JA Part 6 -YPG Soil Test 2023-81 20230926_Redacted.pdf

Control No.: MICC 2023-81

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR PART 6 JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Program/Equipment: The United States Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Technology & Investments Directorate requires Geological and Terrain Characterization for YPG's test and evaluation ranges.

Authority: 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) §3204(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 - Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Amount

Prepared by:

Contracting Officer: Tejae Craig Contractin Officer

Technical:

Requirements:

DSN:

Date:

DSN

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

r:

Small Business Specialist:

DSN:-

Date: See Digital Signature

Date: See Digital Signature el:

DSN:-

Date: See Digital Signature iiiiiflllll DSN:-

Date: See Digital Signature

Assistant Director, Small Business Program:

MICC Office of Counsel:

Date: See Digital Signature

DSN:-

FAR Part 6 Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity: United States Arm Mission and Installation Contracting Command - Yuma Proving Grounc:I

2. Description of Action: The Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Technology & Investments Directorate requests a noncompetitive, 2- ear base ear and one- ear o tion period), Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP contract with the doin business as (dba) -· The Government ro·ects award of this procurement for "7e"a"i1FY) Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funding will be used. An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DFARS) 207.103(d)(i)(B).

This action is a follow-on to contract W91151-21-D-0004. Under the previous Justification and Approval (Control No. YPG 2021-21) the paragraph, "Actions to Increase Competition" stated: "Due to reasons indicated above in paragraph 5, -is the only vendor that can perform the required services. As stated in paragraph 6 above, the SSS posted on beta.SAM.gov did not result in the identification of any other viable sources that could provide this service. In addition a notice of intent to sole source this requirement was posted from no requests for additional information or challenges to the sole source were received. Deliverables from this contract will result in the completion of highly specialized projects and culminating research projects with respect to - specialized technical capabilities, therefore eliminating the need to sole source with them for future scientific environmental research requirements. These culminating research projects are identified in the PWS as the following objectives: YTC Kofa and Muggins Dust Course Analysis / Life Use / Relocation Study; YTC Ride Quality Course Analysis and Repair / Replacement Study;

YTC Durability Course Relocation Study; CRTC Blast Area Analysis; TRTC Sherman Exposure Site Environmental Analysis; YTC Countermine Training Range Soil Property Analysis; and Geological Terrain and Soils Database and Visualization Tool. Any future requirements for soil and environmental research outside of DVE related requirements will be packaged in a contract for full and open competition."

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Geological and Terrain Characterization requirement is for the further advancement of knowledge of global military operating environments and to continue efforts for science-based analysis and evaluation of soil and terrain properties to support military testing and related activities. Furthermore, this action focuses on detailed characterization of the terrains associated with the YPG test mission, including affiliated activities in desert, cold region, tropic, and temperate areas of test and evaluation activities commonly used by the Yuma Test Center (YTC), the Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC), and the Tropics Region Test Center (TRTC).

Characterization activities may include a combination of soil, terrain, hydrologic, dust and aerosols, geophysics, and geologic properties and processes as related to a wide range of test and evaluation activities.

Period

Base Period 0 tion Period

4. Authority Cited: 10 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.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: Pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 (a)(2)(iii)(A), when the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for and services may be deemed to be available only from the original source for the continued provision of highly specialized services when it

!iii is likel that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost of to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through compe 1 I0n.

a. The soil research requirements entail a soil database that is adequate for analogous purposes, that contains landform soil data from all continents, all near-peer threat regions, and at current contingency operations locations around the world. YPG requires a unique service capability that is for several highly specialized areas in the field of soil and environmental science, as it relates to the application for use at U.S.

Army Test Centers. Currently, .. maintains approximately 90,000 soil database points (data includes a range of chemical, physical, mineralogical, hydrologic, geologic information) collected at an estimated 17,500 locations worldwide to include specific areas in, on, and around U.S. military installations, as well as areas within near-peer threat regions, and locations where the U.S. military is currently conducting contingency operations. YPG has rights to 4,600 soil database points (data includes a range of chemical, physical, mineralogical, hydrologic, geologic information) collected at 1,050 locations (individual sample sites) across YPG, CRTC, TRTC, and Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) that were collected as part of previously executed contracts with YPG.

