limited_sources_J_and_A_-_COMSEC_CARDS_CO_SIGN_11_SEP_15_(2).pdf

Limited Sources Justification and Approval (J&A)

Contracting Activity: AFDW/PKAA

Purchase Request / Local ID Number: F1DT855203A001

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): CARDS Software Support Services

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): N/A

Authority: Multiple Award Schedule Program (FAR 8.405-6)

Estimated Contract Cost (including options): $48,000.00

Description of Limitation:

Headquarters (HQ) / Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) has a requirement for on-site maintenance and repair of the Communications Security (COMSEC) Accounting, Reporting, and Distribution System (CARDS) software, as well as to run a remote help desk for the CARDS. CARDS is a web-based application that provides full life-cycle support for HQ/AFOSI's COMSEC communication assets and automates management-related tasks. The CARDS software is unique and required by AFOSI. Brand name CARDS software is used by many other federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S.

Department of State (State). This also aids in the sharing of information between federal agencies. From market research it appears only three firms support the CARDS software but they are all on the GSA Schedule 70, Information Technology Support.

COORDINATION (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

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Date

11 Sep 2015

Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity Gary Turner/Chief, Integration Branch, SAF-IG

AFOSI/HQ/ 202-404-0574

Signature X

APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) ) ** To remove a row, click the "X" next to the signature block.

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Date

11 Sep 2015

Contracting Officer SrA Chelsey Berrios

AFDW/PKAA/ 240-612-6196

Signature X

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I. Contracting Activity.

Air Force District of Washington 1500 West Perimeter Road, Ste 2750 (PKAA) Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762

SrA Chelsey Berrios, Contracting Officer, 240-612-6196

PR# F1DT855203A001

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

The nature of this action is to award a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) delivery order on the GSA Schedule 70, Information Technology Support Services. The period of performance will be one base year and two one-year options (29 SEP 2015 through 28 SEP 2018).

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

Description: HQ/AFOSI has a requirement for on-site maintenance and repair of the CARDS software, as well as to run a remote help desk for CARDS. CARDS is a web-based application that provides full life-cycle support for AFOSI's COMSEC communication assets and automates management-related tasks. The CARDS software manages, inventories, receives, destroys and maintains accountability of communication assets. AFOSI currently owns the CARDS equipment (servers, Central Processing Units (CPUs), etc.) and Oracle software which are essential. This is the only system approved by the National Security Agency for accounting of COMSEC items.

Cost estimate: The support services are estimated at ten hours for the remote help desk and 70 hours for the actual on-site support of the software (including updates, patches, etc.). The support is estimated at a loaded labor rate of $194/hour at 80 hours per year, with a 2.5% inflation rate:

Base: $15,593.52 Option 1: $15,983.36 Option 2: $16,382.94 Total: $47,959.82

Delivery schedule/Requirements: The contractor shall provide on-site upgrades to the software as is needed, or as the help desk is contacted for software services. The contractor will provide Help Desk support via telephone Monday through Friday, 8 am until 4 pm EST. The contractor shall respond to help desk requests submitted via email no later than one business day after receipt. The contractor shall respond to routine maintenance calls within eight business hours. Routine Maintenance includes checking: proper backups, form printouts, processes and error message processes. The contractor shall respond to work stoppage situations within two business hours. Work Stoppages include: inability to process any transactions with the system and rarely, system failure. On-site visits will include non-personal services and the contractor will furnish all labor and tools necessary to perform on-site visits to AFOSI, in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW).

IV. Identification of the justification/rationale for limiting sources and demonstration of the contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply/service.

FAR 8.405-6 (b)(1) requires an ordering activity to justify its actions when restricting consideration of schedule contractors when the particular brand name, product, or feature is essential to the Government's requirements, and market research indicates other companies' similar products do not meet, or can be modified to meet, the agency's needs.

AFOSI requires support services that deliver unique technology for federal agencies that monitor communications security.

AFOSI requires this software support because of its security mechanisms. AFOSI also requires software that is compatible with other investigative agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for information sharing ease. Brand name CARDS software support will enable the federal government to work more closely together and improve the COMSEC function.

