IT Services Bridge JA_Redacted.pdf

FA875121R0008

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Contracting Activity: Department of the Air Force

Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL – Rome Research Site

AFRL/RIKO

26 Electronic Parkway Rome, NY, 13441-4514

Purchase Request/Local Identification Number: FA875121R0008 Program Name (and Program Element, if applicable): Information Technology (IT) Services Estimated Cost/Price of the Order (including options):

Type Program: Other Contracting Authority: 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) Type Determination: Individual Approving Authorities:

Program Manager:

Local Legal Reviewer:

Contracting Officer:

Local Small Business Office: See DD Form 2579 for local Small Business Office approval.

APPROVED:

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: AFRL/RIKO, 26 Electronic Pkwy, Rome NY 13441 Contracting Officer:

Solicitation: FA875121R0008

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

Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKO, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514, proposes to issue a non-competitive dual Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Time and Materials (T&M) bridge order with an exception to other than full and open competition for Information Technology (IT) services. The order will be placed off of the Netcents 2 NetOps & Infrastructure Small Business contract vehicle held by CDO Technologies. The Contractor shall provide all labor and materials necessary to fulfill the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). In accordance with FAR 2.101 and DFARS 212.207(b)(i), the service is considered to be a commercial item; therefore, the use of T&M is authorized.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs

Under the contemplated order, the Contractor shall provide Information Technology (IT) Services for the entire Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Information Directorate (RI), to consist of communication and computer management services including service desk support, desktop support, network support, cybersecurity/information assurance support, communications support, field services, and specialized information systems support.

The purpose of this effort is to establish the mission required IT Services bridge order to cover the period of time from which the current order expires on 31 March 2021 to the time in which a new Netcents-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Small Business order is awarded. This bridge order will allow for mission essemtial services to continue and to allow for transition activities to occur.

The current order, FA8732-15-D-0024-RX01, was competed on the Netcents-2 NetOps & Infrastructure Solutions Small Business multiple award contract vehicle and awarded on 1 October 2015 and has a current period of performance through 31 March 2021. The solicitation for the new effort has been issued.

The order will be established with a performance period of one (1) month plus one (1) option period of one (1) month. This effort will be funded primarily with 3600 funding, though 3400 funding also may be provided for mission technical support. The estimated cost is

4. Authority Permitting an Exception to Fair Opportunity and Supporting Rationale

(a) FAR 16.505(b)(1)(i) requires the contracting officer to provide each awardee under a multiple award contract, a fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding $3,500 unless a statutory exception applies. The specific exception that precludes the fair opportunity process for this acquisition is 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.

(b) The Government requires essential daily IT mission support, amongst other requirements outlined in the PWS. Due to the nature of the required services the Government cannot allow for a gap in services as the daily required mission support needs are essential. Therefore it is necessary it issue a bridge order to the incumbent contractor, CDO Technologies, in order to ensure the Governments needs are met.

This is a logical follow-on bridge order due to the fact that the current contractor, CDO Technologies will be doing the same highly specialized scope of work that is currently being provided to keep the Government’s IT service up and running as well as providing an orderly transition to the new awardee.

Without this bridge order to CDO, the new awardee would not be able to perform on the first day of the order, thus resulting in unacceptable delays.

If a new contractor were to be awarded this order at this time, unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s needs would occur in a multitude of ways. The incumbent contractor, CDO Technologies, currently has knowledgeable, qualified personnel in place to fulfill the requirement. Additionally, CDO Technologies already has the security clearances required and access to the required system accounts as well as accurate processes and procedures set in place to keep the IT network maintained at the required service level. CDO Technologies is familiar with AFRL/RI’s existing tools, applications, site-specific processes and procedures, and their personnel have the required certifications and accounts.

Obtaining a new contractor at this time would cause an unacceptable delay due to the time it would take to get cleared contractor personnel in place, their access to the required accounts and the hours needed to train them to do a job that the incumbent can perform on day one and has been doing very well for the past 5 years.

Due to the vital nature of the IT services in accomplishing the AFRL/RI mission, the current contractor is required to provide all reasonable support to the Government and the new contractor to ensure an orderly transition and minimize any impact on the AFRL/RI operations. The incumbent contractor is required to prepare a transition plan, and provide sufficient number of personnel to conduct a joint inventory of all Government-furnished equipment, Government-provided facilities, publications, accounts, and records with the successor contractor and the Government to ensure inventories/accounts are accurate and complete. The incumbent contractor is required to provide familiarization and allow the new contractor to observe monthly operations, facilities, work, equipment locations, and reporting procedures. Additionally, the learning curve needed to get a new contractor up to speed involves a significant amount of Government time and effort as well, given the close level of collaboration required for successful performance. Continuing this as a logical follow-on order eliminates this unacceptable delay and allows sufficient time for the incumbent contractor to comply with the requirements stated above while working with the successful offeror of the next order.

(c) Given the Government’s need to receive essential daily IT mission support, the bridge order is necessary to accomplish the Government’s urgent need.

5. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination by the Contracting Officer

A fair and reasonable cost determination will be determined by comparison to the rates on the current order and by comparison to the current Department of Labor Wage Determination for applicable labor categories. The Government does not expect the Contractor to increase the rates beyond the current rates in the current order. The current order was determined to be fair and reasonable based on adequate price competition.

6. Description of Market Research Conducted Among all Awardees

Not applicable.

7. Other Facts Supporting the Justification

The solicitation for the follow-on three (3) year Netcents-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Small Business order is currently posted on AFWay and the exact date is unknown as to when the order will be awarded.

Until such time it is possible to award the Netcents-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Small Business order, awarding this contemplated sole source order would ensure service continuity and avoid unnecessary risk for AFRL/RI operations.

8. Actions to Remove/Overcome Barriers to Increasing Fair Opportunity

A competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) is currently posted on AFWay under the Netcents-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Small Business contract vehicle.

9. Contracting Officer’s Certification

The contracting officer’s signature on the signature page evidences that he/she has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief.

10. Technical/Requirements Personnel’s Certification

As evidenced by their signatures on the Coordination and Approval Document, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete.