Background & Context

Understanding DASN(P)'s mission, current challenges, and the SBIR technology foundation that enables this acquisition.

DASN(P) Mission & Authority

Organizational Overview

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Procurement (DASN(P)) supports the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN(RD&A)). ASN(RD&A) serves as the Navy Acquisition & Procurement Executive and is responsible for all matters relating to acquisition policy and programs, and contracting policy for the Department of the Navy (DON).

Primary Responsibilities

Policy Development & Oversight

• Shaping acquisition and contracting policies in support of the DON's mission needs
• Providing expert advice and staff support on acquisition and contracting issues
• Ensuring policy compliance with laws and regulations
• Promoting standardized business practices across the DON

Acquisition Functional Sponsorship

• Serving as DON Acquisition Functional Sponsor
• Maintaining Secretariat level authority for DON Procurement Mission
• Overseeing System Commands and Head of Contracting Activity operations
• Coordinating acquisition strategy across DON enterprise

Strategic Leadership

• Operating at the intersection of policy, data, and execution
• Analyzing acquisition documents and reconciling portfolio data
• Ensuring compliance with evolving policy frameworks
• Driving efficiency and transparency in procurement operations

Organizational Hierarchy

ASN(RD&A)
└── Navy Acquisition & Procurement Executive
    └── DASN(P)
        ├── Acquisition Policy Oversight
        ├── IT Portfolio Management
        ├── Data Analytics & BI
        └── Performance Assessment
            └── System Commands & HCAs

Current Challenges & Requirements

Operating Environment

DASN(P) operates at the intersection of policy, data, and execution, requiring the organization to:

•Analyze complex acquisition documents across the DON enterprise
•Reconcile portfolio data from multiple disparate systems
•Ensure compliance with rapidly evolving policy frameworks
•Provide timely guidance to the DON acquisition workforce
•Maintain visibility into enterprise risk and portfolio health

Data Fragmentation Challenge

Critical acquisition systems portfolio data remains fragmented across multiple systems:

System	Purpose	Data Type	Challenge
DITPR-DON	DoD IT Portfolio Repository - DON	IT system inventory & metadata	Disconnected from other systems
PBIS-IT	Portfolio Business Intelligence System - IT	Budget and program data	Limited integration
SNaP-IT	System Nomination and Portfolio - IT	System nominations & approvals	Manual data entry
DITIP	DoD IT Investment Portfolio	Investment tracking	Separate data model
Legacy Repositories	Various historical systems	Archives and historical data	Inconsistent formats

Impact of Fragmentation:

• Incomplete visibility into system relationships and dependencies
• Manual reconciliation required across data sources
• Delayed responses to policy changes
• Increased risk of compliance gaps
• Workforce strain from manual data processing

Information Accessibility Issues

Much of the information driving acquisition decisions exists in:

→Memos: Policy guidance distributed via memoranda
→Spreadsheets: Ad hoc analyses maintained locally
→Policy Documents: Lengthy regulatory documents requiring manual review
→Email Chains: Distributed decision-making documentation
→Presentations: Briefing materials with critical context

Consequences:

• Limited searchability across information sources
• Difficulty tracking policy evolution
• Manual research for precedents and guidance
• Time-consuming compliance verification
• Knowledge loss when personnel transition

Workforce Impact:

• Limit visibility into enterprise risk
• Delay responses to policy changes
• Strain acquisition workforce capacity
• Reduce time for strategic analysis
• Increase risk of human error

AI-Driven Decision Support Framework (AI-DDSF)

SBIR Phase I Award Information

Contract Number: W519TC25P0046

Awarded To: Navaide

Awarding Office: Army Contracting Command (acting for CDAO)

Sponsoring Office: Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO)

Award Date: August 2025

Contract Value: $149,173 (Phase I)

This Phase I SBIR award established the technological foundation and Government rights necessary to proceed with Phase III acquisition under 15 U.S.C. §638(r)(4).

Technology Overview

The AI-Driven Decision Support Framework (AI-DDSF) is a modular, defense-optimized analytical architecture designed to enhance strategic decision-making by transforming fragmented, high-volume data into traceable, evidence-based insights.

Core Purpose: Enable acquisition professionals to make informed decisions faster by automating data integration, correlation, and analysis while maintaining full traceability to source materials.