Failure to provide these services would result in poor law enforcement functionality and jeopardize the ability for inter-agency cooperation. The software support services is a limited source as only one name brand, support of CARDS software, is compatible with other agencies' software.

V. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The Contracting Officer will ensure that the anticipated price will be considered fair, reasonable, best value and in the best interest of the Government pursuant to FAR 15.404-1, Proposal Analysis Techniques. This will be based on:

1) Comparison of offered pricing to historical costs;

2) Comparison of proposed pricing to each other;

3) Analysis of data other than certified cost or pricing data provided by the offeror.

Due to the peculiarity of the software support and limited availability of sources, it was determined appropriate to limit the procurement to CARDS sources. While the government will rely on the vendor's GSA pricing under Federal Supply Schedule 70 contracts, the vendors will also be requested to provide their maximum discounts available.

VI. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or explain why market research was not conducted.

A vendor survey was conducted and three firms were found to have the CARDS software support experience: ProLogic (the incumbent), Aquarian Systems, and General Dynamic Information Technology (GDIT). Ability One did not have any of these firms listed. AFWAY/Netcents Application Services was checked, a mandatory source, and it did not have any of these three firms listed. The internet was checked for CARDS support services and GDIT was found to support CARDS services. The Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website was checked and only PROLOGIC was listed as supporting an FBI contract.

Aquarian Systems won a contract with the U.S. State Department (State) last year to support CARDS. In addition, GSA Schedule 70 was checked and all three firms have contracts on it. In addition, Aquarian Systems contacted AFOSI, made an oral presentation of their services and requested their inclusion in the next procurement.

Therefore, market research was conducted in accordance with FAR 10.002 procedures. Market research was based on the requirement's complexity, past experiences, and determination if the items are available commercially to meet the Government's need. This software package support is available to many federal agencies. CARDS support services is provided to many federal agencies, including the National Security Agency, the FBI, State and other investigative agencies.

VII. Other facts supporting the justification.

None.

VIII. Actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services.

Please see the Market Research mentioned above in Part VI. In order to preclude the necessity for a future limited sources acquisition of the same suppliers, an additional market survey will be conducted when options are exercised.

IX. 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.

X. 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.

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( See guidance at the end of this document for completing the following sections. ) I. Contracting Activity.

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

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

IV. Identification of the justification/rationale for limiting sources and demonstration of the contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply/service.

V. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

VI. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or explain why market research was not conducted.

VII. Other facts supporting the justification.

VIII. Actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services.

IX. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

X. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

GUIDANCE

I. Contracting Activity.

Fully identify the contracting activity responsible for the proposed contracting action. Include the name/phone number of the Contracting Officer. Specifically identify as a “Limited Sources” Justification. Identify purchase request number, if applicable.

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

State whether the action is a new order or by modification to an existing order. Identify the GSA schedule number, the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) number, the order number for the current action, and the Contactor(s). Indicate the Period of Performance (PoP). Also identify the type of the order/line items on the order (e.g. Firm Fixed Price, Labor Hour, etc).

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

Specifically describe the supplies and/or services to be acquired including the price and quantity of each item in the order and state the total estimated value of the order. For services, state whether the services are performance-based and, if not, provide rationale for not being performance based. Also state the delivery/performance schedule/period for the items under the order.

IV. Identification of the justification/rationale for limiting sources and demonstration of the contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply/service.

This section is normally the most detailed part of the justification. To assist you in preparing this justification, an introductory sentence and the four circumstances of FAR 8.405-6 that justify restricting the number of schedule holders are provided below. Select the appropriate cite, then provide, in narrative form, a detailed explanation supporting the specific circumstance cited for limiting the number of schedule holders.

(Introductory sentence) FAR 8.405-6 requires an ordering activity to justify its actions when restricting consideration of schedule contractors to fewer than required in FAR 8.405-1 or 8.405-2.

