AMIC Consolidation Determination HPO Redacted.pdf

DETERMINATION TO CONSOLIDATE CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Human Performance Optimization (HPO) Multiple Award Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (MA-IDIQ)

Solicitation No: FA489023R0026

Contracting Activity: Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center (ACC AMIC), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA.

Program Name: Human Performance Optimization (HPO)

Estimated Program Cost: $988M (ten-year ordering period)

Description: This requirement will consolidate three current Optimization of the Human Weapons Systems contracts to create a new enterprise wide HPO services requirement. The consolidated acquisition will provide an enterprise solution for HPO contracted services to include Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Air Force Material Command (AFMC), Air National Guard (ANG), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), and United States Air Forces Europe- Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The current demands on the Aircrew, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Rescue Forces personnel, as well as emerging research from outside the USAF is continuing to point to the benefits of HPO for specific career fields. This contract is to provide required services for the HPO programs consistent with the needs of the flying, Rescue Forces, and TACP communities, and will include a combination of physical and mental preparation, recovery, resiliency training, and curriculum development.

Findings: This requirement will result in a multiple award indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (MA- IDIQ) enterprise acquisition to provide HPO support services and satisfy at least three existing service requirements identified below:

Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF)

FA489018C5010 ($32M)

This contract is to increase the physical capacity of both the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Guardian Angel (GA) community by decreasing the rate of injuries and accelerating return to duty times.

Contractor personnel work with individual operators to optimize physical performance while collecting, analyzing, and resolving physical readiness level concerns. The acquisition was awarded to Reef Systems Corp, small business 8(a), for a base year plus four option years (26 September 2018 – 31 August 2023), with a bridge extension for an additional year of service (1 September 2023 – 31 August 2024).

Optimizing the Human Weapons System (OHWS)

FA489020C0005 ($108M)

This contract supports fighter aircrew at squadrons throughout ACC, PACAF, and USAFE bases.

Contractor personnel work with active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Component fighter aircrew to optimize physical performance targeting neck and back pain prevention while monitoring, analyzing, and resolving physical readiness concerns. The mission is accomplished by increasing the physical capacity of fighter aircrew, decreasing the rate of injuries, and accelerating return to duty. The acquisition was awarded to LMR Technical Group, LLC., small business, for a base year plus four option years (1 July 2020 – 31 December 2025).

Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Human Performance Optimization (HPO)

FA488719DA005 ($55M)

This contract provides the agility and capacity to improve performance and extend longevity of the “human weapon system,” ultimately increasing the operational readiness and effectiveness of warfighters, law enforcement, and first responders. The HPO program improves cognitive performance, strengthen emotional resiliency, and increase physical capacity and durability. Cognitive performance will address learning speed, recall, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Emotional resiliency addresses stress management, mindfulness, and awareness. Physical capacity and durability focuses on the physical demands of the tactical athlete - elevating on-the-job performance while reducing injury incident rates and medical profile durations. This acquisition was awarded to Bering Global Solution, an Alaskan Native 8(a), for a base year plus three option years (1 September 2019 – 31 August 2023).

IAW FAR 7.107-2(a) the acquisition team conducted the following research and analysis to determine if this consolidation could be determined necessary and justified in accordance with 15 USC 657q:

1) Market research was conducted to assess market conditions, identify small business capability, and gather pertinent information necessary to develop an effective acquisition strategy for this enterprise service. On 2 March 2023, a Request for Information (RFI) was released on beta.SAM. Twenty-one vendors responded (15 small businesses, 4 large business, and 2 non-responsive) with interest and provided relevant information in response to the Government’s questions. A follow-up RFI was issued to gather more information regarding various acquisition approaches, facility clearance statuses, risk mitigation strategies, and small business capability. The Government identified 16 companies with HPO capabilities that also possessed the necessary security clearance. Of those, 13 were small businesses of varying socio-economic status, and three were large businesses. The Government reviewed the RFI responses of the 13 small businesses and determined ten to be capable of performing the HPO requirement.

2) Alternative contracting approaches involving a lesser degree of consolidation were considered and determined ineffective for the overall strategic management of the HPO services for the USAF. The only approach that would result in a lesser degree of consolidation would be to maintain the status quo and solicit separate contracts for each stakeholder. This approach maintains duplicative efforts and costs across multiple contracts. The Government was unable to assess any benefits with this alternative approach.

3) All research and subsequent analysis will be coordinated with the Small Business Specialist at ACC AMIC. Small businesses will not be negatively impacted as the acquisition strategy addresses a total small business set-aside for all contracts awarded under this IDIQ.

IAW FAR 7.107-2(b) and (c) the SPE may determine that consolidation is necessary and justified if the benefits of the acquisition would substantially exceed the benefits that would be derived from each of the alternative contracting approaches identified above, including benefits that are quantifiable in dollar amounts as well as any other specifically identified benefits. Such benefits may include cost savings or price reduction and, regardless of whether quantifiable in dollar amounts-

1) Quality improvements that will save time or improve or enhance performance or efficiency. An enterprise solution for HPO services to support all USAF Aircrew, TACP, and Rescue Forces personnel will not only save time in the acquisition process for these services but will improve and enhance performance and efficiency of those services. Knowledge sharing across task orders, continuity of services, lessons learned, all provide a benefit to the Government that cannot be quantified. As the USAF continues to invest in HP to optimize physical and cognitive performance, decrease occupational injury rates, accelerate return to duty and ensure combat readiness across Aircrew and Warfighter communities, the ability for agile contracting solutions such as this IDIQ will ensure that the active duty members receive the benefit of the most up to date therapies and training available.

