both?
    What is the expected duration of an application load, image load, or
    both?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/602)

39. [[Do you have local infrastructure to support image and application
    loads, or is it
    centralized?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/601)

40. [[What are your support guidelines for dispatched deskside support?
    Example 1: How long do you troubleshoot an application or
    configuration before
    reloading?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/600)

41. [[Do you have an estimate for the annual volume of dispatched
    deskside support events? Is there any unrecorded volume that is not
    included in the statistics provided (e.g., "shoulder
    taps").]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/599)

42. [[Do you have a duration benchmark for dispatched deskside support
    events?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/598)

43. [[What types or categories of software and configuration service
    requests are dispatched instead of supported
    remotely?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/597)

44. [[What types or categories of software and configuration incidents
    are dispatched for deskside
    support?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/596)

45. [[Do you have corporate standards for storage of critical data
    (e.g., critical data must be stored on a shared network drive which
    is regularly backed up)? Or is critical data stored on the user's
    device (PC or laptop), which will increase the time required for
    data migration in the event of device
    replacement?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/595)

46. [[How are mobile, remote, and home users supported? Example 1: Do
    remote, mobile, and home users perform self-installations? Example
    2: How is data migration
    handled?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/594)

47. [[For any remote facilities, how is the equipment involved with
    IMACDs
    transported?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/593)

48. [[What is your benchmark duration for a standard
    MAC?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/592)

49. [[What is your benchmark for a standard
    install?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/591)

50. [[Do you separate logical IACs from physical IACs in your reporting
    metrics?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/590)

51. [[Do you have chargebacks to the various business units for IMACD
    support?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/589)

52. [[We will need to confirm IMAC SLRs, which we understand may vary by
    business
    unit.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/588)

53. [[What is your desktop build and configuration process? Is it
    documented? Who is responsible for application layering: How is it
    done? Who is responsible for end user data and personality
    migration: How is it done? If a centralized process is used, who is
    responsible for shipping and return of the replaced desktop
    equipment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/587)

54. [[What reporting requirements do you
    have?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/586)

55. [[Do you have a training plan for users? An end user
    guide?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/585)

56. [[Are you expecting IMACD work to be done after hours, on weekends,
    or on
    holidays?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/584)

57. [[Are there any special (cabling companies and telephone installers)
    or third-party suppliers we need to consider in coordinating the
    IMAC
    process?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/583)

58. [[How often do end users "request" product/services? What role will
    Unisys play in coordinating the IMAC
    process?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/582)

59. [[Please describe your processes for Request of products or
    services. These processes should include but are not limited to the
    following: Adding a New User, Terminating an End User, Office and
    User Moves, Software Installation, Site Readiness Surveys, Creation
    and Closure of IMAC tickets, and Asset Tracking Update
    Process.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/581)

60. [[Are there existing guidelines for replacement versus repair
    activities? Are they
    documented?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/580)

61. [[Do you support other desktop peripherals such as scanners and
    external drives? If so, how? Do you have an accurate inventory of
    these?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/579)

62. [[Who installs maintenance kits for printers
    today?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/578)

63. [[We will need to verify warranty status for desktops, laptops, and
    printers.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/577)

64. [[We will need to define the laptop maintenance concept, which we
    understand may vary by business
    unit.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/576)

65. [[We will need to work with you to define the level of support
    required for VIPs; if there is a different level of service for
    them, we will need location information and an entitlement
    method.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/575)

66. [[Our assumption on preventive maintenance (PM) for printers and
    printer consumables is the following: Unisys will perform
    "manufacturer-required" PM during a service call. Separate calls for
    PM are not included. All consumables are the client responsibility
    for procurement. Is this assumption accurate for the Client
    environment and
    RFP?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/574)

67. [[Do you have an accurate inventory for printers that includes the
    location, business group, organization number/cost center, assigned
    user, OEM, model number, and warranty
    status?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/573)

68. [[We understand that your maintenance requirement may vary by
    business group. We will need you to define those varying levels of
    service (e.g., targets and
    SLRs).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/572)

69. [[Does your inventory include the location, business group,
    organization number/cost center, assigned user, OEM, model number,
    serial number, and warranty
    status?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/571)

70. [[Do you have an accurate inventory of desktop equipment by location
    for all of your
    facilities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/570)

71. [[Heterogeneity (Part III, Section 2 Customer Care, Item 2 Desktop
    Management Services) Another concern is the wide distribution of
    work in the scientific community, i.e. the number of scientists
    working at remote institutional sites and academia, the
    proliferation of collaborative tools, cell phones, PDA's,
    Blackberries, iPhones, laptops (which require patches), and the
    required synchronization with calling home. In the scientific
    community, "standard" desktop configuration is an issue. This is
    evident with the growth of Linux OS desktops replacing Window
    platforms. A distinction has to be made between office automation
    desktops and computational desktops. There is a fairly good
    definition of the desktop (office automation) environment. However,
    in terms of the scientific compute engines it is left pretty much to
    "UNIX or Linux". These generic terms have many different
    configurations (cluster environment, SMP, Windows servers, virtual
    environments, etc.). The necessary technical support skill mix is
    vastly different depending on the platform and configuration. How
    would responsibility for the overall Facility Management be
    allocated between the contractor and the
    government?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/447)

    **[[2.3 - Communication and Collaboration
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/120)
    (9)**

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1.  [[III.2.3 Communications and Collaboration Services: What is meant
    by infrastructure discovery (page 27) in the context of email system
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/846)

2.  [[III.2.3 Communications and Collaboration Services: Will NOAA's
    record retention policy be made available to help understand the
    requirements for archival and storage capability (page
    26)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/845)

3.  [[III.2.3 Communications and Collaboration Services: Requirement 10
    (page 26) appears to be a duplicate of the first part of
    Requirements 6; was this intended to be something
    else?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/844)

4.  [[III.2.3 Communications and Collaboration Services (pages 24-27):
    How many users should the collaboration services plan to
    accommodate? What is the distribution by location? Are mobile
    workers and teleworkers
    included?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/843)

5.  [[III.2.3 Communications and Collaboration Services (page 25): In
    objective a.6, do you mean "computer technology" vs. "consumer
    technology"?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/842)

