ID23200023 -Brand Name Justification TTS Identity Kantara Membership.pdf

General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service

Technology Transformation Services 1800 F St NW | Washington, DC | 20405

TTS Identity Portfolio Kantara Membership

ID23200023

Justification for other than full & open competition

Brand Name per FAR 13.5 Document Format IAW FAR 6.303-2

(1) Identification of the agency and contracting activity U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Technology Transformation Services (TTS) 1800 F Street NW, Room 4400 Washington, DC 20405

(2) Nature and/or description of the action being approved Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.501(a), TTS is seeking approval to procure a Kantara membership, as a Brand Name requirement.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 0CBAAFA4-84C9-4D9E-8574-6E195AA09D3B

(3) Description of the supplies/services required (including estimated value) The Identity PMO requires an organization level membership with Kantara. The estimated cost for the entire three year (36 months) Period of Performance is $244,000.00.

(4) Statutory authority FAR 13.106-1(b) Soliciting from one source. (1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. (i) Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

(5) Demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications Organization level membership to Kantara allows the Identity Program Office to continue its mission to expand identity as a shared service across Government. The membership will support the current TTS Identity Program Support Services contract 47QPCA20P0002 throughout its three year performance period.

Primarily, Kantara offers conformity assessment, assurance, and Trust Marks exclusively to its members. The Identity program support contract includes a requirement for certification policy support by the contractor, and Kantara will be able to provide 800-63-3 conformance through its certification scheme, the Identity Assurance Framework, of which its third party assessment is foundational. Kantara provides access to 800-63-3 conformance through its certification scheme and is the only organization in this competitive space of providing third-party independent assessment against the technical requirements in NIST's Digital Identity Guidelines.

Therefore, Kantara is unique in that they are the only organization that performs assessments against this criteria, and actually rely entirely on independent third parties to perform the assessments.

DocuSign Envelope ID: 0CBAAFA4-84C9-4D9E-8574-6E195AA09D3B https://www.acquisition.gov/content/13106-1-soliciting-competition https://www.acquisition.gov/content/8405-6-limiting-sources#i1117840

(6) A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable Market research identified only one potential source for the requirement, therefore no other sources will be contacted regarding submitting a quotation in response to the solicitation.

In accordance with FAR 12.603 and FAR 5.102(a)(6), both the solicitation and brand name justification (this document) will be made publicly available through the Government Point of Entry (GPE).

(7) Determination of fair & reasonable price The estimated cost of the requirement as reflected in the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) is based on commercial pricing available on the Kantara Initiative website and through additional pricing information requested by the Program Office and provided by Kantara. Individuals in the Program Office who drafted the IGCE have substantial past experience working with Kantara and would be able to confirm that the value received through this Kantara membership is commensurate with the proposed cost. Therefore, the Contracting Officer anticipates that the cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

(8) Market research Market research performed included contacting knowledgeable individuals in the Government and reviewing information available online. As detailed throughout this document, the result of this research was a determination that the procurement of a Kantara membership was the only solution identified to meet the Government’s needs.

Additionally, the only source for procuring a Katara membership is directly from The Kantara Initiative.

(9) Any other facts Beyond that, the international exposure and networking Kantara provides as a non-profit with its market positioning renders Kantara an apolitical neutral venue to promote the Identity Portfolio. While there are other venues available, such as the International Identity Summit and the original D5 (now D8), participation in events are haphazardly timed and engagement is restrained. Unlike the other venues, Kantara Board/Committee/Sub-committee would offer regular direct access to each other and to/from Kantara's Board without being on it, and thus avoiding perceptions of conflicts of interest. Kantara’s non-profit status together with its unique blend of 'commons' altruism not seen in 'pay to play' organizations (actually in no other organization of any substance in the industry) makes it politically 'safe' for government agencies to participate, engage, collaborate, sponsor good works, etc. This allows the Program Office to promote identity as a shared service in an open and reputable community.

Throughout the duration of the Program Support contract, Identity expects to coordinate with interagency, State, and industry groups to promote the work of the Identity Portfolio, develop partnerships, and develop a pipeline of opportunities for the identity shared services. Kantara membership provides international exposure, knowledge, and networking opportunities, through its social media marketing networks and through its international government agency members. The Kantara Board/Committee/Sub-committee would also offer potential networking opportunities the Program Office requires to promote identity as a shared service.

Furthermore, Kantara has a formal liaison with ISO SC27 working group 5 for identity management and privacy technologies. Kantara offers an alternative channel to ISO and other SDOs with access to standards drafts in advance. Coupled with the aforementioned qualifications, Kantara offers a singular and unique channel to promote the Identity Portfolio and achieve Identity’s goals.

(10) Source list Kantara Initiative is interested in this acquisition, as confirmed by the Identity Program Office.

(11) Barriers to competition The Government will continue to survey the marketplace for future procurements of this requirement to assess if additional sources are available that meet the Government’s needs and allow for broader competition in future procurements.

(12) Technical/Requirements Certification I certify that the supporting data provided, which form the basis for this justification are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Jeffrey Shultz Technical Representative GSA FAS TTS Identity PMO

Date

(13) Contracting Officer Certification and Approval I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Jennifer Calik Contracting Officer

GSA FAS TTS OA

Date

7/30/2020

7/31/2020