Deadline: 8-Mar-21
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for the Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance (JIS TTA) Program, specifically the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Technology Support Center (RTSC).
The Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance (JIS TTA) Program is intended to strengthen counterterrorism efforts, reduce violent crime, support law enforcement and prosecutors, and protect officers and other public safety personnel. It supports state, local, territorial, and tribal criminal justice agencies’ efforts to adopt effective justice information-sharing solutions by providing them with TTA services.
The purpose of this BJA JIS TTA solicitation is to solicit applications to manage the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Technology Support Center (RTSC).
The goal of JIS TTA is to continue the efficient and effective sharing of information between criminal justice agencies and their partners, which is critical to preserving public safety and ensuring the fair and expeditious administration of justice. In the current fiscal environment of reduced resources at all levels of government, the ability to share information and collaborate across organizations remains one of the most important factors to enable communities to address their most pressing criminal justice problems in cost-effective ways.
Objectives
Following are the objectives for this program:
- Leverage Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) tools BJA expects the grantee under this program to fully understand, promote, and assist in the implementation of DOJ’s Global Standards Package, which includes the Global Reference Architecture, the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), Global Federated Identity and Privilege Management, and the Global Privacy Technology Framework.
- Utilize and work in conjunction with existing programs, systems, and agencies The grantee will use and support particular implementation sites across the country—including active BJA grantees—to promote the successful completion of project deliverables utilizing Global tools and methodologies that have been proven to enable effective multijurisdictional collaboration and data sharing. This would include working in conjunction with federal agencies (FBI, DHS, etc.) and state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies.
- Capacity to support the complete RISS mission and the services provided The grantee must have the technical knowledge, skills, and experience to manage current RISSNet operations and connections, implement required enhancements as needed for the RISSNet secure infrastructure, and facilitate expansion of the variety of data sources currently provided over the network (e.g., RISSafe, RISSGang, RISSIntel, etc.). The grantee’s skill set must also include knowledge on how to maintain and enhance technical services specifically involving identity management, encrypted virtual private network (VPN) connections, and secure email systems and leverage GSP, which includes NIEM.
Funding Information
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
- Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards: $5,000,000.00
- Period of Performance Start Date: 10/1/21 12:00 AM
- Period of Performance Duration (Months): 12
- Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation: $5,000,000.00
Deliverables
Deliverables may include tasks assigned by DOJ for the purpose of ensuring adequate security controls and privacy protection mechanisms are in place for websites, in particular those within the .gov domain, and especially those that may include any personally identifiable information or involve direct communication with external users. This may include, but is not limited to, certification and accreditation, quarterly certification statements, or other artifacts requested by OJP’s Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to support the complete RISS mission and the services provided, fulfill the grant reporting requirements for BJA, and have the capability to develop comprehensive reports by aggregating information from the six RISS Centers.
The following activities and deliverables are expected, at a minimum:
- Conducting reviews, policy evaluation, and program analysis to inform RISS operational functions, improve RISS levels of service to the field, and provide a basis for strategic planning of future capabilities.
- Facilitating collaborative efforts with RISS partner organizations to support national and regional meetings and events to include scheduling and coordination of the RISS directors meetings.
- Coordinating and facilitating RISS Policy Board Group and other working group meetings, committee meetings, and project meetings as directed by the RISS directors and BJA to include assisting with agenda development, identifying meeting locations, sending meeting invitations, and other meeting management responsibilities.
- Developing RISS national reports and submitting aggregated RTSC statistics as required by the performance measures.
- Planning and collaborating with RISS Center directors to support national and regional meetings and events to include scheduling, identifying meeting locations, sending invitations to attendees, and meeting management. This would include RISS National Policy Board and information technology meetings with the RISS Center directors, technical staff, partners, and other representatives.
- Developing deliverables and publications for the RISS Program, RISS data sources, and working groups when specifically identified by RISS or BJA or when RISS is a partner in a project. This would include, but not be limited to, developing both print and electronic materials (including CDs/DVDs), document printing and distribution, online seminars (webinars), and other tools.
- Continued management of the public RISS website and maintaining, at a minimum, all online content pertaining to the RISS National Policy Board, RISS national initiatives, and other RISS-related materials and reports.
- Developing and disseminating outreach materials as directed by the RISS Center directors and BJA to the six RISS Centers and national groups upon request. These materials shall be informative about the RISS Program and/or a specific RISS project (e.g., RISSafe, RISSGang, etc.)
- Serving as the fiscal agent on behalf of the RISS Policy Board for RISS Technology with responsibility for payroll, health benefits, pension, travel for RTSC staff, purchase of hardware/software or other technology services, signing lease agreements for RISS facilities, and provision of legal services.
- Operating, maintaining, and upgrading RISSNET; supporting member connectivity and access; maintaining and enhancing the functionality, resources, and capabilities of the RISS portal and infrastructure; and providing other services as needed to further enhance RISS applications as directed by the RISS Directors Association (RDA) members and the RDA Chair.
- Collaborating with partners to coordinate national programs where RISS is a partner or participant to include the secure sharing of information with other secure but unclassified (SBU) systems. This would also include connecting additional intelligence data sources to the existing RISS nationwide federated intelligence search tool.
- Maintaining a web-based online registration process (OLR) for the purpose of creating a law enforcement Identity as a Service (IDaaS) to support law enforcement vetting options, creating electronic workflows that aid in the vetting process, and creating the capability to create accounts from the initial registration site/post-vetting process.
- Updating an event deconfliction multimedia (video) outreach training piece, as needed, so it can be distributed and posted to various locations and sites, can be leveraged for roll call purposes, and can be used for training and other educational opportunities. This would include new educational items deemed necessary.
- Continue to work in event deconfliction and to participate in efforts to further deconfliction efforts as they relate to information sharing and cybercrime. This will include a continued partnership with the three existing deconfliction systems: RISSSafe, which is operated by RISS and used by RISS member law enforcement agencies, including some High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs), fusion centers, and other entities; Case Explorer, which is operated by the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA and used by other HIDTAs and law enforcement agencies around the country; and SAF ETNET, which is also used by some HIDTAs throughout the country, and this work will include the Drug Enforcement Agency’s El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC).
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- State governments
- County governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330696