The Department of Defense (DoD) testing evaluators utilize this comparison data to validate that the performance of military equipment at YPG test centers is a predictable measure of performance to that in current and future combat theaters across all continents.

b. All verified minimum qualifications as identified in the performance work statement for this contract must be met in full to achieve the objectives for this requirement without incurring significant risk to mission or increased costs to the U.S.

Government. Minimum qualifications include:

1) The contractor shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the development of sensor hardware and software in Degraded Visual Environments (DVE) and joins data from Open Dual Entrance Coaxial (ODEC) probe equipment and other DVE characterization instrumentation to develop DVE computer modeling as it relates to DVE-Mitigation technologies. Two (2) years of experience in the research of military automotive dust courses where the viable depth of soil dust layers is analyzed for use in military equipment testing. Five (5) years of experience evaluating physical properties and surface roughness of automotive off-road test course trails and natural terrain. Five

(5) years of experience in the development of new off-road test course alignments that optimize the location for road coarse specific physical properties and course characteristics. Five (5) years of experience in the analysis of soil properties as it relates to seasonal environmental changes due to precipitation and freeze thaw cycles. Five (5) years of experience installing weather stations and analyzing seasonal environmental data. Five (5) years of experience analyzing soil properties and their effect on land and air countermine detection equipment.

2) Ownership or rights to a gee-referenced soil properties database with, at minimum, 10,000 individual soil samples from at least 5,000 locations from major landforms on every continent.

3) Demonstrated ability to develop and host a website database for the presentation of soils data that utilizes geolocation referencing to display soil and environmental database information around the world.

c. The highl specialized and specific minimum requirements require a unique capability that has been proven to provide. Contract deliverables from previous contracts with have laid the essential foundations required to conduct continuous and time lapse s udies and experiments for the following objectives in the specific tasks section of the PWS: YTC Degraded Visual Environment Modeling Software Development; YTC Kofa and Muggins Dust Course Analysis / Life Use / Relocation Study; YTC Durability Course Relocation Study; TRTC Sherman Exposure Site Environmental Analysis; YTC Countermine Training Range Soil Property Analysis;

Geological Terrain and Soils Database and Visualization Tool; and YTC Degraded Visual Environments Prototype Hardware and Integration. It is estimated that a contractor other than -would require 10 weeks to study and understand the existing research material and testing documentation at an estimated cost of- to the U.S. Government. YPG has also invested 10 ars of research ti�■

- in test equipment while collaborating with to develop a new measurement device to properly measure and characterize dust clouds within the turbulent region of Dynamic - Short Lived Environments. -designed, prototyped, and tested the ODEC Radio Frequency (RF) cavity sensor. YPG requires further research and sensor development for the ODEC to close a remaining sensor capability gap. Without having access to DRl's proprietary information and equipment, it is estimate�er contractor would require 50 weeks in material development time and- in labor cost to replicate- proprietary information and equipment.

d. This requirement also requires unique post-doctorate level education, knowledge, and expertise in geological, soil science, natural environment characterization, and terrain analysis for U.S. Army Test Centers. A post-doctorate level of education brings personnel within an organization that have continued to conduct scientific research, develop a knowledge base, and build on the experience level for a specific subject matter. A post doctorate level of education for a soil and environmental scientist means they have accomplished several complex research projects that support end goals of an organization by analyzing and comparing/contrasting soil and environmental data throughout various areas around the world. For contrast, a scientist with a pre-doctorate/doctorate level of education will have limited experience in the research of soils and environmental data and their experience may be limited to an isolated geological area or educational institution. It is likely they will possess little to no experience operating with and collaborating with external organizations to meet their end goals. With 16 years of experience, atmospheric research scientists are on the leading edge of developing both software and sensor technology to characterize degraded visual environments required by the FVL CFT program. The two critical areas of extreme natural environments and soil characterization analysis are key to successful completion of the priority tasks specified in the PWS for this requirement.

e. Alternatives:

1) Conduct a Competitive Acquisition. As stated in paragraph 5.a. above, the soil research services requirement includes a comparative soil database that is proprietary to . In order to meet this particular requirement, another contractor would have to establish practices, developmental techniques, and reengineer the technology, to meet the requirements of the soil research services needed and would consequently increase costs substantially to achieve those requirements. Additionally, waiting for another company to develop the technology to meet the compatibility requirement would result in a significant delay to the Army’s testing program. Although this requirement has been competed in the past, as illustrated in Paragraph 10 below, it has failed to garner meaningful responses or interest from any vendor other than . Moreover, the recent sources sought, as discussed in paragraph 6 below, has underlined the lack of competition available. As a result, this alternative is not viable for this upcoming requirement.

