2024-0191 SME Support to AGS and NAEW (NS) - WED 23 Oct

Deadline Date: Wednesday 23 October 2024

Requirement: SME Support to AGS and NAEW

Location: Off-Site

Note: Please refer to your Subcontract Agreement, article 6.4.1.a, which states “Off-Site Discount: 5% (this discount is applicable to all requirements, and applies when the assigned personnel are permitted to work Off-Site, such as at- home)". Please be sure to price this discount in your overall price proposal when submitting bids against off-site RFQs

Period of Performance: BASE 2025: 01 JAN 2025 – 31 DEC 2025, with the possibility to exercise following options:

2026 option: 01/01/2026 – 31/12/2026

2027 option: 01/01/2027 – 31/12/2027

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

 

1 INTRODUCTION

The Joint ISR Service Centre – Operations Support Services Branch, support operation to the NATO Airborne Early Warning (NAEW) programme, Final Lifetime Extension Programme (FLEP) as well as Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme.

The NATO E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) is currently undergoing a major system modification to extend its life through the 2035 timeframe. The FLEP upgrades NE-3A hardware, software, mission communications systems and Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and provides new ground systems to extend the NE-3A’s relevancy through 2035.

Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) is a NATO ground surveillance system, with capabilities to support organic and federated NATO Joint Intelligence data collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination. The AGS system consists of a High Altitude Long Endurance Global Hawk Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) with fixed ground segment entities at the Main Operating Base (MOB), deployable UAV launch-recovery entities and mobile/deployable ISR- mission focused entities.

NCI Agency is required to provide continued support to these operational programs through the provision of technical expertise to ensure the effective delivery of services in the operations support area of the above mentioned programs.

2 SCOPE OF WORK

Under the direction of the OSSB Branch Head, the following services are expected to be delivered under this SOW:

NAEW: Subject Matter Expert (SME) support in the area of NATO Airborne Early Warning (NAEW) operations. Specific experience is required in Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2), Tactical Command and Control (TAC-C2), the development of Mission Threads covering NAEW operations, NAEW cyberspace defence, and NAEW-AGS interoperability. The compliant candidate is expected to develop and deliver Mission Thread flows, operational cyber security Mission Defence Team processes, and assessments of NAEW-AGS interoperability capabilities for the NAEW&C Force mission employment activity. These will be in a form derived from MS office tools such as Power Point presentations, Excel and Word documents.

AGS: Subject Matter Expert (SME) support in the area of AGS operations. Specific experience is required in the areas of AGS Training Centre support in the area of Training Gap Analysis, AGS Surveillance and Sensor Operator expertise, AGS Training Centre Policy documentation and processes, AGS interoperability and the development of AGS Mission Threads. The compliant candidate will be expected to conduct assessments of AGS training programs, develop reports and documentation addressing training processes, research and create AGS Mission Thread flows based on NATO mission employment. These will be in a form derived from MS office tools such as Power Point presentations, Excel and Word documents.

The scope will expand at times to include evaluation and reporting of NAEW mission crew & NATO AGS operator effectiveness based on the application of Mission Thread and Mission Defence Team outcomes.

The services requires off-site support to provide assessments, reports, and support to meetings (remote or in person) in the requested areas. The service will be provided during normal office hours as well as outside office hours and on weekends as part of an on-call schedule, if needed.

It is expected that ONE resource is to be providing the services under this SOW.

The Contractor will be part of a team (project manager, technical lead, system administrators, etc.) and will provide services using an Agile and iterative approach using multiple sprints. Each sprint is planned for a duration of 4 weeks. The content and scope of each sprint will be agreed with the project manager and the technical lead during the sprint-planning meeting, in writing.

3 DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT MILESTONES

The following deliverables are expected from the work on this statement of work:

1) Develop and deliver Mission Thread flows and operational cyber security Mission Defence Team processes for the NAEW&C Force mission employment activity as well as assessments of NAEW-AGS interoperability capabilities. These will be in a form derived from MS office tools such as Power Point presentations, Excel and Word documents

2) Assessments of AGS training programs, develop reports and documentation addressing training processes, research and create AGS Mission Thread flows based on NATO mission employment. These will be in a form derived from MS office tools such as Power Point presentations, Excel and Word documents.

