MCSC_Exception_to_Fair_Opportunity_26Oct18_redacted_for_posting.pdf

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications Tactical

(PEO C3T) Programs

Project Manager Mission Command (PM MC) Mission Command Support Center (MCSC) Support

Order # ID03180023

1. Identification of the Agency and the Contracting Activity and Specific Identification of the Document as a “Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity”

This document is identified as a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity and is processed on behalf of the PEO C3T Project Manager Mission Command (PM MC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

The contracting activity is GSA/FAS Region 3, The Dow Building, 100 S. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved

This is a sole source action to incorporate specialized software and network testing requirements into the base and each option year of the MCSC task order via modification. These services will be performed by contractor staff with highly specialized knowledge and experience working with PM MC IT systems.

Task Order 47QFMA18F0027 was issued on June 29, 2018 to Telesis Corporation against its GSA Alliant Contract GS06F0645Z on behalf of the PEO C3T PM MC Mission Command Support Center (MCSC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). This order was issued as a Firm Fixed Price type task (with limited Surge Support on a Labor Hour basis) for a twelve-month base period and four twelve-month option periods. The total task order value including all options is $54,281,080.00. (base period value of $10,661,608.00 escalated gradually over the four option years).

3. Description of the Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs (including the estimated value)

PM MC is an electronics command that fields hardware and software to Army units. For each software release PM MC must ensure that the software will not degrade existing networks or introduce vulnerabilities. The Army recently assigned PM MC the responsibility for two additional Programs of Record (PoRs): Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2) and Cyber Situational Understanding (Cyber SU), described in some detail below. A significant amount of testing must be conducted on new products to be integrated into PM MC’s BFT-1 and BFT-2 network, and the Army has established accelerated program schedules for these new PoRs based on a Network Integration Evaluation event (NEI) scheduled in early November.

Additional labor resources with the appropriate subject matter expertise are needed to provide test engineering skillsets and technical knowledge integral to supporting the changes in PM MC’s portfolio.

Expert level knowledge and experience is needed for this work to avoid the risk of degrading or compromising PM MC’s BFT-1 and BFT-2 networks. The estimated value of this requirement is $10,893,429.26 over the remainder of the task order’s period of performance (remainder of the base period and all four option years; see below for pricing details).

ID03180023, PM MC MCSC

The new CPI2 PoR (stood up in September 2018) requires prototyping, engineering, and integrating Command Post (CP) solutions on an accelerated schedule to modernize platforms used by combat Brigade Teams. CPI2 provides a common framework upon which future Warfighter capabilities can be built and addresses mobility issues to ensure communications hardware and mission command application integration across platforms. The overall objective of CPI2 is to reduce the current command post operational environment from an oversized, immobile, non-survivable operation to a more expeditionary, scalable, and agile command post operation. In order to enhance the survivability and mobility of brigade and below-command post formations, PEO C3T will integrate, test, and field five Brigade Combat Team sets of CPI2 solutions.

CPI2 consists of two increments: the first encompasses prototyping, engineering and integration of CP solutions for platforms designed to support combat Brigades. PM MC must conduct prototype testing to quickly validate whether a CP solution is viable to meet combat Brigade needs. This work must be accomplished using agile processes so that defects in code are identified and corrected iteratively.

Testing is an integral part of this increment, and it is vital to the Government that testing and integration efforts be completed expertly and quickly to ensure mission requirements are completed within the time frames allotted.

The second increment of the CPI2 effort supports the Capabilities Development Document (CDD) and requires PM MC to deliver a functional CP product within the Army’s accelerated time frame. This effort requires engineering, test and evaluation, and sustainment planning to ensure that the CP solution is suitable for use in a military environment before it goes live on PM MC’s BFT-1 and BFT-2 networks.

The new Cyber SU PoR (established in June 2018) levies cyber responsibility on PM MC and requires PM MC to comprehensively look for and address vulnerabilities throughout the full range of military operations. The Cyber SU effort will integrate a COTS software solution that must analyze data to minimize cognitive burden on Soldiers, thereby increasing workflow efficiency, effectiveness and timeliness. Cyber SU must integrate into the Army’s Common Operating Environment (COE) Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE) framework utilizing existing Sitaware architecture across the physical, network and operational environment. The system will inform Army Commanders of the state and status of cyber operations, provide awareness of threats, and understand their impact to overall mission operations. The intent is to provide a robust process for synchronizing, collaborating and integrating PoRs to identify, plan and program external intelligence network operation support systems for real-time cyber operational data analysis and visualization. Expert contractor resources are required to conduct cyber testing for verification and validation of the software solution’s ability to integrate into the Army’s network, ensuring that networks within PM MC are able to conduct offensive cyberspace operations and maintain operational tempos.

The client estimates needing eleven (11) additional contractor FTEs who possess highly specialized skills in order to manage software development and network device configurations; test requirements for all MCSC Operation Centers and Test events; install, operate and manage the IT systems in a test configuration manner that does not alter the program code or compromise security safeguards; and test Information Assurance (IA) safeguards in accordance with established test plans and procedures.

The additional requirements are within scope of the following PWS sections:

3.2.1 Data Architecture Support, 3.4 Engineering Support, 3.5 Satellite Network Operations Support

3.6.1 Enterprise Architecture, 3.7 Security Engineering Support, 3.7.1 Computer Forensic and Intrusion Analysis, 3.8 Test Event Support, and 3.9 Software Development Support.

