J and A-19AQMM20C0118-4 Month Extension.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

FAR Part 6.3

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity:

The Office of Acquisition Management (AQM) proposes to extend contract 19AQMM21C0118 beyond its current extension on the basis of other than full and open competition on behalf of Diplomatic Technology/Enterprise Services/ App Design & Delivery Office (DT/ES/ADD). The request is for a four-month extension with three 1-month options (a maximum of 7 months). The incumbent contractor, Koniag Management Solutions, LLC (Koniag), an Alaska Native 8(a) firm, has satisfactorily demonstrated that they are prepared to staff and deliver the increased level of support with well-qualified personnel and proven methods.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

AQM is requesting an extension of contract 19AQMM21C0118 beyond the current extension that will end on July 28, 2034. The request for the additional 4-months, from July 29, 2024 to October 28, 2024 with three additional 1-month options.

The extension is necessary to ensure that the Government can continue to support mission critical and important IT work across the Department. The extension provides sufficient time for the Department to issue a new contract to support DT/ES/ADD’s program.

The follow-on contract was delayed in part because of DT’s reorganization to DT that included leadership changes. In addition, Diplomatic Technology/Business Management and Planning/IT Acquisitions/Contract Management (DT/BMP/ITA/CM) along with the CIO and DT senior leadership spent 8 weeks, reviewing the acquisition plan and the acquisition approach to compete the requirement under GSA’s 8(a) STARS Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vs. the DT/BMP/ITA/CM approach of a sole source award to a Native American 8(a) firm. After much discussion, DT leadership approved the acquisition plan to compete the award on 8(a) STARS as originally planned. Without the delay AQM and DT/ES/ADD were on track to make a contract award before the end of the current extension (July 28, 2024).

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the Department’s needs.

Under Contract 19AQMM21C0118, Koniag supports multiple Information as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS) platforms. Koniag supports all security compliance, incident response, application development, threat & vulnerability management, and data privacy & security associated with various critical projects across the Department.

The on-going tasks under the contract include but are not limited to the following:

o Cloud Ready Application Development – The contractor designs and develops cloud applications for multiple cloud solutions such as ServiceNow or other cloud solutions that are currently used by the Department or may be leveraged in the future. Applications are developed in a way that provides a similar theme yet produces specific experiences for users depending on what platform they are on.

Applications also incorporate security processes, and where applicable, separate Authorizations to Operate (ATOs) are achieved. Application development includes adherence with Information Assurance (IA) and Diplomatic Security (DS) system reporting requirements. Design and development appropriately represent DT/ES/ADD and creates an environment that encourages and facilitates user interaction, acceptance and leverages the Department’s investment in existing and future enterprise Cloud architectures and solutions.

Projects are integrated using an approach to deliver the highest value work possible to the customer within a rapidly changing environment.

o Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) Management – Provide management of IaaS platforms, including but not limited to AWS and Azure. This includes configuring and maintaining various environments, integrating with on and off-premises services as needed (Okta, Active Directory), utilizing DevOps automation, Infrastructure as Code, and the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. All services comply with security and governance, including FedRAMP where appropriate.

ATOs are achieved and maintained. Provide management of PaaS and SaaS platforms, including but not limited to Google Workspace (G Suite) and ServiceNow. Configure, deploy, and maintain in a secure fashion all DT/ES/ADD managed platforms.

o IT Collaboration Support - Provide technical management and subject matter expertise for the Foreign Affairs Network ((FAN) aka G-Suite) as an IT Shared Service. Provide leadership and technical support for the development and oversight of the execution of design solutions for customer transitions. Provide leadership, technical support, and coordination for multi-office, multi-agency engineering design efforts and systems integration. Provide marketing and project management support for DOS and external agency (customer) transitions to the FAN.

o IT Budget Reporting and Administrative Support - Assist with drafting and managing the DT/ES/ADD fiscal year budget request and work with the COR/GTM and Division Chiefs to prepare the annual IT operating budget submission based upon obligations and commitments to programs and goals. Manage the DT/ES/ADD budget spend plan and report bi-weekly to the COR on the status of funds to include budget-to-actual comparisons. Ensure budget allotments are complete and accurate in the related financial systems of record. Propose justification for budget changes and support liaison activities between the

