AFSN NEIS D_F Consolidation for SAM Posting_Redacted.pdf

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER (AFLCMC)

AFLCMC/HNIK – ENTERPRISE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & CYBER

INFRASTRUCTURE CONTRACTING DIVISION (GUNTER-OL)

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE – GUNTER ANNEX, ALABAMA

DETERMINATION AND FINDINGS

TO SUPPORT CONSOLIDATION OF

THE AIR FORCE SYSTEMS NETWORKING SUPPORT (FA8771-17-C-0005),

PERFORMANCE TEAM AND USER EXPERIENCE TESTING AND ANALYSIS

SUPPORT (FA8075-20-F0072),

USAFE COMMAND AND CONTROL (C2)/NETWORK SUPPORT (FA8075-20-F0072)

AND

CAPABILITIES INTEGRATION ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT (FA8772-18-F-1017)

FINDINGS

Purpose

This Determination and Findings (D&F) prepared in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) 1.704 supports the determination to consolidate four requirements previously performed under three separate contracts for the Air Force Systems Networking (AFSN)

Program Management Office (PMO) as described below. In addition to the proposed consolidation of requirements currently being performed, this D&F includes new requirements which will be added to the proposed AFSN acquisition. The justification and rationale of this consolidation complies with the FAR 7.107-2, and 15 U.S.C. §657q. Pursuant to AFFARS

5307.107-2, the Senior Contracting Official (SCO) has the authority to make the consolidation determination for actions exceeding $2 million. This authority may not be re-delegated. The required substantial benefit threshold for this action is $9.245M. The aggregate anticipated financial benefits cited in this D&F does not meet the prescribed minimum threshold. FAR

7.107-2(e) and AFFARS 5307.107-2(e), MP5301.601-90 also delegates the responsibility to the

SCO to determine that consolidation is necessary and justified when the expected benefits do not meet the thresholds for a substantial benefit at FAR 7.107-2(d)(1) but are critical to the agency’s mission success. The AFLCMC/HNIK office has identified AFLCMC/PK Hanscom OL SCO as the cognizant approving SCO for this consolidation determination.

Background

Command, Control, Communication, Intelligence, and Networks (PEO, C3I&N) is responsible for developing, producing, deploying, and sustaining Department of the Air Force joint and coalition cyberspace capabilities, aerial and terrestrial networks, cryptologic systems, electronic warfare, data weaponization, kill chain technologies and integration, information technology across Air Force as well as Joint and inter-Agency communities.

Enterprise IT and Cyber Infrastructure Division (AFLCMC/HNI). HNI is located at Hanscom

AFB with offices at Gunter Annex, Joint Base San Antonio, and Wright-Patterson AFB. HNI’s portfolio includes responsibility for the Air Force network infrastructure, CONUS and overseas.

HNI includes Air Force Systems Networking (AFSN). The Air Force Systems Networking

(AFSN) Technical and Project Management (PM) Support Tasks encompass design analysis, testing (proof-of-concept, design verification/validation), implementation and installation, site acceptance testing, and project management for network engineering efforts at all network levels

(i.e., base, intermediate (Network Operations and Security Center (NOSC)/Integrated Network

Operations and Security Center (INOSC), etc.), and/or enterprise (the Air Force Enterprise

Network)).

Current Environments

Air Force System Networking (AFSN):

AFLCMC/HNIK competitively awarded an 8(a) contract FA8771-17-C-0005 for AFSN Support

Services on 01 July 2017 in the amount of $31,019,639.16. The contract was for a 6-month Base

Period, four 12-month Option Periods, and a 6-month Extension of Services Option for then-known requirements to support AFSN Technical and Project Management. In November 2020, the Performance Work Statement (PWS) was revised to include increased technical capability.

On 24 November 2020, Modification P00036 was issued to restructure the AFSN Support contract with an increase of $6,291,568.10. This modification, including previous modifications, resulted in a total contract value of $45,561,470.12. AFSN Network Engineering and Integration

Support services will accommodate the stakeholder’s requirement for sudden increase in capability through the deployment of a continuous, responsive surge capacity.

