LSJ RE Fed BizOpps.pdf

Limited Source Justification

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity. AHR92942

a. Agency:

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

b. Sponsoring organization:

Immediate Office of The Director IT

c. Project Officer:

Gerri Michael-Dyer 540 Gaither Road, Rm 3131 Rockville, MD 20850 gerri.michael-dyer@ahrq.hhs.gov 301-427-1898

d. Contracting Activity:

Department of Health and Human Services Program Support Center 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

a. Acquisition purpose and objectives.

This is a renewal enterprise seat license for WebOffice for real-time collaborative workspaces (extranet sites) that include online document storage, forums, calendars, meetings, databases, and task assignments between AHRQ program offices and official partners. These restricted and secure sites support all of the major portfolios of the Agency as well as several projects funded under ARRA.

b. Project Background.

AHRQ has used the WebEx online meeting platform since 2007, with the enterprise license model adopted in 2010 for cost-savings and ease of setting up new collaborative workspaces to support program initiatives and portfolios. We previously migrated restricted collaboratives that were supported in different platforms at greater cost when we moved to the enterprise model. This was approved as centralized IT support infrastructure, supported in the cloud, for secure extranet sites and ease of deployment. The subscription renews on an annual basis with a licensing structure related to number of seats (members) and storage capacity.

Based on previous licensing and use, we expended $________ during FY2010 and FY2011, with support and demand increasing each year.

3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

a. Project title. Cisco Webex WebOffice Enterprise License

b. Project description.

This platform is an adjunct to the Agency WebEx online conferencing capability and supports workgroup collaboration in a restricted Web services environment with secure hosting (WebExOne). There are standard features for sharing documents, discussions, presentations, calendars, events, and tasks associated with major programs,projects, and initiatives that are funded with partners. Respective Federal project officers are responsible for management of their assigned workgroup sites within this support environment. Each extranet is essential to the organization and cooperative efforts on deliverables for various portfolios within the Agency. The enterprise license is seat-based and can accommodate up to 2000 member accounts across 15 sites, including security certification, full-search, and additional storage capacity.

• Requirement type.

Support services (non-R&D) Supplies/equipment Supplies/equipment Information technology (IT) Other (specify):

• Type of action.

New requirement Follow-on:

Other (specify): Subscription Renewal (previously purchased with a credit card)

• Proposed contract/order type.

Firm-fixed-price Time and Materials Indefinite delivery (specify whether indefinite quantity,):

definite quantity, or requirements

Other (specify):

• Acquisition identification number. Specify the requisition number, proposed solicitation number, or other acquisition identification number, if applicable.

c. Total estimated dollar value and performance/delivery period.

(2850) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Period of performance August 10, 2012 - August 9, 2013.

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

a. Acquisition authority.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple

Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted to fewer than the number required by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(a)(1)[see FAR 8.401, 8.405-1, 8.405-2, 8.405-6(b), and 8.405-6(g)(1)] (i.e., fewer than three FSS contractors).

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted only to the item peculiar to one manufacturer as provided in FAR 8.405-6(a)(2)[see FAR 8.401 and 8.405-6(g)(1)]

b. Demonstration of the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

This is a renewal Web Services subscription (WebExOne) in a cloud computing environment that is hosted by Cisco WebEx as the provider.

• Name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

N/A

• Nature of the acquisition and proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications.

The AHRQ environment for secure online meetings and work group collaboratives (extranets with partners) is Cisco Webex. We currently have 15 active extranets sites under this enterprise license that support all of the portfolios funded by the Agency and they are essential to conducting projects, programs, and research review activities. Each site has a unique URL that is password protected and used by collaborative members.

5. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The negotiated corporate licensing structure with discounts is significantly below list price for services, including equivalent GSA pricing structures through a single authorized GSA reseller.

6. Description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

We conducted a market analysis of available platforms and support costs when the Agency first explored options. WebEx was found to provide the most secure environment for restricted collaboration and Web meetings, providing an efficient integration plan, scalability, and capability to support projects and partnerships.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

These extranet sites support critical Agency initiatives and projects, including oversight of ARRA awards, and any disruption would have significant negative impacts on mission, legislative mandates, and adminstrative directives through

FY2013.

There are also sunk costs that are inherent in the current platform and deployed sites and training of administrators that allow for maintenance at a minimal level of effort. The cost to decommission sites or migrate them into a different platform for support would involve major new expenditures and IT resources at a time when the IT budget is having to absorb major cuts in funding.

8. Statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

a. Removal of barriers to competition.

As part of the cost-benefit analysis that goes into projections of future year IT budgets, the Agency will re-examine IT cloud solutions and enterprise Web services beyond FY2013. We will also explore potential open source options for support in line with Federal Government directives for greater consolidation and Departmental decisions on enterprise architecture standards.

b. Listing of sources, if any, that expressed an interest, in writing, in the acquisition.

2. Synergistic Systems, Inc.

9572 Mammoth Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70814-4109 Contact: Gary Lane Telephone: 225-924-0099 Fax: 225-927-2934 Email: Gary.Lane@e-ssy.com

3. immixGroup of EC America, Inc.

8444 Westpark Drive, Suite 200 McLean, VA 22102 Contact: Kelly Reda Account Manager, Government Channels Division Telephone: 703.752.0641 direct | 704.650.6774 mobile Fax: 703.663.1131 Email: kelly_reda@immixgroup.com

9. Program Office Certification.

This is to certify that the portions of this justification that have been developed by the undersigned program office personnel, including supporting information and/or data verifying the Government’s minimum needs or requirements, or other rationale for limited sources, are accurate and complete.

Official Name & Title Signature Date Project Officer Gerri Michael-Dyer 4/15/12

Project Officer’s Immediate Supervisor

Mark Handelman

Head of the Sponsoring Program Office

10. Contracting Officer Certification.

This is to certify that the justification for the proposed acquisition has been reviewed and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the information and/or data provided to support the rationale and recommendation for approval is accurate and complete.

Official Name & Title Signature Date

Contracting Officer

11. Chief of the Contracting Office and Head of the Contracting Activity Signature(s).

Official Name & Title Signature Date Chief of the Contracting Office

N/A

Head of the Contracting Activity

N/A

12. Competition Advocate Signature.

Official Name & Title Signature Date

Competition Advocate N/A

13. HHS Senior Procurement Executive Signature.

Official Name & Title Signature Date

HHS Senior Procurement Executive

N/A