ETFO Amendment_PA approved to post.pdf

Defense Threat Reduction Agency 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Stop 6201

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201

Approved for Public Release

EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY AMENDMENT 2

1. Nature and/or Description of the Action

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) contracting activity intends to award a modification to the existing task order to Applied Research Associates (ARA) under the DTRA Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Research and Technology Development Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract HDTRA1-14-D-0003-HDTRA1-19-F-0005 without requesting proposals from all performers on the CWMD IDIQ contract.

The current address for ARA is 4300 San Mateo Blvd NE, STE A220. Albuquerque, NM 87110 (CAGE Code: 9R446) and will be the only contractor solicited to provide the technical effort for the modification to the CWMD Analysis and Planning Tools task order. The five year effort includes a two-year base plus three option years in addition to both R&D and O&M surge options. The current period of performance for this task order is December 1, 2022 through November 30, 2023 with options available and a full period of performance extending to April 3, 2024. The CWMD RD IDIQ contract currently has a remaining ceiling of $2,261,768,390.57. The ordering period for the IDIQ is December 13, 2013 through December 2, 2023 with allowance for individual order periods of performance to extend 24 months further.

This modification will add timely support for the Joint Targeting Intelligence

Modernization (JTIM) initiative funded under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSDI) advocacy, related efforts funded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), other internal and external programs, and bring the total estimated cost of the task order, including the exercise of all options, to no more than $135,000,000 (a $25,000,000 increase to this ETFO).

2. Description of the Supplies/Services Required

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) assists in protecting the US and its allies from Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Explosives (CBRNE) threats. An important part of this assistance is provided by the Research and Development Directorate, Counter WMD Technologies Department, Counterforce Systems Division (RD- CXS) through development of counterforce and defensive planning capabilities. These capabilities are delivered to the warfighters through analytical models and software tools such as Integrated Munitions Effects Assessment (IMEA), the Underground Targeting and Analysis System (UTAS), the Warfighter Wizard (WFW), and Vulnerability Assessment and Protection Option (VAPO).

The VAPO software is a modeling & simulation toolset designed to provide assessment capabilities in support of force protection, mission assurance, and major event planners within DTRA as well as the CCMDs, military services, other DoD agencies, US Federal Government agencies, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Government (SLTTG) agencies, and US Allies. The VAPO tool is used to identify and communicate vulnerabilities as well as to analyze and optimize protective options. VAPO allows users to model a single or multi-building site to assess its vulnerability to an array of threats, including high explosives, nuclear weapons, and vehicle ramming. VAPO has traditionally focused on protecting above ground conventional structures from Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) attacks but has expanded to additional structures, threats and protective options as necessary to support the DTRA mission

IMEA and VAPO rely on a set of about 90 phenomenology models, many of which are common and shared, and some of which are unique to one tool, that predict both the blast environment and response (airblast, weapon/IED fragmentation, cratering, ejecta, rubble, structural damage, window damage, equipment damage, human injury, progressive collapse, etc.). The models are all integrated into a common 3D Geographic information system (GIS)-based architecture that manages site/facility characterization, model applicability, generation of model inputs, transition of results between models, and analysis and 3D display of model results. These models may be fast-running engineering codes, physics based models, or high fidelity simulations.

The task order was awarded March 29, 2019: the objective of the task order is to acquire Counter-WMD and Force Protection planning capabilities through software design, development, integration, testing, validation, verification, and delivery of periodic updates, and operational support of IMEA and VAPO. Significant efforts include:

• Developing external interfaces with other relevant tools and data sources

• Architecture modernization to support alternate operating systems and platforms or devices such as Android or cloud-based systems

• Architecture modernization to efficiently leverage modern computer hardware

• Aligning architecture with external transition partners

• Integration of higher fidelity or improved models to support chemical or biological source term generation

• Addressing emerging targeting tactics. threats, or procedures

In addition, the contractor will provide subject-matter expert (SME) support at user facilities, technical meetings, training events, and international engagements.

An IMEA/UTAS Enterprise Solution designation resulted in the addition of five (5) new O&M surge CLINs 2007, 2008, 2009. 2010, and 2011 Surge Support (O&M) over the next five years. The new O&M Surge CLINs did not exceed the 60 month period of performance. The O&M CLINs reflect a total increase of 32,500 labor hours with a total increase amount of $5,138,892 on Modification P00004 which was awarded on September 16, 2019. The original task order contract was awarded on March 29, 2019 in the amount of $85,657,373. The new task order total including Modification P00004 was $90,796,265 for the effort. No modification to the original ETFO was necessary for this modification because the additional CLINs have identical requirements to the original O&M CLINs, and the addition resulted in an increased value below the approved ETFO value of $91,739,483.

