36C25018B0807-0005007.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Justification and Approval (J&A)

For

Other Than Full and Open Competition

Acquisition Plan Action ID: VA250-18-AP-7016

1. Contracting Activity:

Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 10, VAMC Medical Center, Engineering Service (138), 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220. The 2237 is 539-18-2-6905-0023.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed:

Engineering Service is requesting approval to use other than full and open competition to solicit a Brand Name Only for Nurse Call System known as “Telligence” manufactured by Ascom (formerly G.E.), for use on Project No. 539-17-102, Relocate PM&R to Basement of Building #2. This project will be awarded as a new Firm-Fixed Price contract. This Justification and Approval (J&A) is submitted pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C 2304 (c) (1) or 41 U.S.C. 253 (c) (1), which provides that full and open competition need not be obtained where there is “only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.” Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6.302-1(c) “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs:

The subject project involves the renovation of the unfinished basement of Building #2.

Such an expansion will require the expansion of the existing nurse call system, consisting of Staff Consoles, Staff/Duty Stations, Patient Call Stations, Toilet (Emergency) Call Stations, Dome Lights, Staff Presence Stations, Code Blue Stations, Annunciator panels, IP Switches, Gateways, ARMS/ESM/Bridge server and software, Call Cords, Training and integration with Vocera Wireless Instant Voice Communication System (via Messenger Middleware).

The Estimated Value of the nurse call system is $24,288. The estimated value of the Relocate PM&R project is $1,648,683.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition:

(X) (1) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy

Agency Requirements per FAR 6.302-1;

( ) (2) Unusual and Compelling Urgency per FAR 6.302-2;

( ) (3) Industrial Mobilization, Engineering, Developmental or Research

Capability or Expert Services per FAR 6.302-3;

( ) (4) International Agreement per FAR 6.302-4;

( ) (5) Authorized or Required by Statute FAR 6.302-5;

( ) (6) National Security per FAR 6.302-6;

( ) (7) Public Interest per FAR 6.302-7;

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the

Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority):

The Nurse Call and Code Blue System devices that are to be installed as part of this project represent an extension of the existing Nurse Call and Code Blue System at our facility. As such, each new device must tie into and communicate with the existing Facility Nurse Call and Code Blue System, which is manufactured by Ascom. (Telligence Platform). Each device in a Nurse Call and Code Blue System is fully addressable and is constanttly monitored by the system head end (Gateways and IP Switched) Due to the addressable nature of these Nurse Call and Code Blue Systems, only Ascom Telligence devices can be connected to the existing head end. Software/hardware conflicts would make it impossible for devices by another manufacturer to communicate with the existing Nurse Call and Code Blue System, and could result in a non-functional Patient Care environment or two separate Nurse Call and Code Blue Systems the facility would have to maintain.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable:

Research has shown that in the industry, it is standard for Nurse Call System to have their own proprietary software which prohibits communication between different manufacturers. There is just too much at risk from a patient safety standpoint; this facility has Telligence Nurse Call System, and we should only add devices to it that are manufactured by Ascom for the Telligence System. This solicitation will be publicized via FedBizOpps.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

Determination of fair and reasonableness of cost will be based upon a complete price analysis and Independent Government Cost Estimate. The anticipated cost will be considered fair and reasonable. This project will be issued as an Invitation for Bid (IFB).

Tradeoffs and Evaluation Factors are not applicable for this project.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted:

Market research was not conducted. The cost for services will be compared with commercially published price lists and catalogs for similar products.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition:

Maintenance and system familiarity, while secondary to the issues of warranty or patient safety, are other important factors to consider. Engineering is charged with maintaining this system, and Nursing Service is responsible for administering the system, and the rest of the facility is charged with responding appropriately. Attempting to introduce a nurse call system of a different manufacture with different software would no doubt compromise the ability of Nursing Service to provide efficient patient care, let alone the other issues of how it would be able to communicate with the existing nurse call system.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

See Section 6 above.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required:

Solicitations for future requirements will utilize “brand name or equal” language, if it is in the Government’s best interest to do so. The current requirement must be solicited using a brand name description because the Government needs to create an exact copy of a system/item that is currently in use.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a

Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

13 September 2018

Jeb Bower Date Project Engineer Engineering Service VAMC – Cincinnati, OH

13. Approvals in accordance with VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP:

Contracting Officer's Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. And, I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Julie A. Stout Date Branch Chief Construction/A&E Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10

VHAINDStoutJ Typewritten Text 9/14/2018