Attachment_2_-_Brand_Name_Justification_redacted.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

AUTHORITY: FAR 6.302-1(c)

Sol #: 140A2323Q0319 Control #:

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Brand Name Justification.”

Contracting Activity: This document is a brand name justification for other than full and open competition for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education, Office of Information Management Technology

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

Requirement:

New Follow-on Requirement Modification to existing order

Pricing:

Firm-Fixed Price Time & Materials Other _____________

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

• Cisco hardware items and quantities listed on Attachment 1 – Pricing Schedule

• The estimated value of the proposed action is $2.5M

4. An Identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

FAR 6.302-1(c)

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

Since the pandemic the need for distance learning is crucial for the learning environment.

Each school needs various equipment to be brought up to minimum standards for the new Learning Management System (LMS) to support distance learning to work properly and allow all students and staff to use it. Government IT personnel are visiting schools and assessing what is needed per school. The first two phases have been completed. This requirement is to provide the basic equipment needed to support the remaining 23 schools.

The Cisco brand is required in order to maintain compatibility with the existing IT infrastructure currently installed and operating within the BIE’s environment. Telecom has a substantial investment in its current network and IT infrastructure. Purchase of different products or models of similar software products would cause both software and hardware incompatibility issues with IT services. Subsequent changes to the IT infrastructure to resolve any of these incompatibilities would be financially detrimental and would overly complicate the network and IT infrastructure. A new product would also mean additional cost for a new procurement and changing the system and considerable downtime for deployment, configuration, and training to implement the new software development.

The BIE’s eLMS is already underway, and this equipment needs to be ordered, received, and prepped to be installed so the last 23 schools can implement the eLMS and receive proper training without delaying the learning environment.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

Cisco was contacted to discuss how vendors partner with Cisco and how the solicitation needs to be worded to make sure only certified Cisco partners are able to provide quotes.

This ensures no “grey” market items are purchased which voids warranties. Cisco provided a link to their partners as well as a list of Indian-owned partners.

After review of the list of Cisco partners, approximately half are small businesses. After review of the provided list of Indian-owned partners, there are 17 Indian-owned vendors identified. Of the 17 vendors, 15 were verified in SAM as Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs) and two (2) could not be found in SAM under the name listed.

Per the DOI Memo, Mandatory Information Technology Hardware Acquisition Strategy and IT Storefront Catalog, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (NASA SEWP) Government-Wide Acquisition Contract is mandatory to use for all IT hardware except for peripherals. Vendors on NASA SEWP are Cisco certified partners. However, a blanket waiver is in place allowing the BIE to set-aside to ISBEE or IEE prior to using NASA SEWP.

A notice will not be published as this requirement will be a combined synopsis/solicitation under FAR subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services. This J&A will be posted with the solicitation.

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. The contracting officer determines that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on adequate price competition. It is anticipated there will be more than three (3) vendors to provide quotes to the solicitation. Additionally, the techniques identified at FAR 15.404-1(c)(2)(iii) may be used to further ensure award will be at fair and reasonable prices.

8. A description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Please see paragraph 6, Efforts to Obtain Competition, above.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of justification of other than full and open competition, such as:

N/A

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

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

12. Requirements personnel certification.

I certify that the technical data which forms a basis for this justification is complete and accurate and meets the Government’s minimum needs.

Program Representative/COR

13. Contracting officer certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer

14. Reviews and Approvals

Concur

Chief of the Contracting Office

Approve

IA Competition Advocate