This proposed procurement is a follow-on of a portfolio management application essential to the execution and performance measurement phase of the Office of Education’s portfolio management process and the related support services.
The Government intends to solicit and negotiate on a sole source basis with Expert Choice for maintenance and support of the Periscope software package. This software aligns programmatic decisions with Organizational objectives/criteria; implement a structured, repeatable and justifiable decision making approach; leverage organizational expertise; improve top-down and bottom-up communication; develop consensus and buy-in among stakeholders; and create in organizational decisions.
In November of 2006, the NASA Office of Education executed a task order under an existing GSA contract to acquire software and related services from Expert Choice. The purpose of the software acquisition was to equip NASA with software that would enable the Office of Education to meet requirements set by the NASA Administrator and the Office of Management and Budget. The goal was to restructure agency-wide the management and implementation of the entire NASA Education Program.
Expert Choice has previously worked closely with NASA Education in the implementation of Expert Choice (the software—the company’s standard prioritization/selection product) to prioritize the 450 projects in the NASA education portfolio, and align them with NASA education outcomes and objectives. Now that the Prioritization and alignment have been accomplished the next step in the process is to be able to measure and mange project performance. The company’s Periscope software package provides one centralized interface to measure and manage organization/project portfolio performance.
Periscope is a software package that provides performance management monitoring capabilities for all projects in the NASA education portfolio. Periscope is a module to be added to the existing performance measurement system which NASA purchased in 2006. No other software product will work with the existing system, which is proprietary to Expert Choice. The software will allow the Office of Education to have a single entry point for retrieving information on project schedules, benchmarks, key decisional points, relevance and cost for each of the projects. Periscope will also allow the Office of Education to move to the consolidation phase of its performance measurement process as required by the Office of Management and Budget (OBM) and the Office of the NASA Administrator.
NASA/HQ intends to mod an existing purchase order for maintenance and technical support of Periscope software through 3/2010 with Expert Choice. The authority is FAR 6.302-1 (a)(2)(iii)(A) “only one responsible source”.
The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.
Interested organization may submit their capabilities and qualification to perform the effort in writing by FAX or E-Mail, to identified point of contact not later than 3:00 p.m., local time on 21 January 2009.
Such capabilities/qualification will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to be conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government.
Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.
All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.
An Ombudsman has been appointed.
