SOUTIEN EN FACTEUR HUMAIN

Trade Agreement: Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
Tendering Procedures: The bidder must supply Canadian goods and/or services
Competitive Procurement Strategy:
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements:

1. Title

HUMAN FACTORS SUPPORT TO THE SOLDIER S&T PROGRAMME STUDIES (2016-2019) ON AN AS-AND-WHEN NEEDED BASIS

2. Background

DRDC’s Soldier S&T Programme was designed to address the Canadian Army’s objective for improved soldier effectivenes. Two projects comprise the Soldier System S&T Programme: the Future Small Arms Research (FSAR) project, and the Soldier Systems Effectiveness (SoSE) project. Their outputs aim to enhance soldier precision weapons effects, increase soldier protection, enhance mobility, self-sufficiency and resilience while reducing the physical and cognitive burden placed on the soldier. Both projects will support the modernization of the Canadian Soldier System by delivering empirically validated science-based requirements, reliable test methodologies and metrics to inform future acquisition of soldier system components. Because soldier system equipment effectiveness is so dependent upon the soldier and the integration of that equipment with the soldier, a significant component of the research conducted under the Soldier S&T programme is in the area of Human Factors (HF). Contracted support is required to augment capability and capacity within Defence R&D Canada (DRDC).

The following comprise the major areas of HF investigation:

a. System-level Human Factors including: development of mission scenarios, use cases, conduct of task analyses, and surveys of experienced users with operational experience, base-lining the performance of soldiers using the current in-service soldier system, as well as over-arching system-level HF activities such as capture of lessons learned in other project activities, developing, implementing and populating the Canadian soldier systems architecture, and development of sub-system and system level user and HF requirements for future soldier systems;

b. The effect of the human on accuracy - aiming to understand and model the factors that influence soldier-weapon system accuracy, to determine the error budget associated with weapon firing and to determine the contributions of a range of factors (e.g., experience/training, target characteristics, calibre/recoil, sighting system, trigger manipulation, weapon weight/balance, points of weapon support, firing position, the range ofhuman states including anxiety, stress, breathing, fatigue, etc) and the effects of physical ergonomics in weapon design. This work will also measure, model and mitigate the psychophysiological and performance effects of weapon recoil and muzzle movement;

c. Optimizing the effectiveness of weapon-mounted sighting and engagement aids (e.g., sights, sensors, illumination, aiming, and engagement aids) - investigating design concepts and validating design requirements for future weapon-mounted systems sights. These might include: optical or digital sight design and functionality, the type and means of displaying information in the sight, the performance implications and characteristics of off-set designs, the use of sight imagery off the weapon to enhance target detection and engagement and shooter survivability, the utility and usability of automated or assisted target detection/ recognition/ cueing, and the functionality and design of a Fire Control System;

d. Embedded Training - exploring theutility and usability of embedding training capability into the operational weapon. This work will encompass requirements for skill acquisition and retention taking into account future capabilities (e.g., advanced visual sensors, situation awareness system, targeting assistance, shared targeting information, and radical improvements in system accuracy. Insert background if applicable; and

e. Understanding and mitigation of soldier burden (physical and cognitive) - through the study of current soldiersystem (users, tasks, equipment, environment), and the identification and study of strategies to enhance performance and survivability.

The aim of this contract is to support DRDC in the planning, conduct and reporting on the following studies and activities including but not limited to the following :

a. Grenade-Launcher Study: a field-based study which will characterize in-service baseline grenade-launcher firing performance as well as determine the performance associated with state-of-the-artalternative grenade launcher and fire control systems;

b. Weapon Design Studies: field- and lab-based studies to compare the performance, biomechanics, and usability of various physical weapon designs (e.g., varied weapon weight and balance, variedweapon lengths, bull-pup versus conventional designs, use of weapon supports), across a range of operational tasks, including shooting, mobility, fire and movement, and weapon handling tasks;

c. Weapon Sighting Systems Studies: field-based studies to characterize the contributions of alternative weapon optical sighting system designs and characteristics to shooting performance, usability, vulnerability and operational effectiveness;

d. Validation of the utility of the recently developed CanadianSoldier System Architecture framework, for applicability to small arms stakeholders within DRDC and DND, and modification of the framework if required. This work involves populating the framework with data pertaining to the current fleet of small arms,creating linkages/relationships with other items of equipment, users, missions and task components of the architecture so that DND and DRDC stakeholders can apply to ongoing weapon-related activities;

e. Soldier Burden Studies: lab- and field-based studiesconducted to understand and mitigate soldier burden including user surveys, baseline studies, studies of alternative equipment designs, and studies to analyze the trade-offs between soldier protection, mobility and vulnerability to enemy action; and

f. Continued refinement and population of a statement of operational requirements database, a tool for capturing and tracking FSAR lessons learned and empirically-validated Human Factors and performance requirements pertinent to future small armsupgrades or replacement.

3. Additional Information

The organization for which the services are to be rendered is Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier (DRDC - Valcartier).

The period of the Contract is from date of Contract to March 31st, 2019, inclusive.

The work will be carried out entirely on an "as and when requested basis" using a Task Authorization (TA).

A contract with Task Authorizations (TAs) is a method of supply for services under which all of the work or a portion of the work will be performed on an "as and when requested basis". Under contracts with TAs, the work to be carried out can be defined but the exact nature and timeframes of the required services, activities and deliverables will only be known as and whenthe service(s) will be required during the period of the contract. A TA is a structured administrative tool enabling the Crown to authorize work by a contractor on an "as and when requested" basis in accordance with the conditions of the contract.TAs are not individual contracts.

The estimated amount of available funding for this Contract is $1,700,000.00$, Applicable Taxes extra.

In accordance with clause ?Minimum Work Guarantee - All the Work - Task Authorizations? of the Contract, Canada's obligation under the Contract is limited to 10% of the estimated amount of available funding specified above

Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier has determined that any intellectual property rights arising from the performance ofthe Work under the resulting contract will belong to Canada.

There is a security requirement associated with this requirement. For additional information, consult Part 6 - Security, Financial and Other Requirements, and Part 7 - Resulting Contract Clauses.Bidders should consult the "Security Requirements for PWGSC Bid Solicitations - Instructions for Bidders (http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/lc-pl/lc-pl-eng.…) document on the Departmental Standard Procurement Documents website.?

Bidders must provide a list of names, or other related information as needed, pursuant to section 01 of Standard Instructions 2003

For services requirements, Bidders in receipt of a pension or a lump sum payment must provide the required information as detailedin article 3 of Part 2 of the bid solicitation.

The requirement is limited to Canadian goods and/or services.

This procurement is subject to the Controlled Goods Program.

There is a Federal Contractors Program (FCP) for employment equity requirement associated with this procurement; see Part 5 - Certifications, Part 7 - Resulting Contract Clauses and the attachment named Federal Contractors Program for Employment Equity - Certification.

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.