JEFO OCIO and HRM Subscriptions RED_Redacted Final.pdf

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

OFFICE OF BUDGET, FINANCE AND AWARD MANAGEMENT

DIVISION OF ACQUISITION AND COOPERATIVE SUPPORT

JUSTIFICATION FOR EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

BRAND NAME: FAR 16.505(a)(4) and 16.505(b)(2)(ii) FOR GARTNER RESEARCH AND ADVISORY SUBSCRIPTION LICENSES UNDER FEDLINK CONTRACT LCFDL24D0001

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1. Agency and Contracting Activity.

The Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Support, Contract Operations Branch prepared this Brand Name Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity on behalf of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and the Hurman Resource Management (HRM) Division.

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

This justification provides the rationale for restricting fair opportunity to award a follow-on task order to 49100424F0056 for OCIO and 49100424F0050 for HRM. This is a sole source award for Gartner Research and Advisory subscriptions licenses.

Award will be made to Gartner, 56 Top Gallant Road, Stanford, CT 06902, on a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) basis under FEDLINK GWAC contract LCFDL24D0001.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The requirement is to provide Gartner Research and Advisory Subscription Licenses for OCIO and HRM at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. The total cost for these subscriptions is $740,495.66. The subscription licenses will be obtained from February 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026.

The OCIO is charged with the design, development, operations, and maintenance of critical enterprise information technology (IT) systems, services, and capabilities for the agency.

These activities require the NSF CIO, Deputy CIO, and members of the leadership team to understand the technology environment, plan and strategize about program changes, and execute complex tasks to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of agency IT services.

Gartner provides unique capabilities in its research and advisory services, executive programs, and Gartner for Technical Professionals (GTP) subscription that NSF needs for faster and more effective architecture, engineering, and implementation decisions. Gartner provides support and expertise via its documents, teleconferences, webinars, and training events led by its technical experts who provide customized input and advice.

These services will allow Human Resources Division leadership to accomplish its mission to provide excellent customer service and support services in the areas of benefits and work/life programs, learning and development, employee, and labor relations, staffing and recruiting, and strategic human capital planning

4. Identify the exception to fair opportunity and supporting rationale.

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Justification for Brand Name Exception to Fair Opportunity - Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies required at the level of quality required because the supplies ordered are unique or highly specialized pursuant to FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) and is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

For OCIO, Gartner is the only firm capable of providing the specialized information technology-focused research, tools, and advisory services to support NSF's key digital initiatives. Gartner provides multiple unique offerings that will support the NSF OCIO.

Specifically, Gartner's IT Score maturity assessments, Digital Execution Scorecard (DES), and CIO Initiative Accelerators are unique capabilities that will enable NSF to evaluate the maturity of its IT functions, develop key performance indicators to measure improvements over time, and lay out a framework to document resource plans and achieve strategic outcomes. Additionally, Gartner focuses on many technical areas of IT that are not covered by other research consulting vendors. Finally, Gartner is the only provider to offer peer-reviewed research that is 100% non-sponsored and completely vendor-neutral.

For HRM, Gartner Inc. (Gartner) “Corporate Leadership Council Classic” product(s) are sold exclusively by Gartner employees to the Government. Gartner does not use resellers, distributors, VAR’s or any other type of indirect sales channel nor sales intermediary to deliver our products to Government Clients. Gartner products consist of copyrighted, proprietary Gartner Intellectual Property and are only available (in both the commercial and government marketplace) through Gartner’s direct sales channel. In short, Gartner is the only entity capable of providing Gartner licenses to Clients

5. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Office determines that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on GWAC pricing already determined to be fair and reasonable. By signing this justification, the Contracting Officer makes a determination that the cost/price represents the best value to the Government.

6. Any other facts supporting the Justification.

NSF's analysis of IT research and advisory services determined that Gartner is uniquely able to provide services in response to the agency's requirements. NSF requires two main areas of focus for these services: access to IT research, tools, and templates; and team resources, including local and regional conferences and events, as well as access to

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Approval

Over $750,000 but not exceeding $75 million Bethany Petrofsky Deputy Division Director/ Head of Contracting Activity

Over $75 million Patrick K. Breen Division Director/ Senior Procurement Executive