ID04160153LinguistsBridgeLSJ_signed.pdf

Federal Acquisition Service

Assisted Acquisition Services Division Southeast Sunbelt Region

Schedules Limited Source Justification

General Services Administration

1. Requiring and Contracting Activity

a. Requiring Activity: Department of Air Force- USAFCENT/FPS4 524 Shaw Drive Shaw AFB, SC, 29152

b. Contracting Activity: General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service Assisted Acquisition Services Division 401 West Peachtree St., NW, Suite 2700 Atlanta, GA 30308

c. Contracting Officer: Delicia McSweeney

d. Task ID: ID04160153

e. Estimated Value: $2,825,353.62

f. Period of Performance: Base Period: November 1, 2016 - November 30, 2016 Option Period 1: December 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016 Option Period 2: January 1, 2017 - January 31, 2017 Option Period 3: February 1, 2017 - February 28, 2017 Option Period 4: March 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017 Option Period 5: April 2017 - 31 April 2017 Option Period 6: May 1, 2017 - May 31, 2017 Option Period 7: June 1, 2017 - June 30, 2017 Option Period 8: July 1, 2017 - July 31, 2017

2. Nature and Description of Action:

The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Services (FAS), Assisted Acquisition Services Division (AASD) received a requirement from the Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina to provide linguists capability of translating from the local language to standard English to serve in the United States Central Command (USCENTOM) area of responsibility (AOR). Placement sites include, but are not limited to: Afghanistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait (KU). Languages include, but are not limited to: include Arabic, Kurdish, Pashtun, Hindu, Farshi, Dari, Russian, and Kyrgyz. Linguists will be assigned to the Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron/Flight at the locations. The nature of this action is to secure authority to continue support by awarding a sole source task order for a base period of one (1) month and eight (8) one-month options which would allow adequate time for the transition period in the event the award is delayed and/or a protest is received and, if needed, modifications would be exercised after the initial one (1) month base period on a monthly basis for duration of one (1) month each to continue performance if necessitated by intervening circumstances to include potential protests. This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program (see FAR 8.401).

Contractor Information AllWorld Language Consultants, Inc.

172 Rollins Ave Rockville, MD 20852-4005

CAGE: 075P1

DUNS: 949873624

3. Description of Supplies or Services:

These services provide USAFCENT/FPS4 adept interpreters for Security Forces in the USCENTCOM AOR. These Security Force duties include interacting and coordinating with host nation security and ministry personnel to provide force protection of deployed United States (US) military personnel, security of assets/resources, and base defense. The linguists will also accurately translate orally, and produce English/Local Language documents as required.

Interpretation and translation services on a 24 hour-a-day, seven day a week basis which respond to short-notice tasking and other contingency situations.

4. Authority:

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B). “Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized”.

5. Justification Rationale:

A competitive task order (GSQ0415DB0042) for these services was awarded April, 21, 2015. A protest against GSQ0415DB0042,(GAO B-411481.1), was filed on April 30, 2015 and dismissed on May 29, 2015. Prior to the commencement of services, a separate protest, (GAO B- 411481.2), was filed on June 8, 2015 and withdrawn on September 16, 2015. A third protest, (GAO B-411481.3), was filed on September 28, 2015. In order to continue with the critical linguist services prior to GAO’s decision, Task Order GSQ0416DB0001 (GSA Internal Task Order Number ID04160003) was issued on October 28, 2015, to provide sufficient time for a GAO decision and corrective actions to be enacted to resolve all identified issues to set forth commencement of services under the protested award.

However, the GAO sustained the protest on January 6, 2016, due to the awardee’s quote being determined acceptable under the Technical Approach factor in err. Furthermore, the GAO indicated the improbability of exercising any of the future options attributable to the impending expiration of the awardee’s Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract. Thus, the effort (GSQ0415DB0042 / GSA Internal Task Order Number ID04150002) was terminated on March 4, 2016. On March 11, 2016, GSA received a pre-filing notice of a bid protest with the Court of Federal Claims on the corrective action to the GAO decision.

Based on the GAO’s decision and, after careful consideration of the protest conclusions, GSA continued to conduct Market Research to assess the various potential paths forward. GSA concluded on March 15, 2016, that in the best interest of the Government, a new requirement will be re-solicited (i.e., the re-compete). A declaration by the Senior Contracting Officer was executed and submitted to the Court of Federal Claims on March 23, 2016, citing the cancellation of task order ID04150002 due to GAO’s decision. Thereafter, GSA awarded Task Order GSQ0416DB0025 (GSA Internal Task Order Number ID04160073) April 28, 2016, for a base period of three (3) months, a one (1) month option and one (2) month option to prevent a break in service, and to allow sufficient time for the re-compete effort. All options were exercised on Task Order GSQ0416DB0025 with the final period of performance scheduled to end October 31, 2016. Further extension under Task Order GSQ0416DB0025 is not available.

