Section 508 Acquisition Tools Focus Group

1
Section 508 Acquisition Tools Focus Group

• 9 May 2006

2
Introduction
3
Buy Accessible Release and Distribution Update

• 9 May 2006

4
Buy Accessible Wizard Release Status

• Release 2.1 in production since May
• EIT product micro-purchases
• Relevance, market researchsource selection
• EIT product macro-purchases
• Relevance, applicability and market research
• Support for EIT-related services
• Relevance and market research
• Section 508 considerations for specific
  EIT-related service deliverables
• http//www.buyaccessible.gov/

5
Wizard 2.1 Updates

• Name Commercial Availability Template
• Now called Market Research Worksheet
• Use of the word Detailed
• Now just Product Accessibility Information
• Agency Name as optional login field
• Supporting GSA metrics for Wizard use
• Bug fixes, spelling errors, and such
• e.g. Do you intended to acquire

6
Buy Accessible Data Center Release Status

• Release 1.1 in production since May
• Vendor provided accessibility information
• COTS EIT products
• EIT-related services
• Feedback on registered information activity
• Data Center administration user interface
• Review vendor and accessibility information
• Supports multi-value vendor status indicator
• Approved, Pending, and Denied (!)
• http//emgbaw.altarum.org/DataCenter/

7
Current Wizard Deployment

• Wizard for use by any federal agency via GSA
  hosted Internet application
• No local user data storage functionality
• Local data save via browser file save as function
• No agency data management capability
• Wizard for deployment to any federal agency as an
  Intranet application
• Agency hosted Wizard user data store
• Supports users save / pause / resume / review
  functionality
• Supports user data save / sharing mySQL or
  Oracle
• Allows agency Section 508 acquisition management
  reporting
• CA letter available to all agencies
• Centrally distributed / supported via Wizard
  Support Website

8
Future Wizard Deployment

• Wizard for use by any federal agency via GSA
  hosted Internet application
• GSA hosted Wizard user data store
• Supports users save / pause / resume / review
  functionality
• Supports user data save / sharing mySQL or
  Oracle
• Allows agency Section 508 acquisition management
  reporting

9
Benefits

• The Wizard
• is easy and efficient to use
• supports effective Section 508 compliance
• provides consistent and complete compliance
  documentation
• With Intranet configuration
• Wizard information is reusable
• aggregate management compliance reporting is
  possible
• Extensive Beta Deployment Testing
• The manual process took over a week the Wizard
  took less than 20 minutes and the Wizard
  identified other applicable provisions from the
  standard the use missed with the manual process.
• The Buy Accessible Wizard is easy to use. All I
  have to do is be able to provide my system
  requirements, and the Buy Accessible Wizard will
  provide a report of the 508 requirements that
  need to be considered when purchasing new EIT.

10
Getting Started with Intranet

• Visit the Wizard Product Support
  Websitehttp//buyaccessible.aticorp.org/index.htm
  l
• Click on Request to Download Current Version
  and complete the form
• This will generate an e-mail to Skip Crane
• Skip will contact you, walk through the
  Deployment Planning Guide with you, and send you
  the FTP download information
• Skip tracks agency implementations and
  coordinates with personnel in key roles

11
Review Previous Meeting Notes
12
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 1(Nov 17) Independent Glossary
• Status active design/development as continuous
  improvement
• Target Wizard Version 3.0 October 2006
• Issue 2 (Nov 17) Wizard local file save
• Status active design/development as continuous
  improvement
• Target Wizard Version 2.2 June 2006

13
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 1 (Jan 25) Market research usability
• Status active design/development as continuous
  improvement
• Target Wizard Version 2.2 June 2006
• Issue 3 (Jan 25) roadmap display
• Status active design/development as continuous
  improvement
• Target Wizard Version 3.0 October 2006

14
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 4 (Jan 25) in situ services
• Status closed no significant 508 differences
• Target none
• Issue 5 (Jan 25) fit with existing systems
• Status open discussion
• Need user dialogue during Needs Assessment?
• Where in the solicitation are these requirements
  reflected (or where should they be)?
• Target ?

15
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 1 (Feb 8) EIT-related services
• Status closed rename service deliverables
• EIT task performance ? EIT-related labor hours
• Custom EIT product ? Custom EIT end product
• Information content ? Information content
• Target Wizard Version 2.2 June 2006
• Issue 3a (Feb 8) Wizard user identification
• Status closed optional agency identification
• Target Wizard Version 2.1 May 2006

16
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 4 (Feb 8) Data Center promotion
• Status open discussion
• Need prominent display of number (and growth) of
  registered vendor, product, and service
  information
• Need baseline data to measure growth
• Target ?
• Issue 1 (Feb 22) Wizard promotion
• Status open discussion
• Target ?

17
Highlights from Last Meeting

• Issue 1 (April 5) in-house development
• Status open discussion
• Agency in house developers dont recognize the
  potential utility of the Buy Accessible Wizard
• Need to clarify interface for these types of
  users
• Target ?

