FBO_J A_SAQMMA15F2643.pdf

Sensitive But Unclassified

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity:

The Office of Acquisition Management is conducting this acquisition on behalf of the office of Consular Systems and Technology (CST) Service Strategy & Portfolio Management (SSPM). The estimated cost is $797,600.00 for 400 units.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved CA/CST requires the 3MTMAT9000 MK2 Full Page Document Reader (FPDR) - 400 DPI, RFID, UV - State Dept. Version Page Document Reader to support Consular domestic Passport Agencies and Centers, which has been tested as a drop-in replacement for the RTE8000 readers deployed throughout Consular Passport domestic Agencies and Centers. The current RTE8000 product failure rate will impact Passport Agencies and Center production cycles, which will receive unwarranted public visibility without the prompt replacement.

3. A description ofthe supplies or services required to meet the Department's needs.

3MTMAT9000 MK2 FPDR was found to be the only reasonably-priced device of its type that works with TDIS version 4.5 and efficiently executes the Bureau's certification criteria. When passport books are printed, they must be quality checked and the chip in the book must be verified and locked. Without the 3MTMAT9000 MK2 FPDR replacement, Passport agencies and centers face a reduced capability to produce passports for US citizens.

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

FAR 8.405-6( a)(l )(i)(8) Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

The reader was initially reviewed because the travel document production systems with which it is used require an accurate, reliable instrument to perform quality assurance checks on the Optical Character Recognition (ORC) zones of visas and passports, thereby validating their machine readability. The reader enables Consular Passport Agencies and Centers to generate travel documents that will be accepted and accurately interpreted at any port of entry employing mechanized processing through National Security systems. The reader is of great importance since it eliminates or minimizes incidences of false interpretations of bearer identification data. Such "mis-reads" can result in the refusal of entry or passage denial to qualified bearers, impede the processing flows at ports of entry, and otherwise embarrass the U.S. Government.

Due to these factors, the Quality Control (QC) model of travel document production systems were designed to work with the AT9000 MK2 FPDR. Through software development the AT9000 MK2 FPDR integrates with the Travel Document Issuance System (TDIS) latest version installed at domestic Passport Agencies and Centers.

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Through testing and evaluation, only the 3MTMAT9000 MK2 FPDR work side by side with the existing fleet of RTESOOOunits with no difference in software requirements.

The vendor 3MTMno longer produces the RTESOOOmodel that is used by the Department of State. 3MTMAT9000 MK2 FPDR is the replacement model for the RTESOOOmodel.

The selection of any other kind or brand of reader will present incompatibility challenges with TDrs latest version requiring additional software development efforts. The 3MTM AT9000 MK2 FPDR has been tested and proven to work with TDIS latest versions.

With a future rollout of Consular One looming the 3MTMAT9000 MK2 FPDR, the system, printer integration and configuration will present fewer technical challenges.

In summary, CA/CST established technical and operational requirements entail acknowledgement that it is in the best interests of the Government to acquire 3MTM AT9000 MK2 FPDR without delay, due to Passport Agencies and Centers supply and demand.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable.

This item is available on 3M's GSA Schedule contract. While 3M acknowledged it does sell through resellers, market research has not identified other GSA schedule contracts of resellers that authorize this specific model. Although 3M acknowledges that they are able to provide quotes to their resellers, DOS AQM policy dictates that a GSA delivery order must be made directly in the name of the GSA Schedule contract holder.

7. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

This item will be procured using 3M's GSA Schedule contract. GSA prices have been pre-evaluated, and the GSA has already determined the prices of supplies to be fair and reasonable. The Contracting Officer will request an additional discount from the Schedule holder to ensure the most favorable pricing.

S. A description of the market survey conducted and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted.

The L 1 Reader Model B5000-A is another document reader considered, but based on a quantity of 400 units, the price exceeds 3M AT9000 reader total cost by approximately $25,000. Additionally, this model is assembled in China, and therefore would not meet TAA compliancy requirements.

An unusual and compelling urgency exist base on the following events, which has resulted in unacceptable delays. 3MTMUnited Kingdom (UK) manufacturing facility no longer manufacture the RTESOOOmodel currently used within the U.S. domestic Passport centers and agencies. The UK 3MTMplant moved to China and the current RTESOOO model is obsolete and CST cannot obtain reparable parts from China, due to the non- Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (TAA) compliant. Each day the urgency to maintain efficient operational requirements for full page documents readers that support U.S.

Passports requirements. If failing RTESOOOunits aren't promptly replaced, Consular

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Passport Agencies and Centers will face delays and the potential for critical inaccuracies in travel documents. This could severely limit the ability to coordinate logistical travel worldwide for governmental agencies and the US military, as well as the general public.

More importantly, any inaccuracies in documents could impact national security or mission travel.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

3MTMAT9000 MK2 model is TAA compliant, which can be used as a replacement for the RTE8000 failing module. Testing of the AT9000 MK2 module within CST Independent Test & Validation (IV&V) environment with TDIS latest version resulted in favorable interoperability outcomes. No additional development costs for CST custom software products are needed because this device uses the same software drivers.

Operationally, RTE8000 has a high failure rate due to the sensitivity of the antenna assembly, which creates a need for about a 10- 15% break-fix ratio. With the inability to acquire new RTE8000 reader/writers, all of the break-fix stock has been depleted as damaged units have been replaced. Now, there are no break-fix readers available anywhere in the enterprise. New replacement models that can immediately work with the TOIS without further development or customization is necessary to ensure CA can continue its mission without interruption.

10. A listing of sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

None

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required. Include a statement that this J&A for other than full and open competition will be published on FedBizOpps in accordance with FAR Section 6.305 within 14 days of award (or within 30 days if the J&A is for unusual and compelling urgency.)

For future requirements, CA will research and review the availability of other readers and the operability and integration potential of those readers within the bureau's system infrastructure.

This J&A for other than full and open competition will be published on FedBizOpps in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(2)(i)(A) and (B) as well as FAR 5.30 l.

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