FBI's Information Technology Supplies and Support Services (ITSSS)

Background

The FBI's Information Technology Supplies and Support Services (ITSSS) program is responsible for providing the FBI with a wide range of IT services and support, including hardware and software procurement, network and security operations, and end-user support. The ITSSS program plays a critical role in supporting the FBI's mission to protect the United States from terrorist attacks, espionage, and other criminal activities.

Summary Description

One of GDI Consulting’s clients, a technology company, was interested in securing a contract with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Information Technology Supplies and Support Services (ITSSS) program. The client faced several challenges, including tough competition from other bidders, strict requirements for security clearances, and a limited timeline for proposal submission. Therefore, winning a contract with the ITSSS program required a comprehensive proposal that addressed all of the program's requirements and evaluation criteria.

A winning proposal must have included a comprehensive technical approach that demonstrated the client's ability to provide all the products and services required by the RFP. The proposal also must have included a clear plan for managing security clearances and complying with all federal regulations related to IT.

Evaluation Criteria

The FBI's ITSSS program had strict evaluation criteria for selecting a contractor. The evaluation criteria were designed to ensure that bidders had the necessary technical expertise, experience, and resources to provide high-quality IT services and support to the FBI. The evaluation criteria were as follows:

  1. Experience and past performance: The FBI evaluated bidders based on their experience and past performance in providing IT services and support to government agencies. Bidders were required to provide specific examples of successful projects completed for other government agencies.
  2. Technical approach: The FBI evaluated bidders based on their technical approach to providing IT services and support. Bidders were required to provide a clear technical approach that addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements, including hardware and software procurement, network and security operations, and end-user support.
  3. Security protocols: The FBI evaluated bidders based on their ability to manage security clearances for all personnel involved in the project. Bidders were required to provide a clear plan for managing security clearances and outlining their existing security protocols and procedures.
  4. Compliance: The FBI evaluated bidders based on their ability to comply with all federal regulations related to IT security, data privacy, and other requirements. Bidders were required to provide a comprehensive plan for ensuring ongoing compliance.
  5. Price and cost-effectiveness: The FBI evaluated bidders based on the cost and cost-effectiveness of their proposed solutions. Bidders were required to provide a clear and reasonable pricing strategy that met all of the ITSSS program's requirements.

Solicitation in a Nutshell

Item

Details

Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Office: Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Award Date: October 2010
Contract Period: 10 years
Type of Contract and Award: BPA on GSA's Schedule 70
Number of Awards: 46
Contract Value:  $30 Billion
NAICS Codes: 541511 - Computer Systems Design and Related Services
541512 - Custom Computer Programming Services
541513 - Computer Facilities Management Services
541519 - Other Computer Related Services
Scope: The ITSSS BPA is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that will provide a wide range of IT services to the FBI, including:

  • Hardware and software acquisition
  • Systems integration and engineering
  • IT consulting and support
  • Managed IT services
  • Security services

Problems & Challenges

The client faced several problems and challenges when bidding on the FBI's Information Technology Supplies and Support Services (ITSSS) program. These challenges included:

  1. Tough competition: The ITSSS program is highly competitive, with numerous companies bidding on contracts. The client faced tough competition from other bidders who also had strong technical capabilities and experience in providing IT services and support to government agencies.
  2. Limited timeline: The client had a limited timeline for proposal submission. The client had to develop a comprehensive proposal that addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements and evaluation criteria within a short timeframe.
  3. Strict security clearances: The ITSSS program requires all personnel working on the contract to have appropriate security clearances. The client had to demonstrate its ability to manage security clearances for all personnel involved in the project and comply with all federal regulations related to IT security and data privacy.
  4. Limited experience in federal procurement: The client had limited experience in federal procurement and was not familiar with the specific requirements of the ITSSS program. The client had to quickly become familiar with the program's requirements and develop a proposal that met all of the program's requirements.
  5. Compliance: The ITSSS program has strict compliance requirements related to IT security, data privacy, and other regulations. The client had to demonstrate its ability to comply with all of these requirements and provide a comprehensive plan for ensuring ongoing compliance.

These problems and challenges made it difficult for the client to develop a winning proposal for the ITSSS program.

GDIC's Solution Methodology

GDI Consulting assembled a team of proposal writers, technical writers, and subject matter experts with extensive experience in federal procurement and IT services. The team worked closely with the client to develop a comprehensive proposal that addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements and demonstrated the client's ability to provide high-quality IT services and support to the FBI.

Methodologically, GDI Consulting's solution involved several critical steps, including:

  1. Conducting a thorough analysis of the ITSSS program requirements and evaluation criteria.
  2. Collaborating closely with the client to understand their capabilities, strengths, and areas for improvement.
  3. Developing a technical approach that demonstrated the client's ability to provide hardware and software procurement, network and security operations, and end-user support services to the FBI.
  4. Outlining a clear plan for managing security clearances for all personnel involved in the project.
  5. Developing a pricing strategy that demonstrated the client's ability to provide cost-effective IT services and support while meeting all of the ITSSS program's requirements.
  6. Reviewing and refining the proposal to ensure that it fully addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements and evaluation criteria.

