Attachment 3 - Brand Name Justification_Redacted.pdf

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

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 6

XX03 Exam Voucher Cloud Essentials Voucher FFP $ XX04 Exam Voucher Cloud+ Voucher FFP $ XX05 Exam Voucher Cybersecurity Analyst Voucher FFP $ XX06 Exam Voucher IT Fundamentals Voucher FFP $ XX07 Exam Voucher Linux+ Voucher FFP $ XX08 Exam Voucher Network+ Voucher FFP $ XX09 Exam Voucher Penetration Tester Voucher FFP $ XX10 Exam Voucher Project+ Voucher FFP $ XX11 Exam Voucher Security+ Voucher FFP $ XX12 Exam Voucher Server+ Voucher FFP $ XX13 Exam Voucher Data+ Voucher FFP $ XX14 CE Token A+ CE Token FFP $ XX15 CE Token Security+ CE Token FFP $

The 13 CompTIA Exam Vouchers are required for individuals who have completed the required training for the specific certification and are ready to test for that certification. The two CE Tokens are required for individuals who have already received the certification and are looking to renew and maintain their certification.

Department of Defense (DoD) 8140 mandated an enterprise-wide solution to train, certify, and manage the DoD Information Assurance (IA) workforce. The AF IA workforce is and is located across functional communities. Cyber operators and maintainers are required to be 8570/8140 certified which they achieve and maintain through the exam voucher and maintenance token process. The AF Cyber certification program is supporting AF members with exam and maintenance fees for cyber coded positions for the AF Enterprise level. If members do not achieve/maintain their certifications, they are not allowed to accomplish the network administrative tasks necessary to ensure the enterprise is secure.

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

DAFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3572, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

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

As stated above, the intent of this Brand Name Justification is to authorize the purchase of these CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens on a brand-name basis for the duration of this multiple award BPA. The 13 required CompTIA Exam Vouchers and two CE Tokens are essential to the Government's requirement. These brand-name items can be purchased from a licensed/authorized reseller; however, they must be purchased on a brand-name basis to meet the Government's requirement.

CompTIA is the only brand capable of providing the Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens to best meet the DoD cybersecurity requirements while maintaining the CompTIA certifications currently held by personnel. In accordance with (IAW) DAFMAN 17-1305 paragraphs 2.15.8., 2.20.1., 4.4.1., and 4.4.3., military and civilian personnel in cybersecurity workforce positions must achieve and maintain DoD approved cybersecurity foundational certifications/requirements.

IAW paragraph 4.4.3, privileged access shall be removed for any personnel who does not have or maintain qualifications in active and good standing after the transition date. The CompTIA A+, Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) , Cloud+, Cybsersecurity Analyst (CySA+), Penetration Tester, Network+, and Security+ certifications are referenced on the DoD Cyber Exchange website in the DoD 8140 Documents Library as appropriate certifications to meet the DoD cybersecurity requirements ( The Cyber Enablers, Cybersecurity (CS), and Information Technology (IT) spreadsheets under the (NEW) DoD 8140 Qualification Matrices and Training Repository heading have tabs detailing the certification to work role mapping. The matrix and repository provide a central location to review existing cyber qualification options that meet the requirements of the DoD Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program (DoDM 8140.03) and supports the continued professional development of the DoD cyber workforce. Seven CompTIA certifications that are supported by the required CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens listed in Section III, above, are among those certifications that are

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

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 6 mapped to specific Work Role Titles. ACC A6/A6F is required to fund the first chance exam for each Airman to complete this required training. There are no other brands available to take the exam and renew the certifications provided by CompTIA. Therefore, the required Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens provide the means to obtain and maintain some of the approved certifications and must be purchased on a brand-name basis.

As this multiple award BPA is solely being used to procure the Exam Vouchers (after an individual has completed the required training to test for the certification) and CE Tokens (used to renew/maintain certifications that an individual currently holds), the cost of switching to another brand-name certification would encumber unit readiness due to additional training costs, exam costs, and maintenance fees, as well as the intangible time lost to an organization while personnel retrain. Therefore, due to these tangible (including course costs, exam costs, and other maintenance fees) and intangible (mission impact of unqualified personnel) costs, it is in the Government's best interest to purchase the brand name CompTIA Exam Vouchers for personnel to obtain the certification, as well as the brand name CE Tokens for personnel to maintain the certification. Additionally, failure to procure the brand-name CE Tokens for the A+ and Security+ certifications would require personnel to re-acquire the certification (or a different certification) at a much greater cost in exam preparation time, fiscal cost, and impact to their unit's mission.

