FY_14_Equipment_Install_FINAL_.pdf

Control Number: GCMC-14-01

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Program/Equipment: Visual Information Division (VID) Plenary Equipment Installation

Authority: 10 U.S.C. Amount: $280,114.00 2304(c)(1) (FAR 6.302-1)

Prepared by: John Trautt Date: 20 May14 VIA Branch Chief DSN: 440-2879 john.trautt@marshallcenter.org

Procuring Contracting Officer: Benjamin Hardy Date: 23 Jul14 (PCO) CON, Contracting Officer DSN: 440-2326 Benjamin.n.hardy@marshallcenter.org

Technical Representative: John Trautt Date: 20 May14 VIA Branch Chief DSN: 440-2879 john.trautt@marshallcenter.org

Requirements: John Trautt Date: 20 May14 VIA Branch Chief DSN: 440-2879 john.trautt@marshallcenter.org

Management: Robert Talenti Date: 2 Jun14 VID Division Chief DSN: 440-2895

Signatures are required below:

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Legal Counsel: MAJ Braulio Mercader, US Army, DSN: 440-2305

SIGNATURE:

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. The agency and contracting activity.

The applicable contracting office for this requirement is Defense Security Cooperation Agency, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC), Contracting Division located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

2. The nature and/or description of the action being approved.

Installation services in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement and Exhibit B.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the total estimated value).

The GCMC Visual Information Services Division (VID) has a requirement to install High Definition presentations components that will be competed and purchased during the spring of FY14. These components are part of an upgrade that changes the Audio Visual framework of Building 106 from Standard Definition to High Definition. The estimated value of the requirement is $280,114.00

4. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is under the authority of the test program for commercial items found at 41 U.S.C. 1901, as implemented by FAR 13.501(a), Sole Source (including brand name) Acquisitions.

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the action require use of the authority cited.

The GCMC VID facilitates the use of available plenary facilities throughout numerous resident courses throughout the year. This accelerated schedule results in very limited downtime of the facilities between courses. Currently, there is only one window of time available to accomplish this installation and programming. The window of opportunity for this systems upgrade is 28 July to 05 September 2014.

Total Walther GmbH is the original vendor who was contracted to design, install, and integrate the audio visual, computer, and control systems in the GCMC’s plenary facilities (Building 105) in 2000-2001, and the small plenary (Building 106) and 12 associated seminar rooms (Building 105) in 2004. A current contract with Total Walther GmbH exists for support and equipment maintenance (HQ0236-10-P-0040).

This contract was competed on a full and open basis.

Installing the new equipment will require removal of the vast majority of switchers, routers, control systems, audio distribution systems, amplifiers, microphones and Digital Congress network switching components, and reinstallation and programming of their associated life cycle replacements, as well as reprogramming of all master control systems used in the plenary hall. All equipment configurations must conform to existing standards.

The use of a contractor other than Total Walther GmbH, who designed and maintains the systems, will result in an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the requirements of the GCMC. The impact of failing to finish the complete de-installation, installation, integration, programming, and testing of the system in the specified window of opportunity will result in mission failure.

For the following reasons, it is not possible for another firm to accomplish this installation requirement within the available 40 day window:

-While technical schematics are available for all components, a new firm would have to physically examine and trace all current wiring and connections, including new wiring to be accomplished in order to be able to cleanly withdraw the current system prior to integration of the new. This would take approximately 5-7 working days, reducing the available time for installation to approximately two weeks. Total Walther, having intimate knowledge of the systems would be able to begin immediately, on day 1 of the 40 day window.

-Due to the current op-tempo of the Marshall Center, there is no opportunity to afford additional time to firms to complete the withdrawal of the current system, before the anticipated start date of 28 July. The estimated 40 days to complete this task would require the complete shutdown of both plenary halls and associated seminar rooms, rendering them completely useless for resident programs and other events during this time.

-A vital component of this installation requirement is to complete the programming of the Crestron Control System and the SoundWeb Audio Control system. These are actual user interface computer programs controlled by hundreds of thousands of lines of code. Again, the programming time for a new contractor to sort through, verify, and remove old coding before integrating new coding for the upgraded system would significantly exceed the available window of time. The selection of Total Walther to accomplish this requirement provides a cost savings because these additional days of service are not needed by the incumbent contractor.

Finally, system integrity and accountability issues prevent the award of this requirement to an alternate firm. Currently, all equipment and systems in the plenary hall are covered under contract with Total Walther GmbH for emergency maintenance calls. This CLIN requires an 8 hour response and 48 hour repair turnaround for all covered equipment, protecting the plenary facility from downtime.

Use of a vendor other than Total Walther GmbH will result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government in the event of equipment breakdown, as well as reduced accountability in tracking system breakdowns and appropriate repair. Because of this duplication of cost, it is not possible for the Government to separate various requirements for installation, integration, programming, and testing of the plenary equipment.

In sum, because of the urgency of the requirement in a limited time window, the complexity of the existing plenary equipment, and the system integrity and accountability issues that preclude any alternate vendors, only Total Walther GmbH can meet this installation requirement.

6. Efforts made to ensure that offers were solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable.

The notice of intent to sole-source this requirement will be posted on FBO.

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost (including the cost of options) to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

Price competition is not anticipated due to the sole-source nature of this requirement.

The Contracting Officer will ensure price reasonableness by performing extensive market research in concert with the development of an Independent Government Estimate (IGE), obtaining the subject matter expertise of on-site government A/V personnel, comparison to other contracts of a similar nature, and utilizing a detailed IGE for comparison/negotiation purposes.

8. A description of the market research conducted (per FAR Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Using personal knowledge and experience, researching existing government contracts, and performing extensive online research, VID has determined that Total Walther provides a unique capability that integrates with our existing infrastructure.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

None.

10. A listing of any sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition.

N/A.

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

Due to current system configuration requirements, it is not feasible to remove the sole-source restriction of the equipment installation requirement at this time. For future procurements, a cost/benefit analysis will be completed to identify any potential to break out services to additional brands. However, it is imperative that system stipulations be met to ensure that the system remains fully operational.

Certification

12. TECHNICAL CERTIFICATION: "I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the J&A are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: JOHN TRAUTT

13. REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION: "I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the J&A are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: JOHN TRAUTT

14. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST DETERMINATION: “I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.”

NAME: BENJAMIN N. HARDY

15. MANAGEMENT REVIEW/APPROVAL: "The requirement herein described is a valid requirement of the activity named in paragraph 3 of this J&A.

The technical and requirements information contained in the J&A represent the minimum needs of the government. The only way to satisfy this requirement is by limiting competition as described herein.

NAME: ROBERT TALENTI

16. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION AND APPROVAL: "I

certify that this J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: BENJAMIN N. HARDY