Performance Team & User Experience/USAFE C2 Network Support (DTIC):

In August and September of 2021, the Enterprise IT and Cyber Infrastructure Division Portfolio

Manager directed AFSN to provide USAFE C2/Network Support and Performance Team and

User Experience Testing and Analysis support. The new requirements were not added to the

AFSN contract FA8771-17-C-0005 existing statement of work. These requirements were funded as ACRNs AK and AN on an existing task order FA8075-20-F-0072 under the umbrella of the

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) IDIQ FA8075-18-D-0002.

The DTIC IDIQ Contract FA8075-18-D-0002 was awarded to Alion Science and Technology

Corporation (CAGE 3BM47), a large business concern on 27 September 2018 by Defense

Technical Information Center (DTIC) for an estimated amount of $8.9B. The purpose of this

IDIQ is to provide RDT&E and other R&D related analytical services while reducing unnecessary duplication of research, information collection and analysis, and information dissemination efforts for DoD components and other U.S. Government agencies and departments and their contractors, state and local Governments, Industry, Academia, and other institutions as well as international organizations in which the U.S. Government is a member or participant.

Task Order FA8075-20-F-0072 (and subsequent modifications) was issued by AFICA/KD at

Offutt AFB, NE against the DTIC IDIQ to fund individual non-personal RDT&E requirements within scope of the DTIC PWS.

Future Environment

New AFSN NEIS Acquisition:

According to the approved acquisition strategy, the proposed AFSN NEIS follow-on contract will be a Section 8(a) direct award to an Alaskan Native Corporation. The Section 8(a) direct award will result in the award of a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) order consisting of one 12-month base period, two 12-month option periods, and a 4-month extension of services option. The total estimated value is $ . The consolidation effort will include new requirements, old requirements performed on the expired basic AFSN support contract, and old requirements performed on other contracts.

The follow-on acquisition will include the original AFSN Basic Support contract, Performance

Team & User Experience/USAFE C2 Network Support, as well as the DREN Support tasks acquired under the separate agreements described above. These separate agreements also included ABMS and Surge Support. This acquisition strategy provides for maximum practicable participation by small business. The requirements previously provided under the DTIC IDIQ awarded to a large business. The requirements previously provided under the sunset CIE task order will likewise be performed by a Small Disadvantaged Business under the AFSN NEIS 8(a) direct award.

1) Market Research

a. The required services will be procured as a SBA direct 8(a) award under FAR Part 19.8.

Market research was conducted utilizing internet searches, the Small Business Office, reviewing historical data, SBEAS, NASA SEWP, CIO-SP3, GSA Multiple Award

Schedules, Government-wide Acquisition Contract Vehicles, and other government orders under NAICS code 541512.

b. A Request for Information (RFI) was released via GSA eBuy to small and large businesses from 19-26 January 2022 and 15-23 February 2022 under GSA SIN 54151S and NAICS 541512. GSA contracts researched included GSA MAS, 8(a) STARS III, VETS 2, Alliant 2, & Other GSA Contracts/BPAs. Market research results and capability statement reviews indicated 8(a) small businesses as being technically capable of meeting program requirements such that the AFSN NEIS acquisition could be awarded to an ANC 8(a) contractor.

2) Alternate contracting approach.

An alternative contracting approach considered was to continue to fulfill the Performance Team

& User Experience/USAFE C2 Network Support as well as the DREN Support tasks requirements separately through established BPAs, IDIQs, or other Government-wide

Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) directed toward small business concerns. The program office determined that these efforts should be incorporated under a single contract to be managed in a more efficient manner. The alternative contracting approach to accomplish basic AFSN Support

Services would be to solicit the existing requirement as-is, and creating several separate stove-small business goals.

Through market research, it has been determined that although consolidation of AFSN smaller requirements into one large contract to save money and increase efficiency, the size and scope of the new contract has not made it more difficult for a small business to win the larger contract. A market research survey conducted through GSA identified several 8(a) and other small businesses capable of performing the consolidated requirements. Based upon the market research report findings, a decision was made to continue the procurement in the 8(a) program.

6) Quality/Benefits of Consolidation.

