Attachment 11 STAAS Sole Source Justification Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 2 of 8March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 2 of 8

APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date

08 May 2024

Competition Advocate Amy York

HQ AFRC/PKO

497-1614 amy.york.1@us.af.mil

Signature

YORK.AMY.S.

1169712979

Digitally signed by

YORK.AMY.S.1169712979

Date: 2024.05.08 08:48:29 -04'00'

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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I. Contracting Activity.

HQ AFRC/PKA

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

The HQ AFRC/A6CN is seeking to purchase program and consulting services in support of the Information Technology Storage-As-A-Service (STAAS) Management System from Dell-EMC Corporation (Dell-EMC). This requirement requires full-time, on-site technical expertise for overall architectural design, administration, planning and mission support for the implementation and interface support of hardware and software solutions related to network storage. Specifically, the requirement includes management of all storage operations across AFRC HOST sites on both the high and low (NIPR and SIPR) sides of the Air Force network, i.e. testing random stored virtual server clients, implementing new/redesign of existing storage platforms, back-up, storage recovery, contingency planning, system management, including day-to-day operation support within AFRC sites; planning and assignment of multiple storage based solutions to ensure best security practices are followed for the environment; analysis and reporting of usage trends for all storage and fabric Dell-EMC equipment; capacity planning; and recommendations to AFRC staff for future initiatives. This is a recurring requirement for a basic annual period and four annual option periods. The annual estimated amount (average) is $ for a total acquisition cost estimate of $ Air Force Reserve (AFR) Operations & Maintenance (3740) will be used to fund this requirement.

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

This requirement requires certified Dell-EMC badged resident (on-site) specialist support with full reach-back and proprietary tools access that is exclusively available within Dell-EMC, such as internal product support knowledge databases and proprietary architectural and technical information not available to the public or third party (Dell-EMC Proven Professionals).

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency.

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

Due to direct engineering and unique architectural reach-back, including proprietary diagnostic tools that are necessary and essential to ensure the Dell-EMC IT Storage Management Systems are operational 24/7, Dell- EMC is the only contractor that can provide Dell-EMC badged resident specialists. These specialists have unique access to full Dell-EMC reach-back that the specialists can engage with as necessary to resolve technical support issues. This Dell-EMC reach-back is not only essential, but is the only way to resolve complex support issues efficiently to ensure 24/7 operations. Dell-EMC badged resident specialists have special permission to login into DELL-EMC systems whereas third party support staff does not. Dell-EMC restricts the permission to “non” Dell-EMC resident badged specialists because misuse of the functionality could cause catastrophic data loss and services interruption, which could take a considerable amount of time to recover from. Dell-EMC badged residents are Dell-EMC trained and hold Dell-EMC certifications and are measured against an ongoing Dell-EMC Individual Development Plan to ensure their skills remain current and consistent with the evolving environment they manage. Dell-EMC badged residents have access to Dell-EMC proprietary tools/software such as Diagnostic Testing, Performance Monitoring and other specialized tools and software to diagnose hardware and software issues. Dell-EMC badged residents are occasionally permitted special access privileges (root access) into systems and applications for more immediate support troubleshooting and remediation.

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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

Based on Market Research conducted in February 2024, Dell-EMC has some proprietary diagnostic application tools and is the only source that can provide required full-reach back of engineering services and support, including proprietary storage, diagnostics, configuration, lustering, and monitoring tools. Alternative approaches to acquire this service requirement are cost prohibitive, for example the acquisition of all new equipment would be required. No source has full-reach back to another source's equipment. At this time, no other source is capable of satisfying the agency's requirement because alternative sources or alternative equipment or equipment substitutes that might fill the government needs with only minor modification would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be received through competition.

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

The anticipated cost to the Government is expected to be fair and reasonable based upon price analysis with the previous two contracts that were awarded to Dell- EMC (FA6643-14-C-0007). The current contract FA6643-19-C-A0002, was awarded in FY2019 for a basic one-year period and four annual option periods ending on 29 Sept 2019.

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

Market Research conducted in February 2024 concluded that Dell-EMC is the sole source that can provide required full-reach back of engineering and architect, including propriety diagnostics tools, and monitoring tools that are necessary and essential to ensure the Dell EMC IT Storage Management system are operational 24/7.

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

Only one source, Dell-EMC, can fulfill this requirement.

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

N/A

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.

If the Government decides to replace the Dell-EMC hardware and software in the future the purchase would be made competitively. However, at the present time, full replacement of hardware and software is cost prohibitive. In addition, market research reflects that there are no other sources equipped with the capabilities to maintain another manufacturer's storage device with full-reach back to the manufacturer for access to proprietary tools/software and other specialized tools and software to diagnose hardware.

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 (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.