JA19-0015B5_ASBPO_BOS_(public_release).pdf

Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition

J&A Tracking No. JA19-0015B5

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity: The Defense Health Agency, Contracting Office - Falls Church (CO-FC), 7700 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, Virginia, 22042.

2. Nature and/or Description of Action being approved: Approval is being requested under an individual justification for award of a Firm Fixed Price sole source contract to VMD Systems Integrators, Inc., for business operations support to the Armed Services Blood Program Office. This action continues services previously supported under sole source follow-on contract HT0011-18-C-0005 with no new work or change of scope. The requirement was last competitively awarded under HT0011-11-C-0018, which started November 15th, 2011, and ended May 14th, 2015. The action being approved is for a three-month base period of performance, plus three one-month option periods and up to an additional 6 months of extensions under FAR 52.217-8. The contract HT0011-18-C-0005 ended on November 14th, 2018.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: This award provides for continued support for the Armed Services Blood Program Office (ASBPO). The ASBPO coordinates the provision of blood products throughout the Services to meet medical requirements during national emergencies and overseas military operations. The ability to recruit donors and maintain blood product quotas relies wholly on the ability to use expert communication techniques in order to collaborate with the donor population, and all stakeholders for both routine mission operations and during humanitarian operations and crises. In addition, the ASBPO relies on the aggregated data from operational reporting systems and product tracking data to manage the intricate and complex blood product distribution chain, including collection, manufacturing, testing, transport and transfusion. This contract supports that end-to-end effort. Continued services provide strategic communications and outreach to support blood donation; study and analysis of program data;

business process improvement; and information management, including operational data reporting and website management.

The contract is estimated to have a total price of for the base period and options, to be funded with the FY 19 Operations and Maintenance appropriation. If the full extension under FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, is exercised, total estimated contract price at completion would be .

4. Statutory and Regulatory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition (see FAR 6.302), or the Specification of the Statutory and Regulatory Provision Providing Exception to 8(a) Program Competitive Requirements (see FAR 19.805-1): 10 U.S.C.

2304(c)(1) 6.302-1 -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

5. Rationale Justifying Use of the Statutory Authority Cited: An attempt at competitive procurement of these services ended in cancellation without an award due to defects in the solicitation which the contracting officer was unable to remedy. ASBPO initiated a new requirements package, including a revised Performance Work Statement which was coordinated with program stakeholders to adequately address concerns. The remaining term of the sole source contract HT001118C0005 was not sufficient to continue services through the procurement lead time needed to issue a new solicitation, evaluate quotes, and release an award.

These services are essential to the efficient management and operation of DoD blood programs, affecting military readiness and patient safety. Expected impact includes missed blood collection quotas due to decreased visibility of donor campaigns on social media platforms, articles, and newsletters, as well as reduced command awareness blood program status due to missed data collection which feeds into Agency Mission Essential Task List metrics. Continuing the competitive procurement without a concurrent sole source follow-on contract would create a months-long break in service that would adversely affect the ASBPO and jeopardize integrity of an experienced contractor workforce. The incumbent, VMD Systems Integrators, Inc., currently possesses the required operational infrastructure and knowledge and therefore is the only source capable of providing continuing services at the level of quality required in the required timeframe. Attempting to compete the bride effort at this juncture would result in unacceptable delays and an extended lapse in service since such a competitive effort would require a technical proposal and evaluation process to evaluate the qualifications of potential contractors to perform the work. The agency’s Procurement Acquisition Lead Time calculator projects an award no earlier than , given 10 working days, inclusive of the holiday period, to produce a proposal and 10 work days for evaluation. In addition, a new vendor would need to recruit and hire qualified employees, complete security adjudication, and become familiar with the ASBPO web site and working environment without orderly hand-off from the incumbent contractor, VMD Systems Integrators, Inc. Accordingly, VMD Systems Integrators, Inc. is the only source capable of meeting the Government’s requirements for this short term bridge effort while a longer duration contract is competed.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Notice of this action was synopsized in accordance with FAR 5.207(c)(15). The agency attempted a competitive award of this requirement under solicitation HT0011-17-R-0028, issued November 13th, 2017, with received in December 2017. Owing primarily to defects in the solicitation which the contracting officer could not remedy, the agency was unable to make an award. Previous non-competitive acquisitions of these services and their respective justifications include HT0011-15-C-0016 under JA15-109, HT0011-16-C-0016 under JA16-0064, HT0011-17-F-0002 (direct 8(a), no justification required), and HT0011-18-C-0005 under JA18-0008. The approving authority for this action reviewed these previous justifications in determining whether the planned actions to remove any barriers to competition were completed.

7. Determination that Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

The basis for determination of fair and reasonable price will be comparison of the proposed price to pricing on previous awards, including HT0011-18-C-0005, which ended November 14th, 2018. These prices were based on the last competitive award, HT0011-11-C-0018, which was determined to be fair and reasonable at the time. Certified cost and pricing data is not required since the services to be procured meet the definition of commercial items under FAR 2.101.

8. Market Research: Market research performed in support of the planned competitive award applies to the action requested for approval under this justification. That market research identified

. Under this schedule, the cancelled attempt at competitive procurement in November, 2017, yielded . While adequate competition is likely, a competitive procurement at this time would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agency’s requirement. The Head of Contracting Activity approved a request for waiver to the requirement at DFARS PGI 206.302-1, paragraph (d), for Request For Information/Sources Sought Notice for sole source justifications citing FAR 6.302-1.

9. Other Facts: The agency issued competitive solicitation HT0011-17-R-0028 on November 13th, 2017, on GSA eBuy against the Professional Services Schedule, SIN 874 1. The agency received by the due date and time. The contracting office forwarded quotes to the technical evaluation team composed of experts selected by ASBPO. The team was unable to complete the technical evaluation citing errors in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and discrepancies between the evaluation criteria and performance requirements. When the requiring activity could not produce a corrected PWS and evaluation criteria without substantially changing the solicited requirement, the contracting officer cancelled the solicitation in August 2018 with the intent of issuing a new solicitation including all corrections.

10. Interested Sources: responded to solicitation HT0011-17-R-0028, including

These companies are expected to have continued interest in the competitive requirement.

11. Actions to overcome barriers: The Government intends to compete the follow-on requirement

, for award no later than .

COORDINATION:

12. Technical/Functional Representative: I certify that the information provided in this justification, is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Digitally signed by

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13. Requirements Certification: I certify that the information provided in this justification, is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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12/14/2018

14. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I have determined that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action is fair and reasonable. I compared the estimated price to price on the previous sole source contract, HT001118C0005, which was found to be fair and reasonable at the time of award. The price of HT001118C0005 is based on the price of the last competitive award, HT0011-11-C-0018. Certified cost and pricing data are not required since the services to be procured meet the definition of commercial items under FAR 2.101.

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12/14/2018

15. Legal Review: I have reviewed this justification and have found it to be legally sufficient.

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16. Contracting Officer: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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12/14/2018

17. Competition Advocate: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: 2018.12.18 15:34:59 ‐05'00'

APPROVAL:

18. Head of Contracting Activity (or designee):

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of business operations support to the Armed Services Blood Program Office on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the supplies and/or services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Date: 2018.12.18 17:45:45 ‐05'00'