B05_-_JA_IPS_Sustainment_FY18_REDACTED.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Infrastructure & Production Support (IPS) Sustainment FY18

NITYU18AV044

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity.”

(a) Requiring Activity:

DFAS-ZTDA

Attn: XXXXX

8899 East 56th Street

Indianapolis IN 46249

DoDAAC: HQ0358

(b) Contracting Activity

DFAS Columbus

Contract Services Directorate

Building 21, Room 2B218

3990 E. Broad St.

Columbus, Oh 43213-1152

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved

The purpose of this document is to obtain approval for a Items particular to One Manufacturer (CISCO) acquisition in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B). Competition is limited to the following brand names: Cisco

The procurement strategy is to issue a request for quote (RFQ) on the NASA Solution for Enterprise-Wide

Procurement (SEWP), and the fair opportunity procedures set up by the SEWP will be followed.

According to those procedures, a RFQ with a brand name requirement must include a justification and approval and be submitted to the SEWP Contract Groups being solicited. The order at issue includes a brand name (Cisco) requirement. Therefore, the below justification and approval will be included with the

RFQ, which will be submitted to group A SEWP Contract Group.

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

DFAS I&T Infrastructure & Production Support (IPS) requires the purchase of software and hardware maintenance for the new Cisco IPS. Cisco IPS will protect DFAS systems from network attacks by selectively enforcing a policy at the network perimeter. DFAS network security uses inspection to protect critical internet-facing applications by decrypting/inspecting all traffic, sending event data to the existing central forensics database, having active fail-over capability, and powering-off pass-through. This limits the risk of hardware or software failure. This requirement is expanded for XXXX

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) as XXXX is looking to become their own XXXX for XXXX.

The DFAS XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX (XXXX) is required to demonstrate development of XXXXXXX signatures in its XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX programs. The Cisco IPS solution interoperates with DFAS XXXXX (XXXXXXXXXXXXX) and our 24/7 XXXXXX system. It is critical that this equipment and software be covered by a maintenance contract to assure the equipment can be repaired/replaced (when needed), and that updates, patches, and bug-fixes can be applied to the hardware and software. This initial purchase and maintenance agreement will also give DFAS access to the vendor’s technical support program for the installation, use, and troubleshooting of this equipment and software. Not indicating the Option years or after support due to the nature of XXXX (XXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX

XXXXXX).

Based on the average of the RFI received, the estimated cost of this requirement is: XXXXXXXXXX

4. Identification of the exception to fair opportunity (see 16.505(b)(2)) and the supporting rationale, including a demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the exception cited. If the contracting officer uses the logical follow-on exception, the rationale shall describe why the relationship between the initial order and the follow-on is logical (e.g., in terms of scope, period of performance, or value).

IAW FAR 16.505(b)(2)(B) Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

Cisco was chosen because of the capability of native snort support required by the IPS. In recent years

XXXX XXXXXXX has been dictating XXXX and custom IPS signatures that need to be installed and currently the Cisco IPS is the only one that has been able to satisfy requests native and actively support

XXXX signatures. Cisco was selected after an extensive evaluation process involving the market leading vendors in the IPS space as identified by the XXXXXX XXXXX for being able to pick up the higher end intrusions in the forefront quadrant, especially with issues such as OPM (Office of Personnel Management) that line up with similarities in the DFAS environment. Cisco was the only product able to decrypt and inspect encrypted traffic, deal with this inspection at the 10Gig level, be in the primary quadrant of

XXXXXX IPS, and natively support XXXX. XXXXX IPS appliances were purchased in XXXX, XXXX and XXXX but could not support the bandwidth nor the native XXXX capability missing out on inspection functions that were required in the XXXX XXXXX XXXXX. The XXXXX XXXX XXXXX (industry leader) was disqualified as they XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Cisco XXXX XXX XXXXXX in terms of throughput and native XXXX capability which only Cisco has. Though Cisco is the only maufacturer being considered other sources were analyzed and found to be inadequate to meet the needs to this requirement.

5. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

In determining a fair and reasonable price, the Contracting Officer will utilize the Independent Government

Cost Estimate (IGCE). Based on an RFQ issued against the NASA SEWP IDIQ vehicle it is anticipated the pricing will be fair and reasonable. The RFQ will be submitted to all SEWP contract holders within Group

A. Price competition is being anticipated in which the overall fair and reasonable determination will be made based upon the Lowest priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) offer.

These items are available from multiple Value Added Resellers on the NASA SEWP schedule. Leveraging

DFAS’ current use of the Cisco IPS product and services, along with open market price comparison, the contracting officer is confident in obtaining a fair and reasonable price for DFAS.

6. Any other facts supporting the justification.

Nothing to add to this section that has not already been articulated within this justification document.

7. A Statement of actions, if any, the agency may take or remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made:

Availability and pricing information was sought from the following NASA SEWP Contract Holders:

XXXXXX (XXXXXXXX),

XXXXXXXXX (XXXXX)

XXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXXXX)

NOTE: Based on additional market research there may be other interested sources as well.

Market research was conducted for the purpose of seeking as many potential sources as possible. Although

Cisco is the sole manufacturer and provider of the product/service, there are multiple distributors with the required hardware/software/maintenance and support available on the NASA SEWP. An RFQ will be posted and competition will be sought among all SEWP contract holders within Groups B and C for the best possible pricing. Market research has shown that Cisco products/services are available in a competitive environment under NASA SEWP.

8. The contracting officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

9. Evidence that any supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel

(e.g., verifying the Government’s minimum needs or requirements or other rationale for an exception to fair opportunity) and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical and requirements personnel.

10. A written determination by the approving official that one of the circumstances in (b)(2)(i)(A) through (E) of this section applies to the order.

CERTIFICATIONS

As the technical and requirements subject matter expert, 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 complete and accurate.

Technical Certification:

Printed Name: _____XXXXXXXXXXXXXX________________

Title: Technical Reviewer Org. Code: ZTDAB____XXXXXXXXXX______

Signature: _____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_________________Phone: XXXXXXXXXX

Requiring Activity/Program Management Office Certification:

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX ________________________

Title: System Manager ___XXXXXXXXXXX_____ Org. Code: XXXX

Signature ____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX______________Phone: XXXXXXXXX ______ Date:___XXXX____

Contracting Officer Certification:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. I certify that this J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Printed Name: XXXXXXXX

Title: Contracting Officer Organization Code XXXXXXXXXXX

Signature:____XXXXXXXXXXXXXX___________ Phone: XXXXXXXXXX

Review For Legal Sufficiency:

Printed Name ______XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_____________________

Title ____XXXXXXXXXXXXX____ Organization Code ____XXXXXXXXXXX_____

Signature: ___________XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX______________________ Phone ____XXXXXXXXXX_____

APPROVAL Activity Competition Advocate ($650,000 - $13,500,000):

Printed Name _____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_______________________

Title ___XXXXXXXXXXXXX________ Organization Code ___XXXXXXXXXXXX_____

Signature____XXXXXXXXXXX___ Phone ______XXXXXX__Date___XXXXXXXX__