Finally, IAW DAFMAN 17-1305 paragraph 4.4., civilian and military personnel may be subject to administrative action if they do not obtain or maintain foundational requirements within nine months of assignment to a DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework (DCWF) coded role, meet residential requirements within 12 months of assignment to a DCWF coded role, or maintain their qualified status by meeting continuing education requirements. The failure to certify and/ or recertify both civilian and military personnel would significantly degrade the ability of their unit to complete their mission as it would limit the number of qualified personnel to accomplish critical cybersecurity work across ACC. The CompTIA certifications are already approved by the DoD as acceptable certifications for the required credentials and other brands cannot provide the exam vouchers and tokens compatible with the CompTIA brand. Therefore, it is in the Government's best interest to procure the brand-name CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens in order to assist in enabling personnel to meet and maintain required qualifications.

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

Efforts will be made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. As stated above, the 15 required items can be purchased from a licensed/authorized reseller; however, they must be purchased on a brand-name basis to meet the Government's requirement. The Government's intent is to award a multiple award BPA with more than one supplier for the required CompTIA items of the same type to provide maximum practicable competition. The Government intends to establish a multiple award BPA with up to three vendors who each have the capability to provide all 15 required CompTIA items.

Additionally, for this requirement, the Government issued three Requests for Information (RFIs) to identify as many potential sources (licensed/authorized resellers) as practicable. The RFIs were issued to all 74 GSA 2nd Generation IT (2GIT) BPA vendors; all 428 GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) 611420 vendors; and finally a Sources Sought was issued via SAM.Gov.

The details of each RFI are discussed in Section VIII of this justification as well as maintained in the contract file in the "Market Research" tab.

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

The Government intends to establish a multiple award BPA with up to three vendors who each have the capability to provide all 15 required CompTIA items. The Call Orders will be competed among the awardees; therefore, the Government will rely on adequate competition to establish price fair and reasonableness IAW FAR 13.106-3(a)(1).

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

The required CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens are Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) items that can be bought by both public and private entities. The intent is to establish a multiple award BPA to procure these items through a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation issued via SAM.Gov. The market research conducted for this requirement and the

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

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 5 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 5 of 6 results are detailed below and the full market research report is maintained in the contract file.

As explained above, the brand-name CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens are the only items that can fulfill this requirement for ACC/A6. To conduct market research and identify as many potential sources/offerors as practicable, the Government issued three RFIs. The GSA 2GIT RFI was issued via GSA eBuy on 1 Aug 24 with a closing date of 12 Aug

24. The RFI was issued to all 74 2GIT vendors as 2GIT is the USAF mandatory source for IT requirements. The RFI included an attachment that listed all the required CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens and requested that vendors provide a response indicating which Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens they can provide.

' The Government issued a second RFI to all 428 vendors on GSA MAS 611420.

A third RFI was issued as a Sources Sought via SAM.Gov.

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

None.

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

Therefore, the Government intends to solicit this multiple award BPA requirement via a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation posted on SAM.Gov

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.

Currently, only the CompTIA Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens meet ACC/A6's requirement and allow personnel to test for the required certifications at the conclusion of their training and/or maintain the required certifications after they are initially received. If at any time in the future, a different "brand" of Exam Vouchers and CE Tokens are compatible with testing for and maintaining these specific certifications, then they will be considered if they meet the requirements set by DoDM 8140. As detailed above, CompTIA is the only brand of vouchers and tokens that will allow individuals to obtain and/or maintain the CompTIA certifications mandated by the DoD. The tangible and intangible costs of switching to a different certification brand after an individual's training has concluded or after an individual has already obtained the certification is not in the best interest of the Government.

Additionally, these required items can be purchased through licensed/authorized resellers by issuing a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for this requirement via SAM.Gov. If at any time in the future, different vendors become licensed/authorized resellers of these required brand-name items, they will be considered in future solicitations.

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

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 6 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 6 of 6

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 above, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete.