A17_JA_-_IMARS_Maintenance_Licenses_CA_-Redacted_1.pdf

4. The authority and supporting rationale (see 8.405-6(a)(1)(i) and (b)(1)) and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) - 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.

The IMARS system is currently utilized by OLES to report and track law enforcement incidents for six of the seven DOI law enforcement bureaus. This system requires ongoing updates via maintenance licenses offered by the vendor that designed the IMARS system, Niche. These maintenance licenses provide updated functionality, bug fixes, and security updates that are necessary to ensure that the IMARS system remains functional and secure.

It is mission critical that OLES has access to IMARS maintenance (e.g., patches and functionality updates) to provide secure uninterrupted law enforcement records management capabilities to DOI law enforcement personnel. Without continued access to the most up-to-date maintenance for IMARS, DOI would be at risk of not having access to the most recent functionality and security features for IMARS which poses an unacceptable security risk for DOI law enforcement records management.

The required maintenance licenses are the sole proprietary property of Niche, the publisher of the IMARS system. Therefore, Niche is the only vendor that can provide ongoing maintenance/updates to IMARS.

At the present time, OLES is unable to develop a new system or purchase a different existing commercial system. As a result, the IMARS system is the only law enforcement records management system practically available to OLES. The cost to procure the new system is substantially higher than the cost for the IMARS software licenses maintenance and support.

Additionally, transitioning to any new program at this juncture would result in cost duplication.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The Contracting Officer will solicit Niche Technologies, Inc. via its General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule and request additional pricing discounts in line with the discounts currently offered to DOI via Task Order Number GS35F321CA 140D0421F0690 which is the incumbent IMARS maintenance licenses. GSA has determined pricing on its schedules to be fair and reasonable, and the CO will ensure a thorough and detailed price analysis is conducted and documented in the file.

The primary means of determining a fair and reasonable price for this requirement will be a comparison of the quoted price to historical pricing paid (see FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(i), comparison of the quote to GSA Schedule rates (see FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(iv), and comparison of the quoted price to an Independent Government Estimate (see FAR 15-404-1(b)(2)(v)).

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research indicated that Niche Technology, Inc is the only vendor that sells the required IMARS software maintenance licenses. The required software licenses are proprietary to Niche, and they are available via Niche’s GSA Schedule No. GS-35F-321CA at a base price of $1,340.05 per license.

Within 14 days of award a redacted copy of this limited source justification shall be published to SAM.gov in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(2)(i).

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

None.

8. A 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 supplies and services is made.

OLES is in the process of developing a new competitive procurement action that will likely result in a different law enforcement records management system for all seven DOI bureaus.

It is not expected for this contract to be awarded and services to be transitioned for another one to two years. Until that new procurement is complete, it is in the best interest of the Government to continue utilizing IMARS as it is the only system available to OLES to provide continuation of law enforcement records management.

OLES will continue market research efforts to discover alternate pathways to other software or vendors to help reduce costs and increase functionality across all agencies within DOI that use IMARS.