APS_J A_Redacted.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

I. Contracting Activity.

This justification and approval to request authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition supports requirements generated for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Library Council Organization. The contracting activity for this requirement is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Installation Contracting Division (AFLCMC/PZI).

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

Due to the circumstances described herein, the activity requests authority to acquire electronic access to American Physical Society (APS) electronic journals using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by FAR 13.106(b) and 13.501(a). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order. The period of performance for this effort is a twelve (12) month basic effort with two (2) options of 12 months each. This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following company:

American Physical Society 1 Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740-3844 Phone: 301-209-3200

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

AFRL is the U.S. Air Forces only organization wholly dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for America's air, space, and cyberspace forces. Because AFRL projects cover such a vast spectrum of science and engineering topics, it is very difficult to predict from where the need for information will arise.

Therefore, AFRL Library Council requires electronic access to the American Physical Society (APS) Digital Library Electronic Journals databases.

The AFRL Library Council requires AFRL-wide access to the APS collection of online journals, one of the most comprehensive sources of peer-reviewed scientific literature on physics. The APS journals include: Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics, Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Physical Review C: Nuclear Physics, Physical Review D: Particles, Fields, Gravitation & Cosmology, Physical Review E: Statistical, Nonlinear and Soft Matter Physics, Physical Review Letters, Physical Review Applied, Reviews of Modern Physics and APS backfiles provided via the APS Physical Review Online Archive (PROLA). These publications are accessible to all AFRL personnel at their desktops. This resource is intended to supplement AFRL’s collection of existing technical journals. The cost to the AFRL Library Council for access to the APS online journals from January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016 is based upon an official quote provided by the APS representative.

Jan. 1, 2016-Dec. 31, 2016 Jan. 1, 2017-Dec. 31, 2017 Jan. 1, 2018-Dec. 31, 2018 Total

IV. Statutory authority permitting Other than Full and Open Competition.

13.106(b) Soliciting from a Single Source, 13.501(a) Sole Source Acquisitions

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The American Physical Society (APS) provides a single source for simultaneous online services for multiple scientific titles including, but not limited to: Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics, Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics and Physical Review C: Nuclear Physics. APS has exclusive copyrights to these electronic journals making it unavailable through other publishers. Therefore, APS online journals are a unique resource for AFRL not available from any other source.

The new and ongoing research and development efforts of AFRL will be significantly impacted without access to the collection of records and publications owned by AIP. AFRL at Wright- Patterson has over 2,000 scientist and engineers (S&Es) conducting millions of dollars in research, science, and technology each year. As part of their missions, these S&Es need access to AIP digital library database. Without access to these scientific and technical publications, there will be significant duplication of effort, lost research hours, and waste of research dollars.

Lack of access to the database will mean that the required AFMC Form 14 literature searches related to AFRL project’s Case Files cannot be accomplished. If the literature searches cannot be accomplished, AFRL S&Es could be duplicating efforts and costs that other S&Es (both inside of AFRL and outside) have already completed.

Accordingly, the APS is the only firm capable of providing the supply described in Section III above without the USAF experiencing unacceptable delays in fulfilling its ongoing and future scientific research requirements. Delays from utilizing an inferior product will slow down AFRL’s research and could have negative impacts on AFRL’s ability to fully support the warfighter and the USAF national security mission.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Intent to award on a sole source basis notice was posted on Federal Business Opportunity Net and no qualified responses that could meet the requirement were received. The proposed sole source is the only known source able to satisfy the Government’s requirements.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

In accordance with FAR 13.103-3(a), the Contacting Officer shall determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable. The basis of this determination is anticipated to be based on FAR 13.103-3(ii) and FAR 13.103-3(iii). This has been previously procured by AFLCMC/PZI for the AFRL library council and the price shall be verified against AIP’s current price lists, catalogs, or advertisements.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

As described in Section VI above, market research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by synopsis of the proposed acquisition, advising industry of the pending acquisition and soliciting inquiries from interested parties.

Market research confirms the American Physical Society (APS) are the only known source for the required journals, and are intended to supplement the individual AFRL libraries’ collections of physics literature monograph and serial titles.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

None

X. List of sources, if any, that expressed interest in the acquisition.

American Physical Society 1 Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740-3844

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

The staffs of the AFRL libraries will keep an open dialog with the users/patrons and evaluate usage statistics to determine the necessity of these resources to supplement its collection of physics research materials. AFRL librarians will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition for future requirements. The library also uses publishers’ advertisements, interlibrary loan requests, customer suggestions and new publication review in conducting its surveys.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my signature below, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete.

11/19/2015

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11/ /2015

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