More specifically, the contractor will be required to accomplish the following work in accordance with the updated PWS:

a) Design secure and efficient networks for multiple enclaves and simultaneous test events using advanced dynamic routing configurations; provide advanced network security configurations in both the physical and virtual environments; and design secure one-directional live data feed channels for test and shadow enclaves.

b) Provide support to meet aggressive timelines for prototyping, fielding and testing secure networks and provide expert troubleshooting for the BGN to meet CPI2 and Cyber SU requirements.

c) Create, maintain and analyze cyber and intelligence data and provide detailed information about data sources and data storage models.

d) Provide secure virtual and multi-domain depiction of the Army’s networked architecture/battlespace to integrate into MCSC operations.

e) Correlate traditionally stove-piped information and enrich data and information into knowledge and understanding in near real time.

f) Create detailed network architectures; design high level data flows; provide systems engineering and best business practices in the integration of MC BFT capabilities with Non-MC BFT systems;

support configuration management, risk management, requirements engineering, executive reporting and incident tracking; and support simultaneous test events.

The Government’s estimate totals $10,893,429.26 in labor costs. Any required travel will be subsumed under the NTE Travel CLIN. The annual break-out is shown below:

Base Year remainder: $2,051,827.20

Option Year 1: $2,113,382.02

Option Year 2: $2,176,783.48

Option Year 3: $2,242,086.98

Option Year 4: $2,309,349.59

4. Identification of the Exception to Fair Opportunity and Supporting Rationale

The current modification action is undertaken in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(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. FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) also supports the decision to solicit only one source: the agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

The PM MC MCSC task order was awarded under the GSA Alliant GWAC and gave all offerors fair opportunity to participate and be considered. The requirement to support two additional PoRs within the MCSC will be solicited on a sole-source basis to the incumbent contractor, Telesis Corporation, who is uniquely capable of providing the highly specialized services required at the level of quality required, and within the timeframe required. Telesis is able to provide these services without undue delay.

This sole source action is justified because the required services to support the CPI2 and Cyber SU PoRs are unique and highly specialized. Only Telesis Corporation offers the functional and technical expertise to effectively perform this work. As the incumbent contractor for this task order for over five years, Telesis possesses a thorough understanding of the MSCS environment and can provide the critical knowledge, skills, experience to support the two new programs of record within the required timeframe.

Contractor support of the CPI2 and Cyber SU Programs of Record is within scope of the MCSC task order, as it is integral and closely related to the work that is currently being performed on other PoRs.

Detaching support for the CP12 and Cyber SU programs from the current work being performed on the MCSC task order would be inefficient and ineffective, and would result in unacceptable delays that would impair the security of the Army’s BFT network. Integrating the CPI2 and Cyber SU PoRs into the MCSC environment must be seamless in order to ensure the continuity of systems engineering, development, and testing activities that are already underway on existing programs. Attempting to obtain support for the two additional MCSC PoRs competitively at this juncture would disrupt the continuity of MCSC operations, delay services, and impair the ability of the PM MC to meet Army deadlines. Any delay would adversely impact the mission, and is unacceptable.

Dedicated test dates have been established by the Army for Network Integration Event (NIE) 18.2 at Fort Bragg NC in early November. The Army requests that the additional integration and testing efforts needed to meet the escalated fielding schedule for the CPI2 and Cyber SU PoRs be underway by then.

The Army will experience increased risk of cybersecurity vulnerabilities if the required support for the CPI2 and Cyber SU PORs is not in place prior to NIE 18.2. Increased risk of cyber security vulnerabilities leaves PM MC at risk of network degradation and mission failure. Secure and functional PM MC network systems are critical to the safety of soldiers on the battlefield. As the incumbent MCSC support contractor, Telesis Corporation is the only responsible source that can satisfy the Government’s requirements within the desired timeframe.

5. A Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Costs to the Government will be

Fair and Reasonable

In addition to a technical evaluation of the contractor’s revised proposal, price analysis will be performed and documented in the modification Memorandum to File. In accordance with FAR Subpart 16.505, GSA has already determined the prices to be fair and reasonable since they are derived from and reflect the actual prices in the GSA Alliant Contract. The Contracting Officer will determine that this effort will result in the greatest overall benefit to the Government in response to the requirement, attaining the best value.

6. Any Other Supporting Facts

Section 2.0 of the MCSC PWS identified that the Government's requirements may increase at a faster rate than currently projected, and therefore industry was advised at the time of the solicitation that the Government reserves the right to increase the estimated overall ceiling value of the MCSC task order by as much as 25% per year. PM MC’s new requirements are driven by its responsibility for two new programs of record, and PM MC has requested additional labor resources to meet these requirements.

This request clearly falls within the scope of the PWS, and can be accomplished within the performance period of the task order including all available option periods.

7. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome Any Barriers that Led to the Exception to Fair Opportunity Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for the Supplies or Services is Made

The Government will only solicit Telesis Corporation under its GSA Alliant Prime GWAC to fulfill this requirement. No other firm can provide the necessary services at the requisite level of expertise within the timeframe required. Ongoing market research will be conducted in order to promote competition if and when the MCSC requirements were to be resolicited at the end of this task order’s full period of performance in 2023.

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