How GDI Consulting Can Help You Win the Installation Status Report Support Services Contract

Introduction

The Installation Status Report (ISR) Program is a vital tool for the Department of the Army to assess the readiness and sustainability of its installations worldwide. The ISR Program collects, analyzes, and reports data on the quality and quantity of installation services, infrastructure, and mission capacity. The ISR Program supports the Army’s strategic goals of readiness, modernization, reform, and people.

The Army is seeking a contractor to provide ISR support services for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (ACSIM) located in Washington, D.C. The contractor will be responsible for conducting ISR inspections, collecting and validating ISR data, developing and maintaining ISR tools and databases, providing ISR training and guidance, and preparing ISR reports and briefings.

The solicitation number for this contract is W9124J23RISRR and the estimated value is $25 million. The duration of the term is one year base plus four one-year options. The contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of 2024.

This article will provide an overview of the historical background of the ISR Program, the RFP description, who should participate, and the challenges that potential bidders may face. It will also highlight how GDI Consulting, a leading provider of capture and proposal services for government contractors, can help you win this contract.

Historical Background

The ISR Program was established in 1999 as a response to the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, which required the Department of Defense (DOD) to report on base readiness to provide insight into the ability of military bases worldwide to support readiness. The ISR Program was also aligned with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, which mandated federal agencies to measure and report on their performance and outcomes.

The ISR Program consists of three components: ISR-Services, ISR-Infrastructure, and ISR-Mission Capacity. ISR-Services measures the quality and quantity of installation services against federal, DOD, or Army standards. These services include utilities, transportation, environmental, security, morale, welfare and recreation, family housing, medical, education, child care, and others. ISR-Infrastructure measures the condition and capacity of installation facilities and infrastructure against DOD Facility Condition Assessment standards. These facilities include barracks, administrative buildings, warehouses, maintenance shops, ranges, airfields, roads, bridges, railroads, water systems, power systems, and others. ISR-Mission Capacity measures the ability of installations to support current and projected missions against Army standards. These missions include training, mobilization, deployment, sustainment, reconstitution, force protection, force projection platform, power projection platform, contingency operations base, and others.

The ISR Program has undergone several changes over the years to improve its accuracy, reliability, and usability. Some of these changes include:

• Updating the ISR-Services standards and metrics in 2003 to reflect customer satisfaction surveys and performance-based contracts.
• Developing a web-based ISR data collection tool (ISR-Web) in 2004 to streamline the data entry and validation process.
• Implementing a new ISR-Infrastructure inspection methodology (ISR-I) in 2006 to standardize the facility condition assessment process across the Army.
• Revising the Army Regulation 210-14 (Installation Status Report Program) in 2019 to reflect the latest policy, responsibilities, and guidance for the ISR Program.
• Changing the ISR-Natural Infrastructure component to ISR-Mission Capacity in 2019 to better capture the impact of natural resources on mission readiness.

The Army has issued several requests for proposals (RFPs) for ISR support services in the past. Some of these RFPs include:

• W9124J15R0022: Installation Status Report (ISR) Support Services issued in 2015 by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Sam Houston. The contract was awarded to Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. for $49 million.
• W9124J18RISR1: Installation Status Report Support Services issued in 2018 by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Sam Houston. The contract was awarded to Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. for $49 million.
• W9124J23RISRR: Installation Status Report Support Services (ISR) issued in 2023 by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Sam Houston. The contract is currently open for bidding.

RFP Description

The RFP for W9124J23RISRR was released on September 15, 2023 on the beta.SAM.gov website. The RFP states that the Army requires a contractor to provide ISR support services for the ACSIM located in Washington, D.C. The contractor will perform the following tasks:

• Conduct ISR inspections at Army installations worldwide using the ISR-I methodology and the ISR-Web tool.
• Collect and validate ISR data from various sources, such as installation management information systems, customer satisfaction surveys, performance reports, and others.
• Develop and maintain ISR tools and databases, such as the ISR-Web, the ISR Dashboard, the ISR Data Warehouse, and others.
• Provide ISR training and guidance to Army personnel, such as installation commanders, garrison managers, facility engineers, inspectors, data collectors, and others.
• Prepare ISR reports and briefings for various audiences, such as the ACSIM, the Army Staff, the DOD, the Congress, and others.

The RFP specifies that the contractor must have the following qualifications:

• Experience in providing ISR support services to the Army or other DOD components.
• Knowledge of the ISR Program policies, procedures, standards, metrics, tools, and databases.
• Ability to conduct ISR inspections using the ISR-I methodology and the ISR-Web tool.
• Ability to collect and validate ISR data from various sources.
• Ability to develop and maintain ISR tools and databases.
• Ability to provide ISR training and guidance to Army personnel.
• Ability to prepare ISR reports and briefings for various audiences.

The RFP also states that the contractor must comply with the following requirements:

• Obtain a Secret security clearance for key personnel.
• Adhere to the Performance Work Statement (PWS), the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), and the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS).
• Submit monthly invoices and progress reports.
• Participate in monthly performance review meetings.

The RFP indicates that the contract type is a firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract with a one-year base period and four one-year option periods. The estimated value of the contract is $25 million. The RFP provides a detailed breakdown of the contract line item numbers (CLINs) and their corresponding prices. The RFP also provides a sample contract for reference.

The RFP requires that interested offerors submit their proposals by October 15, 2023. The proposals must consist of two volumes: Volume I – Technical Proposal and Volume II – Price Proposal. The proposals must follow the instructions, format, and evaluation criteria provided in the RFP. The proposals must be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer.

The RFP states that the Army will evaluate the proposals using a best value tradeoff approach. The evaluation factors are Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price. The Technical Capability factor is significantly more important than the Past Performance factor, and both factors are significantly more important than the Price factor. The Army will award the contract to the offeror whose proposal represents the best value to the government, considering all evaluation factors.

Who Should Participate

The RFP for W9124J23RISRR presents a great opportunity for government contractors who have experience and expertise in providing ISR support services to the Army or other DOD components. The potential bidders should have a strong track record of delivering high-quality ISR services that meet or exceed the customer’s expectations. The potential bidders should also have a deep understanding of the ISR Program policies, procedures, standards, metrics, tools, and databases.

One of the potential bidders who meets these criteria is GDI Consulting (GDIC), a leading provider of capture and proposal services for government contractors. GDIC has over 12 years of experience in helping clients win federal contracts worth over $60 billion across various agencies and industries. GDIC has a team of highly qualified professionals who have extensive knowledge and experience in providing ISR support services to the Army. GDIC has successfully helped clients win previous ISR contracts, such as W9124J15R0022 and W9124J18RISR1.

GDIC can help you win this contract by providing you with comprehensive capture and proposal services that include:

• Market research and analysis
• Opportunity sourcing and qualification
• Competitor analysis and price-to-win
• Bid-no-bid decision support
• Capture planning and strategy development
• Proposal development and writing
• Proposal review and quality assurance
• Proposal submission and post-submission support

GDIC can also help you with other aspects of government contracting management, such as:

• Contract administration and compliance
• Contract performance monitoring and reporting
• Contract modification and change management
• Contract closeout and audit support

Challenges

The RFP for W9124J23RISRR poses several challenges for potential bidders who want to win this contract. Some of these challenges are:

• The competition is likely to be high, as there are several established vendors who have experience and expertise in providing ISR support services to the Army or other DOD components. For example, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. has won the previous two ISR contracts, W9124J15R0022 and W9124J18RISR1. Other competitors may include Barbaricum, iGov, NexTech Solutions, and others who have participated in similar ISR programs.
• The technical requirements are complex and demanding, as the contractor must be able to conduct ISR inspections, collect and validate ISR data, develop and maintain ISR tools and databases, provide ISR training and guidance, and prepare ISR reports and briefings for various audiences. The contractor must also have knowledge of the ISR Program policies, procedures, standards, metrics, tools, and databases. The contractor must demonstrate their technical capability by providing relevant past performance examples and references.
• The price factor is important, as the contract type is a firm-fixed-price contract with a one-year base period and four one-year option periods. The estimated value of the contract is $25 million. The contractor must provide a realistic and reasonable price proposal that reflects their understanding of the scope of work and the level of effort required. The contractor must also consider the price-to-win strategy and the competitor analysis to offer a competitive price that represents the best value to the government.
• The proposal development process is challenging, as the contractor must submit their proposal by October 15, 2023. The proposal must consist of two volumes: Volume I – Technical Proposal and Volume II – Price Proposal. The proposal must follow the instructions, format, and evaluation criteria provided in the RFP. The proposal must be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer. The contractor must ensure that their proposal is clear, concise, compliant, and compelling.

Conclusion

The RFP for W9124J23RISRR is a great opportunity for government contractors who have experience and expertise in providing ISR support services to the Army or other DOD components. However, the RFP also poses several challenges that require skill and dedication to overcome. To win this contract, the potential bidders need to have a strong capture and proposal strategy that addresses the technical capability, past performance, and price factors. They also need to have a reliable partner who can help them with the capture and proposal process.

GDI Consulting is such a partner who can help you win this contract. GDIC has over 12 years of experience in helping clients win federal contracts worth over $60 billion across various agencies and industries. GDIC has a team of highly qualified professionals who have extensive knowledge and experience in providing ISR support services to the Army. GDIC has successfully helped clients win previous ISR contracts, such as W9124J15R0022 and W9124J18RISR1.

If you are interested in partnering with GDIC to win this contract, please contact us today at www.gdicwins.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.