ID03190018 MLoS EFO (Mod 06) FedBizOpps_Redacted.pdf

ITSS Order ID: ID03190018 08/21/2020 GSA, FAS Mid-Atlantic Region

This document is prepared in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B) Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

United States Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) Microwave Line of Sight (MLoS) Support

Modification 06

Note: This document is prepared in accordance with the requirements of FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B).

1. Identification of the Requiring Activity and Contracting Activity:

The requiring activity is the Department of the Army, United States Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). The contracting activity is the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Mid-Atlantic Region - Philadelphia, PA.

This document is hereby identified as a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity.

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

The mission was previously supported by Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc (BAH) via a task order awarded and administered by US Army Contracting Command, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The task order was awarded as Cost-Plus-Fixed- Fee (CPFF) term task order, with the ultimate completion date of September 20, 2019. The task order consisted of a base year and a single option year.

The Government awarded the current 12-month bridge action as a single source award in the amount of on 09/10/2019 with a base period of 21 September 2019 through 20 September 2020. The intent of this bridge task order was to allow the Government sufficient time to conduct a competitive source selection for an anticipated performance period of a 12-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods administered by GSA Region 3.

A Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity was completed on 7/17/19 sufficiently justifying the bridge task order award.

USFOR-A notified GSA in April 2020 that a competitive source selection was no longer necessary as the support would no longer be required after 6/20/2021. As such, it was requested by the requiring activity that the current bridge task order be extended by 9 months to allow adequate support through their need by date. No support is required beyond 6/20/21.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required To Meet the Agency's Needs:

United States Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) has a requirement to support the installation, configuration, and site maintenance of the Microwave Line of Sight (MLoS) radio networks to ensure a reliable MLoS network throughout Afghanistan. The MLoS radio networks provide mission critical data connections to carry voice, video and data across various networks in an austere environment. In addition, USFOR-A requires fielding support, field service representatives (FSR), operations and logistics support, installation support, configuration management and quality assurance, program information assurance (IA) maintenance and reporting, hardware maintenance/sustainment for force protection systems, and personnel, equipment and vehicle management support.

The total estimated value of this extension is for a 9-month performance period of 21 September 2020 through 20 June 2021.

This document is prepared in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B) Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

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

In accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) the agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

This task order was initially awarded as a bridge task order in order to provide sufficient support while GSA Region 3 conducts a competitive acquisition to award a new task order. GSA’s acquisition strategy was to competitively source the new task order using the Alliant II Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) while providing fair opportunity to all Alliant II GWAC contract holders; however, USFOR-A’s priorities have shifted and the current directive is to drawdown forces in theater. As such, USFOR-A no longer has a need for a new task order and only requires MLoS support for an additional performance period of nine (9) months from 21 September 2020 through 20 June 2021 to coincide with the anticipated drawdown by May 2021. Therefore, a ceiling increase and period of performance extension is necessary to provide the remaining MLoS support without delay.

USFOR-A has an on-going need for MLoS support which is essential to the delivery of critical support to military units in Afghanistan. BAH is currently supporting MLoS and has provided acceptable support for this work since September 2017. BAH possesses the in-depth knowledge and technical expertise to continue supporting MLOS requirements without interruption. The MLoS network provides critical information for force protection, emergency services, critical logistics, and intelligence information required for the sustainment and protection of close to 60,000 US Military, Government and Contractor personnel. Providing fair opportunity for the services would result in unacceptable delays which will expose USFOR-A to potential loss of life and significantly impact the USFOR-A mission to provide these mission critical data connections and a reliable network in Afghanistan. Additionally, soliciting competition for the services would result in a substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered.

Unrecoverable costs include the time of technical and contracting personnel to determine an acquisition strategy, review and evaluate the proposal, and prepare documentation for award. The Government would also be impacted by the costs associated with credentialing a new contractor and further delays as a result of the time that would be required for a new contractor to be brought up to speed and execute the requirements.

Due to the challenge of complying with the Afghan Ministry of the Interior, obtaining approval to grant an entry visa and to inspect, clear and return the contractor’s material and equipment to American Contractors is a lengthy time consuming process which would further delay a new contractor from mobilizing. No other contractor could acquire sufficient knowledge and capability to allow them to support this effort within this short time period and since any incoming contractor will face a steep learning curve to come up to speed with the USFOR-A technical environment.

The information above reinforces the fact that it is imperative that this work continue under the current task order in order to prevent unacceptable delays. BAH is capable of providing the required services immediately in order to sufficiently support USFOR-A’s requirements. BAH has the requisite program knowledge, fielding support, operations and logistics support, installation support, and expertise to effectively perform this work without unacceptable delays. In addition, competing this work will expose the mission to failure and potential endangerment of the warfighter.

5. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

In order to determine whether the contractor’s proposed cost is fair and reasonable, the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer will review the proposed cost against various price analysis techniques IAW FAR 15.4040-1(b)(2). It is anticipated that the rates proposed for this effort will reflect either a close similarity or the same rates as currently being paid to BAH under the existing MLoS task order. If the contractor’s proposed price appears to be questionable for reasonableness, a justification from the contractor will be required in order to determine whether the proposed price is fair and reasonable. The Contracting Officer will determine the cost to be fair and reasonable before award.

This document is prepared in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B) Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

6. Other Facts Supporting the Justification:

None.

7. Actions the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome Any Barriers that Led to the Exception to Fair Opportunity Before Subsequent Acquisition For the Supplies or Services:

The work for this effort is ending upon completion of the additional nine (9) month performance period to coincide with the drawdown of forces in theatre.

See next page for certifications and approvals.

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