6.  [[Part III, Section 2.3 Communication and Collaboration Services:
    Will NOAA seek phased implementation of requirements identified for
    this section? Example -- implementation by business
    unit?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/764)

7.  [[Electronically Stored Information encompasses a broad range of
    formats including email, voice mail, instant messages, text
    messages, documents, spreadsheets, databases, file fragments,
    metadata, images and diagrams. It can also be stored in as many
    differing media types such as hard drives, thumb drives, handheld
    devices, backup tapes and optical disks. Has NOAA defined an ESI
    management strategy to address such issues as: (1) what ESI will be
    relied upon; (2) how will ESI be captured, converted if necessary
    and stored; (3) how will ESI be produced for discovery? Can this
    requirement be more clearly stated with regards to what NOAA is
    expecting?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/657)

8.  [[Reference: Pages 25 to 27. Communication and Collaboration
    Services Questions: Is the email consolidation initiative currently
    underway within NOAA? Does NOAA\'s email consolidation initiative
    include the consolidation of the existing SunOne email system or
    does it include the selection of a new email system? Is there an
    official standard for email within the Department of Commerce that
    NOAA will abide-by? If so, what is the standard email
    system?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/649)

9.  [[Regarding E-mail consolidation, are the separate LOs really
    committed to this consolidation? Also, what is the relationship
    regarding NOAA e-mail consolidation with DOC-wide
    consolidation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/342)

    **[[Component 3 - Infrastructure
    Management]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/112)
    (6)**

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1.  [[Section 3: Infrastructure Management -- Another well defined
    section, but it misses out on identifying IT Consolidation as a
    major area. This needs to be a major element of this component as it
    has the biggest return on investment and will deliver the
    efficiencies OCIO is seeking. The IT Consolidation section should be
    represented as an umbrella task over the other parts of this
    component]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/767)

2.  [[Section 3; Applications Management Services discusses the need to
    develop agile systems and support software development efforts and
    enterprise-wide applications. To better determine the scale of these
    requirements, can the Gov't provide a list of current
    enterprise-wide applications, and on-going software development
    efforts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/532)

3.  [[Section 2; Data Center Services describes the need to meet
    performance expectations. What are these performance expectations?
    Are these to be determined during a NOAALink Task Order, or can
    these be provided by the
    Gov't?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/531)

4.  [[Section 2; Data Center Services discusses the acquisition of data
    center and hosting services. Are the types of data centers and
    hosting services which are the subject here, akin to those which
    already exist at, e.g. NGDC and NCDC. Is the management of these
    data centers within the scope of the NOAALink IDIQ
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/530)

5.  [[Section 1; Data and Voice Network Services discusses a set of
    sweeping changes to replace a mix of data and voice network services
    with a standardized, scalable, reliable and secure services. What is
    the timescale for this set of transformations, and how quickly
    should a core set of technologies be introduced into the lines
    offices, following contract start? It appears that this
    consolidation is central to the solution needed in the response to
    any RFP, and more details are required in order to determine the
    scale and cost of any proposed
    solution.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/529)

6.  [[Infrastructure Management a). Reference Section 3: Infrastructure
    Management, paragraph 1.c.1.j: Is it the government intent to define
    "green technology" in a broad sense? In other words, is it the
    government's intent to have the contractor propose hardware and
    software technologies that reduce energy consumption such as LCD
    displays, server virtualization, low power CPUs, automatic sleep
    mode, etc. b). Reference Section 2: Infrastructure Management,
    paragraph 3.c.1: Can the Gov't clarify/please expound on the
    definition or characteristics of an "agile" system/application it
    desires? c). Reference Section 2: Infrastructure Management,
    paragraph 3.c.32: With reference to the level of resources to
    supplement existing staff and workload, can the Gov't provide the
    characteristics/nature of such surge requirements (i.e.; frequency
    of occurrence, and maximum duration) Please provide some typical
    examples. d). Reference Section 2: Infrastructure Management,
    paragraph 3.c.36: Can the gov't provide a list of the content
    management software it presently uses or a list of content
    management software it has in mind for this requirement? e).
    Reference Section 2: Infrastructure Management, paragraph 3.d.14:
    Please explain the use of the phrase "process ingested data" Does
    NOAA mean sensor acquired data, including human observations, that
    is processed from raw date into a format that readily allows
    analysis? Or does NOAA have some other
    meaning?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/416)

    **[[3.1 - Data and Voice Network
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/121)
    (6)**

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1.  [[Section 3- superb challenge; are there no classified voice, video
    or data requirements
    ?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/953)

2.  [[III.3.1 Data and Voice Network Services: On page 28, requirement
    "c" specifies satellite communications as a backup solution; are
    alternate terrestrial technologies eligible for
    consideration?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/848)

3.  [[III.3.1 Data and Voice Network Services (pages 27-30): Will the
    final requirements specify how may users and sites should the VoIP
    solution will need to
    support?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/847)

4.  [[Has NOAA established any performance metrics to be applied in
    assessing contract performance for network
    services?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/659)

5.  [[Can NOAA provide any metrics that portray its current enterprise
    in terms of size, capacity, number of users, distribution of network
    services, future growth projections,
    etc.?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/658)

6.  [[Is NOAA interested in Unified Communications? How many PBX systems
    are currently in use within NOAA? What are
    they?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/650)

    **[[3.2 - Data Center
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/122)
    (5)**

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1.  [[III.3.2 Data Center Services: The description, objectives,
    requirements, and assumptions/constraints of this section do not
    clearly specify whether the contractor(s) will be required to
    provide facilities, equipment, infrastructure, of staffing, or
    combinations thereof, to meet the data center service requirements.
    Will the final requirements document be more specific about the
    nature of the data centers? Will they be government owned, contactor
    operated or contractor owned, contractor
    operated?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/849)

2.  [[Can NOAA provide a complete or at least representative list of
    current hardware components to be serviced that are contained in its
    Data Center(s), including
    mainframes?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/661)

3.  [[Is NOAA seeking to acquire Data Center services support for any
    existing Data Center(s) or will all services be hosted in facilities
    provide by the awarded
    contractor?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/660)

