Agile_Support_Services_LSJ.pdf

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION (LSJ)

1. IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

Agency: Social Security Administration

Contracting Office: Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance, Quality, and Management Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG) Office of Information Technology Acquisition Division of IT Support Services

Contracting Officer (CO): Kevin Muñiz

(410) 966-3297

Program Office: Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Operations

Chief Program Officer (CPO)

Contracting Officer’s Shelly Lieberman Technical Representative: (410) 965-4996

Project Title: Disability Case Processing System (DCPS) Agile

Coaching

Proposed Contractor: Salient Federal Solutions, Inc. (SFS) 4000 Legato Road, Suite 600 Fairfax, VA 22033

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED

Type of action:

_X_ new award; __ modification of existing award

Contemplated contract action:

We seek approval of an LSJ to award a new single-award task order to SFS under its General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract Number GS-35F- 4704G IT Schedule 70 for management consulting support services.

The task order will have a total potential period of performance of eight months. As preferred by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.404(h)(2), the CO will issue a firm-fixed-price order following the ordering procedures of FAR 8.405-2(c)(3).

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET AGENCY NEE DS AND

ESTIMATED VALUE

Estimated Value: Approximately $938,178.

In 2014, McKinsey and Company (MK) performed an independent analysis of the DCPS program. One of MK’s recommendations was to implement Agile practices and principles for continued DCPS software development. Agile is a software development methodology in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams. It provides opportunities to assess the program direction throughout the entire software development lifecycle. Implementing Agile into DCPS will require that we use Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). SAFe will allow the agency to implement Agile principles at the enterprise level.

We require a contractor on an urgent and short-term basis to assist the agency in developing software for DCPS by:

• Coaching, training, and certifying agency teams and employees in Agile practices and methodologies.

• Facilitating the embedding of Agile subject matter experts within agency Agile teams to provide coaching by example.

• Overseeing implementation of best practices for Agile Project Management (APM) methodologies.

Specifically, we require that SFS provide the following:

• Program Oversight:

o Work with program leadership to:

� Steer system transformation through close management of APM techniques.

� Establish principles and values.

� Define vision and roadmap support for APM methodologies.

� Manage risks and remove impediments.

Month Amount 1 $ 117,147.25 2 $ 117,147.25 3 $ 117,147.25 4 $ 117,147.25 5 $ 117,147.25 6 $ 117,147.25 7 $ 117,147.25 8 $ 117,147.25

Total $ 938,178.00

• Business Analysis:

o Develop and refine the program backlog and prepare for release planning.

o Develop user stories and provide clarifications.

o Build, groom, and maintain team backlog.

o Act as key stakeholder in release and iteration planning.

o Accept stories into the baseline.

o Participate in team demo and retro.

• Technical Support:

o Help assure that the team follows the rules of Agile software development, including SAFe Scrum, XP, and Kanban.

o Help the team in meeting its daily, iteration, and release objectives.

o Work to remove impediments in the organization.

o Facilitate continuous improvement.

o Coordinate solution implementation and delivery with other Scrum Masters on the release train.

• Release Management Support:

o Establish the annual calendars for sprints and program increments.

o Facilitate release planning readiness, vision, backlogs, and events.

o Aggregate team objectives into summarized descriptions of business and technical goals for the program increments of an Agile Release Train.

o Assist with program execution and metrics tracking.

o Report status to Release Management.

• Continuous Integration Support:

o Work with customers, stakeholders, and product owners to maintain a high-level understanding of current and upcoming requirements.

o Understand and communicate non-functional requirements for the system.

o Evaluate design alternatives and perform cost benefit analysis.

o Present the technological vision for the solution during release planning.

o Work with enterprise architects at the Portfolio level to establish an architectural runway for upcoming user and business needs.

o Advise the technical team on Continuous Integration process, practice, and cadence.

• Information Architecture Support:

o Work with the stakeholders to understand the specific business targets behind the user-system interaction.

o Continually validate user experience via user experience testing.

o Provide Agile teams with the next increment of the user interface design and guidelines in a timely fashion.

o Work with the system architect to build and maintain technical foundation for real time user experience validation.