For the re-compete, Request for Information (RFI) ID04160102 was issued on May, 23, 2016, to all vendors on GSA Professional Services Schedule (PSS), 00CORP, SIN 382-2, Interpretation Services which resulted in eight (8) capability submissions of which five (5) submissions were deemed capable. The requirement was solicited (RFQ1144881) on September, 16, 2016, using competitive procedures. RFQ1144881 closed on September, 28, 2016, with a projected milestone date for award of October 14, 2016. If awarded on time, that would allow seventeen (17) days for a prospective awardee to transition contractor personnel to the designated locations. If awarded on time the 17 day transition period is anticipated to suffice, but if award is delayed, then schedule risk is expected to increase to an unacceptable level for USAFCENT and create a potential gap in service.

USAFCENT’s priorities are to deliver airpower, defend the region and develop relationships as outlined in Memo, “To the Men and Women of United States Air Forces Central Command”, dated September 15, 2015, and signed by Lieutenant General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. Should the circumstances arise that an award cannot be made timely under RFQ1144881, then failure to award this new task order ID04160153 would create a gap in service which would result in degradation in communication with host nation security and ministry counterparts that would jeopardize military personnel, assets/resources, and base defense. The lapse in the ability to communicate effectively would diminish USAFCENT and USCENTCOM capacity of fulfilling necessary mission objectives.

With the current task order GSQ0416DB0025 expiring October 31, 2016, and the expected existing need for a two week transition period, adequate lead time would not exist to complete the transition and knowledge transfer activities that are necessary for a non-incumbent contractor; these activities include but are not limited to transitioning overseas incumbent personnel, security clearances, pre-deployment training, and providing status of ongoing mission activities. AllWorld Language Consultants, Inc., will be able to provide continuing on-going mission critical services should award under RFQ1144881be delayed due to a protest or other circumstances. If award is delayed, awarding task order ID04160153 with a base period of one

(1) month and eight (8) one-month options would allow adequate time for a transitional period and, if required, modifications could be exercised on a monthly basis for duration of one (1) month each to continue performance if necessitated until such time as award and performance under RFQ ID04160102 can occur.

6. Contracting Officer Determination:

The Independent Government Estimate (IGE) was created from historical pricing data from current Task Order GSQ0416DB0025 in which the period of performance expires October 31, 2016. The established pricing on Task Order GSQ0416DB0025 was deemed fair and reasonable. In accordance with FAR 10.002(e), the Contracting Officer has determined that no substantial changes have occurred in market conditions. The Contracting Officer concludes that the order ID04160153 represents the best value to meet the Government's needs. Although GSA has already negotiated fair and reasonable pricing at the Schedule contract level, GSA intends to seek additional discounts before placing the order.

7. Market Research:

The same Market Research was utilized for this acquisition as for RFQ1144881 as it is recent in accordance with FAR 10.002(b)(1) and all historical facts are applicable to this acquisition. A scope review was completed on May 12, 2016, and found the requirement to be within the scope of PSS, SIN 382-2; Interpretation Services. A RFI was issued on May 23, 2016, to all schedule holders on GSA PSS, 00CORP, SIN 382-2, Interpretation Services.

8. Other Supporting Facts:

The proposed instant effort would ensure continuation of services in the event of any delay.

AllWorld Language Consultants, Inc., as the incumbent currently provides the required linguistic support necessary to achieve successful operations. AllWorld Language Consultants, Inc., has the required personnel and clearances in place with intangible familiarity and has proven to be capable of continuing to perform. In the event of a delayed award or protest, no other known sources would be capable of generating deployable personnel with the appropriate security clearances to provide the critical services required in sufficient time to meet the Government’s immediate need and competing this short-term action would incur unnecessary duplication of expense and effort and delay mission critical services adversely impacting USAFCENT’s capability of fulfilling necessary mission objectives. Award to AllWorld Language Consultants, Inc., would prevent a gap in mission critical services due to a delay in award of RFQ1144881or a potential protest. At a minimum this effort will sustain current operations in the event of a delayed award of ID04160102 or potential litigation of award. The continued support provided by this effort is critical to the continued operations of USAFCENT.

9. Statement of Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition:

A competitive solicitation for the re-compete effort was issued on September 16, 2016 and closed on September 28, 2016. The projected date of award of the competitive action is October 14, 2016. The nature of this action is to secure authority to continue support by awarding a sole source task order for a base period of one (1) month and eight (8) one-month options which would allow adequate time for the transition period in the event the award is delayed and/or a protest is received.

DeliciaAMcSweeney Typewritten Text 4 Oct 2016

DeliciaAMcSweeney Typewritten Text

JacquelynHAtwater Typewritten Text 11 Oct 2016

JacquelynHAtwater Typewritten Text

ID04160153