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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army Army Science Board Request for Information - "An Independent Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Effectiveness in Delivering the Nation... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army Army Science Board Request for Information - "An Independent Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Effectiveness in Delivering the Nation's Civil Works Program" AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. ACTION: Request for information regarding support to an Army Science Board study entitled "An Independent Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Effectiveness in Delivering the Nation's Civil Works Program" SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Sunshine in Government Act of 1976 (U.S.C. 552b, as amended) and 41 Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR 102-3.140 through 160) the Department of the Army requests industry information on products, science and technology (S&T) research, operational concepts, and mission support innovations to support battlefield uses of artificial intelligence concepts. No funds are available for any proposal or information submission and submitting information does not bind the Army for any future contracts/grants resulting from this request for information: (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: market research. The Army Science Board is requesting information from organizations external to the Army that will help the board complete its analysis and ensure that all viable sources of information are explored. Based on information submitted in response to this request, the Army Science Board may subsequently conduct additional market research. To supplement the information developed in previous studies and otherwise available to the Board, organizations are invited to submit information on products or technologies to support battlefield uses of artificial intelligence. The Army Science Board is conducting a 2019 study entitled "An Independent Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Effectiveness in Delivering the Nation's Civil Works Program". The Terms of Reference for this study (TOR) is attached. Among the objectives of this study are to: 1. Assess USACE's effectiveness in delivering civil works studies and projects on time and within budget, as well as primary internal and external factors affecting delivery of USACE studies and projects. 2. Assess the effectiveness of the regulatory permit decision-making process for non-USACE projects, including overall program performance trends, as well as primary internal and external factors resulting in substantive delays. 3. Review previous studies by federal government/legislative agencies on USAGE effectiveness to determine what recommendations have had value and to determine if any progress has been made as a consequence of implementing such recommendations, as well as the value of implementing recommendations not yet implemented. ADDRESSES: Written responses are to be submitted to the: Army Science Board, ATTN: Designated Federal Officer, 2530 Crystal Drive, Suite 7098, Arlington, VA 22202. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Heather J. Gerard at 703.545.8652 or via heather.j.gerard.civ@mail.mil. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. The Terms of Reference (ToR) provided by the Office of the Secretary of the Army directs the Army Science Board (ASB) to undertake a 2019 study on "An Independent Assessment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Effectiveness in Delivering the Nation's Civil Works Program". In recent years, USACE has experienced increasing schedule delays and cost overruns in executing the delivery of civil works projects resulting in a significant backlog of authorized but unconstructed flood damage reduction, navigation, and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects. In addition, regulatory permitting processes have been criticized for the length of time it takes applicants to obtain a Department of the Army permit for non-USACE projects, unnecessarily delaying the delivery of important infrastructure projects. Submission Instructions and Format: To respond to this request for information, interested parties should submit their packages by July 1, 2019 by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Submissions should address the following specific questions in their response: 1. What do you consider to be among the USACE CW functions to those most in need of adjustment or change? Why? 2. What are the most significant technical or operational challenges to the USACE CW in accomplishing their missions for national waterways, Dams, Locks, Levees, Flood control, Harbors, and costal erosion? 3. What are the most significant DoD/Army policy or regulatory barriers for the accomplishing USACE CW functions? 4. What civil works related work is being conducted at your institution that would be applicable to the USACE CW functions? 5. Are there any DoD/Army R&D or acquisition policies that prevent you from working openly and on a mutually beneficial relationship with the USACE CW? 6. What if any, impediments are there to using WIFTA or similar funding mechanisms? 7. What improvements could be made in the permitting process, land acquisition, or the partnership process 8. Has your organization done studies that you believe we should be aware of and can you provide a copy? Any responses received that are marked "Proprietary" or include any usage restrictions will NOT BE REVIEWED by ASB. Submissions require both a CD and a hard copy of the response. The size of the CD submission will be limited to 20 MB. The hard copy format specifications include 12 point font, single-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 by 11 inches paper, with a 1 inch margin. There is an eight page limit to your submission. All Proposers should review the NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY PROGRAM OPERATING MANUAL, (NISPOM), dated February 28, 2006, as it provides the baseline standards for the protection of classified information and prescribes the requirements concerning Contractor Development information under paragraph 4-105. Defense Security Service (DSS) Site for the NISPOM is: http://www.dss.mil/isp/fac_clear/download_nispom.html. Only unclassified white papers/CDs must be mailed to the POC listed (see ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). A listing of respondents and whether or not their submission was utilized will be made available for public inspection upon request.