• Configuration Management Support:

o Create a Program Integration Strategy.

o Integrate Automated Tests from teams.

o Maintain development, testing, and staging environment.

o Assist in the design of testing/staging environments that are conducive to APM.

o Deploy a staging environment.

o Create an Automated Deployment Process and offer guidance on its implementation.

4. AUTHORITY AND JUSTIFICATION RATIONALE

41 U.S.C. § 251, et seq. and 40 U.S.C. § 50, as implemented by the Multiple Award Schedule Program, and under the procedures of FAR 8.405-6 “Limiting Sources.” Specifically, FAR 8.405-6 provides that orders placed under the FSS Program are exempt from the competition requirements in Part 6 of the FAR. However, we are further restricting consideration pursuant to the authority of FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A), as “an urgent and compelling need exists, and following the procedures would result in unacceptable delays.”

Currently, we do not have any contracts with vendors that can provide the Agile coaching sought by the agency for the DCPS project. Following the issuance of this short-term task order, we will work towards soliciting a competitive requirement for services using the procedures of FAR 8.405-2.

The CPO is dedicated to implementing the MK recommendations to ensure DCPS success.

To increase the likelihood of successful delivery under this program, agency leadership determined it would be best to “reset” the program. The “reset” allowed the agency to reevaluate the current DCPS implementation practices and processes.

Historically, we used the “waterfall” method of software development. This tied the agency’s software development processes, methodologies, and resources to a linear series of activities that include planning and analysis, development, testing, and implementation.

Transitioning from waterfall to Agile practices exposes DCPS to inherent risks that the agency needs to minimize as much as possible. Given the heightened scrutiny surrounding the DCPS program and the complexity of shifting to this new method of software development, we have an immediate need for coaching services to ensure a smooth and faster transition.

Due to the DCPS reset, the CPO has an urgent and compelling need to implement Agile practices quickly, so that the DCPS development may continue and meet project deadlines.

SFS provided training to agency personnel working on DCPS in late 2014 and gained a deep understanding of our processes related to and the status of the DCPS program. Because the agency already conducted background investigations for the SFS training staff prior to providing recent Agile training, SFS has personnel and resources available to begin providing coaching services quickly. The immediate availability of SFS resources will allow the agency to implement the Agile coaching in enough time to assist us with the upcoming DCPS release in April and with other project deadlines over the next few months.

In addition, because of its prior knowledge gained during training our personnel, SFS possesses in-depth knowledge of the most effective ways to transform our IT culture and working practices to maximize the speed in which we transition to Agile, and deliver a DCPS solution that meets our users’ needs. SFS’s guidance and insight will assist the agency as SFS can customize the process for faster adoption with minimal adverse impact to our schedules. Issuing an award directly to SFS would result in no delay to the agency and would support the program’s timeline.

Any postponement of implementing Agile principles and practices would seriously hinder our efforts to move forward with DCPS. As a major initiative of the agency, we are at a critical junction and cannot afford to deter the upcoming DCPS release in April. In the months to follow, the CPO determines the direction of DCPS, requires the immediate implementation of Agile practices to accelerate the development of DCPS, and obtains information needed for future program decisions. The time it would take to conduct a competitive acquisition for these services during this short window of time will lead to uncertain delays in the DPCS April release and may delay our progress on DCPS development. Additionally, a new vendor would require additional time, which the agency cannot afford, to become acclimated with the program itself, along with the processes the agency currently has in place. Any delay in these services would result in immediate reconsideration of the program’s schedule and success.

5. DETERMINATION BY CO THAT ORDER REPRESENTS BEST VALU E

As provided in FAR 8.404(d), GSA has already determined the prices offered for supplies and fixed-price services and rates for services offered at hourly rates under schedule contracts to be fair and reasonable. By placing an order against a schedule contract using the procedures in FAR 8.405, the CO has concluded that the order represents the best value and results in the lowest overall cost alternative to meet the Government’s needs.

Additionally, before award, the CO verifies that all items proposed are currently available on the GSA schedule and offered at or below current approved GSA prices.

Lastly, the CO will seek a price reduction for prices offered by SFS, consistent with FAR 8.405-4.

6. MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED

Although market research for the initial procurement indicated there were other potential vendors that could perform this work, SFS can immediately provide support services as required for the next few months. The current scrutiny surrounding DCPS, as well as the need to have the Agile methodology implemented, calls for immediate action. Transitioning to another contractor would cause delay and could jeopardize the progress of the program by having to familiarize the new contractor with our systems. Additionally, given the qualifications SFS possesses through its prior work at the agency with DCPS personnel, it is the only vendor capable of performing the short-term services required at the level of quality the agency needs for the reasons outlined herein.

7. ANY OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS

GSA completed a determination of responsibility at the schedules contract level and maintained that ordering agencies are not required to conduct such a determination at the order level. Even so, before making an award, in accordance with FAR 4.1102, 4.1201, and 9.104, the CO will examine the System for Award Management to make an affirmative determination of the contractor’s responsibility. The contractor’s past performance records indicate that it has the corporate ability and the access to necessary knowledgeable and skilled technical resources to perform this requirement.

SFS is a leading provider of IT and engineering services that include data analytics, Agile development, mobility, training, and cyber security solutions to various markets, such as the intelligence, defense, homeland security, and Federal civilian markets.

SFS is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia with 14 offices plus personnel in 141 locations across the United States and overseas. SFS built Agile expertise on proven best practices. SFS understands how to develop software in the real world. It is part of the greater Agile community and understands complex topics from Lean thinking to Development and Operations. More importantly, SFS implemented solutions and proved its worth with several customers in various markets.

As a highly experienced SAFe partner, this partnership gives SFS recognition as having expertise in consulting and implementing SAFe. SFS’s partnership and experience with SAFe will allow it to advise and coach our staff using the tools necessary to successfully make a smooth transition from Agile at the team level to Agile at the enterprise level.

8. STATEMENT OF ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE T O REMOVE

OR OVERCOME BARRIERS THAT LED TO RESTRICTED COMPETI TION

BEFORE SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION IS MADE

The DCPS program office and OAG will continue to seek opportunities for competition on future procurements by surveying the market place and reviewing service literature associated with this requirement.

CONTRACTING OFFICER’S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COT R) AND

PROGRAM OFFICIALS’ RECOMMENDATION AND CERTIFICATION

The COTR and other Program Officials hereby certify that the information provided in support of this Limited Source Justification, and which forms the basis for the justification, is accurate and complete.

RECOMMEND: /s/Shelly Lieberman 02/06/2015

Shelly Lieberman Date COTR, Vendor Management Chief Program Office for DCPS

CONCUR: _/s/_Nadine Tracht________ _02/06/2015_ Nadine Tracht Date Director, Vendor Management Chief Program Office for DCPS

CONCUR: /s/ John Garrigues _02/06/2015__ John R. Garrigues Date Deputy Chief Program Officer for DCPS

CONCUR: /s/ for Terrie Gruber (John Garrigues) _02/06/2015__ Theresa Gruber Date Chief Program Officer for DCPS

CONCUR: /s/_for Bill Zielinski (Herb Strauss) _02/06/2015__ William B. Zielinski Date Deputy Commissioner for Systems and CIO

CERTIFICATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER AND OTHER

CONTRACTING OFFICIALS

The Contracting Officer and other contracting officials hereby certify that the information provided in support of this LSJ is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge and belief.

RECOMMEND: /s/ Molly Papas_______________ 01/30/2015_____

Molly Papas Date Contract Specialist Division of IT Support Services (DITSS) Office of Information Technology Acquisition (OITA) Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG)

CONCUR: ____________________________ _2/5/2015______

Kevin Muñiz Date Contracting Officer/Acting Division Director

DITSS, OITA, OAG

CONCUR: 2/6/2015

Christian Hellie Date Office Director

OITA, OAG

CONCUR: Cathy A, Bella 2/6/2015 Cathy A. Bella Date Deputy Associate Commissioner, OAG

CONCUR: Cathy A, Bella for/ 2/6/2015

Seth Binstock Date Associate Commissioner, OAG

APPROVE: /s/ M. Elizabeth Reich 2/09/15 M. Elizabeth Reich Date