The new R&D CLINs to support the DIEE interface, AF transition, A2TD efforts, as well as other internal and external programs will not exceed the current period of performance nor $25,000,000 to bring the ceiling of this ETFO from $110,000,000 to $135,000,000.

3. Exception to Fair Opportunity

The statutory authority for this non-competitive action is: FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) which states “only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.”

4. Justification Rationale

IMEA and VAPO are extremely large and complex modeling and simulation tools which have been under continuous development for many years (~29 years for IMEA and ~19 years for VAPO). This type of work requires a unique mix of software developers, engineers, and scientists who can work together on complex engineering software as well as interact with many different groups. ARA has a long history and well documented processes for managing this type of work and as a result they have become a dominant performer in this area with many DoD organizations.

Intimate familiarity with current data structures and handling in IMEA are essential to this task.

While some of the skills and experience necessary to perform this work are easily attainable, many are not. ARA has developed unique expertise with the extensive architecture, engineering models, and communities which these tools support.

Additionally, ARA has already started much of the work which is the focus of the proposed change. At this time ARA is the only performer possessing the required skill and experience capable of providing these services at the level of quality required, and within the necessary timeframes.

5. Market Research

Market research was accomplished in accordance with the Component Acquisition Executive (CAE)-approved Market Research How to Guide, version 9 December 2021, and submitted by the Program Manager (PM) on Feb 28, 2023 for the original award, and is still relevant. The PM confirmed that ARA has satisfactorily performed this work for many years including the current task order.

Section 6. Other Supporting Facts

Development and modification of the tools requires in-depth familiarity with the code and mathematical models therein. As a conservative estimate, a new contractor's team would require 6-8 months of intense training and experience with the current developers to attain the necessary technical and software knowledge specific to these codes. The additional 6-8 months of intense training would only account for developing the necessary skill set to understand the complex code base, and does not account for the time required do modify and develop new capabilities in the software tools to support the JTIM initiative and the work necessary under the MOA with AFLCMC. This could cost approximately $10.8M and would not be value-added to the Government. This cost could not be expected to be recovered through competition-driven lower cost given the duration of the new effort. The time delay in software development would be on the order of six to twelve months initially for familiarization of the new contractor with on-going work in the other closely related tools. This additional cost and time plus the risk of degraded quality and timely delivery of the software/outputs to customers is not justified against any benefits that would be obtained by competing the development work. The time estimates are derived from input from government experts in software development and program management. The additional cost estimate is based on the average monthly burn rate of dollars that would be shifted to train personnel versus develop new capabilities.

7. Subsequent Actions

In order to foster competition for future task orders under the future follow-on ID/IQ contract, sound software development practices (configuration management, documented code reviews, source code documentation, methodology reports, etc.) are being enforced to mitigate risks associated with a transfer of work from one performer to another. These high quality development practices will be critical to an efficient transfer to a new performer and DTRA can encourage these practices using Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs) and by requiring the developer to achieve and maintain a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) level 3 status. Additionally, the effort will require development of (and refinement of existing) Advanced Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs) which can allow non-ARA performers to integrate capabilities (in partnership with ARA or independently) and gain familiarity with the necessary systems, models, and communities.

As a result of such activities, DTRA expects that as program funding increases, competition will become more viable. As we move forward, RD-CX will assess whether other performers are using Software Development Kits to add capability to IMEA and VAPO.

Technical Certification

I certify that the data and information forming the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date Contracting Officer's Representative

Contracting Officer Certification and Determination

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Additionally. I determine that the order represents the best value consistent with Federal Acquisition Regulations.

CHASE.MARY.K.

Contracting Officer

General Counsel Coordination

This justification is legally sufficient.

Attorney

Competition Advocate Coordination

Based on the above justification, I hereby concur with accomplishment of this acquisition by means of limited sources.

Competition Advocate

Head of Contracting Activity Coordination

Based on the above justification, I hereby concur with accomplishment of this acquisition by

Head of Contracting Activity

Approval

Based on the above justification, I hereby approve accomplishment of this acquisition by

Senior Procurement Executive