JA_MUHJ 22-0032 Basewide Strategic Planting_Fully Executed_Redacted.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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I. Agency and Contracting Activity.

Department of the Air Force 633d Contracting Squadron 14 Burrell St, Building 67 Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA 23665

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

This Justification and Approval (J&A) is for the award of a new Firm-Fixed-Price Architect and Engineer (A&E) sole source contract to NuGlobal Solutions, LLC (NGS) CAGE: 60UN8. NGS is a self-certified Economically Disadvantaged Women- Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). This action is for 633 Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) project MUHJ 22-003 that will provide the expansion of the Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model and ArcPro platforms to account for impact of strategic plantings on basewide stormwater management.

Background Information: NGS previously developed a HEC-RAS model for Langley AFB. NGS calibrated this model to the NASA Flood Tool, refined the model to predict the effectiveness of existing and proposed Best Management Practices (BMPs) under a variety of future flood, rainfall, storm surge, and sea level rise possibilities, utilized United States Air Force (USAF) Sustainable Asset Accounting System (SAAS) to demonstrate the triple bottom line (economic, ecological, and social) value of the BMPs, and facilitated meetings with multiple base and regional stakeholders to gain agreement on the features and locations of proposed BMPs. NGS created the HEC-RAS model via a task order written by 633 CONS/PKB (FA480019FA202) under a Navy Environmental Analysis Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract (W912HP16D0016). The Navy Environmental Analysis IDIQ has expired, and thus is not an option for this action.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs (including the estimated value).

The objective of this study will be to update the HEC-RAS model and ArcPro platforms to account for impact of strategic plantings on basewide stormwater management. Overall, the strategic plantings approach will be established to partner with on-going BMP development/construction to increase their effectiveness, cohesiveness and sustainability goals. Expansion of the HEC-RAS model and ArcPro platforms to capture strategic plantings, allows for the cost effective, maximum use of tools already being utilized by the installation.

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The justification for restricting competition is in accordance with 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Awarding a contract to NGS is a logical follow-on to incorporate the expansion of the HEC-RAS model and ArcPro platforms to establish a strategic planting approach to partner with BMP development/construction to increase their effectiveness, cohesiveness and sustainability goals. NGS previously created the customized HEC-RAS model for Langley AFB. NGS coordinated with multiple Langley AFB personnel and the City of Hampton, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and regional stakeholders to gain agreement on the features and

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If NGS is not awarded this sole source effort, then the Government will incur a substantial duplication of costs that is not expected to be recovered through competition. Any new contractor would be required to conduct an extensive study of Langley AFB, coordinate numerous meetings with various Langley AFB personnel, the City of Hampton, NASA, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), and other regional stakeholders (causing all of these entities to duplicate effort and money), before it could begin the building of a similar HEC-RAS model. The last effort by NGS took a total of 339 calendar days to complete and the cost was $152,379.00.

Applying a similar timeline to a new project is deemed a duplication of effort that would not be recovered through competition.

Furthermore, NGS's intimate knowledge of Langley AFB and surrounding areas that are vulnerable to sea level rise and climate change, along with its previous modeling effort to address these vulnerabilities using proposed BMPs is critical to efficient execution of the proposed project. A new consultant will require significant time and resources to get up to speed with issues on the base, as well as the customized model, and obtain buy-in from all stakeholders prior to being able to identify strategic plantings basewide and a listing of native, salt tolerant species appropriate for these plantings. This could include a complete rethink of the proposed solution and result in delays in implementation potentially resulting in impacts to base infrastructure during the period.

Lastly, NGS possesses the following unique/highly specialized capabilities/qualifications, and due to it having performed the initial study and being the creator of the Langley AFB HEC-RAS model, makes NGS the sole source contractor to properly account for the strategic plantings

• biologists with knowledge of monetizing ecosystem services;

• use of HEC-RAS, Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model or SWAN+ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model platforms for predictive modeling;

• use of Triple Bottom Line Sustainable Asset Accounting System model to demonstrate the business case for sustainably managing built/natural assets by considering the externalized and internalized cost of actions in terms of economic, environmental, and social impact;

• technical facilitation of meetings for multi-discipline teams to evaluate data, design, and develop consensus decisions;

• adaptive design based on the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) standards currently used in the United Kingdom and/or the ASCE Committee on Adaption to a Changing Climate, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Adaptive Design and Risk Management

• sediment profile imaging (SPI),

• remote sensing,

• drone (aquatic and/or aerial) data acquisition technologies to collectively characterize subsurface, nearshore, and coastal environments;

• high level data evaluation using a combination of forensic chemistry, chemometric analysis, benthic habitat through SPI, bathymetric, remote sensing, and geostatistical methodologies to characterize assess, and monitor the base;

• data visualization using an assimilation of all available data to provide customizes open-source or PC based visualization platforms;

• use of open-source web mapping and interfacing applications; customization of cross platform products without limiting to proprietary enterprise solutions through products such as ArcGIS, Quantum GIS, CTech, or Rockworks outputs as stand-alone or integrated into an interactive produce; and

• use of platforms supported by Postgre SQL/PostGS or Access databases.

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VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under

FAR 5.202 applies.

In accordance with FAR 5.201, a notice of intent to award a sole source contract will be posted to SAM.gov to satisfy the publicizing through the Government-wide point of entry (GPE) requirement.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

A technical evaluation will be conducted by the Project Manager (PM) and the proposal will be evaluated to determine price fair and reasonable in accordance with the techniques outlined in FAR 15.404-1 Proposal Analysis Techniques.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted by the Project Manager and found that NGS uniquely offers specialized consulting and engineering services. Additionally, NGS holds the customized HEC-RAS model as developed in the previous requirement.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

N/A

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

NuGlobal Solutions LLC (NGS) CAGE: 60UN8

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

Because the HEC-RAS model was developed by NGS, a barrier to competition exists in which award to another contractor will require additional cost and effort in order to validate NGS' prior work. No action by the agency can remove this barrier to efficient and effective competition.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my signature above, I certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my responsibility, is both accurate and complete.

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