JA EBS OTHAC_12-1-2022 CA.pdf

SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE INFORMATION

SEE FAR 3.104 AND 2.101

Defense Threat Reduction Agency 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Stop 6201

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Nature and/or Description of Action The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) contracting activity proposes, on behalf of Nuclear Technologies Assessments Division, to procure, by means other than using full and open competition, a contract for Over-the-Horizon Control Subject Matter Expert Support (OTHAC) for DTRA’s arms control mission.

2. Description of the Supplies/Services Required The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is responsible for executing and providing mission support to multiple treaties, agreements, and treaty provisional secretariats to which the United States is a party or other type of participant. Such treaties include the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreements, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Provisional Secretariat of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). DTRA’s Technical Equipment Inspection (TEI) Program under the On-Site Inspection and Building Capacity (OB) Directorate provides certification and subsequent inspections of foreign arms-control equipment intended for use in and around U.S. facilities. The TEI Program is currently applicable to Foreign Inspection Team (FIT) equipment and supplies for the START, IAEA agreements, and the CWC and may expand operations for future arms control treaties and agreements. Because of the constantly evolving nature of treaty policy, ongoing Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDTE) is required to ensure that the United States is prepared to execute inspection, verification, and validation to support its mission and associated international engagements. The scope of this requirement includes RDTE of equipment, methodologies, and other support essential to DTRA’s mission to focus on emerging and trending threats in arms control.

SME support for DTRA’s over-the-horizon arms control mission includes:

Providing expert knowledge on the technical specifications and requirements of U.S. and international equipment relevant to the arms control treaties and agreements;

Applying experience in developing and using sensor characterization tools to inspect, analyze, and characterize digital imaging equipment;

Applying experience with acquisition and analysis of X-ray radiographic imagery;

Providing SME support regarding treaty negotiations;

Applying practical optics laboratory experience to include opto-mechanical design and fabrication, development of beam alignment procedure and tools, optical component layout, simple lens design, and component specification and acquisition;

Applying experience with designing custom mechanical components and have the ability to create them via 3-D printing;

Applying experience with designing, testing, and building small electronic systems;

Conducting image acquisition and readout timing modification of sensors to include charge-coupled devices, complementary metal oxide semiconductors, and near-infrared focal plane arrays;

Using analytical techniques such as Fast-Fourier transforms and Monte Carlo methods to analyze data and images;

Using and adapting time-domain reflectometers;

Applying experience with the use of boroscopes;

Applying longitudinal dispersion compensators to long-baseline optical interferometers;

Applying programming experience in C, MATLAB, Interactive Data Language, MathCad, and shell scripts such as bash and csh;

Using computer-aided design programs to include AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and Zemax;

Applying image processing to include filtering, white and color balancing, ortho-rectification, mosaicing, and generation of three-dimensional (3-D) models from imagery;

Conducting imagery analysis from the IR Sensor Characterization Device, to include modulation transfer function (MTF) calculations, focal plane array (FPA) imagery and analysis, and thermal measurement analysis, to include measuring the noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD), and measuring minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD).

Developing approaches to conduct experimental collection of IR imagery on various calibration targets and analyze the imagery to assess the characteristics of various IR calibration targets. The targets could include various shapes such as a tri-bar target or Siemens star, or various target materials. Target analysis would include assessing the optimal target size, the effects of temperature, and optimal target backgrounds to provide the USG with the best information on target selection.

Developing approaches to radar inverse SAR measurement and imaging techniques using compressive sensing for phase history reconstruction;

Applying experience with machine learning and artificial intelligence;

Developing image processing algorithms to analyze digital imagery data;

Applying experience with system design, signal processing, and image formation for

SAR;

Assessing models and analysis of SAR system architectures and the design and integration of digital-receiver-based SAR architectures;

Assessing signal processing to include modeling and simulation of down-conversion and pulse compression techniques to assess the relationship between waveform parameters and maximum achievable resolution;

Applying real-world experience with on-site inspections of foreign equipment;

Applying experience with certification and authentication of foreign and domestic equipment Initiating and maintaining USG collaborations with other USG entities and foreign Allies and Partners

This niche expertise listed above and the skill set of Evans Berger Scientific Inc. (EBS) is unique to EBS. EBS has provided this unique subject matter expertise to DTRA under previous and current efforts to include as a consultant under contract , a subcontractor under contract , and as the prime performer for contract

EBS acquired niche expertise and skills for mission support to multiple treaties, agreements, and treaty provisional secretariats under these previous efforts. The previous prime contractors for and did not provide any subject matter expertise of the type listed above; this expertise was provided solely by EBS. This new effort will be a follow-on of R&D completed under contract to support the DTRA Director’s OTHAC initiative.

