Contract Award Date: Sep 20, 2024
Contractor Awarded Name: MAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT (MSA), INCORPORATED
Contractor Awarded Address: El Paso, TX 79935 USA
Contract Award Number: W911QX24C0022
Contractor Awarded Unique Entity ID: HJWTVNBGPBV6
Base and All Options Value (Total Contract Value): $4,470,416.68
Human Systems Integration (HSI) Services for U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), DEVCOM Analysis Center (DAC), Human Systems Integration Division (HSID).
Original Set Aside: SBA Certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program Sole Source
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), DEVCOM Analysis Center (DAC), Human Systems Integration Division (HSID) requests a follow-on one (1) base year plus a one (1) year option, Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contract with a women-owned small business (WOSB). DAC HSID requests a sole source award with Man-Machine Systems Assessment (MSA), Incorporated located at 11001 Gary Player DR, El Paso, TX 79935-3911. The Government projects award for September 2024 and Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/2024 and FY 2024/2025 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used.
The DAC requires Human Systems Integration (HSI) assessment, research, and analysis services to support Army System Acquisition and research. These services will provide general HSI support to the DAC HSID mission, which includes conducting HSI assessments, evaluations, and research for Army programs.
The requirements for this effort include:
• Active Top Secret/SCI Facility Clearance
• HSI assessments and evaluations
• Research in HSI
• Test planning and execution
• System analysis
• Representation of HSI at various meetings
• Database support and modeling
The outputs of these services will include technical reports and documentation that support the DAC’s assessment, analysis, and research mission. The focus will be on HSI in relation to Army modernization programs. The DAC HSID mission uniquely involves Soldier touchpoints throughout the system lifecycle, from pre-system demonstration stages through to acquisition and field deployment.
The planning components discussed in this section refer to:
• Analysis planning
• Applied research planning and objectives
• Assessment design and execution planning for all phases of HSI throughout the system lifecycle.
This comprehensive approach ensures that HSI considerations are integrated into Army systems from early development stages through to operational deployment.
The HSI Analysis Domain encompasses responsibilities for analysis, system development enhancement, experimentation, and applied research. These efforts focus on developing materiel and non-materiel solutions to optimize human system performance, reduce Soldier injury and life cycle costs, and maximize Force Readiness.
The DAC provides HSI analysis, development, assessment, and test support to Program Executive Offices (PEOs), the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), and the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). In collaboration with these offices, the DAC ensures timely support for Army modernization initiatives, with a focus on, but not limited to, the following areas:
• Long-range precision fires
• Next-generation combat vehicles
• Future vertical lift platforms
• Mobile & expeditionary Army networks
• Air and Missile Defense (AMD) capabilities
• Soldier lethality
Key areas of HSI assessment include manpower, personnel, training, human factors, safety, cognitive readiness, situational awareness, anthropometrics, and workload. This initiative requires a systems approach to examine usability, functionality, and Soldier performance from both operator and staff perspectives. The HSI assessments, analyses, and research will employ both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide comprehensive support.
MSA, Inc. has the capability to meet the Government’s requirement for this contract because it has the unique experience working with the DAC HSI research, assessment and analysis on Army systems, specifically the complex, highly automated Air and Missile (AMD) Systems command and control capabilities. Their in-depth technical specific system knowledge of the systems, knowledge of the HSI theory and principles, along with knowledge of Soldier capabilities and limitations, allows for the assessment, evaluation and analysis of the next generation of Army systems. MSA, Inc. has the capability to meet the Government’s requirement for this contract because it possesses the experience and knowledge of HSI theory, system technical knowledge and Soldier capabilities, and limitations integrated. They also have the necessary organizational structure, experience, accounting and operational controls, technical skills and necessary equipment or the ability to obtain them. MSA, Inc. specifically has:
1. Experience in assessing manpower, personnel, training, human factors, safety, cognitive readiness, situational awareness, anthropometric and workload for key HSI assessment, research, analysis and evaluation areas.
2. Knowledge of Army Evaluation Center (AEC) and Operational Test Command’s ((ATEC) (OTC)) suitability T&E process, regulations, data collection, survey development, data storage, briefing and reporting procedures, and processes.
3. Knowledge and experience in HSI assessments of missile defense, aviation, Army’s Enterprise Research Planning, Ground Combat vehicles, and the Army set of C4ISR Systems.
4. Experience with Integrated AMD from the HSI perspective.
5. Expertise in Access databases, Statistical Analysis System (SAS), Structured Query Language (SQL), Python and Microsoft office products and how they integrate.
6. Knowledge and experience with Army HSI regulations and procedures.
7. Experience working with Director, Operation Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) and meeting their requirements from an HSI perspective.
8. Experienced with planning and executing HSI research for future Army modernization.
Moreover, MSA, Inc. has the capability to meet the Government’s requirement for this contract because it possesses more than a decade of experience supporting HSI for
program mangers (PMs), RCCTO, DOT&E, and ATEC and has successfully performed similar work as the prime contractor under contract REDACTED. MSA, Inc. has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics taking into consideration all existing governmental business commitments and based upon work accomplished under REDACTED. There is no indication that MSA, Inc. will not be able to comply with the required performance schedule.
MSA has the HSI expertise, along with the theoretical knowledge to support HSI assessments, research and evaluations. If the proposed requirement is not fulfilled by MSA, Inc., DAC HSI support to PEOs, RCCTO, DOT&E and ATEC will be severely hindered and DAC will not be equipped to continue supporting Army Regulation (AR) 602-2 – “Human Systems Integration in the System Acquisition Process” and the role of the human in the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process. This could result in fielding systems that are ineffective or unsafe for use by Government personnel. In 2023, the DAC HSI Division provided developmental input to 12 of the 13 PEOs, participated in over 408 Soldier Touch Points, 12 HSI assessments and evaluations on numerous programs and numerous research initiatives. To continue to support all these programs which was over 180 systems, surge personnel with HSI expertise are required. Contracting with MSA, Inc. who is an experienced and qualified provider of these services will ensure continued success for these programs.
HSI assessments, development suggestions, analysis and evaluations provide mitigations, benefits and improvements to Army Systems that make them usable, safe and trainable. Examples of potential issues that may not be mitigated if HSI input is not provided include 1. Soldier system interface designs that mitigate fratricide. 2. Soldier system interface designs that improve system performance; and 3. Safety issues.
Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Government to sole source to MSA, Inc. for the required HSI field evaluation services.
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