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How GDIC Prepared a Winning Proposal

There were several important considerations that must have been made in preparing the proposal that were specific to ITSSS. These considerations included:

  1. Security clearances: The ITSSS program requires all personnel working on the contract to have appropriate security clearances. The proposal had to demonstrate the client's ability to manage security clearances for all personnel involved in the project. This included outlining the client's existing security protocols and procedures, as well as explaining how the client would ensure that all personnel had the necessary clearances.
  2. Technical expertise: The ITSSS program has specific technical requirements for IT services and support, including hardware and software procurement, network and security operations, and end-user support. The proposal had to demonstrate the client's expertise in these areas and provide a clear technical approach that addressed all of the program's requirements. This included detailing the client's experience in delivering similar IT services and support to other government agencies.
  3. Compliance: The ITSSS program has specific compliance requirements related to IT security, data privacy, and other regulations. The proposal had to demonstrate the client's ability to comply with all of these requirements and provide a comprehensive plan for ensuring ongoing compliance.
  4. Pricing strategy: The ITSSS program requires contractors to provide cost-effective IT services and support while still meeting all of the program's requirements. The proposal had to demonstrate the client's ability to provide cost-effective solutions and outline a clear pricing strategy that addressed all of the program's requirements.
  5. Past performance: The ITSSS program places a significant emphasis on past performance when evaluating proposals. The proposal had to demonstrate the client's experience and past performance in providing IT services and support to other government agencies. This included providing specific examples of successful projects completed for other government agencies and highlighting the client's strengths and areas for improvement.

As part of its proposal development process, GDI Consulting performed a competition analysis and price-to-win services for the ITSSS program. This analysis helped the client to understand the competitive landscape and develop a pricing strategy that was both competitive and profitable.

The competition analysis involved researching and analyzing other companies bidding on the ITSSS program. GDI Consulting analyzed competing proposals and evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of other bidders. This analysis helped the client to understand the competition's technical capabilities, pricing strategies, and past performance. The analysis also helped the client to identify potential teaming partners and develop strategies to differentiate itself from the competition.

The price-to-win services involved developing a pricing strategy that was competitive while still meeting all of the ITSSS program's requirements. GDI Consulting analyzed the program's budget and evaluated the pricing strategies of competing bidders. They also analyzed the client's costs and developed a pricing strategy that was both competitive and profitable. The pricing strategy included a detailed breakdown of costs, including labor, materials, and overhead.

Several key factors contributed to making the proposal stand out and ultimately winning the contract with the FBI's ITSSS program:

  1. Comprehensive technical approach: The proposal included a comprehensive technical approach that demonstrated the client's ability to provide high-quality IT services and support to the FBI. It outlined how the client would provide hardware and software procurement, network and security operations, and end-user support services, clearly illustrating the client's expertise in these areas.
  2. Clear plan for managing security clearances: The proposal included a clear plan for managing security clearances for all personnel involved in the project. The plan demonstrated the client's commitment to meeting the program's strict security requirements, which was a critical factor in winning the contract.
  3. Cost-effective pricing strategy: The proposal included a pricing strategy that demonstrated the client's ability to provide cost-effective IT services and support while meeting all of the ITSSS program's requirements. This was important because the FBI was looking for a contractor who could provide high-quality services at a reasonable cost.
  4. Strong past performance and experience: The proposal highlighted the client's experience and past performance in providing IT services and support to other government agencies. This demonstrated the client's ability to successfully deliver similar projects, which was an important factor in the FBI's evaluation criteria.
  5. Clarity and conciseness: The proposal was well-organized, easy to read, and concise. It addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements and evaluation criteria while still being easy to understand. This made it stand out from other proposals that may have been difficult to read or understand.

In addition to the key factors mentioned earlier, there were several other elements that made the proposal stand out and ultimately win the contract with the FBI's ITSSS program:

  1. Attention to detail: The proposal showcased the client's attention to detail and ability to follow specific requirements. The proposal addressed all of the ITSSS program's requirements and evaluation criteria, including specific technical specifications and security protocols. This attention to detail demonstrated the client's ability to understand and comply with complex requirements, which was important to the FBI.
  2. Collaboration and expertise: GDI Consulting's solution methodology involved collaborating closely with the client to understand their capabilities, strengths, and areas for improvement. The team of proposal writers, technical writers, and subject matter experts utilized their extensive experience in federal procurement and IT services to develop a winning proposal. This collaboration and expertise helped the proposal stand out from other proposals that may have been less well-informed or less collaborative.
  3. Innovation and creativity: The proposal demonstrated the client's ability to think outside the box and provide innovative solutions to the FBI's IT needs. The proposal included several innovative ideas, such as using new technologies to improve network and security operations and developing new training programs to enhance end-user support. These innovative solutions helped the proposal stand out and demonstrated the client's ability to provide cutting-edge solutions.
  4. Strong executive summary: The proposal included a strong executive summary that provided a clear and concise overview of the client's capabilities, approach, and pricing strategy. The executive summary was well-written, engaging, and highlighted the key strengths of the proposal. This made it easy for the FBI evaluators to quickly understand the proposal's key points and strengths.

Why GDIC Excels?

General Services Administration is a major source of US government business opportunities in all sectors of industry. In recent years, GSA has been using more of the new contracting vehicle and solicitation evaluation framework called Self-Scoring Proposals rather than  from the traditional proposals mainly consisting of Management, Technical and Pricing section. By getting the contractors involved in the scoring process so that they become better aware of their strengths and weaknesses, GSA hopes that the outcome of this process is higher quality and better managed contracts at lower costs to the government. However, the new system has its complexities, and very few contractors can take advantage of the full potential of these solicitations to secure contracts.

GDI Consulting has been working on GSA proposals for years, and is an expert in Self-Scoring contract vehicles, both from GSA (e.g. OASIS, Alliant, STARS II, and HCaTS) and other agencies (e.g. SEC OneIT) with over 50 proposal completed and many wins. We provide consultation, full proposal development, and also proposal review services at different stages of its development. So, whenever you decide to enter into a Self-Scoring federal bid, let our vast experience bring out the best of your corporate assets and professional capabilities and support you in winning your desired contract.