4.  [[Reference: Page 30-31, point 2: Data Center Services. Question:
    Does NOAA anticipate outsourcing these services to be hosted at a
    vendor provided facility? Please provide the number and location of
    the existing NOAA data centers to be managed by the vendor, as well
    as a list of the current equipment at each
    location.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/645)

5.  [[P. 30 Refers to the NOAA data center. Is this referring to a
    specific administrative data center or all NOAA data centers such as
    the National Geophysical Data Center, the National Climatic Data
    Center,
    etc?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/436)

    **[[3.3 - Application Management
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/123)
    (3)**

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1.  [[III.3.3 Application Management Services: Do the Infrastructure
    Requirements or Mission Support Requirements (pages 31-34) include
    the NESDIS distribution applications as part of this
    scope?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/850)

2.  [[Part III, Section 3 - Infrastructure Management, Subsection 3 -
    Application Management Services An objective is stated to
    &quot;strengthen capabilities in agile systems development&quot;. Is
    it the intent of the government to share responsibility of the
    application management services with the government and strengthen /
    train NOAA staff in agile systems
    development?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/815)

3.  [[What is the anticipated level, frequency and length for resources
    needed to support surge requirements for developmental
    efforts?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/662)

    **[[Component 4 - Business
    Management]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/113)
    (2)**

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1.  [[Section 1; Procurement/Catalog Services refers to need for the
    development of an IT Services Catalog. It is assumed that the
    provision of this catalog would be within the scope of one of the
    Task Orders. However, since this is central to any solution, we
    would like to learn more about the specific types of services
    required. Can the Gov't provide a current catalog of IT services, on
    which to base the development of a future
    catalog?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/533)

2.  [[Business Management a). Reference Section 4: Business Management,
    paragraph 1.b.1: This "area" list implies use of ITIL V3, not V2. Is
    the gov't specifying ITIL process in general or specifically V3 Will
    NOAA give contractors the flexibility to use V2? b). Reference
    Section 4: Business Management, paragraph 1.c.1.f: Can the gov't
    please expound/clarify what it means by "cost provisions" and "other
    parameters"? Is it the intent of the government to have contractors
    provide a breakdown of all the factors that determine overall costs
    to facilitate making resource constrained decisions? For example,
    the costs to deliver 99.999% availability are significantly higher
    than the costs required to provide 99.5% reliability due to the
    extent of back up servers, power supplies, required, as well as
    alternate routing, un-interrupted power
    etc.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/417)

    **[[4.1 - Procurement/Catalog
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/124)
    (3)**

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1.  [[Please define the existing hardware maintenance support
    system.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/641)

2.  [[Does NOAA anticipate purchase and integration of new/replacement
    procurement/catalog system or ERP type solution through this
    contract?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/359)

3.  [[Would you consider a draft catalog as part of the evaluated
    proposal? (Hugh's presentation, slide
    42)]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/357)

    **[[Component 5 - Information Security and Risk
    Management]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/114)
    (9)**

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1.  [[What is the current status of the Security Operations Center
    (SOC)? What efforts have been made in the past to establish the
    SOC?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/668)

2.  [[What is the current status of HSPD-12
    compliance?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/558)

3.  [[5. Request insight into current and future NOAA C&A approach; such
    as tools used, Agency Common Controls, Continuous Monitoring,
    Federal Desktop Core Configuration compliance,
    etc..]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/557)

4.  [[How many NOAA systems have completed Certification and
    Accreditation (C&A)? Are there any currently unaccredited
    systems?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/556)

5.  [[What toolsets does NOAA foresee being integrated into future
    solutions (e.g. Intrusion Detection Systems, Centralized Monitoring
    Solutions, Patch Management, Vulnerability Scanning, Forensics Tool
    Kits)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/555)

6.  [[Are tools and processes currently being used for IT security
    monitoring at NOAA line and staff offices
    standardized?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/554)

7.  [[Request insight into what centralized IT security monitoring or
    incident handling is currently being
    performed.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/553)

8.  [[Section 1; Security Services discussed the key objectives of
    Security Services. It is assumed that the current IT Security
    Policies are being enforced according to NOAA IT Security
    Guidelines? However the first objective implies that the current
    system is operating in terms of more a "notification" process
    instead of a more point for management control and continuous
    improvement. Can we assume there are measurable criteria for
    improvement? Can the Gov't provide these in more
    detail?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/534)

9.  [[Does the Government currently have a Security Operations Center
    (SOC)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/408)

    **[[5.1 - Information Security
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/127)
    (4)**

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1.  [["Section 5: Information Security and Risk Management" describes
    objectives for NOAA security services and specifically identifies
    the key requirement for developing a NOAA Security Operations Center
    (N-SOC) for escalated Tier 2 and Tier 3 security issues. Question:
    How will the proposed N-SOC integrate within the current
    organizational structure for Tier 0 initial contact support and Tier
    1 support involving the N-CIRT (NOAA Computer Incident Response
    Team) and NOAA Security
    Officer.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/855)

2.  [[How will SOC interface with the current NOAA Security Service
    Center or will SOC take its
    place?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/669)

3.  [[How does the Government recommend implementing a firewall between
    various C&amp;A activities and the development/implementation of
    policies?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/409)

4.  [[What is NOAA\'s current HSPD-12 strategy and state of
    deployment?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/346)

    **[[5.2 - Continuity of Operations and Disaster Recovery
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/128)
    (5)**

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1.  [[Do NOAA Line and Staff Offices have standardized COOP/DR plans in
    place?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/560)

2.  [[Request insight into current NOAA COOP/DR
    program.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/559)

3.  [[To minimize the impact of potential outages and service
    disruptions caused by acts of God, terrorism, or other would NOAA be
    inclined to staff the SPOC Help Desk at a vendor location away from
    more vulnerable areas like Washington, D.C. if the vendor has
    established disaster recovery
    capabilities?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/399)

4.  [[Will potential COOP/DR equipment be
    GFE?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/392)

5.  [[What existing COOP/OR systems are currently in place at
    NOAA?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/358)

    **[[Comments and
    Suggestions]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/132)
    (82)**

The following Comments and/or Suggestions were provided by Industry for
consideration. All should be reviewed and evaluated for potential impact
on further determining the desired acquisition strategy and/or
finalization of the Statement of Requirements.