DT/ES/ADD and the appropriate DT offices. Complete timely reviews for the completeness and accuracy of invoices and supporting documentation as a prerequisite for invoice approval. Prepare ad hoc financial reports on the cumulative IT expenditures related to specific IT projects and generate financial documentation as requested. In addition, update OMB Exhibit 300A/Bs for required projects, to include responding to Investment Review Board and OMB inquiries and providing revisions and updates as needed. Manage iSchedule and iMatrix activities and ensure compliance with DOS requirements and deadlines.

Assist DT/ES/ADD management in monitoring and reporting consumption of cloud spend by DT/ES/ADD and customers. Assist CORs/GTMs in managing Cloud license consumption as needed. Prepare, write, format, and edit a variety of documents, to include letters, memos, spreadsheets, presentations, charts, and electronic records. These documents may be both internal and external in nature.

Provide oversight for the development, collection, and maintenance of documentation as necessary throughout the lifecycle of projects/programs to include presentations, meeting minutes, action items, reports and documentation related to the transition and closeout of project/program activities, as necessary.

o Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office of Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (SCA/CARE): FALCON Support - SCA/CARE has partnered with DT/ES/ADD to build applications to support Enduring Welcome. Enduring Welcome is President Biden’s long-term strategy to assist Afghans who worked with or on behalf of the US government. The Falcon application provides SCA/CARE the ability to track American Citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), Special Immigrant Visa/Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs/IVs), and other individuals throughout the travel process. Falcon was built in a time of urgency during, and as a result, the contractor’s development efforts increased for both critical enhancements and refactoring of existing functionality.

In addition, the Reunification portion of this project is a custom application that enables parolees to request the relocation of immediate family members and provides the CARE team the ability to track and manage these requests. Both reunification requests and a surge in Falcon cases from 2,000 Afghans/month to 5,000 are expected in 2023. The contractor's support is critical to properly support the expansion of the FALCON initiative.

o Office of Management Strategy and Solutions (M/SS), Center for Analytics (CFA)

- M/SS has numerous critical initiatives that are in DT/ES/ADD ServiceNow environment. M/SS has communicated to DT the need for DT/ES/ADD to work on additional concurrent efforts in support of M/SS, whose priorities come from the Office of the Secretary (S). The contractor's support is vital to properly support these critical applications and ensure that DT/ES/ADD can meet the increased demand. Below includes some of the various critical initiatives that are requiring the higher level of effort (LOE).

- ERA2023 - Election Tracker

- S/ES OneTravel App

- Data.State

- China Activities Prioritization (CAP)

- CfA Permissions Request

- Database Creation Request

- Language Packages Request

- CfA Unified Intake Form o DT/OPS: Hardware Asset Management (HAM) - DT/ES/ADD is leading the development of the Hardware Asset Management (HAM) pilot implementation initiative. ServiceNow HAM is a critical DT initiative that provides the Department the ability to track and manage the end-to-end lifecycle of all hardware assets, both physical and consumable. This effort is a critical component of DT’s Tech For Life program which will enable all employees to seamlessly receive, use, refresh, and retire DoS-issued laptops and mobile devices across changing job functions, departments, and geographies. The contractor’s support is critical to the development of applications that interact with HAM, most notably the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and Software Asset Management modules. This effort will make the ServiceNow CMDB the official system of record for all IT Assets in the Department and will also provide DT management with real-time access to the status of all devices on the Department's network. While this initiative is a targeted pilot, allowing DT’s Consolidated Customer Support (CCS) teams to manage laptops and workstations in a limited scope, we anticipate successful implementation which will drastically increase the required support from the contractor.

o Platform Support (Authorization to Operate (ATO) at the High Impact Level) - DT/ES/ADD currently supports the DT implementation of ServiceNow, which has an ATO at the Moderate Impact Level. DS has multiple requirements that can only be met by a platform at the High Impact Level. This effort requires engineering and security related activities to identify, document, and implement the appropriate security controls. The contractor’s support is critical to properly support the implementation of the High Impact Level controls.

o SalesForce Consolidation - Several large Bureaus within the Department such as CA and GPA have implemented Salesforce as a platform for various requirements.