2) Reduction in acquisition cycle times. Acquisition cycle time under FAR 16.505 for task orders competed solely based on price or past performance/price tradeoff (PPT) are a fraction of the cycle time for a standard FAR Part 15 acquisition. The contracts under this IDIQ will be awarded to highly qualified companies that have already been vetted for their prior experience and HPO capabilities.

Task orders issued under this IDIQ will be evaluated based either solely on price or PPT and therefore will not require technical evaluations or clearance approvals, which will make the time between identifying a requirement and issuing a task order weeks instead of months. If a recompete or emerging requirement for HP services using FAR Part 15 currently takes 12-18 months (52-78 weeks) depending on size and complexity, and under the proposed MA-IDIQ strategy it only takes 6- 8 weeks due to streamlined ordering procedures, the Government reduces the procurement acquisition lead times (PALT) anywhere from 85% - 92%. This will allow AMIC to execute acquisition solutions that deliver at the speed of relevance for the entire HPO Enterprise.

3) Better terms and conditions. Currently HP services are acquired individually, and the terms and conditions (T&C) are negotiated at the local level. This enterprise solution will set the terms and conditions for all HP services across the CAF communities. Having consistency amongst the task orders will ensure the same high quality services are provided by setting higher qualification standards for each position, and key T&Cs such as vacancy fill rates and standardization of Defense Health Agency (DHA) credentialing will ensure timely services are received in order to accelerate optimized physical performance and pain prevention amongst the flying and warfighter communities.

4) Any other benefit. While the main benefits for this consolidation into a MA-IDIQ are not quantifiable, the Government will also see some quantifiable benefits from reducing administrative personnel costs during source selection and post-award admin. However, these immediate benefits will not meet the 10% ($98M) of the estimated contract value as requirement by FAR 7.107-2(d)(3).

This consolidation only addresses the first three major HPO requirements that are expected as task orders initially (POTFF, OHWS, AETC). Over the life of a 10-year IDIQ that will be available for all Aircrew, TACP, and RF personnel in the USAF, it is expected that the quantifiable benefits will grow with the numbers of users. Even though the administrative personnel cost savings will not reach the FAR’s requirement for justifying a consolidation based on reduction of administrative or personnel costs alone, the reduction in PALT will lead to significant reduction in acquisition costs that is still beneficial to the Government.

a. The Government estimates that a FAR Part 15 recompete for our initial three task orders will cost $2.5M in administrative personnel costs over our planned 10-year ordering period:

Existing acquisition support per recompete

# of personnel

Aprx.

hrs/wk

Aprx. hrs. for a 65-wk.

acquisition*

Est. hourly rate**

Total estimated cost

Contracting Officer (GS-13/5) 1 25 1625 $53.49 $86,921 Contract Manager (GS-12/5) 1 25 1625 $44.98 $73,093 Requirement Owner (GS-13/5) 3 25 1625 $53.49 $260,764

Total estimated cost per recompete: $420,779 Total estimated cost for 3 recompetes: $1,262,333

Total estimated cost for 6 recompetes (3 for each 5-year ordering period) $2,524,665

* Assuming each recompete could take between 12-18 months (52-78 weeks), 65 weeks is the average ** Using 2023 hourly rates for “Rest of the US” locality

b. The Government estimates that by using a streamlined FAR 16.505 task order process, we will reduce administrative personnel costs by $2.4M:

Consolidated acquisition support per TO

# of personnel

Aprx.

hrs/wk

Aprx. hrs. for a 7-wk. TO*

Est. hourly rate**

Total estimated cost

Program Manager (GS-13/5) 1 16 112 $53.49 $5,991 Contracting Officer (GS-13/5) 1 8 56 $53.49 $2,995 Contract Manager (GS-12/5) 1 16 112 $44.98 $5,038 Requirement Owner (GS-13/5) 1 8 56 $53.49 $2,995

Total estimated cost per TO: $17,020 Total estimated cost for 3 TOs: $51,059

Total estimated cost for 6 TOs (3 in each ordering period): $102,117 Reduction in costs from FAR 15 recompetes over 10-year ordering period: $2,422,548

* Assuming a task order could take between 6-8 weeks, 7 weeks is the average ** Using 2023 hourly rates for “Rest of the US” locality

c. A reduction in administrative or personnel costs for our initial three task orders is estimated at only .25% of the total IDIQ ceiling of $988M. While this clearly doesn’t meet the 10% ($98M) the FAR requires to justify a consolidation on its own, combined with the non-quantifiable benefits above, the fact that this consolidation is critical to the agency’s mission success, and our procurement strategy provides for maximum small business participation, it is still necessary and justified IAW FAR 7.107-2(e)(1). Consolidation is necessary and critical to the success of Aircrew and AFSPECWAR Human Performance Optimization programs. Establishing the HPO IDIQ will enable enhanced coordination between HPO programs, the ability to rapidly establish and grow new programs, and the agility to modify program staffing models, processes, specialty service availability, goals and objectives based on end-user feedback and the immediate needs of the Air Force. Failure to unify this effort will dramatically impact the Air Force’s ability to provide standardized human performance optimization programs across Air Force Major Commands and limit capability to demonstrate program return on investment to the detriment of all Air Force Human Performance programs.

DETERMINATION

Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 7.107-2(a) and Air Force FAR Supplement (AFFARS) 5307.107-2, the Senior Contracting Official (SCO) is the authority to make the consolidation determination for actions exceeding $2 million.

While the consolidation benefits noted above do not meet the definition for substantial benefits, IAW FAR 7.107-2(d), they are critical to the agency’s mission success and the procurement strategy provides for maximum small business participation. Based upon these findings, I determine that consolidation is necessary and justified IAW FAR 7.107-2(e)(1).

STEVEN NERENBERG

Deputy Director of Contracting, AFICC/KC (OL-ACC)