JA_ApplanixPOSPac-signed.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. CONTRACTING AGENCY: U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Contracting Division 2000 Fort Point Road, Galveston Texas 77550

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION:

a) The Hydrographic Survey Section requests a new firm-fixed-price contract. The contract Number and Contractor TBD. The Government projects award for June 2020 and fiscal year 2020, funds type Operations and Maintenance and General Construction funds will be used. This is a Limited Sources Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition to include a sole source (brand name) specification for an Applanix POSPac software package with RTX activated capability. The Applanix POSPac software package with be used in conjunction with the POS MV 4 and 5 Wavemaster II INS systems utilized y fleet. The software will improve accuracy across the entire district and allow for post processing position corrections in areas that do not have RTK corrections available due to limited cellular service or a lack of base stations. The solicitation will be a competitive Request for Proposal resulting in a new fixed-price competitive RPF contract issued for FAR 12 Commercial Items.

b) This product meets the definition of a commercial item as defined in FAR 2.101. This supply is customarily used by, and has been sold, leased or licensed to, the general public for commercial and government use. Market research included a Request for information (RFI) posted from 13 Jan 20 through 17 Jan 20 via GSA. The purpose of the RFI was to gain knowledge of interested, capable, and all qualified businesses including but not limited to Small Business, 8(a) Small Business Development Program, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and HubZone firms that hold a GSA schedule. Results support the commerciality of the product showing it being offered by an authorized reseller, Trimble, Inc.

3. DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCT, SUPPLIES, & SERVICES:

This Limited Sources Justification is for the inclusion of a brand name specification for the Applanix POSPac software package with RTX activated capability that works in conjunction with the currently purchased Applanix POS MV 5 Wavemaster II INS positioning systems. The software package is an off the shelf purchase with minimal lead time as the software can be provided by multiple resale vendors. The software cannot be purchased directly through Applanix because USACE has declined to accept their terms and condition requirements in the past.

The district needs to be in compliance with the Hydrographic Survey Manual EM 1110-2-1003 requirements for horizontal and vertical accuracy. To adhere to these standards the entire fleet requires a GNSS aided inertial navigation system the records latitude, longitude, altitude, roll, pitch, heading and heave, as well as all associated performance metrics. The Galveston District currently employs the Applanix POS MV Wavemaster hardware to adhere to the requirements. The POS MV hardware system works in conjunction with the POSPac software package to produce highly accurate RTK/RTX position solutions.

The Applanix POSPac software is critical to the Government reliability and repeatability mission. The POSPac software will be around $23,000 per license, with a 1 year maintenance package and RTX activation, depending on the selected vendor and purchase discounts offered at the time of acquisition.

4. AUTHORITY CITED: 10 U.S.C.2304(c) (1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. This justification applies the use of a brand name description.

5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED:

a) OVERVIEW: Under FAR 6.302-1 when the supplies or services required by the agency are available only from one responsible source, or for DoD, NASA and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other types of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for. As further described in FAR 6.302-1(c), an acquisition or portion of an acquisition that uses a brand-name description or other purchase description to specify a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer does not provide for full and open competition, regardless of the number of sources solicited; and shall be justified and approved in accordance with FAR 6.303 and 6.304. The Applanix POSPac software is the only software on the market that fulfils the base requirements, integrates with existing systems, and allows for a seamless RTX (proprietary) post processing position solution for offshore projects, and areas without cell coverage. The software and maintenance package have restricted use and can only be purchased through one manufacturer, Applanix, as they are the proprietary owners of the software, or a licensed reseller.

b) IMPACT: Failure to incorporate the POSPac software with the new, and existing, POS MV systems will eliminate the reliability and repeatability mission of the Hydrographic survey section leading to decreased safety on the channels, increased frequency of draft restrictions, loss of revenue for the nation, and distrust of the surveys collected by the Corps. It will also render the Galveston district incapable of supporting deep draft maintenance projects or responding to emergencies.

c) ALTERNATIVES: None. The unique requirements of the district (inshore, near shore, and offshore surveys), the remote survey locations with limited, or no, cell coverage, the current data processing requirements, and the accuracy requirements, eliminate all other options on the market.

d) BACKGROUND: The Hydrographic Survey Section performs hydrographic surveys of the harbors and waterways throughout the Galveston District. These surveys are performed during emergency responses, after hurricanes, and throughout the year at set intervals to assess the general conditions of the federal channels for safe navigation through the harbor and for maintenance and deepening programs.

e) BACKGROUND FOR CRITICALITY: All of the sonars and systems on each vessel connect with the Applanix POS MV system and only the Applanix POS data interfaces with the Applanix POSPac software required by the district to process surveys to the level of accuracy required in EM 1110-2-1003. Without the Applanix POS MV Systems, and POSPac software, the district loses the capability to adequately respond to emergency situations, they may miscalculate dredge volumes leading to over or underpaying contractors, and the channels will not be properly monitored leading to soft groundings from deep draft vessels that could result in marine accidents.