18
Break
19
What is Buy Accessible?

• A System of Component Applications
• Acquisition Wizard
• Data Center
• Glossary
• Taxonomy
• Technical Architecture
• Known Technical Issues

20
Buy Accessible Wizard

• Web-enabled application providing Section 508
  acquisition support for agency buyers
• Users may include contracting officers as well as
  program requiring officials and micro-purchasers
• Step-by-step through Section 508 requirements
• Requirements from the law, the standard, and the
  FAR in context of a standard acquisition process
• Interacts with Data Center for market research
• Requests accessibility information about
  EIT-related companies, products, and services

21
Buy Accessible Data Center

• Web-enabled application providing accessibility
  information support for industry EIT producers
• Users include EIT product manufacturers and VARS
  as well as EIT-related service providers
• Manages references to vendor maintained data
• Users decide how specific the references will be
• Interacts with Wizard for market research
• Responds to requests for accessibility
  information about EIT-related products and
  services

22
Buy Accessible Glossary

• Not yet a single independent component
• Currently Wizard and Data Center glossaries
• Actually two sets of terms and definitions that
  are only slightly out of sync
• Working to unify and harmonize glossary content
• No current application code or API
• Simple HTML files displayed via client browser
• Working to implement as web component

23
Buy Accessible Taxonomy

• Independent, but not yet a component
• Serves as Wizard and Data Center taxonomy
• ad hoc EIT product and EIT-related service
  taxonomies crafted by our group
• Working to adopt international Standard UNSPSC
• No current application code or API
• Currently a text file loaded at compile/runtime
• Working to implement as web component

24
Beyond Needs Assessment Support for Solicitation

• 9 May 2006

25
Requiring vs. Contract Offices

• Requiring Office Responsibilities
• Identify program mission and basic need
• Identify / obtain necessary program funding
• Specify technical / performance requirements
• Determine Section 508 relevance applicability
• Technical provisions
• Performance criteria
• Documentation and support requirements
• Prioritize overall requirements / trade off
  analysis
• Pre-solicitation market research / commercial
  availability

26
Requiring vs. Contract Offices

• Requiring Office Responsibilities
• Determine how to best acquire
• In-house development, from other government
  sources, use of outside contractors,
• Specify evaluation / acceptance criteria
• Identify performance metrics, if applicable (e.g.
  performance-based contracting)
• If contracted, then forward to Contract Office

27
Requiring vs. Contract Offices

• Contracting Office Responsibilities
• Determine appropriate contract vehicle
• Credit card, purchase order, order against
  existing agreement, compete a new agreement,
• Ensure Requiring Official duties are done
• Specific Section 508 technical requirements
• Section 508 functional performance requirements
• Section 508 documentation / support requirements
• Specific Section 508 Testing and acceptance
  criteria

28
Requiring vs. Contract Offices

• Contracting Office Responsibilities
• Ensure that program specifics are incorporated
  appropriately into solicitation and contract
  documents
• Regulatory and technical requirements
• Functional performance criteria
• Evaluation and acceptance criteria

29
Requiring Office and the FAR

• In acquiring information technology, agencies
  shall identify their requirements pursuant to OMB
  Circular A-130, including consideration of
  security of resources, protection of privacy,
  national security and emergency preparedness,
  accommodations for individuals with disabilities,
  and energy efficiency.
• FAR 39.101 (b)

30
Requiring Office and the FAR

• When acquiring EIT, agencies must ensure that
• (1) Federal employees with disabilities have
  access to and use of information and data that is
  comparable to the access and use by Federal
  employees who are not individuals with
  disabilities and
• FAR 39.201 (c)

31
Requiring Office and the FAR

• When acquiring EIT, agencies must ensure that
• (2) Members of the public with disabilities
  seeking information or services from an agency
  have access to and use of information and data
  that is comparable to the access to and use of
  information and data by members of the public who
  are not individuals with disabilities.
• FAR 39.201 (c)

32
Contracting Office and the FAR

• When developing an acquisition strategy,
  contracting officers should consider the rapidly
  changing nature of information technology through
  market research (see Part 10) and the application
  of technology refreshment techniques.
• FAR 39.101 (b)

33
Requiring and Contract Offices

• Contracting and program office officials are
  jointly responsible for assessing, monitoring and
  controlling risk when selecting projects for
  investment and during program implementation.
• FAR 39.102 (a)

34
Break
35
Types of Procurements and Associated Solicitation
Documentation

• 9 May 2006

36
Types of EIT Procurements

• Which differences matter for the Section 508
  compliance process?

37
Types of EIT Procurements

• Product acquisitions
• micropurchases (lt 2500) vs. macropurchases
• What about simplified acquisitions (lt 100000)
  vs. other macro?
• government wide commercial purchase cards
• Purchase orders
• Blanket purchase agreements
• What about commercial items vs. custom?

