FAR-Part13-5-Sole-Source-JA_ACC TMSS FINAL 9.21.20_Redacted.pdf

FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures Source Justification and Approval

Contracting Activity:

Description of Action: requests a firm-fixed price contract with SERCO. The Government projects award for October 202 and fiscal year 2021, funds type: Other Procurement Army funds will be used. This action is a follow-on to contract W9124L-18-P-0116. That contract was not competed under authority FAR 6.302-1.

Paragraph, source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, 10 USC 2304(c)(1).

Description of Supplies/Services: Help desk support required for Training Management Scheduling System (TMSS) to requirements.

Period of Performance: 08 October 202 to 07 October 2022.

Total Value:

Base Period: 8 Oct 2020 to 7 Oct 2021 Value:

Option Period 1: 8 Oct 2021 to 7 Oct 2022 Value:

Total:

4. Authority Cited: Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 41 U.S.C. 1901 (or 41 U.S.C. 1903 for Special Emergency Procurement) as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.5:

___ Unusual and compelling urgency _X_ Exclusive licensing agreements ___ Industrial mobilization _X_ ponsible source and no other supplies or

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

a. The Training Management Scheduling System (TMSS) software was developed by Alion Science and Technology for the U.S. Navy as a training management tool. It has been approved for the release for and Technology has been the sole maintainer of the application since its design completion for both the U.S. Navy and Fort Huachuca, AZ. Alion Science and Technology was recently bought out by SERCO in FY20. They are the only company with the technical knowledge and hands-on expertise to understand the complexity of the TMSS Program. SERCO development and operation in order to ensure the program is working correctly;

program modifications are developed as requirements change and provide help desk solutions and/or advice. Because SERCO authored the program and their knowledge of the program capabilities, they are the only reasonable source to provide with the technical expertise that is going to be required as the program is maintained at Fort Eustis, on the TRADOC G6 Azure Cloud servers.

Although purchased in 2011, SERCO owns the source code, and, although other the only program that provides for integration of POIs, Master Templates, and Scheduling Rules to produce class training schedules, literally, on the fly. Thus, TMSS is the only scheduling program that can support t

b. Alternatives: While SERCO is the sole source for all updates and the source, and while other resources have been researched, the other alternative to using TMSS is to forego the service completely.

c. Justification: SERCO has been the sole maintainer of the application since its design. They are the only company with the technical knowledge and hands-on expertise to understand the complexity of the TMSS Program. SERCO has the development and operation in order to ensure the program is working correctly; and provide help desk solutions and/or advice.

Because SERCO authored the program and their knowledge of the program capabilities, they are the only reasonable source to provide with the technical expertise that is going to be required as the program is maintained at Fort Eustis, on the TRADOC G6 Azure Cloud servers. Although purchased in 2011, SERCO owns the source code, and, although other sources demonstrated ooms, TMSS is the only program that provides for integration of POIs, Master Templates, and Scheduling Rules to produce class training schedules, literally, on the fly. Thus, TMSS is the only scheduling program scheduling requirements.

d. Impact: If the decision is made to forgo this contract, the impact on the will have to be manually maintained in a hardcopy, on file. Instead of a Master Template per course, each individual class training schedule will have to be hand-typed and prepared or publication. Even if current business software such as Excel are used, the man hours required to produce over seven-hundred (700) training schedules per Fiscal Year will be overwhelming for the current staffing of

Scheduling. Manning of Scheduling would have to increase (at a minimum) from two civilians (one GS1712-09 and one GS1712-07) to at least 6 personnel, just to accomplish the above requirements. All deconfliction will have to be done manually on a daily basis, requiring weekly meetings for all training units combined, to ensure nothing is missed. The ability to quickly identify available space requirements for new classroom requests would also increase considerably. Instead of being able to quickly look for open classrooms on a digital calendar, manual scheduling would have to occur on a case-by-case basis.

Instead of completing classroom requests within minutes, as is currently done, that time would increase up to 5-7 business days to ensure there is no competitive basis for classroom use. Required TRADOC Quarterly Utilization Reporting, which currently now takes approximately 12 man-hours to complete, would take approximately 40-72 hours to work. To forgo this contract would literally be ckwards in the area of Scheduling and Training Management approximately 7-10 years. Also, although purchased in 2011, SERCO owns the source code, and this is the only scheduling program that ents. If another Contractor performed any changes, moves, de-installs, or re-installs, the maintenance coverage provided by the manufacturer for the current software system would be void.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: There has been no additional actions to obtain competition for TMSS since it is currently listed in the sunset programs listing to be replaced by the Army Training Information System (ATIS), currently being developed under contract to DA. Sunset of TMSS is currently set for calendar year 2022, but is subject to change.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The previous requirement was awarded as a Sole Source to SERCO under FAR Part 6. The requirement was originally posted to CHESS in FY19 in an attempt to obtain quotes from ITES-2S contractors. Only one proposal was received from BAE, who has a subcontracting relationship with the TMSS developer, SERCO. The proposal received was a 58% increase to the Independent Government Estimate (IGE). The Contracting Officer determined the amount to be excessive as the 58% increase was allocated to program management fees to the CHESS contractor, when the subcontractor would be performing the project. As a result, a CHESS Waiver received from BAE in the proposal submitted; however, the requirement was not subject to Certified Cost or Pricing Data under the exemption referenced in FAR 15.403-1(a).

SERCO is the only company that can provi minimum scheduling requirements. Again, for the current application contract, there has been no actions taken to increase competition, based on the future transition to ATIS.

8. Market Research: No market research has been conducted for this requirement based on the transition to ATIS, and the proposed sunset time frame of TMSS.

9. Interested Sources: To date, no other sources have written to express interest in the acquisition.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History: Previous Purchase Order(s) or Contract(s): Yes No

Purchase order or contract number: W9124L-1 -P-0 16 Was action competed? Yes No

The previous requirement was awarded as a Sole Source to SERCO under FAR Part 6.

The requirement was originally posted to CHESS in attempt to obtain quotes from ITES- 2S contractors. Only one proposal was received from BAE, who has a subcontracting relationship with the TMSS developer, SERCO. The proposal received was a 58% increase to the Independent Government Estimate (IGE). The Contracting Officer