FA860418P5054_JA_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE

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NOTE: If a Justification was approved for the preceding acquisition, a copy of the approved Justification for the predecessor action must be included in the staff package for approval of the instant Justification. This applies to Justification staff packages that are submitted for review and approval at a level above the contracting officer. The predecessor Justification will be used as a reference document by the approving official.

Is this a new or amended J&A Document? New Amended ( Prior to Award Only! )

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan? Yes No

Funding level for this acquisition: >SAT and < $700K > $700K and < $13.5M

Contracting Activity: AFLCMC/PZIEC

Purchase Request / Local ID Number:

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): ProQuest Databases for DoD Library Consortium

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): Other Contracting

Authority: AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2304a, Special Emergency Procurement Authority (41 U.S.C. 1903)

Estimated Contract Cost (including options): Justification Type: Class Individual

COORDINATION (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date

28 Aug 2018

Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity

AFSVA/SVPL

Signature

Date

Contracting Officer

AFLCMC/PZIEC,

Date

Section Chief

AFLCMC/PZIEC,

Date

29 Aug 2018

Local Legal Reviewer

AFMCLO/JANO,

Date

05 Sep 2018

Branch Chief

AFLCMC/PZIE,

Date

10 Sep 2018

Deputy Chief of Contracting

AFLCMC/PZI,

Date: 2018.08.28 09:04:47 -05'00'

Date: 2018.08.28 10:13:08 -04'00'

Date: 2018.08.28 15:34:21 -04'00'

Date: 2018.08.29 09:28:07 -04'00'

Date: 2018.09.05 16:47:16 -04'00'

Date: 2018.09.10 14:29:33 -04'00'

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date Competition Advocate

AFLCMC/PK,

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I. Contracting Activity.

This justification and approval to request authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition supports requirements generated for the Department of Defense (DoD). The contracting activity for this requirement is the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Specialized Contracting Section (AFLCMC/PZIEC).

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

Due to circumstances described herein, the activity requests authority to procure electronic access to ProQuest's U.S.

Major Dailies, Press Reader, Ancestry Library Edition, Culture Grams, and FOLD3 using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by FAR 13.106-1(b)(soliciting from a single source), and 13.501(a)(Sole source acquisitions). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract. Press Reader was purchased only for the Air Force in 2017, and will be purchased for DoD in 2018. In 2017, Culture Grams was bought for DoD by the Navy, and U.S. Major Dailies were bought for DoD by the Air Force. The current subscription for U.S.

Major Dailies, Culture Grams, and Press Reader will expire on 29 SEPT 2018. Fold3 and Ancestry Library Edition are a new requirement for DoD. The subscription period of performance will run from 30 SEPT 2018 to 29 SEPT 2019. This subscription will be purchased with FY18 0100 DoD Funds. This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following company:

Proquest, LLC

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

The proposed effort covered by this individual justification and approval is for a 12-month subscription to the ProQuest databases for all members of the DoD libraries. There are over one million users that require access to the information provided within. This database provides access to U.S. Major Dailies, Ancestry Library Edition, Culture Grams, Press Reader, and FOLD3. U.S. Major Dailies are full-text, same day publication access to five (5) major U.S. newspapers, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.

Ancestry Library Edition is a genealogical resource database which provides access to records and potential family history, as well as U.S. census data. Culture Grams is an in depth resource for reference and research of country and state cultures. Press Reader provides world newspapers, both current and archived for leisure reading and research in full-text from major publications as well as local resources. FOLD3 provides archived military records specifically for military genealogy and research.

The AF libraries program mission is outlined in AFI 34-150, the DoD libraries program mission is outlined in DoDI

1015.10. Per the AFI and DoDI, the DoD Libraries provide information resources and services required to accomplish the Air Force and DoD mission. The libraries support military personnel assigned to contingency operations, remote sites, and military missions IAW DoDI 1015.10, Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs. The program provides professional military and voluntary education program materials and services. The libraries also provide facilities, resources and services to enhance the quality of life, regeneration and resiliency for authorized customers. The DoD Library Consortium exists to create partnerships among the libraries within the various services of the DoD. They cooperatively acquire materials that are made available to military and civilian employees across the DoD.

