JandA_US_Major_Dailies_Redacted1.pdf

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

SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE

25 May 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 1 of 4

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: / FA8604-19-P-5051

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): ProQuest US Major Dailies for DoD Libraries

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

07 Jun 2019

Requiring Activity

Signature

APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date

26 Jul 2019

Contract Officer

Signature

Digitally signed by

Digitally signed by

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

25 May 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 2 of 4

I. Contracting Activity.

This justification and approval to request authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition supports requirements generated for the Air Force Libraries. 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 US Major Dailies 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 Contract. The current subscription will expire 30 SEPT 2019. The subscription period of performance will run from 30 SEPT 2019 to 29 SEPT 2020. This subscription will be purchased with

This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following organization:

ProQuest, LLC

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

The proposed effort covered by this individual J&A is for a 12-month subscription to US Major Dailies for DoD Libraries. This database is a vital reference tools for DoD personnel. It is important for service personnel and library staff for having the ability to provide instantly accessible digital information from newspapers, both current and archived, for leisure reading and research in full-text from major publications as well as local resources that can be streamed or downloaded with no waiting. This database collection provides information that enhances the mission, education, and quality of life for military personnel.

The mission of DoD MWR Libraries is outlined in DoDI 1015.10 stating DoD Libraries will provide information resources and services required to accomplish the 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 programs materials and services. 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 resource need to include access to five major US published newspapers. 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 provide multiple workflow tools such as text-to-speech capability, RSS/alerts, share, cite, print, and export from major newspapers to help the research process be flexible, thorough, and efficient. These newspapers need to be full digital replicas of the original publications, and be available for reading through desktop or application and be able to be downloaded for access offline.

Article translations into multiple languages are necessary for foreign speaking military. 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 awareness of current cultural, social, and financial information to better prepare warfighters for the various situations evolving in the world. The information

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

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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 DoDI 1015.10. To meet those needs, the DoD Libraries require a resource that provides information on current events and financial situations.

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).

US Major Dailies provides resources to the DoD Libraries not available from any other source. It supplies access to five of the leading US newspapers to cover a broad range of subject matters that allows the DoD Libraries to complete their program mission as outlined in DoDI 1015.10, Section III.

ProQuest US Major Dailies provides up-to-date access on world events through The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. The US Major Dailies is required to allow DoD personnel access to a wide ranging collection of information through five publications to ensure effective research capabilities for users. These newspaper articles can be translated into 18 different languages and are made available with same day access without embargo or pay wall.

US Major Dailies is also available through desktop, mobile application, and can be downloaded, which provides flexibility to access these newspapers in areas with low or no internet. There is no other known provider that offers these capabilities which are vital to the Libraries' mission.

This sole source acquisition is justified because ProQuest LLC is the provider of US Major Dailies and the total compilation of newspapers is not available for purchase through any other source. ProQuest, LLC is the only known source capable of providing the item 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.

A sources sought notice was posted on Federal Business Opportunity (FBO) from 21 June 2019 - 12 July 2019 requesting any interested firms to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to provide 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 responses that could meet the requirement were received.

An intent to award sole source was posted on FBO from 16 July 2019 - 23 July 2019 advising industry of the intent of the Government to award sole source and requesting any interested firms to submit a capabilities package indicating their capability to provide 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 viable responses were received.

AFSVA/SVPL surveyed the market for vendors to determine if competition was available for the requirement.

The library used publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews to conduct its surveys. They contacted subject matter experts in other agencies to confirm there are no other vendors that meet the libraries mission in the market. No viable vendors were found.

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

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

25 May 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 4 of 4 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 13.106-3(a)(2)(iii). This has been previously procured by AFLCMC/PZI for AF Libraries and the price shall be verified against price lists, catalogs, or advertisements and by comparison to prices previously paid.

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.

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.

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.

ProQuest LLC

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.

AFSVC/SVPL will keep an open dialog with the users/patrons and evaluate statistics to determine the necessity to use this resource to supplement its collection of research databases. AFSVC/SVPL will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition in databases. The library uses publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys.

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 (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.