1.  [[The IT Balanced Scorecard should explicitly include financial
    measures within at least one of the four perspectives, preferably
    from a ROI
    perspective.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/924)

2.  [[The Contract Management Principles and Practices section should
    spell out specific requirements of the contractor. As written, it
    appears to be a list of principles for the NOAA contracts office to
    follow.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/922)

3.  [[The pillar associated with Leveraging Resources should include
    environmental stewardship requirements related to the acquisition,
    operations and disposal of IT assets (as is mentioned under the
    Strengthen Strategic Partnerships
    pillar).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/921)

4.  [[The pillar associated with Leveraging Resources should include
    environmental stewardship requirements related to the acquisition,
    operations and disposal of IT assets (as is mentioned under the
    Strengthen Strategic Partnerships
    pillar).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/920)

5.  [[The requirement for maintaining continuous IT services should be
    specified in terms of availability as a target metric (e.g.,
    99.95%).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/919)

6.  [[NOAA's should specify expectations for maintaining currency with
    the best-practice standards identified in the SOR (e.g., ITIL, CMMI,
    PMBOK). For example, NOAA might specify compliance with a particular
    standard within six months of release, or NOAA might specify that
    the contractor must provide NOAA with a plan to meet compliance of a
    new or updated standard within three months of
    release.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/918)

7.  [[NOAA should release a separate PMO and IV&V contract to ensure
    that responsibility for monitoring and oversight is kept separate
    from
    implementation.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/917)

8.  [[NOAA should include an objective to develop, test, and maintain a
    continuity of operations/disaster recovery (COOP/DR)
    plan.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/916)

9.  [[A subset of the individual objectives listed under the
    Foundational Pillars should be identified as mandatory and those
    that are not-mandatory should be
    prioritized.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/915)

10. [[NOAA Link has been described as a performance-based contract. What
    metrics does NOAA intend to use in establishing the evaluation
    criteria? The contract should indicate the incentives and penalties
    associated with missing individual
    metrics.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/912)

11. [[Risks Management - You will need to write up a well thought out
    Risk and Risk Mitigation plan for this contract. For instance -With
    multiple vendors there are Risks. (All the vendors must all come
    together to make a seamless IT Infrastructure for
    NOAA).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/909)

12. [[In Section 4: Business Management the first area is labeled
    Procurement/Catalog Services. We believe that using the term
    Procurement implies that the contractor will be providing some type
    of acquisition services to NOAA. We believe that NOAA requires all
    contractors to provide a service catalog descriptive of the services
    they are capable to providing to NOAA and the Section should refer
    to Catalog Services. We recommend that NOAA delete the term
    "Procurement".]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/851)

13. [[What are vendors' recommendations for providing best value and
    service?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/797)

14. [[How to ensure
    competitiveness?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/796)

15. [[INFORMATION SECURITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT Reference: Pg 39 -- 1
    Security Services We recommend that NOAA specifically address where
    certification and accreditation (C&A) of systems and applications
    will be accomplished. Current C&A is identified in the NOAA Link
    Statement of Requirements on: Page 34 under Assumptions and
    Constraints within Application Management Services Page 38 under
    Assumptions and Constraints within Special Project
    Services]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/794)

16. [[Reference: Page 31 -- 3 Application Management Services,
    Infrastructure Requirements Recommend that a CMMI Level 3 Capability
    Model be applied as a minimum company standard for vendor(s)
    performing this
    work.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/791)

17. [[Reference: Page 30 -- 2 Data Center Services Requirements,
    Objective, 1 This section mentions acquiring data center and hosting
    services. We Recommend NOAA consider using the industry practice of
    outsourcing data center and hosting functions to industry, with
    performance at industry facilities -- and state as such in the
    requirement.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/790)

18. [[Reference: Page 29 -- 1 Data and Voice Network Services
    Requirements, 3.a If NOAA desires all components of the IT
    Operations Center to be located at a NOAA facility rather than
    vendor site, it should be stated clearly in the assumptions and
    constraints.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/789)

19. [[Reference: Page 30 - 1 Data and Voice Network Services,
    Assumptions and Constraints, 1.a Is it NOAA's intent to develop
    specification and procure a new NOAA-wide Voice/VoIP system under
    this contract? If so, the requirements (Section c) should reflect
    what is currently contained in
    assumptions/constraints.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/788)

20. [[Reference: Page 29 - 1 Data and Voice Network Services,
    Requirements 6.e ACD We recommend that NOAA specifically identify
    which Service Area is responsible for providing the automated call
    distribution (ACD) system. Additional information such as
    number/type of callers and number of support staff necessary to
    respond to call volume within a specific SLA will be required to
    specify the
    ACD.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/787)

21. [[Reference: Page 28 -- 1 Requirements c.1. Sections g and h are
    duplicate requirements with Sections n and
    o.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/785)

22. [[Reference: Page 26 -- 1 Requirements 3.b. Requirements #6 and #10
    are duplicate
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/784)

23. [[Reference: Page 24 -- 2 Desktop Management Services, c
    Requirements, 10 Implement an asset management system We recommend
    that NOAA specifically identify which Service Area is responsible
    for the asset management system. It would be most effective if it is
    part of an overall Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB) and is
    integrated with the incident management
    system.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/783)

24. [[Reference: Page 23 -- 1 EUSC, c Requirements, 4.c Providing Tier 0
    and Page 23 -- 2 Desktop Management Services, 4 Provide Tier 0/1
    service desk operations Both EUSC and desktop management sections
    address Tier 0/1 services. Please provide additional information to
    delineate the difference of services for Tier 0/1 in these
    sections.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/782)

25. [[CUSTOMER CARE Reference: Page 22 -- 1 EUSC, d. Assumptions and
    Constraints If NOAA desires a EUSC at a NOAA facility rather than
    vendor site, it should be stated clearly in the assumptions and
    constraints.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/780)

26. [[Reference: Page 18 -- 2 Enterprise Architecture Services, c.
    Requirements, 4 This section relates to developing human capital
    within NOAA to support specific skill sets and other competencies.
    If NOAA staff will be part of service delivery solution and SLA
    performance, we recommend defining boundaries for tasks by the
    contractor so that performance measures can be developed and managed
    by the contractor. Total contractor ownership at the task level is
    important in achieving best
    performance.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/778)