The estimated price of this contract action is There will be a 60-month period of performance comprising of a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods. Each performance period will have a surge option for a total of 5 surge options that will be exercised pending available funding.

3. Statutory Authority The statutory authority for this non-competitive action is derived from 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 3204(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source, and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

4. Applicability of Authority Pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, EBS is the only performer that satisfies the criteria necessary for successful performance of this effort because:

This project requires highly specialized knowledge and unique experience with the authentication, verification, and characterization of treaty inspection equipment. The support to be provided is unique to DTRA’s arms control and treaty-support missions and would not typically be undertaken by the commercial sector. EBS has extensive knowledge and experience with treaty-specific policies and has the capability to develop the specialized equipment, procedures, and techniques required for certifications and verifications of equipment to be used for FIT observation missions. EBS has the unique technical expertise required to measure and assess the separate and combined effects of EO sensors. Finally, the contractor has the specialized operational knowledge and experience necessary to ensure DTRA meets mission requirements. The expertise and past experience that EBS provides is unique in that only a small number of U.S. citizens have the capabilities to support DTRA’s mission in the SME capacity required. EBS’s current Principal Scientist is one of a small number (fewer than 5) of experts in the world who has the specialized skill sets required to complete this project..

Based on similar historical information with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), DTRA estimates that award to another contractor, even if they had the required expertise and skills, to be able to begin work on this project, would add at least an additional 12 months to this project. This duplicative cost would be expected to be an additional year of full-time work before a new contractor could begin contributing to this effort. This additional 12 months of time is based on historical experience with NSWC in a related effort, where a new person required a year of work to learn about the project before they could contribute. The required technical support is mission-critical to future treaty and p p y y arms control inspection and certification events, and a delay in commencing this work with the required expertise would be significantly detrimental to DTRA’s mission. This project represents a key component in RD’s support to the Director’s OTHAC initiative, and a delay in awarding this contract would translate to a delay in implementing the Director’s directives. A delay would also result in an interruption of DTRA’s collaboration with the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on arms control R&D, which could cause undue security risks in authentication and verification of foreign inspection equipment.

5. Effort to Solicit Potential Sources In accordance with DFARS PGI 206.302-1, DTRA posted a “Sources-Sought Notice” on 29 August 2022, via SAM.gov seeking capability statements related to the requirement. Per the posting, interested parties had up to fifteen (15) calendar days to submit a response. The electronic responses were due September 13, 2022, and EBS was the only respondent.

A notice of the proposed contract action will be published on SAM.gov as required by FAR 5.2, Synopses of Proposed Actions. Moreover, this J&A will be posted on SAM.gov in accordance with FAR 6.305, Availability of the Justification.

6. Fair and Reasonable Costs The anticipated cost of this contract action to the Government will be determined fair and reasonable based on Independent Government Estimate (IGCE), comparisons with historical data from the current and previous contract efforts for the same or similar services, a cost analysis of the contractor’s proposal, and the technical evaluation determining the cost realism of the proposal submission.

7. Market Research In accordance with FAR Part 10, market research has been conducted for this acquisition. The research sources used consisted of prior acquisition information, a review of government and commercial databases, internet resources, and a publication of a Sources-Sought Notice. The market research found no sources capable of reasonably meeting this requirement other than

EBS.

8. Other Facts None.

9. Interested Sources There are no other known sources capable of reasonably fulfilling this requirement based on the unique position, background, and experience as EBS. EBS was the only respondent to the Sources Sought posted on SAM.gov despite allowing 15 calendar days for potential performers to respond.

10. Subsequent Actions In an attempt to remove or overcome any barriers to competition for subsequent acquisition of this effort, DTRA will continue to conduct market surveillance through-out the performance of this contract.

Technical Certification I certify that the data and information forming the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Program Manager Date

Contracting Officer Certification

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer Date

General Counsel Coordination

This justification is legally sufficient.

Attorney Date

SALIM.TABASSAM.S.1387943885 Digitally signed by SALIM.TABASSAM.S.1387943885 Date: 2022.12.01 12:26:20 -05'00'

Approval

Based on the above justification, I hereby approve accomplishment of this acquisition by means other than using full and open competition.

Competition Advocate Date