HC1028-08-D-2023-0045_JA.docx

EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL

Purchase Request Number: Action is being funded with multiple MIPRS.

Contract Number: HC1028-08-D-2023 Task/Delivery Order Number: 0045 Procurement Title: Graduate Training Integration Management System (GTIMS) Contracting Office: DITCO Scott AFB Estimated Value: $9,973,790.51 Statutory Authority: The proposed contractual action is pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2304c(b)(3) and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C).

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (OTFAOC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Justification for OTFAOC Number: JA12-156

Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Procuring Activity Competition Advocate, hereby approve the use of other than full and open competition of the proposed contractual action pursuant to the authority

JUSTIFICATION

1. REQUIRING AGENCY AND CONTRACTING OFFICE:

REQUIRING ACTIVITY: HQ Air Education and Training Command (AETC) A3IS

F3PF1A

1150 5th Ave Suite 2 Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4401

CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO)

PL83

Building 2300 East Drive Scott AFB, IL 62225-5406

2. NATURE/DESCRIPTION OF ACTION(S): The nature of this action is to increase the ceiling / level of effort for Task Order 0045 under ENCORE II contract HC1028-08-D-2023 for the purpose of providing mission critical capabilities to existing and new United States Air Force (USAF) commands. Graduate Training Integration Management System (GTIMS) is the USAF’s Training Management System of the future and is currently being used throughout AETC, Navy, Army and in USAF operational commands. Implementation of GTIMS throughout the USAF will ensure significant cost savings throughout the life of the program. Key drivers include: the Government’s unlimited rights to the software, war-fighters training on a single integrated system throughout their flying career; a single Government owned system implemented across multiple commands thereby eliminating the need for stove-piped systems, maintaining multiple systems and training war-fighters on multiple systems. This sole source ceiling increase is required to continue realizing enterprise-level efficiencies and cost savings associated with bringing new commands into the GTIMS enterprise. The increased level of effort will be Firm Fixed Price and will be performed under Option Year 2 of the Task Order. Because these services are severable, the Task Order will be funded incrementally with a combination of FY12 and FY13 O&M and FY12 transportation working capital fund (TWCF) monies. The total estimated cost of this sole source modification for additional work is $9,973,790.51 with a period of performance of 30 September 2012 – 29 September 2013.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: The services to be received under this action include support of AETC, Air Mobility Command (AMC), Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) locations. GTIMS implementation is currently implemented and sustained under Task Order 0045 under ENCORE II contract HC1028-08-D-2023.

(a) The primary reason for this action is to increase the ceiling / level of effort for work that is within scope of Task Order 0045 under ENCORE II contract HC1028-08-D-2023. The ceiling increase is required for the purpose of providing mission critical capabilities to existing and new USAF commands and reducing the overall flying training management costs per user to the USAF through economies of scale. Since GTIMS is Government owned, all using commands and services benefit from enhancements that are requested and funded by one. These efforts are described in (1) below:

(1) Summary of modifications requested for TO 0045:

· Implementation of GTIMS at 5 additional AETC sites, 1 additional ACC site, and 87 additional AMC sites.

· Implementation of an infrastructure at AMC to support a consolidated GTIMS Enterprise available to users throughout the entire Mobility Air Force (MAF). The consolidation is a continuation of work performed under Option 10 of the current Task Order and is designed to provide a cost effective and efficient method to provide GTIMS capabilities across multiple disparate sites.

· Provide mission critical enhancements and analysis for GTIMS that are required to support the AMC training mission for their qualified and unqualified flight crew. This service will add the tools needed to support readiness and safety for flight crew.

· Create an interface between the Advanced Distributed Learning System (ADLS) and GTIMS to streamline course completion as well as to clearly identify and minimize risks and vulnerabilities associated with Information Assurance issues. This work will primarily be performed during FY13, Option Year 2.

· Provide software enhancements to GTIMS by adding course critiques, digital signatures for grade sheets, ten internal reports within ARTS, Segment Tool completion, Dual ADP Code capability, improved user management interface, self resource definition interface, enhanced permission interface, an ATC interface, improved Academic Scheduling Performance, and ARTS-CAFRS interface for USAACE Sustainment.

