SME II Bridge Contract JA Redacted.pdf

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

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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The subject GB4 SME II bridge effort is a new stand-alone effort intended as a stop-gap measure to minimize any break in service while the Government continues to actively conduct the competitive GB4 SME III follow-on contract.

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

The objective of this requirement is to obtain SME support during the period between the end of the current contract and start of the follow-on GB4 SME III effort for AFLCMC/GBM Division and AFLCMC/GBS Division programs.

Programs to be supported are:

1. Contractor Supported Weapon System Data Exchange (CSWS DE)

2. Sustainment Planning, Execution, and Reporting System (SPERS)

3. Item Management Control System (IMCS)

4. Requirements Management System (RMS)

5. Purchase Request Process System (PRPS)

6. Reliability and Maintainability Information System (REMIS)

7. Weapon System Management Information System (WSMIS)

8. Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability of Pods (RAMPOD)

9. Stock Control System (SCS)/Financial Inventory and Accounting Billing System (FIABS)

10. Depot Maintenance Systems Integration (DMSI)

11. Depot Maintenance Legacy Systems (DMLS)

12. Enhanced Technical Information Management System (ETIMS)

13. Technical Manual Specifications and Standards (TMSS)

14. Automated InterSite Gateway (AISG)

15. Commercial Asset Visibility Air Force (CAV AF)

16. Corporate Data Repository System (CDRS)

17. Depot Maintenance Accounting and Production System (DMAPS)

18. Enhanced Technical Information Management System (ETIMS) AFTOFST.

Scope of performance includes the following:

a. Translating user requirements for input into system specifications, data management plans, configuration management plans, life cycle management documentation, integrated logistics support plans and related operational summaries.

b. Gathering information from users, defining work issues, and designing a system and procedures to resolve those issues.

c. Working with customers and development/sustainment contractors on the design, development, analysis, test, and maintenance of software and logical and physical databases to meet functional requirements.

d. Providing input to specifications and/or user documentation for client or user personnel.

e. Conducting enterprise-wide strategic systems planning, business information planning, and business

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IV. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above.

This Justification and Approval is requested based on there being "Only One Responsible Source" (FAR 6.302-1). Given the immediate operational performance need of the highly specialized SME services, no other vendor could successfully take over full operation of the SME support contract in a timely enough fashion to avoid an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the agency's requirement; therefore, the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above.

I. The GB4 SME II bridge "follow-on" requirement will allow for SME services to continue uninterrupted, thereby providing time to complete the GB4 SME III competition. The period of performance for the bridge effort will be divided into a 3-month base and two 3-month options. This structure will minimize the potential length of any sole source bridge effort to the maximum extent practicable, and provide multiple clean off-ramp opportunities for the bridge effort, should the GB4 SME III competition conclude earlier than anticipated. Furthermore, the contemplated option structure will allow the bridge effort to cover any additional time needed to address any unforeseen delays or potential protest related to the SME III competition. Options will only be exercised if necessary to avoid a break in service in the event the SME III award is delayed or a protest is received.

The incumbent contractor, DATUM Solutions is executing the GB4 SME II effort on contract FA8770-19- F-0007, providing contractual SME support for18 programs until contract expiration on 19 June 2024. This contract was awarded competitively on the NETCENTS 2 IDIQ on 30 Jan 2019. DATUM Solutions is providing all required services satisfactorily and is capable of meeting the DoD's requirements within the constricted timeline requiring performance to begin on 20 June 2024.

The SME program requires the contractor personnel to be individuals with a specific level of expertise in certain key system areas or disciplines and possess knowledge of the domain of each of the 18 systems being represented. The SME professionals must provide unique, in-depth functional and technical knowledge on the application and system operations for all 18 systems supported under the effort. While the future competition of the SME III effort indicates that other contractors are capable of providing these services, none would be able to provide the required level of highly specialized services within the time-frame required to avoid a break in service.

Therefore, this acquisition will be a follow-on contract for the continued provision of highly specialized services.

II. Due to the time restricted nature of the acquisition, DATUM is the only responsible source that has demonstrated its workforce has the experience, qualifications, and capabilities necessary to start performance immediately to meet the Government's needs for a 20 June 2024 start date, as indicated by the responses received to the Sources Sought (See Sect. V).

Overall, three responses were received to the Sources Sought. However, the Government is not confident that any of the responsive contractors would be able to perform the requirement without incurring unacceptable delays which would result in a break in service. None of the responders demonstrated an ability to perform the effort without requiring a transition period, additional training, and lead time for hiring a new team of experts for performance. This lead time required by a new contractor is unfortunately irreconcilable with the Government's need date of 20 June 2024, leaving DATUM uniquely situated as the

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Furthermore, proceeding two back-to-back competitions opens the Government up to the risk of incurring additional costs and delays in the event the same contractor is not selected for both the bridge effort and the SME III contract. Each contractor would require on-ramping, training and a transition period, costing the Government an estimated per contractor.

Finally, if the bridge contract is not awarded, each program office may pursue alternate short term contracts to get their required SME support. Whether a program office chose to accomplish this via a new contract vehicle or an established one, more time and money will be required. As stated above, even a quick 6-month competition will cost the Government . This is the cost of a competition for just one program. If each of the 18 discreet programs were forced to pursue this course of action, the funding needed to accomplish the GB4 SME support balloons to . Additionally, each program's requirements will have to be determined to be in scope of another distinct contract action. That process could take months to resolve if each program's contract D&F has to be socialized and approved up the chain-of-command. Moreover, the contracting process for each program will take a minimum of 4 months to propose, negotiate/award, and staff the requirement with personnel. The GB4 SME programs do not have the schedule or funding to reasonably proceed in any other manner than to pursue a bridge contract to the incumbent.

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

See section V above. Additionally, as Government is utilizing "Only One Responsible Source" (FAR 6.302-1), the incumbent, DATUM, has expressed interest.

X. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

A Fair Opportunity Competition is currently underway to competitively award a long-term follow-on GB4 SME effort utilizing SBEAS, the successor to NETCENTS.

XI. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidence by my signature above, I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidence 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.