J A_-_CS_GSU_Net_Infra_Tech_Refresh.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

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I. Contracting Activity.

This is a Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition prepared by United States Air Force (USAF), 39th Contracting Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. The funding document associated with this action is F2G3E25231A001.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

This is a brand name restriction for CISCO Switches for geographically separated units at Ankara, Turkey, such as 717 ABS, ODC-T, ONS and C/JSOTF-S elements. This action will be awarded as a new firm-fixed-price contract.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

See a list of the items being purchased below. The total estimated value of the acquisition is The estimated delivery date would be 45 to 60 days after award. The appropriation type that will be used to fund this requirement is 3400.

42ea. CISCO 48 Port Switch 23ea CISCO 24 Port Switch 65ea CISCO Network Module 65ea CISCO 715WAC Power Supply

IV. Statutory authority permitting Other than Full and Open Competition.

IAW 41 USC 1903, as implemented by FAR 13.5(a)(1)(ii), required by FAR 6.303-2(b)(4).

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

The use of the brand name specifications in this acquisition is essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by other companies. CISCO brand name switches are required for interoperability for remote management, remote monitoring, and remote software maintenance. This capability ensures continued network operation and security for Incirlik AB and geographically separated unit's connected to the Incirlik enterprise network. Additionally, the US Air Force has contract sustainment, software license, and technician training for the devices in this acquisition.

Substituting other brands will not be acceptable since only devices that have been through the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certification process can be installed on the Air Force network.

After a system has been approved through the JITC process, the system is listed on the Defense Information Services Agency's (DISA) Approved Products List (APL) is procured and installed at a location, it shall comply with the appropriate DISA Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) and shall report its status to the appropriate Single System Manager (SSM) annually.

Each system's configuration is captured and maintained in the Enterprise configuration management system. Changes to the configuration and/or hardware must go through a stringent testing process. The procedure is designed to test for compatibility with existing hardware and software within the system as

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well as interoperability with downstream and upstream hardware and software. The testing used for system interoperability allows us to use one system configuration file for all like systems throughout the enterprise.

This reduces the cost of man-hours for testing, system configuration management, change management as well as maintaining our troubleshooting knowledge management database. Each additional vendor that we introduce into the operational environment increases the cost of maintaining the Information System environment. The rise in cost is due to additional man hours for testing, maintaining configuration versions, change review boards and external training not included with the existing system. Minimizing the man hours and labor to maintain the system is critical in contingency environment such as this,where system downtime is not acceptable, and additional maintenance capability costs additional deployed personnel.

It is mandatory that the system configuration is consistent with the configuration used during the Approved APL process. PER DoDI 8100.04 all networks that support the UC shall use certified products from the DoD UC APL. Upon installation, the IA configuration settings must be validated as part of the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) as described in the DoD Certification and Accrediation, Process Guidance in order to attain its C&A, Authorization to Operate (ATO), and/or its Authorization to Connect (ATC).

Additional training is required for each subsequent element of hardware or software that is not organic to the conventional system for the Army personnel maintaining and operating the system. The purchase requested aligns to the native software and hardware in each system and the soldiers have received the required training for all the native hardware and software for each system. This has a secondary effect of allowing each requested item to quickly act as a backup to our current infrastructure; because of the interoperability and configuration compatibility there is no need for additional training.

Ultimately, the proprietary nature of CISCO hardware precludes sourcing other vendors for similar products. Only CISCO hardware will work with the already owned CISCO equipment. The interoperability and approved listing of this equipment is essential to the fielding of this system. The use of these limiting factors and specifications listed above is essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company. (FAR 6.302-1(c)).

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

There is no Small Business Administration in Turkey and it's limitations and those outlined in FAR 19 do not apply to this requirement. As a result there will be no distinction between large and small businesses for the requirement. There is a reasonable expectation that there will be 3 or more responsible offerors, competing independently, interested in this acquisition based on market knowledge and vendor knowledge, as well as a verbal RFI. The specific brand cannot be substituted due to the current enterprise configuration and only Cisco models listed on the DISA APL can be offered as a model substitute from vendors. The contracting office will post this Justification to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (www.fbo.gov) IAW FAR 13.501(a)(1)(iii) and allow interested sources to respond electronically.

This acquisition will not require a synopsis IAW FAR 5.201 due to the exception listed at FAR 5.202(a)

(12) as this is a Defense Agency purchase made outside of the US and its outlying areas and only local sources will be solicited. This is not a World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) or Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

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

Prior to award of the contract, the contracting officer will take the necessary actions to determine the price to be fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a). The vendor shall certify that it is a CISCO Manufacturer Authorized Reseller/Partner as of the date of the submission of their offer, and that it has the certification/specialization level required by Cisco as the Manufacturer to support both the product sale and product pricing, in accordance with the applicable Manufacturer certification/specialization requirements.

Unless otherwise specified, Vendor shall warrant that the products are new and in their original box. The Vendor confirms to have sourced all CISCO manufactured products submitted in this offer from manufacturer only, in accordance with all applicable laws and policies at the time of purchase. The Vendor shall provide Buyer with a copy of the End User license agreement, and shall warrant that all Manufacturer software is licensed originally to Buyer as the original licensee authorized to use the Manufacturer Software."

The equipment serial numbers will be verified against manufacturing records prior to accepting delivery.

Any unauthentic or equipment which is verified as anything other than new and original by the manufacturer, will be rejected and returned to the bidder at their expense. The anticipated cost will be considered fair and reasonable on the basis of competition and comparison with published price lists. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(7)).

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

Market research was conducted to determine the vendor capability for this type of requirement. Searching the CISCO website, there are 624 partnering providers for CISCO equipment in the country of Turkey, the vendors which this acquisition is limited to per the Defense Economic Cooperation Agreement (DECA) signed by the United States (US) and Government of Turkey (GoT). However, given the expeditionary nature of this requirement and the fact that it requires rapid turnaround, soliciting local vendors registered in SAM will be the preferred method of solicitation. These vendors have also demonstrated the ability to gain access to base, something that is controlled by the Turkish Air Force (TuRAF) not the US, as this is at Turkish base. The vendor's solicited will be based on the Contracting Officer's knowledge of their previous capabilities to deliver like requirements in a timely manner. 39 CONS maintains a list of vendors known to have capability of providing communications and IT equipment. The intent is to use these organic vendors to support this brand name requirement as necessary. The vendors below have stated they can support this requirement. In the event that they cannot, the 39 CONS can work outside the DECA in order to support the acquisition.

As described in Section VI above, market research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by advising industry of the pending acquisition and soliciting inquiries from interested parties.

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

Based on the above information and in accordance with FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii) , our research has led us to the conclusion that the specific items required by brand name are the only ones capable of providing the requested service. This is a mass purchase to refresh the IT network switches across geographically separated units' Area of Operation.

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

See section VI above.

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.

The Government will continue to seek maximum competition by making similar requirements available through the FBO website in the future. Since this acquisition is an expansion to an existing system, similar purchases using restrictive descriptions may be required in the future to extend the life and usefulness of the existing system.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by his/her signature, the contracting officer has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief. (FAR 6.303-2(b)(12))

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by their signatures, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that nay supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete. (FAR 6.303-2(c))