Seaport-e Introduction

Seaport-e is the Navy's vehicle of choice for the acquisition of services, including engineering, technical, financial, logistics, and program management, across the Virtual SYSCOM (NAVSEA, NAVAIR, NAVSUP, SPAWAR, ONR, and USMC), and is facilitating the Navy's migration to Performance Based Contracting. SeaPort-e is a Sea Enterprise initiative implementing the CNO's Sea Power 21 transformational objectives, and emphasizes the Navy Virtual SYSCOM's focus on implementing cost-effective and integrated business practices to better support our Navy.

How does it work?

Customers wanting to procure services through SeaPort-e will find the process very straight-forward and very similar to what they have done previously, but faster with reduced, easier to process solicitation documentation and requirements. Contracts issued through SeaPort-e are considered Task Orders (TOs), and are governed by the terms and conditions of the awarded SeaPort-e prime contract.

The customer identifies the zone in which the work is to be performed, creates a standard solicitation package, and uploads it through the SeaPort-e portal. The TO RFP is published via the portal to prime contractors qualified in the zone where the work is to be performed. Prime contractors in that zone submit their proposals through the SeaPort-e portal for evaluation. The customer evaluates the proposals, and makes an award.

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Team Member Capabilities

NikSoft is a prime contractor on Seaport-e in Zone 2, and possesses the following past performance in the addressed functional areas.

3.6 Software Engineering, Development, Programming, and Network Support

NikSoft provided core software engineering and development capabilities supporting IRS information systems modernization efforts. The capabilities provided include application of technologies applicable to work contemplated by the Navy under Seaport-e.

NikSoft has been the leading vendor on the PRIME Modernization Program infrastructure team since early 2002 and has been involved in full lifecycle design and development of the IRS Middleware Infrastructure components as a sub contractor to NGIT.

NikSoft provided the systems engineering support to design and plan the technology refresh on the infrastructure. We also provided the impact assessment of the changes to the infrastructure and for new business applications as related to technical, cost, schedule, and security impact. We supported the Program in the Security Testing and Evaluation for production release of the Middleware Infrastructure Components.

Technologies and software engineering support provided by NikSoft include:

• J2EE Infrastructure development using Rational Toolset, Websphere, Siteminder, eTrust, ORACLE, Vignette, Business Objects, SAP, PeopleSoft
• Distributed Architecture supporting the system and application architecture for multiple geographical sites for failover and load balancing
• Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Interoperability Designed, development and implementation using MIME, DIME, J2EE, .NET, for IRS e-Filing using Systinet.
• Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence - Business Objects/Crystal
• Computer programming with J2EE, .NET, C++, PowerBuilder, ORACLE, Java, JSP, ASP, WebSphere Studio toolsets
• Software application design using Unified Modeling Language and Use Case Analysis
• Large Database design and development using ERWIN data modeling tools
• Oracle database administration providing support for all the middleware integration, support installation, configuration and production
• Requirements Management, Risk Management, Version Control and Defect Tracking/Resolution using Rational Suite
• Middleware implementation using Web Methods Enterprise Service Bus, Web Methods Broker, and MQ Series

3.12 IS/IA/IT

NikSoft is responsible for supporting the IRS Employee User Portal (EUP) and the Registered User Portal (RUP) modernization management and to provide support to these applications as related to managing their changes. NikSoft also provided quality assurance for information technology project compliance to the IRS infrastructure standards and Enterprise Life Cycle (ELC) guidelines.

The EUP is the internal IRS portal that allows IRS employee users to access IRS data and systems, such as tax administration processing systems, financial information systems, and other data and applications, including mission critical applications. The RUP is the IRS external portal that allows registered individuals and third party users and other individual taxpayers or their representatives to access IRS for interaction with selected tax processing and other-sensitive systems, applications, and data. The ELC is a structured business systems development method that requires the preparation of specific work products during different phases of the development process.

NikSoft mapped ELC processes to NikSoft CMMI processes. This project was externally appraised and certified for CMMI Level 2. Our staff performed the full Quality Assurance (QA) analysis on all process areas both for CMMI and ELC including requirements management, project planning, project monitoring and control, supplier agreement management, measurement and analysis, process and product quality assurance and configuration management.

For each of the process areas, we conducted weekly QA audits to measure compliance with the defined processes and templates. Compliance reports were sent to the senior management and non compliance was tracked in the Register and proper corrective actions identified assigned and tracked to completion (or waiver granted).