3) Reports and presentations explaining the use of Mission Threads, Support to Battle Management C2 & Cyber Defense, operations training & employment for AGS, and AGS and NE-3A interoperability

Payment is upon successful acceptance following the delivery of the sprint report documented in Annex A – Delivery Acceptance Sheet including the EBA Receipt number. The NCIA team reserves the possibility to exercise a number of options, based on the same scrum deliverable timeframe and cost, at a later time, depending on the project priorities and requirements. Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (Annex A) signed by the Contractor and project authority.

Deliverable 01:  Sprints (BASE FY2025)

Estimated quantity (sprints): 3

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of every each (1) sprints completion

Deliverable 02:  Sprints (OPTION FY2025)

Estimated quantity (sprints): 7

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of every each (1) sprints completion

Deliverable 03:  Sprints (OPTION FY2026)

Estimated quantity (sprints): 10

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of every each (1) sprints completion

Deliverable 04:  Sprints (OPTION FY2027)

Estimated quantity (sprints): 10

Payment Milestones: Upon completion of every each (1) sprints completion

4 COORDINATION AND REPORTING

The Contractor shall provide services off-site.

The Contractor shall participate in daily status update meetings and other meetings, in person via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities, according to service delivery manager’s instructions.

For each sprint to be considered as complete and payable, the contractor must report the outcome of his/her work during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective meeting and then in writing within three (3) days after the sprint’s end date. A brief report shall be sent to the Project Manager mentioning briefly the work held and the development achievements during the sprint, and planned activities for the next sprint.

5 SCHEDULE

This task order will be active immediately after signing of the contract by both parties.

The BASE period of performance is 01 Jan 2025 to 31 December 2025.

If a follow-on optional year is exercised the period of performance of from 1st January through 31 December of that specific year.

6 SECURITY

The security classification of the work will be up to NATO SECRET.

7 CONSTRAINTS

All the documentation provided under this statement of work will be based on NCI Agency templates and/or agreed with the NCIA service delivery point of contact.

All support, maintenance, documentation and required code will be stored under configuration management and/or in the provided NCI Agency tools.

8 PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The contractor is expected to provide services off site.

There may be required to travel to sites within NATO for completing these tasks. Travel costs are out of scope and will be borne by the NCI Agency separately in accordance to the provisions of the AAS+ Framework Contract.

ONE contractor must deliver services under this SOW.

NCIA furnished equipment: REACH laptop (NR AIS) with external voice call capability and access to NCI Agency’s internal portals.

9 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

[See Requirements]

10 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

[See Requirements]

Requirements

9 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

This post requires an individual who:

• Has extensive experience in both AGS and NAEW systems engineering, as well as a thorough understanding of NAEW and AGS Operations.
• Can demonstrate detailed experience in the development of AGS Architecture, AGS Training Gap Analysis, NAEW and AGS Mission Threads and AGS Training Centre processes.
• Has specific experience in the development of concepts, processes and procedures for mission assurance of an NE-3A to ensure effective cyber defence of NAEW missions.
• Has extensive experience in the application of wider NATO command and control and ISR processes and procedures from the Joint Force Air Command (JFAC) level down.
• Has a general working knowledge and experience in networks, infrastructure and wide area interconnections, combined with specific knowledge and experience of NATO AGS Automated Integration Systems (AIS) integration requirements
• Has detailed knowledge and experience of NATO JISR capabilities (e.g. AGS Programme, NAEW and FLEP Programmes);
• Can demonstrate knowledge of current NATO Information Systems Security processes, models and compliance

Additionally, the post requires an individual who:

• Holds a valid security clearance at NATO Secret level.
• Has significant NATO and/or military experience;
• Can demonstrate knowledge and experience of NATO responsibilities and organization;
• Can demonstrate knowledge and experience of NATO intelligence processes;
• Has previous experience at a senior level in large-scale procurement.

Finally, the individual must also be able to demonstrate:

• Their ability to work remotely with minimal supervision to a very high standard.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
• High motivation and the ability to integrate into successful teams.

10 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The following qualifications are required:

• Educated to Master’s Degree level.
• Holds a nationally recognized/certified Bachelor Degree in a science-based subject, including mathematics.
• Holds a nationally recognized/certified training qualification