[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20673-20674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8942]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-7031-NC]


Announcement of Notice; Proposed Establishment of a Federally 
Funded Research and Development Center--First Notice

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of 
Health & Human Services (DHHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces our intention to sponsor Federally 
Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate the 
modernization of business processes and supporting systems and their 
operations. This is the first of three notices which must be published 
over a 90-day period in order to advise the public of the agency's 
intention to sponsor an FFRDC issued under the authority of 48 CFR 
35.017.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before July 5, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice must be mailed to the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services, Candice Savoy, Contracting Officer, 7500 
Security Boulevard, Mailstop C2-01-10, Baltimore, MD 21244 or e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Candice Savoy, (410) 786-7494.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
(CMS), an operating division within the Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS), intends to sponsor a studies and analysis, Delivery 
System, Simulations, and Cost Modeling Federally Funded Research and 
Development Center (FFRDC) to facilitate the modernization of business 
processes and supporting systems and their operations. Some of the 
broad task areas that will be utilized include Strategic/Tactical 
Planning, Conceptual Planning, Design and Engineering, Procurement 
Assistance, Organizational Planning, Research and Development,

[[Page 20674]]

Continuous Process Improvement, IV&V/Compliance, and Security Planning. 
Further analysis will consist of expert advice and guidance in the 
areas of program and project management focused on increasing the 
effectiveness and efficiency of strategic information management, 
prototyping, demonstrations, and technical activities. This FFRDC may 
also be utilized by non-sponsors, other than CMS, within DHHS.
    The FFRDC will be established under the authority of 48 CFR 35.017.
    The Contractor will be available to provide a wide range of support 
including, but not limited to:
     Strategic/Tactical Planning, including assisting with 
planning for future CMS program policy, innovation, development, and 
support for Medicare and Medicaid.
     Conceptual Planning, including operations, analysis, 
requirements, procedures, and analytic support.
     Design and Engineering, including Technical Architecture 
Direction.
     Procurement Assistance, Review/Recommendations for Current 
Contract Processes to include, Contract Reform, Technical Guidance, 
Price and Cost Estimating, Support and Source Selection Evaluation 
Support.
     Organizational Planning, including Functional and Gap 
analysis.
     Research and Development, Assessment of New Technologies 
and advice on medical and technical innovation and health information.
     Continuous Process Improvement, ILC/current practices 
review and recommendations, implementation of best practices and code 
reviews.
     IV&V/Compliance, DUA Surveillance and Web Site Content 
Review.
     Security, including Security Assessments and Security Test 
and Evaluations (ST&E). Identify, define, and resolve problems as an 
integral part of the sponsor's management team.
     Providing independent analysis about DHHS vulnerabilities 
and the effectiveness of systems deployed to make DHHS more effective 
in providing healthcare services and implementation of new healthcare 
initiatives;
     Providing intra-departmental and inter-agency cross-
cutting, risk-informed analysis of alternative resource approaches;
     Developing and deploying analytical tools and techniques 
to evaluate system alternatives (for example, policy-operations-
technology tradeoffs, etc.), and life-cycle costs that have broad 
application across CMS;
     Developing measurable performance metrics, models, and 
simulations for determining progress in securing DHHS data or other 
authorized data sources, (non-DHHS data sources, such as the census 
data or DOL data, VA, DOD, data in developing performance metrics, and 
models);
     Providing independent and objective operational test and 
evaluation analysis support;
     Developing recommendations for guidance on the best 
practices for standards, particularly to improve the inter-operability 
of DHHS components;
     Assessing technologies and evaluating technology test-beds 
for accurate simulation of operational conditions and delivery system 
innovation models;
     Supporting critical thinking about the DHHS enterprise, 
business intelligence and analytic tools that can be applied 
consistently across DHHS and CMS programs;
     Supporting systems integration, data management, and data 
exchange that contribute to a larger DHHS intra and inter-agency 
enterprise as well as collaboration with State, local Tribal 
governments, the business sector (for-profit and not-for-profits), 
academia and the public;
     Providing recommendations for standards for top-level DHHS 
systems requirements and performance metrics best practices for an 
integrated DHHS approach to systems solutions and structured and 
unstructured data architecture; and
     Understanding key DHHS organizations and their specific 
role and major acquisition requirements and support them in the 
requirements development phase of the acquisition lifecycle.
     The FFRDC shall function so effectively as to act as an 
agent for the sponsor in the design and pursuit of mission goals.
     The FFRDC shall provide rapid responsiveness to changing 
requirements for personnel in all aspects of strategic, technical and 
program management.
     The FFRDC shall recognize Government objectives as its own 
objectives, partnering with the sponsor in pursuit of excellence in 
public service.
     The FFRDC shall allow for non-sponsor, other than CMS, 
work for operating Divisions within DHHS.
    We are publishing this notice in accordance with 48 CFR 5.205(b) of 
the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), to enable interested members 
of the public to provide comments on this proposed action. This is the 
first of three notices issued under the authority of 48 CFR 5.205(b).
    The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be posted on FedBizOpps in the 
Summer of 2011. Alternatively, a copy can be received by contacting the 
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

    Dated: April 7, 2011.
Donald M. Berwick,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-8942 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P