E53_BSR_FCG_FEMA_IT_Services_v5_CA_-_Redacted_1.pdf

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

AUTHORITY: FAR 8.405-6 and 40 U.S.C 501

Solicitation: 140D0425Q0004

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program.

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Limited-Sources Justification.”

This document is a limited-sources justification (LSJ) for the Department of the Interior (DOI), Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD), Division II, Branch II, on behalf of the DOI/Federal Consulting Group (FCG) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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

The purpose of this LSJ is to document the rationale for procuring a Task Order (TO) for Information Technology (IT) Services from Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) under GSA Contract 47QREA21D0001 to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of critical services for FCG’s customer FEMA. The majority of the IT services were provided under call order GS-35F- 386DA/1605TA-22-A-0001/1605TA-22-F-0053 which expired on 11/15/2024. Awarding a new TO to BAH will allow FCG to support FEMA in maintaining the essential services required with minimal disruption.

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

a. This requirement will help FCG obtain the expertise and capability to perform critical support services to FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Information Services (DAIS) Program. The DAIS program provides a website for disaster survivors where they can find information and resources from 17 partnered agencies and register for FEMA assistance. The website, Disasterassistance.gov, is hosted on a GovCloud based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. This cloud system is known as the Survivor Online Application and Resource Portal (SOAR). Three primary applications are hosted on SOAR which together are known as the Disaster Assistance Center (DAC). The main applications are Registration Intake, Applicant Inquiry, and Call Center. DAC provides a path for survivors to register for assistance themselves via mobile devices, the internet or with the assistance of call center agents. SOAR sends registrant data to other FEMA systems for processing of survivor applications. SOAR interfaces with other systems for account management, identity validation, database exchange (internal and external to FEMA), document upload, system and security monitoring.

Solicitation: 140D0425Q0004

b. Anticipated Period of Performance (POP): 12/13/2024 – 12/12/2025.

c. Independent Government Estimate (IGE): $

4. The authority and supporting rationale (see 8.405-6(a)(1)(i) and (b)(1)) and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

a. FAR authority for this LSJ is as follows: FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)B - Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

b. BAH has been an integral partner of FCG and FEMA since the launch of DisasterAssistance.gov in 2008 (over 15 years of uninterrupted service), providing essential support to millions of Americans during their times of greatest need after having been impacted by a disaster. BAH’s extensive work on FEMA’s IT complex and intricate IT environment and understanding of the unique demands of disaster support services provides BAH with highly specialized skills to ensure DAIS can continue to operate with no disruption to current operations. BAH’s in-depth knowledge and extensive experience have been instrumental in helping DAIS meet the success factors critical to FCG in support of FEMA’s mission. BAH is highly specialized in providing these services thus understands the unique nature of IT needs following a disaster or changing environments to ensure continuity of work while working on major enhancements and program’s long-

c. BAH also provides comprehensive support for DAIS, including full-scale of development, testing, security, and infrastructure support. They also lead the program’s stakeholder relations and outreach activities, serving as the primary point of contact with 17 Federal agency program members. BAH deploys industry leading customer experience activities, including human-centered design, which drive the design of DisasterAssistance.gov. BAH’s program management team has been with DAIS from the outset of the program and have provided strategic guidance on all modernization initiatives.

d. The last several years have seen increased hurricane and natural disaster activities, as well as a response to the global corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, raising the profile of DisasterAssistance.gov and increasing the demands of the system. To help meet this increased demand, BAH has assisted DAIS in migrating its system from a dated on-premises DHS infrastructure to a state-of-the-art cloud environment, reducing costs and increasing agility for the program. Beginning in 2019, BAH began migrating components to an Amazon Web Services cloud environment, including both front-end content and back-end disaster assistance application registration.

e. If this justification is not approved, FCG would need to engage a new contractor in support of FEMA who would have to manage multiple complex cloud and legacy environments, applications, and interagency partnership during high traffic (surge) periods which would result in disruptions or degradation to services. Incorporating a new contractor would be significantly costly and time-consuming to FEMA’s DAIS due to the onboarding and training required for new contractor staff and the inherent learning curve resulting from the lack of experience with FEMA systems and infrastructure. It would take a new contractor approximately 1-2 years to gain the required expertise in FEMA’s DAIS systems and programs resulting in millions of dollars in additional costs in transition and training. This substantial duplication in cost to the Government is not expected to be recovered through competition. DAIS currently has multiple, simultaneous high priority initiatives that require key program management to ensure long term objectives are met. FCG would avoid these FEMA operational risks entirely by using BAH (the incumbent); allowing FEMA to complete the 2024 Hurricane Season with minimal operational risk.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

Price will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). The Contracting Officer will determine price reasonableness based on comparison of the proposed price with prices found reasonable on previous similar purchases, comparison with the IGE and current GSA price lists.

In accordance with FAR 8.405-2(d) the Government will consider the level of effort and the mix of labor proposed in the total price reasonableness determination to ensure the TO represents the best value.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Due to the mission critical services needed with time constraints, BAH is the only vendor uniquely qualified to meet FCG’s requirements in support of FEMA, thus market research to find other sources was not conducted. BAH is also the only Contractor that is currently performing majority of the services needed for the new requirement and will be able to perform the services under GSA contract 47QREA21D0001. The current circumstances places BAH in a strong position with a justifiable reason to be the only source with the high specialized skills to perform this requirement.

7. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for supplies and services is made.

Modernization efforts of the cloud environment remain ongoing and a limited source award to BAH will provide the Government with the continuity during the completion of these modernization efforts. This limited source TO will allow FEMA to prepare a competitive procurement for follow-on support and ensure there is enough time to transition this critical work safely to the next contractor on any subsequent acquisition.

8. The ordering activity contracting officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

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

Contracting Officer

9. Evidence that any supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel (e.g., verifying the Government’s minimum needs or requirements or other rationale for limited sources) and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical or requirements personnel.

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

Director, Federal Consulting Group

10. For justifications under 8.405-6(a)(1), a written determination by the approving official identifying the circumstance that applies.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)B - Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.