27. [[Reference: Page 18 -- 2 Enterprise Architecture Services, c.
    Requirements, 3 Recommend that service oriented architecture (SOA)
    be added to support the desire to share/integrate NOAA
    data.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/777)

28. [[ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS: Reference: Section 2: Contract Management
    Principles and Practices This section mentions an actionable catalog
    of offerings and practical SLAs for delivery of products and
    services. We agree that the use of a service catalog is a good way
    to promote awareness of the products and services available under
    this contract. However, some services offered are not designed for
    catalog pricing due to the difference in the size and complexity of
    each project. Therefore, we recommend that the service catalog
    describe the services provided and not
    pricing.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/776)

29. [[Page 33, Mission Support requirements reads like the CIO's office
    is going to implement the line offices responsibilities, perhaps
    these requirements should be reworded to focus on IT as an enabler
    to Mission
    Support.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/747)

30. [[Page 29, 6.e - This seems out of place for an IMAC discussion
    since it is a set of requirements for call management
    system]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/746)

31. [[Page 24, Items 2 and 3 seem to belong in the help desk
    section.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/745)

32. [[Page 23, Item 2 - "develop the help desk consolidation plan"
    appears to belong in the Help Desk
    section.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/744)

33. [[The requirements tend to mix the consolidation planning and
    implementation activities with operational activities in each
    service area. Perhaps the requirements would be clearer if they were
    separated by
    phase.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/742)

34. [[We suggest the Government remove the requirement for PMO support
    from this contract. Using an independent SETA contractor gives the
    Government more flexibility in the PMO and avoids this potential
    conflict between managing the contractor and performing the work.
    The contractors may propose to establish PMOs as a best practice
    when managing their IT
    projects.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/741)

35. [[SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS: The security section provides general
    information about security administration. It can be improved by
    elaborating on the requirements of C&A processes, follow-up
    guidelines from NIST 800 series, or any other standards that need to
    be followed such as DITSCAP or DIACAP or NIACAP etc. Overall, there
    should be clarity with respect to the security functionalities
    whether the service provider should respond with respect to an IV &
    V functionality based security administration or a system integrator
    perspective of security administration, or as a
    whole.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/737)

36. [[SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS: Details on the requirements of business
    process analysis and reengineering should be enhanced. There should
    also be a description of the requirements with regard to business
    processes alignment with Service Oriented Architecture
    principles.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/736)

37. [[SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS: This section lacks enough details about
    the web corporate branding, maintenance of the websites and web
    applications, usability analysis and testing, and web content
    management.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/735)

38. [[SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS: Provides general information about data
    centers, does not have enough information and emphasis on required
    data quality, Information Management Authority (IMA), Enterprise
    Databases, and any data
    warehouses.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/734)

39. [[ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS: Include detailed sections on workforce
    planning, IT communications, and change management for the expected
    modernization or integration of several services across the line
    offices.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/730)

40. [[ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS: More emphasis should be made on
    developing the detailed IT capital planning process and subsequently
    the required budget for the implementation and integration of the
    enterprise
    services.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/729)

41. [[STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: This section should clarify the role of the
    IV & V team(s) in collaboration with the government
    personnel.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/728)

42. [[STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: This section should also provide enough
    emphasis on the subsequent integration of services to all the line
    offices across the different regions in the
    country.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/727)

43. [[STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: This section should also talk about the
    strategy to involve the stakeholders and establish the channels of
    communication and strategic attempt to address the change management
    issues]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/726)

44. [[More emphasis should be placed on the IT Strategic plan of NOAA,
    especially for the next 3 to 5 years addressing the IT roadmap that
    needs to be built for NOAALink to
    succeed.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/725)

45. [[Market surveys, stakeholders\' requirements analysis meetings,
    facilitation services, and benchmarking tasks should also be
    included in the appropriate
    sections.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/724)

46. [[A great deal of detail and emphasis have been provided for the
    Service Area Requirements (Part III), however the Strategic
    Framework (Part I) lacks adequate strategic planning details and
    requirements to develop a roadmap for the transition of AS-IS IT
    environment to an integrated and effective TO-BE
    environment.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/723)

47. [[Page 11 of 44 Part II, Section 1, Paragraph 2: Develop Information
    Technology Capabilities-- This section refers to "Capability
    Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI)" but does not mention an
    appraisal level. We recommend that a level-3 appraisal should be a
    requirement. A level lower than three is insufficient to assure
    system development
    quality.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/720)

48. [[What is the overall desired timeline to achieve the
    transformation? What are the primary drivers for the transformation?
    Are there external drivers which may influence the
    timeline?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/706)

49. [[The DR requirements should include the necessity that contractors
    supporting this requirement maintain the necessary certification
    levels from the various professional organizations (e.g., DRII,
    BCI).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/705)

50. [[The requirements for Disaster Recovery should include a
    requirement for testing the DR/BC
    plans.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/704)

51. [[The current approach to procurement, including identification of
    necessary approvals, should be included in the
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/703)

52. [[While at some point in the future the operating systems for
    servers may include OSs beyond Linux, Unix and Windows, NOAA should
    specify in detail the current operating environments across the Line
    and Staff
    Offices.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/702)

53. [[Requirements for Data Center Services should also include
    requirements for Green IT as related to activities associated with
    acquisition, operations (e.g., power usage), and
    disposal.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/701)

54. [[In specifying the requirement to support a VoIP system for a
    period of at least 10 years, the requirements should also include
    the flexibility to introduce new technologies that satisfy the
    business
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/700)

55. [[Specific to the stated telecommunications requirements, NOAA
    should define at a numerical level the requirement for high
    availability to NOAAnet via different access technologies (e.g.,
    satellite,
    terrestrial).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/699)

56. [[NOAA should include requirements and technical details about
    NOAA's Document and Records Management
    Initiative.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/698)

57. [[Any requirement to demonstrate an improvement in specific metrics,
    such as TCO, should allow for a period during which the metric is
    properly
    baselined.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/695)

58. [[End-User Service Center requirements should include different
    levels of performance metrics addressing the full range of customer
    care demands. These metrics should eventually be rolled up into a
    single (or a handful) of customer care indices to be used to
    determine contract
    compliance.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/694)

59. [[As part of the various EA modelling techniques, NOAA should
    specify its preferred approach (assume it is OMB's FEA) and, as a
    result, less emphasis should be placed on DoDAF, Zachman and other
    frameworks. In addition, NOAA should indicate the repository for
    maintaining EA
    information.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/692)

60. [[The Service Area Requirements should be defined in terms of
    individual processes and those processes should be
    diagrammed.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/691)

61. [[With the set of Service Area Responsibilities, the individual
    requirements in each area should be translated into specific,
    actionable tasks. For example, "encourage desirable behaviours in
    the use of IT" should be measurable. This suggests once the correct
    metrics are established, then the current situation baselined
    against some metrics and targets, based on best-practices, need to
    be established prior to any improvement
    activities.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/690)

62. [[The IT Balanced Scorecard should explicitly include financial
    measures within at least one of the four perspectives, preferably
    from a ROI
    perspective.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/689)

63. [[The pillar associated with Leveraging Resources should include
    environmental stewardship requirements related to the acquisition,
    operations and disposal of IT assets (as is mentioned under the
    Strengthen Strategic Partnerships
    pillar).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/686)

64. [[The requirement for maintaining continuous IT services should be
    specified in terms of availability as a target metric (e.g.,
    99.95%).]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/685)

65. [[NOAA's should specify expectations for maintaining currency with
    the best-practice standards identified in the SOR (e.g., ITIL, CMMI,
    PMBOK). For example, NOAA might specify compliance with a particular
    standard within six months of release, or NOAA might specify that
    the contractor must provide NOAA with a plan to meet compliance of a
    new or updated standard within three months of
    release.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/684)

66. [[A subset of the individual objectives listed under the
    Foundational Pillars should be identified as mandatory and those
    that are not-mandatory should be
    prioritized.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/681)

67. [[While the SOR clearly outlines NOAA's current mission, because the
    planned duration of NOAA Link is many years, the contract should
    include a mechanism for adapting to changes in NOAA's mission over
    the life of NOAA Link. Mission changes may include new
    responsibilities or adoption of new technologies which permit for
    changes in mission (e.g., weather forecasting versus weather control
    in response to Global Warming). The timeframe may also necessitate
    some overlap between the completion of Phase 1 and the start of
    Phase
    2.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/677)

68. [[Due to the broad nature of NOAA's mission (e.g., forecasting,
    information delivery, imaging, ecosystems management), the
    organization has a wide variety of IT needs. Over the course of this
    contract these IT needs may not converge to offerings available to
    the winning team. The contract should offer the option to bring on
    new team members and have those new team members receive a timely
    vetting by
    NOAA.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/676)

69. [[Definition of the Governance Process NOAA will need to articulate
    in further detail the PMO to be established by the government and
    how you intend the contract to be managed. It would be helpful to
    understand specific details regarding the government PMO including
    its size, escalation process, and change management process.
    Additionally, NOAA will need to ensure a clear delineation of
    responsibilities. Exhibit 2, Roles and Responsibilities, contains a
    sample table that Unisys has used with both commercial and
    Government programs to help define the anticipated roles and
    responsibilities of both the customer and the perspective service
    provider.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/565)

70. [[Section 2.4: IT and Initiative Goals Table 2 (page 9): a)
    Recommendation: Add an objective #7 -- "Provide an effective change
    management process with a clear communication plan" under Goal 6:
    Create effective IT
    governance.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/480)

71. [[Archival (Part III, Section 5 Information Security and Risk
    Management) As noted above, Disaster Recovery is important, but so
    is the archival of data. The requirements document might identify
    the quantity of data NOAA gathers and generates annually. In order
    to provide an efficient infrastructure, should there be a stated
    requirement for creation of data levels (i.e. data that needs to be
    accessible immediately, frequently, within a day,
    etc.)?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/459)

72. [[Cost Effectiveness (Part II, Section 3 Measurement Criteria) Table
    3 provides two measurement criteria (User satisfaction---Be the
    preferred IT contract vehicle; Operational Excellence---deliver
    effective and efficient IT products and services). Where does most
    cost-effective and best-value delivery fit in? Should this be a
    third goal, or is it sufficient to have the implicit "effective and
    efficient" operational excellence goal and the "control costs"
    business
    contribution?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/458)

73. [[12. Training (Part II, Section 1 Foundational Pillars) One
    potential omission is with regards to training. In order to ensure
    success, a large training budget will be necessary. NOAA and NOAA
    Link should have all project managers PMP certified, IT leads ITIL
    practitioner certified, CIO ITSM Certified, CMMI leads/evaluators on
    staff, and a few EA staff leading this effort. This technical mix
    will be necessary to keep the execution of the response to the
    requirements document on target. Will contractors need to be
    certified in these methodologies as well? This will add cost, but
    should provide a good ROI in the
    future.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/456)

74. [[Interoperability (Part III, Section 3 Infrastructure Management)
    Since NOAA is in the Data Services business there is the issue of
    keeping systems compatible with each other across the numerous sites
    while adhering to the multitude of recent security
    requirements.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/454)

75. [[Information Assurance (Part III, Section 5 Information Security
    and Risk Management) In terms of the IT Security paradigm there are
    a number of issues that are apparent. Will the same contract provide
    for the entire umbrella for security? The requirements document
    talks in broad strokes but does not get into the issues of networks,
    VPN, the various encryption requirements, firewalls, etc. Having one
    company provide all of the IT Security can be an issue. IT Security
    always needs an independent assessment component to ensure a well
    rounded and robust solution is provided and
    implemented.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/453)

76. [[Standard Platforms (Part III, Section 2 Customer Care and Section
    3 Infrastructure Management) The document notes a standard set of
    applications and collaborative tools. It does not identify the
    "standard" platform, databases, or tools. Would the contractor
    develop these or upgrade the existing heritage environment? The
    answers to these questions greatly affect the support
    contractor.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/452)

77. [[Implementation (Part I, Section 1 Introduction and Part III, all
    Sections) This NOAA document is well developed, but the
    implementation will be difficult. As always, the devil is in the
    details. From a contractor perspective, how would the "contractor"
    desktops be managed? Would all hardware and software have to be
    purchased as a catalog item from another provider (i.e. CLINS for
    all possible hardware/software)? This would put significant
    additional work on the NOAA procurement PMO. Would the bulk of staff
    be onsite, offsite/nearsite, and located at how many sites? Who will
    run this "service"? What of files backup/recovery versus archive?
    Network connectivity and bandwidth might be a
    concern.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/448)