After selecting the appropriate cite, next select one of the four sentences below and provide a detailed explanation supporting the specific circumstance cited.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), “Only one source is capable of responding due to the unique or specialized nature of the work”. (Provide a detailed justification with supporting documentation, as evidence of the “unique or highly specialized” nature of the procurement. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information. Recommend attaching supporting documentation to the back of the document. General statements are not acceptable.)

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C), “The new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures.” The original order was not issued under sole source or limited source procedures. (Provide details on the previously competed order and explain how this order is a logical follow-on to that order. Explain fully the connection between the previous work/order and the current one. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information. General statements are not acceptable.)

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A), “An urgent and compelling need exists, and following the ordering procedures would result in unacceptable delays.” (Provide a detailed justification with supporting documentation that explains the exact urgency of the requirement and the schedule impact if time were to be taken to follow FSS ordering procedures. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information. Recommend attaching supporting documentation to the back of the document. General statements of urgency are not acceptable.)

FAR 8.405-6(b)(1), “The item is peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.” (Brand name specifications should not be used unless the particular brand name, product or feature is essential to the Government's requirements. Therefore, explain why the particular brand item is essential to the Government's requirements, and why other companies' similar items, or products lacking the particular feature, do not meet, or cannot meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency's need. The user/customer typically provides this supporting information. General statements are not acceptable.)

V. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

This section needs to be tailored based upon whether the order is for supplies/services not requiring a statement of work (FAR 8.405-1) or if the order is for services requiring a statement of work (FAR 8.405-2).

For FAR 8.405-1 orders the best value determination needs to be based upon the supply or service offered under MAS contracts by surveying at least three schedule contractors through the GSA Advantage! on-line shopping service, or by reviewing the catalogs or price lists of at least three schedule contractors. The ordering Contracting Officer's review of the Contractor's price list(s) and any price reductions sought is also required. (Contracting Officer should seek additional price discounts/concessions based on the specific order requirements on all orders over the micro-purchase threshold.) In addition to price, when determining best value, the ordering activity may consider, among other factors, past performance, special features of the supply or service required for effective program performance, trade-in considerations, probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item, warranty considerations, maintenance availability, environmental and energy efficiency considerations, and delivery terms.

When an order contains brand name specifications, the Contracting Officer shall post the Request for Quote (RFQ) along with the basis of the justification as required by FAR 8.405-6(b)(3).

For FAR 8.405-2 orders for services requiring a statement of work, FAR 8.405-2(d) requires that an evaluation be performed based on the criteria provided to the schedule contractors. Therefore, the justification must address how the FAR 8.404(d) requirement for an evaluation of the proposed level of effort and mix of labor will be conducted and include a statement that the Contracting Officer will perform a price reasonableness determination as part of the best value determination.

VI. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or explain why market research was not conducted.

Discuss market research that was conducted among schedule holders and the market research results that led to the conclusion to go sole source or to limit the number of schedule holders to be solicited. The narrative in this section should provide a high level of confidence that the requirements of 8.405-1 and 8.405-2 could not be met. If no market research was conducted, state so and provide the rationale.

VII. Other facts supporting the justification.

When FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) is cited for an follow-on acquisition as the basis for the justification, include an estimate of the cost that would be duplicated and the basis and derivation of the estimate, or provide details on why a delay to solicit additional schedule holders would be unacceptable.

Provide any other facts supporting the Limited Sources Justification.

VIII. Actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services.

Describe all efforts to be taken to remove or overcome any barriers that preclude the agency from meeting the requirements of FAR 8.405-1and FAR 8.405-2 before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made. If no actions are planned, so state and provide reasons.

IX. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

The contracting officer's signature on the signature page evidences that he/she has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief.

X. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel

As evidenced by their signatures on the signature page, the technical/requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein which is their responsibility is both accurate and complete.

9.0.0.2.20120627.2.874785

[ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: Gary Turner/Chief, Integration Branch, SAF-IG

AFOSI/HQ/ 202-404-0574

Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: SrA Chelsey Berrios

AFDW/PKAA/ 240-612-6196

Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ] Name: [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]