J&A_19-19.pdf

DMEA #19-19

6/8/2018

Defense Microelectronics Activity 4234 54th Street, McClellan, CA 95652

SOW# 19-9E2

Sole Source Justification

1. Agency and Contracting Activity:

Office of Secretary of Defense, Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA)

2. Nature/Description of Action:

Firm fixed price procurement to develop, execute and manage a Section 843 Machine-Vision Pilot Program to test machine-vision technologies to determine the authenticity and security of microelectronic parts in weapon systems at other than full and open competition procedures.

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

DMEA was tasked with the development, management, and execution of the machine-vision pilot program by Section 843 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Because DMEA does not currently have the staff to support such a pilot program, DMEA is seeking a contractor to effectively run and oversee the pilot program. The contractor will evaluate existing advanced anti-counterfeit detection systems, evaluate existing application of machine-vision and artificial intelligence technologies to hardware assurance, evaluate and recommend specific proposals to apply solutions to integrated circuit (IC) supply chain, review applicable laws, regulations, policies, and Department of Defense (DoD) policies regarding the mitigation of the counterfeit electronics threat, and generate a final report summarizing the efforts and products.

4. Authority Cited:

FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii) Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; 41 U.S.C. 1901.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

The Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) is the only organization (university research center) with the requisite knowledge, experience, relationships, staff, equipment and infrastructure needed to execute the pilot program and begin by April 1st, 2019, as required by Section 843 of the 2019 NDAA No other source has the same breadth and depth of anti-counterfeit detection experience and research, and microelectronics reliability test equipment, tools, laboratories, and infrastructure. No other source has a comparable number of Subject Matter Experts (100+) or the same amount of experience with counterfeit componentsCALCE has put on regular Counterfeit Detection and Threat Mitigation Industry conferences since 2007 and currently leads the industry anti-counterfeit standard AS6171 committee as the chair.

Furthermore, CACLE has authored over 35 textbooks and over 1,000 research articles relevant to electronics reliability. No other source has the same extensive connections within the private, academic, and federal sectors. Members from these sectors regularly attend CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Parts and Materials and depend on CALCE for the latest information on counterfeit methods and training on how to detect them.

CALCE also has the largest team of anti-counterfeit subject matter experts, who will be the most aware of potential new anti-counterfeit detection methods, machine vision systems, and the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence, due to their extensive research and contacts with the private, federal and academic sectors. Any other contractor will not be as knowledgeable or have spent as much time researching counterfeit electronics, resulting in less effectiveness when recommending promising avenues of research and potential solutions.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: At this time, no other sources have been identified who have the capabilities required to meet the requirements identified in the Performance Specification.

7. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination is based upon

8. Market Research:

Market research is based on the experience of -Counterfeit Lead and subject matter expert (SME), who has been interacting with the anti-counterfeit industry since 2011. This individual regularly consults with SMEs from the federal sector (NAVSEA responsible for anti-counterfeit efforts for the DoD strategic systems, DLA, Air Force Research Lab, and Army Tank Command), and private sector (SMEs from the leading independent distribution companies, test labs, and ERAI anti-counterfeit database) on counterfeit issues. The anti-counterfeit SME community is relatively small and meets up at least once a year at industry conferences, including the one held by CALCE. attended the CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Parts and Materials seven times, in addition to other anti-counterfeit conferences, including those meant only for the federal sector, and has interfaced with many members of the anti-counterfeit inspection industry from the private, academic, and federal sectors. The current chair of the anti-counterfeit standard AS6171, Dr. Michael Azarian, is a member of the CALCE leadership team. AS6171 is the leading, most comprehensive anti-counterfeit standard, representing over 14 different types of anti-counterfeit inspection methods, and was adopted by the DoD in 2016.

9. Other Facts:

None

10. Listing of Sources:

The following source represents the only source capable of providing the required service:

CALCE Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering 1103 Engineering Lab Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742

11. Actions to Increase Competition:

Market research will be conducted at the time of future requirements to identify any additional sources.

12. Contracting Officer Certification:

knowledge and belief.

Approvals:

Chief, Operational Contracting Branch

Chief, Acquisition Policy & Analysis Branch

General Counsel