DT/ES/ADD is being directed to build out Salesforce as a State Enterprise (SE) cloud platform similar to the other cloud platforms we manage (e.g., ServiceNow). To accomplish this, contractor support will have to surge to engineer an enterprise-ready platform, implement security controls to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO), determine flexible migration options, and ensure access to advanced FedRAMP approved capabilities.

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition. This acquisition is conducted under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304, as implemented by FAR 6.3 and substantiated by the following:

☒ FAR 6.302-2 – Unusual and compelling urgency.

Failure to permit the execution of this extension could result in serious injury to the Government. The Government will not be able to complete critical initiatives for modernizing and consolidating Department IT services by 1) developing and implementing enterprise level cloud computing solutions and 2) establishing streamlined processes and tool(s) to facilitate enterprise level customer centric IT solutions. In addition, the Government will not be able to support the existing portfolio of cloud applications. This includes key programs and systems such as state.gov, the IDT Help Desk (trouble tickets), Foreign Affairs Network (FAN), Hardware Asset Management (HAM), which is part of DT’s Tech for Life program, CGFS Payroll Customer Support portal, FALCON Reunification, and the IO Election tracker. It is in the best interest of the Government to extend this contract to enable Koniag to continue support of these mission-critical activities. The contract extension is necessary to ensure successful operations of not only DT and the DT CIO priorities, but several other bureaus, such as M/SS and CFA, OBO, DS, PRM, DHS, PM/DDTC, T, INL, S/ES, E, A/LM, CGFS, SCA/CARE (Falcon), MED, RIMC, and others.

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the action require use of the authority cited.

The Department has invested a significant amount of time and resources to build the DT/ES/ADD program using Koniag’s staff and subcontractors. Koniag has provided an acceptable level of performance to date. Awarding to a contractor other than the incumbent is not feasible because there is insufficient time to compete the requirement and transition to a new contractor without a break in support before the current contract ends. The Department requires additional time to complete the acquisition and issue a new contract to a qualified 8(a) STARS contractor and transition key personnel, business processes, and documentation to a new contractor using FAR 16 procedures. Additional time may be needed to defend a possible Agency-level or GAO protest;

6. A description of efforts to ensure that offers were solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

The Department will publish this J&A on Sam.gov as notification of its intent to grant the extension on a sole source basis as required by FAR 5.2. In addition, the Department has published a Sources Sought Notice on GSA E-Buy for STARS 8(a) contract holders and received 53 responses.

7. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government is fair and reasonable.

The rates were determined to be fair and reasonable at the time of contract award.

However, the Contracting Officer will review the current rates and any proposed new rates by reviewing historical contract data and comparing the rates to other commercially available rates (i.e., Stars III, GSA Calculator tool) to ensure they are fair and reasonable for both parties.

8. A description of the market survey conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted.

The Department issued a Sources Sought Notice on 8(a) STARS and received 53 responses with 38 of them indicating that the contractor could perform the work successfully.

As part of the recompete process the Department will publish a Sources Sought Notice on a Government website to identify qualified 8(a) firs that can support the requirements on a new contract.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of this justification.

Failure to approve this extension will most likely result in serious injury to the Government, i.e., the partial shutdown of services that provides systems development and operations and maintenance for the Bureau of Information Resource Management’s Department customers, especially those listed in section 3.

10. A listing of any sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition.

None

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

The extension will provide additional time and flexibility to successfully recompete a follow-on contract for DT/ES/ADD. The Office of Acquisition Management and the DT/ES/ADD will continue to keep abreast of the market to ensure the acquisition strategy is in the best interest of the Department.