A04_Final_Signed_EITSD_-_Justification_for_an_Exception_to_Fair_Opportunity._Solutions_Development_Services_Support_(Task_D)_Bridge.29JUN2015_dwc_sign.pdf

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 1

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Net-Centric Integrated Enterprise Information Technology Solutions (NIEITS) Task D Bridge

(Solutions Development Services Support)

1. AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(1)]

Agency:

Department of Defense (DoD), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Enterprise Information Technology Services Directorate (EITSD)

Contracting Activity:

Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate (AD)

2. NATURE/DESCRIPTION OF ACTION(S): [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(2)]

This is the justification to issue a sole source for a three (3)-month firm-fixed price task order to the incumbent, NetCentrics Corporation (NetCentrics) to continue Solutions De-velopment Services for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Washington Head-quarters Services (WHS), WHS Supported Organizations (WSO), and Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA).

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(3)]

A. The overall objectives of the extension are to continue the following critical services without interruption:

i. Satisfy EITSD customer needs for secure, accessible, and stable IT support;

ii. Continuously improve end-to-end service levels;

iii. Capitalize on IT management best practices such the Information Technology

Infrastructure Library version 3 (ITIL v3), the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), and the Capability Maturity Model Integration

(CMMI);

iv. Reduce EITSD total cost of ownership consistently over time. Agency specific environment documents are included in the Bidder’s library.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155

Acquisition Directorate

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 2

B. The contractor shall provide the following types of Information Technology Services and Support to include:

i. Program Management

ii. Test and Development Environment

iii. Systems Engineering

iv. Application Development

v. Applications Operation and Maintenance

vi. Project Management

vii. Mission Applications Support

viii. Enterprise Architecture

a) Nomad Development

b) Personnel & Readiness (P&R) IT Support

c) IFSA IT Support

d) Mass Transit Benefits Program (MTBP) Support

ix. IT Support Services to Secure Systems Integration (SSIO)

x. Core Services Refresh Project

xi. Operations Engineering Support Projects

xii. Website Center of Excellence Support

C. The total estimated value of the proposed task order is approximately $7.4M with a period of performance of three (3) months, from 01 July 2015 to 30 September 2015.

The bridge task order will avoid a potential gap in performance of these critical ser-vices. In addition, the bridge will contain the ability to extend services for one (1) additional month, under the authority of FAR clause 52.217-9, which will be negoti-ated pre-award in order to allow sufficient time to resolve potential challenges to the new award and provide for a 30-day seamless transition from NetCentrics to the new contractor. In the event that the optional line items are fully exercised to include the additional one (1) month of services, the total estimate for the bridge task order is $10.1M for 4 months.

4. AUTHORITY & SUPPORTING RATIONALE: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(4)]

In accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C), in the interest of economy and efficiency, the task order will be issued as 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. The current task order was competitively solicited under FAR

16.505 between all MAC awardees and awarded to NetCentrics. Thus, as more fully explained below, this bridge, in the interest of economy and efficiency, must be issued to NetCentrics.

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 3

Awarding to a contractor other than NetCentrics would result in substantial duplication of effort and costs to the government, and would cause unacceptable delays. The new task order is scheduled to be awarded in late fiscal year 2015. Awarding the work to a con-tractor other than NetCentrics would involve multiple transitions and mobilizations dur-ing a short time period from NetCentrics to an interim bridge contractor to the contractor that receives the award under the new task order. These multiple transitions involve addi-tional, unnecessary costs for the Government and risks unacceptable delays or interrup-tions in service.

In addition, effective performance would require immediate knowledge and specialized capability because of the sensitive and complex operating environment. Award to a con-tractor other than NetCentrics would cause an immediate degradation in service and the consumption of scarce Government resources to meet Government requirements until the new contractor fully understood contract performance requirements. NetCentrics has an existing workforce and specialized capability already in place and can ensure continued performance without any delay because of their existing program knowledge and under-standing of OSD’s operations and infrastructure.

The contractor’s performance under the expiring task order has been acceptable, as con-firmed by the EITSD contracting officer’s representative (COR). NetCentrics’ acceptable past performance on other contracts also has been confirmed in the Past Performance In-formation Retrieval System (PPIRS).

The required services are in the process of being re-competed. The requirements for the proposed task order will be competed via a Government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) administered by the National Institutes of Health. The new task is not expected to be awarded until the last quarter of fiscal year 2015.