38
Commercial Items

• Commercial item means
• (1) Any item, other than real property, that is
  of a type customarily used by the general public
  or by non-governmental entities for purposes
  other than governmental purposes, and
• (i) Has been sold, leased, or licensed to the
  general public or
• (ii) Has been offered for sale, lease, or license
  to the general public

39
Commercial Items

• (2) Any item that evolved from an item described
  in paragraph (1) of this definition through
  advances in technology or performance and that is
  not yet available in the commercial marketplace,
  but will be available in the commercial
  marketplace in time to satisfy the delivery
  requirements under a Government solicitation

40
Commercial Items

• (3) Any item that would satisfy a criterion
  expressed in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this
  definition, but for
• (i) Modifications of a type customarily available
  in the commercial marketplace or
• (ii) Minor modifications of a type not
  customarily available in the commercial
  marketplace made to meet Federal Government
  requirements.

41
Commercial Items

• (4) Any combination of items meeting the
  requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), or (5)
  of this definition that are of a type customarily
  combined and sold in combination to the general
  public

42
Commercial Items

• (5) Installation services, maintenance services,
  repair services, training services, and other
  services if
• (i) Such services are procured for support of an
  item referred to in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or
  (4) of this definition, regardless of whether
  such services are provided by the same source or
  at the same time as the item and
• (ii) The source of such services provides similar
  services contemporaneously to the general public
  under terms and conditions similar to those
  offered to the Federal Government
• (6) Services of a type offered and sold
  competitively in substantial quantities in the
  commercial marketplace based on established
  catalog or market prices for specific tasks
  performed or specific outcomes to be achieved and
  under standard commercial terms and conditions.
  This does not include services that are sold
  based on hourly rates without an established
  catalog or market price for a specific service
  performed or a specific outcome to be achieved.
  For purposes of these services

43
Commercial Items

• (5) Installation services, maintenance services,
  repair services, training services, and other
  services if
• (i) Such services are procured for support of an
  item referred to in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or
  (4) of this definition, regardless of whether
  such services are provided by the same source or
  at the same time as the item and
• (ii) The source of such services provides similar
  services contemporaneously to the general public
  under terms and conditions similar to those
  offered to the Federal Government

44
Types of EIT Procurements

• EIT-related Service acquisitions
• General Information Services
• EIT Development Services
• EIT Integration Services
• EIT Operations and Maintenance Services
• EIT Testing / Validation Services
• Training Services
• On-Site Support Services

45
Section 508 Considerations

• Custom EIT end products
• EIT development services
• EIT integration services
• EIT labor hours
• Operations and maintenance
• On-site support
• Testing and Validation
• Training
• Information content
• General Information Services
• Consulting, advice, studies, reports, training
  materials

46
Types of Procurements and Associated Solicitation
Documentation

• 5 April 2006

47
Types of EIT Procurements

• Definite Quantity, Definite Delivery, Stand
  Alone Contracts
• RFQ/RFP, Subsequent Single Award
• Preliminary RFI (optional)
• RFQ for specific EIT products
• Mandatory vs. optional Section 508 requirements?
• Accessibility vs. other program requirements?
• RFP for specific EIT services
• SOW vs. SOO?

48
Types of EIT Procurements

• Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery,
  Umbrella Contracts (pre-FASA)
• Single Award, Subsequent Delivery Orders
• Preliminary RFI (optional)
• Work Orders for specific EIT Products
• Mandatory vs. optional Section 508 requirements?
• Accessibility vs. other program requirements?
• Task Orders for specific EIT services
• SOW or SOO?

49
Types of EIT Procurements

• Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery, FASA
  Contracts (FAR 16.5)
• Multiple Award, Subsequent Work Orders
• Preliminary RFI (optional)
• Delivery Orders for specific EIT Products
• Mandatory vs. optional Section 508 requirements?
• Accessibility vs. other program requirements?
• Task Orders for specific EIT services
• SOW or SOO?

50
Types of EIT Procurements

• Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery, GSA
  Schedule Contracts (FAR 8.4, 38)
• Multiple Award, Subsequent Work Orders
• Preliminary RFI (optional)
• Delivery Orders for specific EIT Products
• Mandatory vs. optional Section 508 requirements?
• Accessibility vs. other program requirements?
• Task Orders for specific EIT services
• SOW or SOO?

51
Solicitation Documentation

• What are the standard formats for solicitation
  documents?
• Which ones are associated with which type of
  procurement?
• Where do Section 508 considerations fit in the
  solicitation documents?
• Technical Requirements
• Acceptance Testing and Evaluation
• Others?

52
Integrating Buy Accessible with the Broader
Acquisition Environment

• 5 April 2006

53
Buy Accessible Integration

• Integration with the federal acquisition
  environment
• Integration at the component level, e.g. Wizard
  with GSA Acquisition Planning Wizard (APW), Data
  Center with FAS GSAdvantage! and/or NASA SEWP
• Integration at the information level, e.g. Wizard
  user acquisition information with DoJ Survey,
  Data Center company information with IAE CCR/BPN

54
Next Steps

• 5 April 2006

55
Whats Next?

• Buy Accessible Wizard and Data Center
• New project phase, objectives, technical goals
• After market research and needs assessment, what
  now for Buy Accessible?Solicitation!
• Focus Group Meeting Schedule
• New goals additional focus group members?
• More representation from the contracting office!
• Next meeting planned for May 9, 2006

56
Thank You