To meet these needs, the DoD libraries must procure resources that can be accessed globally, including in areas with low or no internet access, and provide the below stated requirements. These resources need to include access to distinguished newspapers with independent journalism. This digital access needs to provide same day digital delivery, without an embargo, on all titles. The information needs to be accessible through an interface that can pull data from a wide breadth of data sources to provide the maximum return possible on information searches. To maintain a global perspective and provide information from countries where DoD units are based or may have personnel, the DoD libraries require access to a wide collection of international and domestic newspapers. These newspapers need to be full digital replicas of the original publications, and be available for reading through desktop

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 4 of 7 or application and be able to be downloaded for access offline. All foreign language newspapers must be able to be translated into English. This collective access is critical to effective information gathering. The libraries require access to aggregate data from all resources to allow DoD personnel the ability to gain the most complete and accurate data on a topic from international and domestic environments. DoD personnel need to have an understanding of the ever changing environments at local, state, and international level.

The DoD Libraries need a resource to provide cultural and sociological insight and information to better prepare warfighters for the various cultures and locales they may live or work within. This resources must provide an overview of the culture in text and info-graphics while also being substantiated by primary sources and interviews with natives. The information needs to cover culture, society, economics and political climate as well as discuss the subjects of languages, taboos, food, and history.

The DoD Libraries also require a resource that provides research for personnel development that meet the quality of life, regeneration and resiliency as stipulated by AFI34-150 and DODI 1015.10. To meet those needs, the DoD Libraries require a resource that provides information on family history, genealogy, and military records. This resource needs to be a searchable database that provides access to family records from U.S. sources and international sources, U.S. census data, international records of emigration and immigration, provide tools and documents to aid in research. The user interface must be easy to use and pull data from a wide variety of sources. The military records needs to include documents, photos, and archives for service members from the Revolutionary War to the present.

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2302b Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

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 ProQuest databases provide resources to the Air Force Libraries and DoD Consortium, not available from any other source. It supplements the library's collection of books, journals, and newspapers for a broad range of subject matters that allows the Air Force and DoD Libraries to complete their program mission as outlined in AFI 34-150 and DoDI 1015.10, see Section III.

ProQuest Press Reader and U.S. Major Dailies provide up to date access and a complete archive of newspaper resources from around the world. US Major Dailies is the only resource that provides collective access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune with same day access and without embargo or pay wall. Only ProQuest offers same day public access to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune which is imperative for the DoD to have the most current news and accomplish their mission. Alternatively, an individual could receive account access for each individual Newspaper; however, it would be cost prohibitive for the over one million library users. The user interface ProQuest provides allows for multiple sources to be searched at once, providing the maximum return on information sources and increasing the overall value of each search. This will allow the DoD to achieve their mission effectively and efficiently, and no other potential vendor could provide this capability. The Press Reader subscription provides access to 7,000 publications from 120 countries in 60 languages. Press Reader is required to allow DoD personnel access to a wide ranging collection of publications to ensure effective research capabilities for users and access to expansive international information. These full digital replicas can be translated into 18 different languages, and are made available with same day access without embargo or pay wall which is essential for the DoD to have the most current international news and achieve their mission. Press Reader is also available through desktop, mobile application, and can be downloaded, which provides flexibility to access these material in areas with low or no internet. There is no other known provider that offers these capabilities which are vital to the Libraries' mission.

ProQuest offers genealogical research that supports the DoDI 1015.10 requirement of providing resources and

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

25 May 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 5 of 7 services to enhance the quality of life, regeneration and resiliency. ProQuest offers access to Ancestry Library Edition and Fold3 which combined have the largest and most expansive collection of genealogical resources available. Ancestry Library Edition is the largest online family history database available with access to approximately 9 billion records, including U.S. Census data and tools and documents to assist in patrons in research.

Only Proquest distributes Ancestry Library Edition. The libraries require access to robust familial and U.S Census data to provide the ability for patrons to research for personnel development to meet their quality of life, regeneration and resiliency mission. Fold3 specifically focuses on military records and provides over 450 million military documents of personnel who served since the Revolutionary War and includes access to documents and photos from the African American Archives, American Revolution Archives, World War II Archive, and the Holocaust Archives. These genealogy resources are exclusively provided by ProQuest, and their aggregate output allows DoD users the most comprehensive source for this material. Moreover, the ProQuest user interface allows a user to effectively find the desired information, and it adds research value that far exceeds what would be available to a user searching multiple individual databases. The DoD Libraries are mandated by DODI 1015.10 to provide resources that provide research for personnel development and that provide a higher quality of life, regeneration and resiliency for the warfighter. To meet those needs, the DoD Libraries require a resource that provides information on family history, genealogy, and military records. This resource needs to be in a searchable database with an easy to use interface that provides access to family records from U.S. and international sources, U.S. census data, international records of emigration and immigration, and it must provide tools and documents to aid in research. The military records needs to include documents, photos, and archives for service members from the Revolutionary War to the present. Only Proquest is capable of providing the applicable databases to meet the requirements of the DoD.

This sole source acquisition is justified because ProQuest LLC has exclusive rights to U.S. Major Dailies, Ancestry Library Edition, Culture Grams, and FOLD3. ProQuest is the preferred provider of Press Reader and the total compilation of data is not available for purchase through any other source. ProQuest's exclusive rights to these databases preclude purchase from any other publisher. Therefore, ProQuest, LLC is the only known source capable of providing the supplies described above for the Department of Defense to accomplish the libraries' mission.

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

Market research confirms that ProQuest is the only known source that can satisfy the Government's requirements and is intended to supplement the DoD collection of information products.

A Sources Sought notice was posted on the government-wide point of entry, Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website from 27 June 2018 through 18 July 2018, seeking potential sources capable of fulfilling the requirement. The synopsis outlined minimum characteristics a similar product would have to meet to fulfill the requirement as described in sections III. and V. above. No qualified response capable of fulfilling the requirement was received.

Furthermore, an Intent to Award Sole Source notice was posted on FBO from 19 July 2018 through 24 July 2018 advising industry of the government's intent to award sole source and requesting any interested sources to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to fulfill the requirement. The synopsis outlined minimum characteristics a similar product would have to meet to fulfill the requirement as described in sections III. and V. above.

No qualified response capable of fulfilling the requirement was received.

AFSVA/SVPL surveyed the market for vendors to determine if competition was available for this requirement. The library uses publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews to conduct its surveys. No viable sources were found.

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

In accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a), the Contracting Officer shall determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable. The basis of this determination is anticipated to be based on FAR 13.106-3(a)(2)(ii) and FAR

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13.106-3(a)(2)(iii). Part of this purchase has been previously procured by AFLCMC/PZI for the AF Libraries and will be utilized to compare past prices. All prices of the databases shall be verified against ProQuest's price lists, catalogs, or advertisements and by comparison to prices previously paid as applicable.

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

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

Moreover, the AFSVA/SVPL surveyed the market in order to determine if competition was obtainable. The library reviewed advertisements, new publications, and attended available conferences to ensure a sole source acquisition was the most appropriate moving forward.

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

None

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

Proquest, LLC

At this time, no other sources have expressed an interest. The proposed sole source is the only known source that can satisfy the government's requirements.

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 contracting office will post a Sources Sought and an Intent to Award Sole Source on FedBizOps, as described in Section VI above, in order to obtain competition. If acceptable responses are received, the contracting activity will modify its strategy accordingly.

AFSVA/SVPL will maintain an open dialog with the users/patrons and observe market trends to determine whether or not alternate sources exist to supplement its collection of subscriptions. Additionally, AFSVA/SVPL will continue to survey the market to facilitate competition amongst capable vendors able to provide competition for this requirement. The library will use publishers' advertisements, interlibrary loan requests, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys to ensure their understanding of the market and to determine if competition exists.

XII. 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.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my

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(our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.