The Government has a critical need to continue uninterrupted services currently being provided by NetCentrics under the expiring task order HQ0034-11-D-0002-0002. A re-vised performance work statement added services that are mission-critical for a short-period of time between the expiring task order and the competed requirement. Competing and awarding these services to another vendor for such a short period of time will disrupt the continuation of services required. Due to the need for a 30-day transition period from the incumbent to the awardee of the follow-on competed contract, awarding a contract for such critical services for two months is not in the best interest of the Government. The bridge task order will avoid a potential gap in performance of these critical services.

Failure to award this task order will result in a lack of critical services, that include but are not limited to, ensuring the following: 1) test and development environments are con-solidated, readily available, and centrally managed; 2) continuation of an enterprise ap-proach to engineering, utilizing methodologies that deliver timely, reliable, and secure so-lutions that meet customer expectations; and 3) availability, optimum performance and security for all applications within the EITSD application portfolio. The applications within the portfolio include custom-built, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS), and Gov-ernment-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) applications.

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 4

5. FAIR AND REASONABLE DETERMINATION: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(5)]

The Contracting Officer will ensure that the final negotiated price is fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 16.202-2(b), based on price comparisons with prior purchases of the same or similar supplies or services made on a competitive basis. The Government will compare proposed prices set forth by NetCentrics to historical prices paid by the Government under the current task order. The Government will also compare the proposed prices with the Independent Government Cost Estimate prepared for the bridge.

The comparison to prior purchases is one of the two preferred techniques in FAR 15.404-

1. Additionally, the Government will request a discount from the contractor once price reasonableness has been determined.

6. ANY OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(6)]

The current task order number HQ0034-11-D-0002-0002 (Task Order D), issued on 29 May 2012, was for a 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods. Both op-tions were exercised. The current task order expired on 30 April 2015. Due to mission-critical changes in the services for the proposed bridge task order, the task order was ex-tended for two months through 30 June 2015. The task order contains an unexercised op-tion period per FAR clause 52.217-8, Option to extend Services; however, the price was not evaluated as part of the initial competition deeming it unusable.

The current task order was issued off a Multiple Award Contract (MAC) vehicle. The MAC, named the Net-Centric Integrated Enterprise Information Technology Solutions (NIEITS), was solicited as a small business set-aside under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541513—Computer Facilities Management Ser-vices. A total of three indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts were awarded to small businesses; NetCentrics, the incumbent under the expiring Task Order D, is one of those vendors.

This bridge will provide OSD, WHS, WSO, and PFPA with critical interim support to bridge the gap between the existing expiring task order and the new re-competed contract award. The three (3) month period of performance will allow enough time to complete the competitive procurement process and allow for a 30-day transition period.

A notice of the Government’s intent to sole-source was issued to NIEITS vendors on 20 March 2015, allowing for a response. On 03 April 2015, the special notice closed with no response of interest or challenges from the NIEITS vendors.

A second notice of the Government’s intent to sole-source was issued to NIEITS vendors on 23 June 2015, supplanting the earlier notice due to revisions made to the performance work statement, allowing for a response. On 26 June 2015, the special notice closed with no responses of capabilities statements or challenges from the NIEITS vendors.

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 5

7. ACTION TAKEN TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO COMPETITION:

[FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(7)]

The EITSD is in the process of re-competing the requirement in coordination with the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC), as part of a larger procurement. The EITSD Technology, Engineering, and Development Support Services (TEDSS) is currently underway, and will be competed for the establishment of a standalone task order in accordance with FAR Part 16 source se-lection procedures, with an estimated award date between August 2015-September 2015 and a 30-day transition period.

EITSD – Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity – Task Order D Bridge (Solutions Development Services Support) Page 6

8. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(8)]

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Florence N. Kasule Contracting Officer Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition Directorate

9. TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL JUSTIFICATION:

[FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B)(9)]

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification are accurate and complete.

Jerry Russell Division Chief

Enterprise Information Technology Services Directorate

10. COMPETITION ADVOCATE APPROVAL: [FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(C)(2)]

I approve of the exception to fair opportunity and that the exception under FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C) applies to this order. Since the proposed order is between $650,000, and does not exceed $12.5 million, this review serves as final approval.

David W. Clemens Acting Competition Advocate