Final_JandA_Redacted.pdf

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

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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): EBSCO Air Force Databases Collection

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

05 Sep 2018

Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity

Signature

APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date

05 Sep 2018

Contracting Officer

Signature

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

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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 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 renew electronic access to EBSCO databases using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by AFFARS 5313.501-10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price Contract. The subscription period of performance will run from 01 November 2018 to 31 October 2019. This subscription will be purchased with FY19 3400 funds. This sole source requirement will be acquired from the following company:

EBSCO Industries, Inc.

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

The proposed effort covered by this individual Justification and Approval is for a twelve (12) month subscription to EBSCO databases for Air Force Libraries. The DoD Library Consortium, including the Air Force Library Program, has a requirement for an online educational database that meets the libraries mission to provide quality and technically capable materials as stated in AFI 34-150 and the DoD libraries program mission

1015.10. 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, and provide 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. The required database will help the DoD Library Consortium meet the above mission by providing the library users with educational materials while also enhancing the personnel's quality of life.

These databases are vital reference tools for Air Force personnel and provide access to high quality information critical to meeting the Air Force Library Programs mission as stated in AFI 34-150, to support military and voluntary education programs in the Air Force. To meet those needs the Air Force needs a variety of databases to meet certain criteria. The databases need to cover subjects that promote professional military education including areas of high military interest like the Middle East and Asia and areas of rehabilitation and health and wellness. The Air Force Library Program also needs access to databases the cover such subjects and leadership and business strategy and general information. These databases need to be interoperable and accessible through a single user interface. This assures the best use and value of the resources by making the information easily accessible and that the patron gets the best results possible from a variety of sources. They must provide quality, peer-reviewed information and they must cover subjects that support professianl military education, voluntary education, and personal development and recreation. These databases will be provided to the Air Force community via the AF Portal. These databases are important for service personnel and library staff to provide information to further the educational goals of Air Force personnel.

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)

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

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V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

EBSCO databases are a unique resource for the Air Force Library Program, with nuances not available from any other source, and supplements the educational materials collection. Topics cover a wide area of interest and are vital for students doing research. The database that best meet the needs of the Air Force Library program are: Business Source Ultimate, Consumer Health Complete, Core Collection, Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies, Military Transition Support Center, Nonfiction Core Collection, and Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Source and Middle Eastern and Central Asian tactical concerns. These database meet the requirements as set in AFI 34-150 to provide support for military personnel assigned to contingency operations, remote sites, military missions, military morale, welfare, and recreation programs. This database collection provides information that enhances quality of life, professional military and voluntary education program materials and services. They provide access to all their information, including the databases purchased by the DoD, in one user interface.

This simplifies access to the information and gives greater amount of peer-reviewed information in each search.

Ebsco also has exclusive database rights to over 6,000 journals including: Discover, Science, Balkan Military Medical Review, and Journal of Military & Veterans' Health. EBSCO has the exclusive rights to provide these databases to libraries and other educational institutions.

EBSCO also has a propriety user interface that is customizable to meet the wide variety of users throughout the Air Force. Their propriety searching interface provides intuitive search features such as SmartLinking and Smart Text options while also allowing advanced searches with Boolean terms. In short, this interface allows the user to choose what databases are searched and mange the complexity of the search. This allows layman researchers to use very simple searches while still allowing advanced researchers the option for complex retrievals. A failure to acquire this product creates inefficiency through an increased need of library resources and creation of unproductive processes. In addition, buying these materials on-demand instead of using EBSCO's subscription-based databases would greatly increase the cost. Accordingly, EBSCO is the only firm capable of providing the supplies described above without the Air Force personnel experiencing unacceptable delays and substantial duplication of cost if each institution had to purchase these databases separately.

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

A Sources Sought posting on Federal Business Opportunity (FBO) from 30 May 2018 - 29 June 2018 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. One response was received from EBSCO, the incumbent vendor.

An Intent to Award Sole Source was posted on FBO from 29 June 2018 - 5 July 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. One response was received from Enrichment Bookstore & Art Center, Inc. (Enrichment).

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. No viable vendors 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 13.106-3(a)(2)(iii). This has been previously procured by AFLCMC/PZI for Air Force Libraries and the price shall be verified against EBSCO's price lists, catalogs, or advertisements and by comparison to prices previously paid.

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

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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.

Gale Cengage Learning inquired about this acquisition. However, after they received answers to their questions, they did not submit a capability statement. We received response from Enrichment Bookstore & Art Center, Inc.

(Enrichment). However, the product capability statement from Enrichment did not meet the government's requirement as determined by the technical team. We received a product capability statement from EBSCO, the incumbent contractor. 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.

AFSVA/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. AFSVA/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.

AFSVA/SVPL will attempt to obtain competition whenever possible by use of professional journals and trade exhibits. The AFSVA/SVPL personnel will continue to keep up-to-date and review new research databases to determine if another source will meet the needs of the students, faculty, and staff. We will also keep an open dialog with our patrons and usage statistics to determine the necessity for future purposes.

The contracting activity will continue to post requirements FedBizOpps to ensure no other vendors are capable of providing this supply.

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.

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

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