These tasks are built upon the current GTIMS implementation and capabilities.

(2) Customer Activity: This contract supports AETC. This organization through TO 0045 provides services in support of AETC, AMC, ACC, AFSOC and USAACE locations.

(3) The performance period: Task Order 0045 is currently within Option Year 1 which expires on 9/29/12. Modification is pending to exercise Option Year 2 for the period 9/30/12 through 9/29/13. This proposed effort covered under this J&A will follow the same period of performance of Option Year 2. There are no further option periods under TO 0045.

(b) Continuity of Services and/or Option to Extend Services: N/A

(c) Option Quantities: None

4. IDENTIFICATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY and DEMONSTRATION OF CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS:

(a) The proposed contractual action is pursuant to the authority of the 10 U.S.C. § 2304c(b)(3). In accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C))– The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order.

(b) Northrop Grumman is the incumbent contractor providing an enterprise software resource planning and management system that is used to plan, schedule, and manage the resources necessary to achieve an enterprise organization’s output objectives in an efficient and cost effective manner. GTIMS is Government owned software which was developed by Northrop Grumman with the oversight of AETC. AETC has directed in AETC Instruction 36-223, Flying Training Student Information Management that GTIMS will be implemented and used at all AETC graduate flying training bases and units to schedule and track all flying training beginning in FY 13. GTIMS is Government owned software and is a proven product. Competing this effort to another vendor would introduce significant risk and schedule delays due to the highly specialized skills and capabilities associated with GTIMS that only Northrop Grumman possesses at this time.

(i) Northrop Grumman is currently under contract for the enhancement and sustainment of GTIMS across the AF community including AETC, AMC, ACC, AFSOC and USAACE locations. There is a compelling need to provide the enhanced services outlined in 3 (a) of this document as well as expanding the fielded base for GTIMS.

(c) Justification: The following justifications define Northrop Grumman’s unique qualifications:

· Northrop Grumman is the current provider of software sustainment for the GTIMS system. Over the life of the program, Northrop Grumman has maintained over 2 million lines of software for this complex system.

· Northrop Grumman is the provider who has current GTIMS implementation experience. This requires not only a thorough understanding of the software functionality and how the components interact, it also requires a deep understanding of flying and training operations and the ability to analyze unit operations to determine how to set up the software, create organizations, build the syllabi, scheduling templates, and other key elements of the system.

· Northrop Grumman is the sole contractor with a dedicated training staff able to travel and immediately conduct training. The tasking of the PWS will require that the contractor perform significant training in a relatively short amount of time.

· Northrop Grumman is already familiar with the required tasking. Northrop Grumman analyzed the current system gaps based on Government inputs and performed analyses which lead to the definition of the system modifications the Government is including in this LOE increase.

· Northrop Grumman currently under contract for provision of the GTIMS system. This J&A is requesting additional service enhancements as well as expanding the deployed sites under the current Task Order.. In addition, Northrop Grumman’s expertise will be crucial in fielding the new requirements to enhance war-fighting capabilities, address potential security issues, and in implementing additional sites. Even though the Government owns data rights to GTIMS software, the expertise in the system sits with Northrop Grumman and without their expertise we are taking on additional risk.

· No other MAC holders have had any involvement in the design, code, implementation, training or sustainment of the GTIMS system. Without this experience, another MAC holder would not have the ability to provide these capabilities and system updates without significant cost and schedule impacts.

· The increased scope for Task Order 0045 is being requested to ensure that the Government can quickly implement crucial new system enhancements and install GTIMS at additional sites to enhance war-fighting capabilities. Anticipated enhancements are required to address Information Assurance and security issues with an interface to another system. Once the enhancements are in place, GTIMS services will be provided to new users.

5. COST/PRICE FAIR AND REASONABLE DETERMINATION:

Since this is an FFP contract the proposed price will be based on the pre-negotiated labor rates in their contract. The rates proposed will be compared with historical data from the basic ENCORE II contract and these rates have already been deemed fair and reasonable. The Contracting Officer will obtain certified cost or pricing data, and upon completion of negotiations, will obtain a certificate of current cost or pricing data. The Contracting Officer will make a determination that the anticipated cost/prices are fair and reasonable.