78. [[Knowledge Base (Part I, Section 2 Background) A prime factor in
    this consolidation (and a major concern across the user base) will
    be what the impact would be across NOAA and how the corporate
    knowledge will be retained in disparate, yet badge-less, contracts.
    This could be a huge issue with this consolidation. How will NOAA
    handle this situation where a significant portion of the workforce
    that will become eligible for retirement possesses this corporate
    knowledge?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/445)

79. [[Values and Goals (Part I, Section 1 Introduction and Section 2
    Background) It is worth noting that Section 1 doesn't mention NOAA
    values, yet these are important. Section 2, Strategic Goals, also
    appears to be missing NOAA's Climate
    Goal.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/444)

80. [[P. 38-9 Information Security and Risk Management. Consider Placing
    COOP with Data Center Services separate from information, strategy,
    administration, and certification. The Former needs to be tied
    closely to data center management, while the later should be able to
    assist with policy and assessments
    independently.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/443)

81. [[P. 38 Special Projects and Services or similar tasks could be
    placed either in Strategic Management or the task sections or both
    to provide NOAA with
    flexibility.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/442)

82. [[P.18 c.1-2 this section discusses both enterprise architecture and
    e-Government. We suggest NOAA also address data management. Managing
    and sharing ocean environmental data is becoming increasingly
    important.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/441)

    **[[General]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/149)
    (12)**

```{=html}
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1.  [[Any requirement to demonstrate an improvement in specific
    metrics\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/930)

2.  [[Given the various Green IT initiatives supported by Congress, the
    EPA, and
    DOE\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/923)

3.  [[While the SOR clearly outlines NOAA's current mission, because the
    planned duration of NOAA Link is many years, the contract should
    include a mechanism for adapting to changes in NOAA's mission over
    the life of NOAA
    Link\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/911)

4.  [[Reference: Page 18 -- 2 Enterprise Architecture Services, c.
    Requirements, 4 This section relates to developing human capital
    within NOAA to support specific skill sets and other
    competencies\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/779)

5.  [[PROVIDING AND TRACKING VALUE TO THE USER: The best way to provide
    value to the user is to provide them with all the IT services they
    need to perform their mission, in a manner that ensures they have
    the latest and safest technologies available at all
    times\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/751)

6.  [[To ensure that the users and the Government receive the best value
    from this procurement, NOAA should take advantage of the economies
    of scale that can be obtained from standardization across the entire
    enterprise where it makes
    sense..]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/749)

7.  [[PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS: As presented in the Statement of
    Requirements, NOAA envisions a two-phased approach with the first
    phase being the development and implementation of the acquisition
    vehicle and the second phase being the award and implementation of
    the transition
    plan\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/739)

8.  [[Implementation &amp; Transition The implementation and transition
    process is critical to the long-term success of an IT infrastructure
    program such as NOAA
    Link\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/566)

9.  [[Definition of the NOAA Link Business Model NOAA will need to
    define the fundamental business model for each IT support
    activity\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/563)

10. [[Metrics (Part II, Section 3 Measurement Criteria) Metrics
    collection may be an important omission in this
    document\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/457)

11. [[Role of Enterprise Architecture (Part II, Section 1 Foundational
    Pillars and Part III, Section 1 Enterprise Architecture Services)
    The Requirements document notes diverging
    models\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/455)

12. [[We encourage NOAA
    to\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/438)

    **[[Acquisition]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/150)
    (38)**

```{=html}
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1.  [[Keep an eye out for the potential conflicts of
    interest\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/963)

2.  [[The current approach to
    procurement\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/938)

3.  [[A list of the current NOAA-certified standard business
    software\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/931)

4.  [[The OCIO's strategic goals
    \...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/914)

5.  [[Due to the broad nature of NOAA's mission (e.g., forecasting,
    information delivery, imaging, ecosystems management), the
    organization has a wide variety of IT
    needs\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/910)

6.  [[Performance based
    contracts\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/908)

7.  [[The draft Statement of Requirements offers vendors the opportunity
    to provide a wide variety of
    solutions\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/906)

8.  [[Many of NOAA's current IT support contractors are 8(a), SDBs, WOBs
    businesses\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/858)

9.  [[Given the size of the effort and the desire to develop and
    implement a standard approach to providing IT services, we suggest
    the following contract
    structure\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/857)

10. [[If the intent is for a single award procurement, releasing the
    procurement under the NAICS Code
    \...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/856)

11. [[We recommend NOAA follow best practices in requiring that all
    bidders should stand alone on competing for NOAA
    Link\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/853)

12. [[We believe that NOAA requires a contract vehicle that will satisfy
    the emerging requirements of its large, diverse
    organization\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/852)

13. [[Part I, Strategic Framework, Phase I Strategic Framework, Phase I
    discusses developing and implementing a centralized acquisition
    vehicle to meet NOAA's IT
    needs\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/799)

14. [[What are vendors' recommendations for providing best value and
    service?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/797)

15. [[How to ensure
    competitiveness?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/796)

16. [[SECTION 4 -- ACQUISITION STRATEGY COMMENTS In a multi-vendor IT
    infrastructure environment, it is common practice
    to\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/795)

17. [[BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Reference: Page 36 -- 2 Training,
    Professional, and Consulting
    Services\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/793)

18. [[Strategic Framework: Reference: Page 9 - Section 2 Background, 4
    -- IT and Initiative Goals: Goal 4/Objective
    3\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/775)

19. [[Reference: Page 7 - Section 1 Introduction, 4 -- Two-Phased
    Implementation\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/774)

20. [[Maintain a streamlined procurement
    process\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/773)

21. [[Transition
    Planning\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/752)

22. [[It's not clear if NOAAnet
    is\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/743)

23. [[IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY Phase 1 - We
    suggest\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/740)

24. [[ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS: Earned Value Management criteria and
    requirements should be
    specified\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/732)

25. [[ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS: Emphasize the significance of quality
    assurance and compliance
    with\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/731)

