RSA_ARCHER_BJN.docx

Brand Name Justification RSA Archer Software Maintenance

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

Department of Education – Federal Student Aid RSA Archer Software Maintenance

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

It is the intention of the United States Department of Education Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) Acquisitions Group to renew its RSA Archer software maintenance.

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

The purpose of this acquisition is to renew Federal Student Aid’s RSA Archer software maintenance. FSA uses RSA Archer for agency wide incidence response reporting and tracking. The software improves FSA security posture as it pertains to OMB-08-05 (Memorandum on Trusted Internet Connection Implementation), OMB 08-27 (Guidance for Trusted Internet Connection), and OMB 09-32 (Update on Trusted Internet Connection Initiative) as it relates to monitoring and reporting security incidents and PII breach attempts to US-CERT.

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

FSA will be renewing the software maintenance for the following software product:

a. On-Demand App Perp Basic Maint /100emp/mo Quantity: 360

b. BIA PERP<5K bas /100emp /mo Quantity: 180

c. BAC PERP<5K bas /100emp /mo Quantity: 180

d. ISSUE PERP<5K bas / 100emp /mo Quantity: 180

e. ITAC PERP<5K bas /100emp /mo Quantity: 180

f. SECBRCH PERP<5K bas /100emp /mo Quantity: 180

g. SECINCD PERP<5K bas /100emp /mo Quantity: 180

The purchase order will possess a base year and four one-year options.

4. An Identification of the statutory authority and support rationale.

This acquisition will be conducted under statutory 41 U.S.C. 1901

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

Federal Student Aid (FSA) acquired RSA Archer perpetual software licenses and maintenance in September 2014. The software is used by FSA’s Security Operations Center and provides agency wide incidence response reporting and tracking. RSA Archer Security Operations Management will provide FSA the ability to centrally document, track, monitor, and manage incident issues associated with potential security breaches. It also ensures that FSA is in compliance with OMB IT security directives and the incident response guidelines outlined in NIST SP 800-61..

There are other software products that provide similar functionality that RSA Archer software offers. However, moving to a new software product that performs the same functionality of RSA Archer would require FSA to acquire new license; re-configure business applications; retrain the staff in the operations of the new software; and software maintenance. Any cost savings achieved in conducting a competition would be offset by these expenses. Therefore, it is more cost effective for FSA to renew the RSA Archer software maintenance to its perpetual licenses.

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 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

RSA Archer software licenses were purchased in September 2014 and the software continues to meet FSA’s business requirements. Therefore, software maintenance is required. Therefore, no other potential sources were solicited.

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

Price reasonableness will be determined by using historical pricing that FSA has paid in the past for the RSA Archer software maintenance.

8. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted, but it was determined that it was not in FSA interest move to a new software platform for the functionality that RSA Archer software provides. Therefore, FSA will acquire software maintenance for the RSA Archer software licenses it owns.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

There is no addition facts needed to support this Brand Name Justification.

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

No other sources have expressed interest as of the date of this justification.

11. A statement of the 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.

In the near term it is the intention of FSA to continue to use the RSA Archer software outlined in Section 3 of this Brand Name Justification. The financial savings in moving to new software platform that provides the functionality that the RSA Archer software product would be minimal taking into consideration of expenses required to deploy a new software platform. If FSA business requirements change in the future, FSA will conduct new market research to determine if there are potential vendors that could support FSA’s new business requirements.

12. Technical Requirements Personnel Certification

I certify this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the support data, which forms a basis for this justification, is complete and accurate. The requiring FSA program office has provided written supporting data, which is contained in the contract file, that verifies the technical requirements and support the government ongoing need to use the aforementioned brand name commercial items.

Cynthia Freshley Contracting Officer’s Representative FSA Technology Office

13. Certification

I certify that the data supporting this Brand Name Justification is accurate and complete. Therefore, the Contracting Officer hereby determines that it is in the best interest of Federal Student Aid to move forward with this Brand Name acquisition.

Andrew Jernell Contracting Officer Federal Student Aid