In November 2016 all USACE offices received notice that the USCG would be decommissioning its Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS). The Galveston District was identified as a district where this would be of great impact since it used the base stations to correct the horizontal accuracy of its hydrographic surveys. As of July 2019 the network was completely decommissioned but Galveston District has not identified another source for corrections and has been experiencing systematic errors in its survey data resulting in draft restrictions, lost time, and erroneous data published to the public. Other districts (and most contractors) have moved to RTK (Real-Time Kinematic)/VRS (Virtual Reference Station) real time network corrections, or other post processing solutions (such as Applanix RTX), to give highly accurate vertical and horizontal corrections. Galveston District is one of the last districts to still use tide staffs and gauges as its only source of vertical corrections.

The Galveston District needs to upgrade it systems, build an RTK network, post-process where RTK solutions are not possible, and open conversations with our dredge and survey contractors to implement the solutions they already have in place.

The ability to have accurate position data and the ability to post process the data using POSPac will be of paramount importance in 2020 when the Sabine Neches Channel Deepening Project petroleum reserves, will be extended an additional 30 miles offshore. The large LNG vessel require 5-7ft of under keel clearance and our current vertical survey accuracy of +/- 3ft will not be sufficient. In addition, the farthest reach will be around 80 miles offshore where there is not cell phone signal for RTK corrections, or benchmarks to tie into the NAVD 88 vertical datum network. Without the upgrades all USACE work in these areas will need to be subcontracted out.

f) JUSTIFICATION: The USCG Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) has been decommissioned leaving the USACE with no solution for maintaining position accuracy in accordance with the Hydrographic Survey Manual EM 1110-2-1003 requirements. Current Applanix systems work with the POSPac software suite to fix this problem.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: There will be competition between firms that sell the required name brand software package. Based on market research there is more than one distributor/vendor for this system. The requirement will be advertised on Federal Business Opportunities (www.fbo.gov) with the brand name only requirement in the solicitation.

7. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: The solicitation will be full and open competition. The contract will be posted to the Federal Business Opportunities Government website, www.fbo.gov, in accordance with the FAR. The POSPac software will be purchased by the prime contractor from the manufacturer. There are several distribution points that exist throughout the United States.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: Market research was conducted in April 2019. Various vendor were contacted and quotes were obtained. This information was used to develop and IGE.

9. INTERESTED SOURCES: In accordance with FAR 5.102(a) (6), this Justification and Approval (J&A) will be posted with the solicitation when the solicitation is made available through the Government Point of Entry (www.fbo.gov), and remain posted for the entire time the solicitation is posted. Any sources that indicate interest as a result of the publication will be evaluated.

10. OTHER FACTORS:

a) PROCUREMENT HISTORY: Applanix POSPac software has not been utilized by Galveston District before.

b) ACQUISITION DATA AVAILABILITY: Not applicable.

c) UNUSUAL AND COMPELLING URGENCY: The current survey practices do not meet with our own accuracy requirements and standards. Project contracts have been awarded that require our current systems to be paired with the POSPac software in order to support the mission. Without the upgrades all USACE work in remote and offshore areas will need to be subcontracted out because the District does not have the capabilities to support its own projects. The District has fallen below the current industry standards and USACE hydrographic survey standards.

d) SUBCONTRACTING COMPETITION: Subcontracting opportunities exist for suppliers, distributors, and/or installers. This is a restrictive specification that only precludes consideration of a product manufactured by another company. Subcontracting competition will be the responsibility of the offerors or the prime contractor awarded the contract.

11. TECHNICAL CERTIFICATION: "I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the J&A are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: _Erin Diurba__________ DATE: __________________

TITLE: Chief, Hydrographic Survey Section SIGNATURE: _____________________

12. REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION: "I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the J&A are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: _Erin Diurba__________ DATE: __________________

TITLE: Chief, Hydrographic Survey Section SIGNATURE: _____________________

13. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST DETERMINATION: "I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based on competition of the overall solicitation." Certified cost or pricing data will not be required as the construction contract in which these brand name items are included will be awarded based on adequate competition.

NAME: _ Aldrich Nichols____ DATE: ___________________05/14/2020

TITLE: _ Contract Officer___ SIGNATURE: _____________________

14. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION/APPROVAL: "I certify that this Justification and Approval is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief."

NAME: _Aldrich Nichols_____ DATE: ___________________

TITLE: _Contract Officer______ SIGNATURE: _____________________

05/14/2020