Framework Capabilities

1. Automated Data Ingestion

• Connects to multiple data sources
• Extracts structured and unstructured information
• Handles diverse data formats
• Maintains data lineage tracking
• Updates continuously

2. Intelligent Data Correlation

• Identifies relationships between systems
• Detects inconsistencies
• Maps dependencies
• Recognizes patterns
• Flags anomalies

3. Advanced AI-Powered Analysis

• Natural language processing
• Semantic search
• Automated requirement extraction
• Predictive analytics
• Machine learning models

4. Verifiable Analytics

• Traceable to source documents
• Complete audit trail
• Human-in-the-loop validation
• Explanation generation
• Confidence scoring

5. Traceable Source Attribution

• Direct links to original documents
• Citation generation
• Version control
• Historical tracking
• Evidence packages

Security & Access Control

• CAC integration
• Role-based access
• Audit logging
• NIST SP 800-171 compliant
• Section 508 accessible

Defense-Optimized Features

Security & Compliance

• Designed for DON network deployment
• NIST SP 800-171 compliant architecture
• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) handling
• Authority to Operate (ATO) ready design

Integration

• Compatible with existing DON infrastructure
• APIs for system-to-system integration
• Export capabilities for reporting tools
• Data format compatibility with Navy ERP, ADVANA

Usability

• Government-appropriate user interface
• Minimal training requirements
• Progressive disclosure of complexity
• Mobile-responsive design for field access

Proven Track Record

Incumbent Contract History

Element	Details
Contract Number	N0018921CZ045
Contractor	Navaide
Contract Type	Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF)
Award Date	March 19, 2021
Expiration Date	March 18, 2026
Total Value	$12,608,799.27
Period	5 years
Performance	Exceptional (CPARS rating)

Demonstrated Capabilities

✅Consistent on-time delivery of monthly/quarterly/annual reports
✅Responsive support to urgent data calls and Congressional inquiries
✅Subject matter expertise in DON acquisition policy
✅Effective collaboration with DASN(P) staff and stakeholders
✅Exceptional CPARS rating across all evaluation criteria

Quantified Impact

→60 months of continuous performance
→100+ monthly reports delivered
→20+ quarterly analyses completed
→5 annual comprehensive assessments
→Zero major performance deficiencies

How AI-DDSF Addresses DASN(P) Needs

Direct Alignment to Challenges

Challenge	AI-DDSF Solution
Data Fragmentation	Automated integration across DITPR-DON, PBIS-IT, SNaP-IT, DITIP, and legacy systems
Manual Reconciliation	AI-powered correlation and anomaly detection
Policy Accessibility	Natural language search across all policy documents
Limited Visibility	Real-time dashboards and predictive analytics
Workforce Strain	Automation of routine data processing tasks
Slow Response	Instant policy guidance retrieval and impact analysis
Compliance Risk	Automated monitoring and proactive issue identification
Knowledge Loss	Persistent institutional memory independent of personnel

SBIR Technology Transition Success

Government Investment

• Phase I: $149,173 for proof-of-concept
• Phase III: Operational deployment at scale
• ROI: Amplified workforce productivity and decision quality

Innovation to Operations

• Technology validated in Phase I
• Tailored to mission-specific requirements
• Incumbent contractor ensures smooth transition
• Evolutionary adoption minimizes disruption

Small Business Success

• Native American-owned small business
• Women-owned small business
• DON small business utilization goal support
• SBIR program objective achievement

From Background to Action

Address Critical Needs

✓ Overcome data fragmentation through automated integration
✓ Replace manual processes with AI-driven analytics
✓ Improve policy accessibility and compliance
✓ Enhance workforce productivity and decision quality

Leverage Proven Assets

✓ Build on validated Phase I SBIR technology
✓ Maintain continuity with exceptional incumbent performance
✓ Utilize SBIR statutory authority for streamlined acquisition
✓ Benefit from 20-year data rights protection

Optimize Acquisition Strategy

✓ Sole-source authority under 15 U.S.C. §638(r)(4)
✓ No competition required when work derives from/extends SBIR
✓ Streamlined approval process (no formal J&A required)
✓ Small business utilization goal satisfaction

Next Steps in This Guide

Having established the background and mission context, the following sections provide:

Process Guidance - 5-step process from requirements to award
Technical Requirements - Complete Performance Work Statement
Acquisition Strategy - Complete acquisition plan (ISTRAP)
Data Rights - SBIR data rights protection
Legal Foundation - Statutory authority and GAO precedents