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JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation ID04200001, Contract Award 47QFSA20F0031

J39 Military Information Support Operations (MISO) and Civil Affairs (CA)

Subject Matter Expert Support (J39 MISO and CA SME Support) in support of:

United States Special Operations Command

(USSOCOM)

United States (U.S.) General Services Administration (GSA)

Federal Acquisition Service

Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) Defense

Interagency Agreement Number 47QFSA19S0005

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The General Services Administration (GSA) Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) makes this Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition orders pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302.

1. Identification of Agency and Contracting Activity:

Agency:

GSA AAS acting in support of Department of Defense (DoD), USSOCOM

Contracting Activity:

GSA AAS Contracting Office (QFCA) 1800 F Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20405

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

In accordance with FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), approval is requested to extend the current contract directly with Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) in support of the J39 MISO by up to 11 months.

The resultant Task Order extension will provide the services needed for continued, seamless, uninterrupted support for USSOCOM’s J39 MISO’s mission. Additionally, the extended contract will continue providing the qualified personnel with the specific requirements and minimum skill described in the Statement of Work (SOW). The sole vendor capable of meeting the requirements and mission needs without substantial duplication of costs or unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency requirements is Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. as further detailed herein.

This Task Order extension will allow GSA AAS and USSOCOM J39 MISO the time necessary to properly adjust and articulate the scope of a competitive effort which will fulfill the future contract needs of the J39 MISO. This competitive acquisition is currently in the Market Research and Acquisition Planning stage. Considering the priorities of the Presidential administration and the change of leadership at USSOCOM, additional time is required to ensure this new contract action will provide J39 MISO with the contract support that aligns to its five-year vision.

3. A Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet Agency’s Need (Including the Estimated Value):

The Directorate of Operations (J3) provides fully capable Special Operations Forces (SOF) to defend the U.S. and its interests and synchronizes planning of global operations against terrorist networks. Within the J3, the J39 MISO Branch has the mission to plan, coordinate, integrate, and execute Military Information Support Operations (MISO) strategies to promote the goals and objectives of the Government of the United States and serve at the Joint Proponent Office for both MISO and Civil Affairs (CA.) This mission requires full time equivalent (FTE) subject matter expert (SME) augmentation which are provided through this order. The purpose of the task is to provide subject matter experts

CUI//SP-SSEL

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(SMEs) to augment manpower for MISO and CA activities across all organizational functions.

The requested Task Order extension will support a modification to the current Task Order that extends the period of performance for an additional 11 months, resulting in a total period of performance of six and a half years. The TO is currently in the six months extension PoP in accordance with FAR 52.217-8. After this modification, the period of performance of the TO will change from 20 March 2020, through 29 September 2025, to a period of performance ending on 31 August 2026

4. An Identification of the Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition:

In accordance with FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements, under the authority of 41 U.S.C.

3304(a)(1), approval is requested to contract directly with BAH in support of the J39 MISO and CA SME Support.

○ FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. A Demonstration that the Proposed Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or the Nature of the Acquisition Requires Use of the Authority Cited:

BAH has been the incumbent J39 MISO and CA SME Support contractor since March 2020, demonstrating a proven track record of high-value operational support and program solutions. BAH currently provides the SMEs that possess in-depth institutional knowledge of J39 MISO’s mission. This knowledge can only be obtained through prior direct involvement in the agency's J39 Branch and is essential for ensuring the continuity and effectiveness of J39 MISO’s mission. BAH possesses a comprehensive understanding of military operations, strategic planning, and inter-agency coordination within the DoD and USSOCOM environments. BAH has expertise in areas such as social science research, statistical analysis, MISO concepts and doctrine, strategic communications, and civil affairs. BAH’s personnel have the essential qualifications that include proficiency in military decision-making processes, experience in long-term program development, and the ability to conduct complex analytical tasks. Furthermore, BAH’s contractor support demonstrates strong communication skills, the ability to develop and maintain strategic plans, and the capacity to integrate diverse capabilities into cohesive strategies. BAH’s staff also possesses the high-level security clearance (Top Secret with SCI eligibility) that are a mandatory requirement across all roles in this J39 MISO requirement.

BAH is the only contractor that can provide the services required by USSOCOM within the applicable timeframe. No other company has the unique capability, positioning, and specialized experience to ensure continued J3 support services mission support for the J39 MISO program by 29 September 2025. As the incumbent contractor, BAH’s continued operation under this TO does not require any time for the administrative

Version 11/25/2024 Page 4 transition in activities. These transitions would disrupt ongoing operations, require substantial time and resources, and ultimately impede J39’s ability to effectively support USSOCOM's mission. The contractual relationship with BAH allows the Government to avoid a costly and essentially duplicative second transition period. For these reasons, BAH is the only contractor positioned to successfully fulfill these contract requirements at this time.

