Peter Adam

This article provides an overview of NASA HITSS III and how to win it.  The release date for the draft RFP of NASA’s HITSS III contract — originally November 28 — is up in the air.   Like so much else in the Federal space, the HITSS III schedule has been upended by the transition in administration.

So contractors — to NASA and other Federal Government entities, civilian and military alike: Fasten your seat belts!

Reliable HITSS III sources indicate that, whenever the draft and subsequent solicitation documents hit the street, the contract’s structure and requirements will probably be little – if at all – changed from that already posted.

This follow-on to HITSS II is a HIGH VISIBILITY, HIGH IMPORTANCE contract. It’s intended to continue driving NASA’s HQ transformation by providing strategically-oriented services that go beyond those readily available via past HQ IT support contracts. This will be a competitive 8(a), 1 Year, 4 x 1 Year Option, Single Award, $145 million effort.

The HITSS III contractor will be called upon to analyze, test integrate deliver advanced systems on very short notice. Activities will be directly impacted by the complexities of NASA’s environment, the related processes, and the interrelationships of the systems and multi-faceted projects to be supported.

NASA HQ Customers are VERY technically savvy and use various platforms and operating systems including Wintel, Macintosh, and UNIX. Tasks will fall into the following categories:

  • Management and Administration
  • Information Technology and Management Support
  • Applications Development, Maintenance, Sustaining Engineering, and Systems Integration
  • System Engineering, Integration, Pathfinding and Telecommunications Services
  • NASA Headquarters IT Operations & Computer Center (NHCC) Support
  • User Services
  • Information Technology Security
  • Phase-In to the HQ Information Technology Support Services (HITSS) Contract, and
  • Special Requirements for Headquarters Offices

But in addition to the core task work (which is in support of all NASA HQ organizations), the winning contractor will frequently be called on to perform technology and management support activities in accordance with other separate IT support-related activity. And it’s expected that the ratio of core to contract work will be similar to the current distribution of about one third to two thirds.

Additionally, those wishing to be contenders should be aware, sources note, that the incumbents have done a bang up job. That said, there is concern with regard to phase-in.  This is reflected in the fact that HITSS III is a single-award bid, and the draft PWS mentions “transition” 114 times and provides nine-page section focused exclusively on contract “Transition and Stabilization.”

What the winners will need:

  1. To build a good team
  2. Price to win (PTW) study to determine winning prices
  3. Risk management processes and procedures
  4. Ensure past performance write ups are properly prepared

And finally – bidders have to show their ability to go above and beyond the most advanced standard US Government IT service requirements and transition flawlessly into IT realms up there in the stratosphere, and beyond…..into distant performance galaxies.