A04 JA Final_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155

ACQUISITION

DIRECTORATE

Control No. 2021-WHS-0002

JUSTIFICATION FOR

OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

UNDER FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION FAR SUBPART 6.3

1. AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: The Department of Defense, Washington

Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, Enterprise Acquisition and Sustainment Division is the contracting activity. The Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (DUSD (A&S)) Resources, Personnel, Data, and Security (RPDS) is the requiring activity.

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: This is a sole source action to be awarded to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a private not for profit research institution. A cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract has been selected due to the uncertainties in performance and will provide the DoD flexibility to accommodate changes in level of effort. This action will be a single year period of performance with no option years anticipated to begin on November 15, 2020.

Fiscal Year 2020 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Appropriations will be used to fund this effort.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: The proposed acquisition is to obtain a study that identifies additive manufacturing technologies used by the defense industrial base and assesses the integration of additive manufacturing capabilities in university engineering education courses. The study will also include recommendations for improving the integration of additive manufacturing technologies in capstone courses for engineering programs amongst institutions of higher education. The study will also identify highly relevant engineering courses incorporating additive manufacturing technology and develop recommendations using these courses as an example. The study is largely expected to draw upon research from the National Academies of Sciences report titled Making Value for America from 2015 and follow a similar process for study execution. The estimated total for this effort is approximately $608,854.08 as shown in the following table.

Performance Period Period of Performance Estimated Cost Base Period November 15, 2020 – November 14, 2021 $608,854.08

4. AUTHORITY CITED: This action is authorized under the provisions of 10 U.S.C.

2304(c)(3)(B) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii), Industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services.

5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED: Under FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(ii), full and open competition need not be provided for when it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source to establish or maintain an essential engineering, research or developmental capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution or a federally funded research and development center.

The rapid advancement of the industrial production and weapons development capabilities of near peer competitors raises a critical need for the defense industrial base to develop and maintain state of the art capabilities in manufacturing techniques. Additive manufacturing is expected to be a versatile technology among a wide array of engineering specialties such as digital technologies, materials science, and new processing technologies such integration of 5G capabilities. Future defense manufacturing capabilities will require the development of human capital through a steady pipeline of well-educated scientists and engineering students over a period of decades. The use of capstone design courses is commonly required in engineering education curricula to integrate various areas of engineering expertise.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, not for profit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS for outstanding contributions to research. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community.

Approximately 500 current and deceased members of the NAS have won Nobel Prizes, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, founded in 1914, is today one of the premier international journals publishing the results of original research.

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine) -- were founded under the NAS charter in 1964 and 1970, respectively. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions.

The ability of NAS to maintain these research and engineering services relies on it receiving orders from the U.S. Government. Without the funding from U.S. Government task orders like this one, NAS will not be able to fully maintain its essential research and engineering capabilities. The Government relies on the availability of these services. The NAS' service to government has become so essential that Congress and the White House have issued legislation and executive orders over the years that reaffirm its unique role.

The NAS has the capability to draw upon a wide variety of academic expertise in a timely manner, and the lack of organizational conflicts of interest by the NAS will be critical to execution of the study in order to facilitate the sharing of information from industry regarding additive manufacturing processes, which would be difficult to accomplish by a commercial performer. Other existing not for profit sources are not as readily oriented to employ the range of expertise from academia that the NAS can provide. Furthering technological innovation is a critical need for the defense industrial base, and additive manufacturing provides an especially important capability in increasing lethality. This research objective to strengthen engineering educational curricula to encompass additive manufacturing capabilities will address an important element in maintaining competitiveness in the national security industrial base. Therefore, the NAS is the only source to maintain this research capability.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: Not applicable. This requirement will not be synopsized in the government point of entry, pursuant to the exception authorized by 41 U.S.C. 1708(b)(2)(A). FAR 5.202(a)(10) exempts this type of procurement from the requirement for a beta.sam.gov synopsis.

7. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST DETERMINATION: The Contracting Officer will determine the anticipated cost to the Government of the services covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable. Fair and reasonable costs will be determined by an in-depth analysis of hours and costs, a technical recommendation from the program office. The resident Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), DCAA auditors, and Government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will also provide, on a full-time basis, the surveillance required to monitor a cost reimbursement contract after award. Final incurred costs will also be audited by the government.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: Market research was conducted to consider other possible sources among not for profits and FFRDCs. The National Academy of Sciences was determined to be the most appropriate source for its ability to acquire the services of distinguished scientists and other academic experts to support the study while avoiding the potential for organizational and personal conflicts of interest. The National Academy of Sciences has previously performed similar services for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The National Academy of Sciences is not available for use through competitive marketplace means that are typically used in commercial contracting methods.

9. OTHER FACTS: None.

10. INTERESTED SOURCES: To date, no other source has expressed an interest in writing to satisfy the requirements of this justification.

11. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: For the reasons set forth in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5, WHS/AD has no plans at this time to compete future requirements for the types of services covered by this J&A. If another potential source emerges, WHS/AD will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

12. Is this acquisition for a non-competitive follow-on acquisition previously awarded on a non-competitive basis?

☐Yes. A copy of the previous justification is attached. The actions to remove any barriers to competition cited on the previous justification ☐ were ☐ were not completed

☐No. The original acquisition was conducted on a competitive basis.

☒Not Applicable. This is a new requirement.

CERTIFICATION

I, hereby, certify that the supporting data under my cognizance included in this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer Representative/Program Office Date

Contracting Officer Date