The J39 MISO section is instrumental in shaping the information environment and building relationships with local populations to create favorable conditions for success of military operations. A disruption in J39 MISO support would have significant negative consequences, including:

● Strategic Misalignment: Impeding the development, integration, and synchronization of psychological operations across the DoD and USSOCOM, resulting in uncoordinated or counterproductive messaging.

● Reduced Operational Effectiveness: Decreasing the ability to influence target audiences, increasing the risk of misinterpreting the operational environment, and preventing the full utilization of MISO capabilities.

● Hindered Capability Development: Impeding the advancement of MISO capabilities due to a lack of expertise in doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities, and policies (DOTMLPF-P), impacting doctrine, training, and resource allocation and ultimately undermining strategic advantages

Delays in SOCOM's acquisition strategy and the challenging acquisition environment currently preclude the use of full and open competition in the short term. A competitive process would necessitate approximately one year, which is not feasible given the impending gap in coverage and the July 2026 deadline for the follow-on contract.

Changes to the FAR and a reduction in the acquisition workforce further constrain the agency's ability to conduct a full and open competition in a timely manner. GSA’s resources are concentrated on the larger follow-on contract, rendering a smaller, interim competitive procurement impractical. Utilizing FAR 6.302-1 allows the agency to expeditiously and efficiently award a contract to ensure this continuity.

The proposed 11-month period of performance extension will enable USSOCOM to continue J39 MISO and CA SME Support while a competitive procurement of a new five-year (base year plus four, one-year option periods) task order is finalized, which will establish coverage for fiscal years 2026 through 2031. This additional period of time will also facilitate contract transition efforts, while ensuring continuity of coverage in the event of a protest.

6. A Description of Efforts Made to Ensure that Offers are Solicited from as Many Potential Sources as Practicable:

a. Initial Competition AAS conducted market research from October 2019 to December 2019. In accordance with an agreement between AAS and SOCOM, GSA AAS solicited these requirements against the SMWS Group-A IDIQ. An RFI was released on 3 October 2019 enabling all

Version 11/25/2024 Page 5 interested parties an opportunity to comment. Four out of the ten offerors holding a SWMS Group-A contract responded to the RFI confirming their intent to quote on this requirement (Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), CACI-WGI, Inc., Jacobs Technology, Inc., and MacAulay-Brown, Inc.), so it was determined that there were sufficient sources for competition. On 19 December 2019, a solicitation was issued, and by the closing date of the solicitation, three proposals (BAH, CACI-WGI, Inc., and Fulcrum IT Services Inc.)

were received.

b. Task Order Extension

As required by FAR Part 5.201, on Aug 12, 2025, the AAS Contracting Officer published a notice of proposed contract actions on SAM.gov, which provided a synopsis stating the Government’s plan to Sole Source this acquisition. This action provided further opportunities for potential offerors to express interest. The responses to that notice and the Government’s evaluation of the responses are detailed in Section 8 below.

c. Future Competition

The J39 MISO and CA SME Support contract requirements will be competitively procured by GSA AAS, as the contracting activity supporting USSOCOM. As the incoming leadership articulates their vision for the command, AAS will refine the scope of the future acquisition to most appropriately meet the continuing need of the J39 MISO.

In efforts to promote competition, AAS will leverage the strategies common to its acquisition practices, including:

● Requests for Information: GSA AAS will publish RFIs to Best-In-Class contract vehicles, based on preliminary market research, in efforts to determine the acquisition strategy that best promotes informed competition.

● Market Analysis Discussion (MAD) Sessions: GSA AAS will provide contractors under selected IDIQs with the opportunity to participate in one-on-one MAD Sessions, allowing them to better understand the future vision of the J39 MISO requirements and to converse with Government stakeholders. Historically, this common AAS practice has had a direct, positive impact on competition.

● Industry Day and Due Diligence Events: As AAS and J39 MISO further elaborate upon the future contract vision for these requirements, and as the AAS Contracting Officer determines the best procurement strategy, the parties will conduct Industry Day and Due Diligence events with contractors under the IDIQ that supports the most competitions practicable for the Government’s needs.

These events allow the best opportunity for a level playing field, promoting informed proposal submissions from competitive sources.

7. A Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable:

Based on the data gathered, the AAS Senior Contracting Officer (SCO) will determine the proposed prices fair and reasonable by obtaining Certified Cost or Pricing Data and performing cost and cost and price analysis. The expectation of reaching a fair and reasonable price was determined through market research to determine the best value for

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USSOCOM.