Compliance measurements were specifically done for the ELC, design artifacts, requirements artifacts and configuration management. The compliance QA audit also included software standards, Design standards and use of proper defined tools and use case modeling, compliance with the version control both for the software and the document artifacts. There was a full time dedicated QA Expert assigned to conduct these audits to ensure the compliance. The activities performed are listed below:

• Requirements Management
  • Reviewed and base-lined the requirements
  • Managed requirements changes using change management process and conducted project impact assessments
  • Maintained bi-directional requirements traceability matrix

• Project Planning
  • Estimated for size, schedule, effort, and cost
  • Provided Risk management (track risks and issues and define mitigation plan)

• Project Monitoring and Control
  • Conducted Weekly Audits for process compliance
  • Delivered Reports to Senior Management (Compliance and non-compliance including the Issues Management Report)

• Measurement and Analysis
  • Identified the measurement objectives (on-time delivery, requirements coverage, cost management)
  • Conducted analysis of the measurements
  • Developed trend metrics

• Supplier Agreement Management
  • Project used GFE

• Process and Product Quality Assurance
  • Conducted weekly reviews for process compliance
  • Conducted product evaluations for compliance at appropriate milestones as defined by the ELC
  • Assigned a dedicated PPQA resource to perform QA audits
  • Generated reports to communicate findings to senior management
  • Defined corrective actions, assigned corrective actions and tracked them to closure

• Configuration Management
  • Established Configuration Control Board (CCB) for the project (had an assigned Configuration Controller)
  • Conducted Configuration Audits (both physical and functional configuration audits)

  • Used the IRS defined CM Tools to maintain the software library and all the project artifacts (Rational toolset, ClearCase)
  • Defined the branching structure to manage the version controls on the software modules and enforce compliance through Configuration Audits
  • Provided periodic Configuration Status Reports

3.20 Program Support

NikSoft provided full program management office support to the IRS Middleware Group including the participation in IPT reviews, Change Control Boards, Release Readiness Review Boards. Our role included providing daily support to IRS for change management to ensure minimum disruption of the production infrastructure. Responsible for Infrastructure change and made sure that these changes were done in full compliance with the IRS Enterprise Life Cycle (ELC) processes and all the proper documentation and approvals were obtained.

NikSoft was Responsible for Quality Assurance of the change process to ensure compliance with all the IRS required procedures. NikSoft staff successfully delivered this system and specifically excelled in the following areas:

• Development of a "Concept of Operations" document to effectively communicate in writing. Worked very closely with the business owners and communicated regularly both verbally and in writing to interact, coordinate, discuss and recommend the software development specifically in the QA areas to ensure compliance with the IRS ELC and the CMMI processes.

• CMMI level II certification and adherence to the CMMI process QA analysis and conduct of weekly audits to monitor the compliance with the software engineering life cycle (including the IRS ELC), perform RCA and participate in the process improvement activities as a result of the finding of the RCA.

• Application of IRS ELC and the CMMI processes and followed the ELC Lifecycle including the CM, requirements management, and integration and testing. These processes were audited for compliance with the lifecycle for Quality Assurance activities.

• Defined measurement objectives, such as, schedule variances, process compliance and discrepancies, and measured performance against these objectives. Collected measurements and analyzed measurement data through regular QA audits. Created baselines for measurements and used these baseline data for subsequent project planning and management.

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Quality Plan

NikSoft understands quality assurance and is a software quality assurance leader. Our Q/A practices have been tested and experience honed sharp on other large programs. The following guidelines will apply to Q/A of Seaport-e tasks:

• Established Product and Process Quality Assurance
• Prepare QA Plan for each project
• Perform Periodic Process Reviews (Requirements, Design, Development, Testing, etc.)
• Audit work product for compliance to requirements
• Conduct Release Reviews
• Identify Non-Conformities
• Perform Root Cause Analyses (RCAs)
• Implement Corrective Actions
• Track Corrective Actions to Closure
• Report to Senior Management on Trends, Compliance and Non-Conformities

To Promote Quality Awareness we have used the following techniques and tools and will leverage this experience to provide, guidance, coaching, mentoring and training to the Navy project personnel.

• Conduct Regular Internal Sessions for briefing, coaching and training for NikSoft Resources to maintain currency in changes to the ELC
• Provide Knowledge Transfer Sessions for IRS Team in Process Areas
• Maintain a Training log according to CMMI Practices
• Measure Training Effectiveness through Project Performance
• Address and Implement Corrective Actions

To Define Quality Measurements: We have in past successfully delivered Quality Measurements using following techniques and will leverage the same for this program:

• Defined Measurement Objectives based on Business Goals, standards and best practices
• Created Good Estimation Model (Key Performance Indicators)
• Collected Measurements (Schedule and Effort Deviations)
• Analyzed Measurement Data and performed Gap Analysis
• Identified Corrective Actions
• Created Baselines for Measurements and used these Baseline Data for subsequent Project Planning and Management

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Task order technical instructions

Technical instructions and task order detail will be available on this page upon award.

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Point of Contact

For information about NikSoft's capabilities or teaming inquiries, please contact:

Manesh Gupta

NikSoft Systems Corporation

1984 Isaac Newton Square West, Suite 306A

Reston, Virginia 20190

(703) 435-2260

mgupta@niksoft.com