26. [[The Contract Management Principles and Practices section
    should\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/687)

27. [[Small vs. Large
    Businesses\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/637)

28. [[Multiple
    BPAs\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/636)

29. [[Multiple Contracts With No
    Overlap\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/635)

30. [[The following are comments on acquisition strategy
    options\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/634)

31. [[Small Business and Large Business
    Sourcing\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/569)

32. [[Avoiding Conflict of
    Interest\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/568)

33. [[Green Data
    Centers\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/564)

34. [[Due Diligence
    Information\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/562)

35. [[NOAA has articulated that its current contracting practices limit
    its ability to readily leverage economies of scale and provide
    end-to-end visibility into IT
    operations\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/561)

36. [[This potential offeror is of the opinion that the scope of the
    program and the breadth of the requirements call for a full and open
    competition with the possibility of multiple
    awards\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/541)

37. [[The Statement of Requirements articulate a very large and wide
    scope of
    services\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/440)

38. [[NOAA will need to determine how it wants to work with industry on
    the different
    parts\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/439)

    **[[OCI]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/156)
    (7)**

```{=html}
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```
1.  [[As requested, I am attaching a document entitled AEGIS-OCI Risk
    Mitigation\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/967)

2.  [[NOAA should consider letting a separate PMO contract for NOAA
    Link\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/928)

3.  [[Are work areas grouped effectively? Do they create potential
    conflicts of
    interest?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/798)

4.  [[We suggest that NOAA pursue an acquisition approach that selects
    two independent contracting teams to support NOAA's efforts in
    meeting the strategic goals outlined in the Statement of
    Requirements\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/738)

5.  [[OCI Risk
    Mitigation?]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/383)

6.  [[Suggestion on Conflict of
    Interest\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/352)

7.  [[Suggestion on Conflict of Interest
    Question\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/339)

    **[[PMO]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/155)
    (4)**

```{=html}
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```
1.  [[1. We has extensive experience working with Government and
    Contractor Program Management Offices (PMO). In our experience, it
    is not uncommon for large contracts to require each prime to stand
    up a PMO that provides management and oversight of contract
    performance. STG highly recommends this cost-efficient and effective
    solution for the following
    reasons:]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/972)

2.  [[The advantages and disadvantages of NOAA positioning the PMO, with
    technical services, under the same
    contract.]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/971)

3.  [[Enterprise-wide PMO Solution
    Overview]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/970)

4.  [[SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS: Project Management Services -- Part 3
    Section 1. We recommend the Project Management Services be
    contracted separately as a independent Project Management Office
    (PMO)\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/733)

    **[[Technical]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/faq/151)
    (26)**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
1.  [[Part II- Section 2.1.d. Assumptions 2 and 3 may be attained mid
    contract, but
    \...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/952)

2.  [[Table 1- Management Component , Infrastructure
    Management\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/951)

3.  [[The DR requirements should
    include\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/940)

4.  [[The requirements for Disaster Recovery should
    include\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/939)

5.  [[While at some point in the future the operating systems for
    servers may
    include\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/937)

6.  [[Requirements for Data Center Services should also
    include\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/936)

7.  [[In specifying the requirement to support a VoIP system for a
    period of at least 10
    years\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/935)

8.  [[Specific to the stated telecommunications requirements, NOAA
    should\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/934)

9.  [[NOAA should include requirements and technical details
    about\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/933)

10. [[The process by which the NOAA image is established should be
    provided to the
    bidders\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/932)

11. [[End-User Service Center requirements should include different
    levels of performance
    metrics\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/929)

12. [[As part of the various EA modelling techniques, NOAA should
    specify its preferred
    approach\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/927)

13. [[The Service Area Requirements should be defined in terms of
    individual
    processes\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/926)

14. [[With the set of Service Area Responsibilities, the individual
    requirements in each area should be translated into specific,
    actionable
    tasks\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/925)

15. [[Part III, Section 3 -- Infrastructure Management, Subsection 3 --
    Application Management Services The "key infrastructure"
    requirements talk to the implementation, improvement and
    applicability of standard methodologies in NOAA's SDLC
    processes\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/817)

16. [[Reference: Page 33 -- 3 Application Management Services,
    Infrastructure Requirements, Item 25 Recommend that all Tier 1
    support be provided through the Customer Care Service area rather
    than split between customer care and application
    management\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/792)

17. [[INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT Reference: Page 29 - 1 Data and Voice
    Network Services, Requirements 2.a Is it NOAA's intent for
    centralized acquisition of LAN Communication equipment to be
    separate from the overall Business Management
    function\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/786)

18. [[Reference: Page 22 -- 1 EUSC, d. Assumptions and Constraints, 5
    EUSC Support Costs This requirement describes that support costs
    will be calculated per request and time taken to close the
    request\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/781)

19. [[HELP DESK OFF-SHORING: We recommend that the NOAA prohibit
    off-shoring of work on this
    procurement\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/753)

20. [["Green" is mentioned once in the Enterprise Requirements as a
    strategy and only once in the Service Area Requirements, under the
    data / voice
    section\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/750)

21. [[The OCIO's strategic
    goals\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/680)

22. [[Business-Driven Measurable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) SLAs
    need to be defined so that vendors can appropriately solution the
    infrastructure in the proposal
    process\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/567)

23. [[Green Computing and IT (Part III, Section 3 Infrastructure
    Management and in general) This area opens the opportunities for
    approaching a zero carbon footprint, managing total cost of
    ownership, and the so-called "triple bottom line of economic
    viability, social responsibility, and environmental
    impact."]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/451)

24. [[Continuity of Operations (Part III, Section 5 Information Security
    and Risk Management, Item 2 Continuity of Operations and Disaster
    Recovery Services) Data products and services are NOAA's primary
    products\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/450)

25. [[Infrastructure (Part III, Section 3 Infrastructure Management)
    With all the levels of project management support and business
    management there could be a lot of office space required to support
    this
    mission\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/449)

26. [[Heterogeneity (Part III, Section 2 Customer Care, Item 2 Desktop
    Management Services) Another concern is the wide distribution of
    work in the scientific
    community\...]{.underline}](https://dotproject.nws.noaa.gov/meeting/node/446)

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