NAVAL AVIATION SYSTEMS - NASA Wiki

need.
Purpose: The SOO expresses the basic, top-level objectives of the acquisition and is provided in the Request for
Proposal (RFP) in lieu of a government-written SOW. This approach gives Offerors the flexibility to develop cost
effective solutions with the opportunity to propose innovative alternatives
that meet those objectives. The SOO reduces the inherent instructions to Offerors regarding "how to" typically
found the SOW.
Guidance: The preferred approach is for the government to include a brief (2 to 4 page) SOO in the RFP and
request that the Offerors provide a SOW in their proposal. The SOO is included as an attachment to the RFP,
typically appended to section L. The SOO does not become part of the contract. Instructions for the contractor
prepared SOW should be included in Section L and be compatible with the Integrated Master Plan/Integrated
Master Schedule and the WBS instructions. The following steps provide the conceptual process for developing the
SOO. This is an intimate and fundamental part of the RFP development with major impacts to Section L and M.
Step 1. The IPT RFP team develops a set of objectives compatible with the overall program direction including
the following:
a. The user(s) operational requirements (ORD)
b. the programmatic direction (e.g. Acquisition Plan, Acquisition Strategy)
c. Draft technical requirements (system spec) and
d. A draft WBS and dictionary
Step 2. Once the program objectives are defined, they will need to be distilled or focused so that the SOO
addresses product oriented goals and performance oriented requirements.
Lessons Learned: The SOW/SOO developer has not always:
1) known the contract/program detailed requirements,
2) researched the applicable regulations, policies and procedures,
3) known that the SOW is not a miscellaneous catch-all document,
4) known that a SOW is a requirements document representing work needs,
5) known that technical performance requirements (specification) should
not be in the SOW,
6) known that the SOW task may result in the generation of data, and that
the task should not directly address the preparation of data,
7) known that Block 5 of the CDRL must reference the correct SOW
paragraph that describes the performance based work effort that
results in the data being developed and delivered.
Available Training Course:
- The PID Process class is available through the HRC.
- Performance Based SOW available through the HRC.
POC: John Jones, AIR-1.3.3, 301-757-9090, Bldg 441
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