1. The consolidation and merging of the Performance Team & User Experience/USAFE C2

Network Support and the DREN Support tasks and merging with the new requirements will result in better execution of technical methodologies, facilitate flexibility among resources in response to changes in the flow of work, and contract management efficiencies. Benefits of this consolidated requirement include providing flexibility in the utilization of staffing resources across the program to meet emerging needs, providing efficiencies in processes and documentation, and reducing the acquisition cycle and post-award administration.

2. The consolidation of contract requirements will provide a seamless approach by being incorporated with other performance work statement requirements. The administrative costs of managing a single order for all AFSN requirements will be lower than the costs of procuring, awarding, and administering three separate requirements contracts. In addition to the administrative cost savings, there is an additional cost savings in labor of approximately $ by consolidating the USAFE C2 support and Performance

Team support into the AFSN NEIS contract. The consolidation of DREN support is expected to result in an additional cost savings of $ in direct contract support and a cost avoidance of $ in organic labor for DREN Cybersecurity.

3. There are two tasks currently being performed under a $71.3M Task Order FA8075-20-

F-0072 against a $8.9B IDIQ contract awarded on 05 August 2021 to a large business; a one (1) year of labor on 05 August 2021 in the amount of $ , represented as

ACRN AK on modification 12 of Delivery Order FA8075-20-F-0072 for USAFE

Command and Control (C2)/Network Support and one (1) year of labor, (represented as

ACRN AM on modification 13 of Delivery Order FA8075-20-F-0072) for the Network

Performance Team in the amount of $ . These requirements will be incorporated into the new AFSN NEIS PWS.

The cost savings/cost avoidance associated with consolidating the individual requirements are depicted in charts under “Acquisition Approach and Anticipated

Benefits” earlier in this document. A summary of the anticipated savings through consolidation of the stated AFSN requirements into the new AFNS NEIS acquisition are summarized below:

critical to the agency's mission success as IAW FAR 7.107-2(e)(1)(i). The acquisition strategy ensures participation by an 8(a) business.

The AFSN Program Office is routinely requested by Air Force and Space Force customers worldwide to provide expertise in designing, engineering, implementing, integrating, configuring, and verifying network solutions for highly complex requirements. Failure to consolidate contract requirements leaves AFSN in a position which it is not properly staffed to solicit, award, and administer multiple contracts to support Air Force and Space Force stakeholders who depend upon AFSN systems support and expertise now and in the future. This will force future customers to solicit assistance elsewhere, duplicate requirements, or employ less effective technologies which increases the risk of developing stove-piped and unsecure solutions. Such solutions are expensive to maintain and lead to complexities that may render the network vulnerable to cyber-attacks. AFSN provides centralized, thoroughly tested, proven, efficient, safe and secure enterprise-level and integrated network solutions. Attempts to reproduce these services outside of the AFSN enterprise would promote the creation of nonstandard infrastructure methodologies capable of degrading the performance and security of enterprise networks. Separate stove-pipe solutions also increases acquisition and program costs for individual customers. AFSN supports Air Force Network Operations Support which centrally manages Internet Protocol address space for all Air Force & Space Force locations worldwide, as well as the central management of NIPR/SIPR Base Area Network enclave circuits for all Air Force & Space Force locations worldwide.

The benefits in consolidating these requirements are as follows:

1) Reduction in acquisition cycle times by avoiding at least four separate procurement actions for the requirements identified throughout this document;

2) Increased efficiencies during contract performance by eliminating multiple contract surveillance activities, eliminating the necessity for associate contractor agreements, as well as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) activities such as inspection, receipt, acceptance, and payment of services;

3) Providing increased flexibilities for program requirements and contract management, financial management, budget analysis; and

4) A cost savings of $5.369M when compared to procuring the requirements as separate contract actions.

Pursuant to FAR 7.107-2(e)(1)(i), AFFARS 5307.107-2 and based on the above findings, I determine that the proposed consolidation of the current AFSN requirements, the Performance

Team & User Experience/USAFE C2 Network Support, and the incorporation of the DREN support is necessary, justified and is in the best interest of the Government.