JA ITSS Redacted.pdf

Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.507-6 Exceptions to fair opportunity, the following justification documents the decision to use an exception to the fair opportunity process for this acquisition.

(1) Mission Area and Contracting Activity.

Requisition Number: REQCIO-26-00-095

Requesting Activity Agency: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI)

Contracting Activity: DHS OIG Acquisitions Division

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

This justification authorizes and approves the award of a new sole-source time-and-materials order that will provide DHS OIG with essential information technology (IT) support functions and develop future technology solutions. These commercial services will be procured utilizing the procedures listed in FAR Part 16.505 and will support major program areas including on-premise and cloud-based system engineering, network and infrastructure system administration, development services, cybersecurity services, and project management and business analyst support.

The suggested contractor is:

Steampunk, Inc.

1753 Pinnacle Drive, Suite 900 McLean, VA 22102

UEI: LJZTDJWPG431

(3) A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

This order will provide qualified personnel necessary for the efficient and effective administration and control of the work involved in operating current DHS OIG systems and network infrastructure and planning, designing, implementing, supporting, and maintaining new systems as DHS OIG requires.

The purpose of this procurement is to acquire advanced IT support services to maintain mission support systems and to help DHS OIG design and implement new systems. This support shall enable DHS OIG to fulfill important and immediate information and technical management needs. It will require a Contractor with extensive expertise in offering professional and high-quality systems and network administration support, which includes the support for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a complex environment of hardware and software as well as support for the operation and maintenance of datacenters and network infrastructure.

It is anticipated that one (1) task order consisting of one (1) six-month base period, one (1) one-year option period, and one (1) nine-month option period will be awarded. In addition to labor costs, contractor personnel may be required to travel outside of the local commuting area to OIG field offices and/or datacenters. Thus, the order will include not-to-exceed travel amounts for each performance

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

(6) A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The order is being awarded against the contractor’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) CIO-SP3 Small Business IT Services/Solutions government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC), and the contractor’s labor rates are pre-competed. The Contracting Officer will ensure the follow-on order’s price is fair and reasonable by confirming labor rate alignment between the proposal and GWAC and seeking/verifying any additional discounts.

(7) Any other facts supporting the justification.

N/A

(8) A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

The follow-on order’s period of performance is aligned with the mandated order expiration date of December 31, 2028, due to the sunsetting of the CIO-SP3 GWACs. During this time, DHS OIG will assess infrastructure, staffing, and any newly mandated capabilities. A competitive procurement, reflecting these changes, is planned. Acquisition planning and market research will help identify the best approach for securing these services in the future.

(9) Certifications & Approvals

Technical / Requirements Personnel Certification I certify this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the supporting data, which forms a basis for this justification, is complete and accurate.

(10) Contracting Officer’s Certification I certify that the data supporting the recommended justification to use an exception to fair opportunity is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

(11) Legal Review and Concurrence I have reviewed this justification and deem it legally sufficient.

(12) Head of the Contracting Activity I have reviewed this justification and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Therefore, unless additional approvals are required as prescribed below, as Head of the Contracting Activity, I hereby approve this justification.