The SCO has taken appropriate measures to determine that the price of the proposal (at a duration of 11 months) is fair and reasonable. The level of effort and mix of skills for the task areas have been accurately projected and are substantiated in the IGCE. The SCO verified that the offeror's proposal is consistent with the terms and conditions of the underlying contract and will compare the data provided in the proposal to the Government's IGCE. Price analysis will be documented within the contract file to illustrate an award which is fair and reasonable. The fairness and reasonableness of the anticipated price of the contract is based on an analysis of changes in market conditions which impact directly on the labor market, the current contractor’s original pricing, independent internet research on both material and labor rates and discussion with subject matter experts including the government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) regarding the history of the current and previous contracts for these services.

The appointed COR completed a technical evaluation on the contractor’s technical submission to ensure the labor mix and hours are appropriate for the work to be performed. A price analysis review was performed including the verification of rates for the new periods. An award will be made only after the SCO has determined that the proposed pricing is fair and reasonable. This approach provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement and results in the lowest overall cost alternative.

8. A Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results or a Statement of the Reason Market Research was not Conducted:

GSA AAS Defense is conducting market research in support of the follow-on competitive effort. In accordance with (IAW) FAR 10.002 procedures, the market research was updated and is in compliance with the 18-month requirement for recency. The Sources Sought Notice (SSN), posted on www.SAM.gov from 12 Aug 2025 to 27 Aug 2025 to support this bridge extension, requested any interested vendors to comply with the instructions and submit a questionnaire no later than 27 Aug 2025. A total of seven companies responded, including the incumbent. Of those seven respondents, four companies, including BAH submitted the questionnaire as per the SSN instructions. The other three companies responded by submitting only a capability statement. The SSN also included a pre-solicitation synopsis which stated that the Government’s intent was to extend the current contract for an additional 11 months. The COR conducted capability evaluations from the companies who responded to the SSN and determined that only BAH was capable of supporting the SOW requirements.

This market research, including the publication of a notice of proposed contract action on SAM.gov, demonstrates that while there may be other companies capable of performing similar services, BAH is the only capable vendor who can provide seamless continuity of J39 MISO and CA SME support within the required timeframe and without incurring the significant disruption and cost associated with a transition.

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9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other Than Full and Open Competition: If FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements was not used to award the 11 month extension to the incumbent, BAH, the cost to the Government that would be duplicated would be approximately $147,769, encompassing $35,125 in security clearance expenses, $980 in HR onboarding costs, $102,900 in recruiting expenses, and $8,764 in training costs, all avoided by retaining BAH. Beyond these direct costs, the government would risk losing the value of BAH's established expertise, smooth operational transition, and proven efficiency gains, incurring additional costs associated with a new contractor's learning curve, potential initial inefficiencies, and the risk of transition-related delays or performance issues.

10. A Listing of the Sources, if any, That Expressed, In Writing, An Interest in the Acquisition:

The AAS Contracting Officer received seven responses from interested parties regarding the proposed Sole Source effort which was posted in August 2025. Statements of interest were received from Asterism IT Solutions LLC., E-Logic, Inc., and Bluebery Hawaii Technology Solutions LLC. which consisted of a single-page response which failed to demonstrate their experience performing tasks similar to those in the SOW and failed to provide a response to the required questionnaire. Halcyon Group International LLC., Strategic Resilience Group, Motive International, Dexis Professional Services LLC. and BAH (incumbent) all provided a response to the questionnaire prior to the requested response date. Halcyon Group International LLC., Strategic Resilience Group, Motive International, and Dexis Professional Services LLC. failed to specifically address experience performing tasks related to Joint Proponent functions in support of Civil Affairs or Psychological Operations / Military Information Support Operations (PSYOP / MISO) as outlined in the SOW. BAH response addresses all requirements and demonstrates experience, references specific PWS paragraphs where BAH is currently providing support.

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:

GSA will continue working with USSOCOM on the follow-on contract. Prior to any future acquisition, GSA will utilize market research tools to connect with Industry via RFIs, MAD, and/or SSN to maximize the opportunity for competition.

12. Contracting Officer Certification that the Justification is Accurate and Complete to the Best of the Contracting Officer’s Knowledge and Belief:

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I determine based on the findings above that an other than full and open competition approach is in accordance with the requirements and is in the best interest of the Government.

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Date Contracting Officer, AAS Defense Assisted Acquisition Services

Technical and Requirements Personnel Assertion:

The Technical and Requirements Personnel assertion is provided as an Attachment.

Final Approval:

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I determine on the basis of the findings above that an other than full and open competition approach is in accordance with the requirements and is in the best interest of the Government.

Date

Client Executive Assisted Acquisition Services