2) Use of In-House Resources. USAYPG lacks sufficient manpower, technical expertise, and resources to perform the required services. Acquiring adequately trained personnel within the Government is not contemplated by the U.S. Army in the foreseeable future. The scientific and technical analysis of Army test and evaluation ranges requires expertise in scientific knowledge areas of soil, terrain, hydrology, soil dust properties, geophysics, meteorology, and biology, as related to a wide range of test and evaluation activities. Attempting to initiate actions to increase the Government workforce to accomplish this mission would take years and result in mission failure during the time required to adequately recruit and staff a trained workforce. This alternative is not viable.

3) Establish a Noncompetitive Contract. The only feasible alternative is to establish a noncompetitive contract with to provide for the soil research services requirement. This alternative is principally beneficial to the Government as it provides continuity of soil research without incurring delays and additional costs that a new contractor would experience in establishing the same level of knowledge and instrumentation that resides with . Awarding to any other source at this time, would result in unacceptable delays in improving the YPG’s test capability and would not be in the best interest of the Government.

f. Impact if not approved: Disapproval of a noncompetitive contract would create barriers to efficient processes and the risk of impacting the outcomes and data already collected and analyzed from various test missions in support of other test programs.

YPG will incur a significant risk to their test mission capability and may be unable to adequately support ATEC in several test efforts. The test efforts for the FVL CFT program may incur a significant increase to their current test schedule or be canceled due to a test capability gap with DVE sensors and data merging software for dust cloud characterization. If this test capability is not achieved, it will prevent YPG, ATEC and the Army Evaluation Center from conducting all required testing and evaluation of vertical lift aircraft and may result in an improperly tested/approved army aircraft, risking the lives of Soldiers and aircraft equipment. The test efforts of the OMFV, RCV, and MPF vehicle may incur a test schedule increase or will receive inadequate evaluations due to inadequate selection of course conditions at YPG, which is the primary ATEC test center for combat vehicle testing in extreme environments (desert). The test efforts of air detection counter-mine programs may be postponed, or inadequate evaluations performed due to testing utilizing inadequate soil property databases during testing at

YPG.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The Contracting Officer will publish the notices required by FAR 5.201 and any bids or proposals received shall be considered.

a. Effective Competition: As this action is requested to be awarded under a sole source authority as detailed in paragraph 5, above; is not applicable.

b. Subcontracting Competition: a public State of Nevada entity classified as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Domestic ownership), is interested in competing for this requirement as a prime contractor. does not anticipate using any subcontractors as part of this project. No subcontracting opportunities exist because the market research demonstrated that there are no small businesses capable of providing this type of service. Independent market research performed by the Government also failed to identify capable small business sources that could perform this type of service.

Therefore, the contracting officer has determined that no subcontracting possibilities exist and a Determination and Finding will be placed in the contract file, as specified in FAR 19.705-2(c).

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Due to reasons indicated above in paragraph 5, ORI is the only vendor that can realistically perform the required services. As stated in paragraph 8 below, the sources sought notice posted on SAM.gov did not result in the identification of any other viable sources that could perform this service and there were no responses received from any small business concern. The only response to the notice was from the incumbent. Other actions to increase competition included reviewing General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules that shared North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and the strategic sourcing website (procurement.army.mil).

8. Market Research:

a. Based on the market research conducted from historical contract information, and the Sources Sought Synopsis results, there is only one available source under NAICS 541380, Testing Laboratories and Services, that can provide the services for this acquisition. In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 205.205-71, DFARS 206.302-1(d), and DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI) 206.302-1 (d), a sources sought was =ed to SAM.gov from and the results were that the lllllr'as the only interested party.

b. Other Regional Scientific Research Institutions and Universities were contacted to possibly identify other possible organizations to compete for the specified scientific research services.

was e ep onica y contacted regarding performing scientific research services at YPG. -

1 en 1 Ied that they do not provide the specific scientific research services a were required for the contract.

was telephonically contacted on regar Ing pe ormIng scIen 1 Ic research services at YPG. The adminis ra I0n o IcIa identified that they do not provide the specific scientific research services that were required for the contract. They identified that they do not have the available staff to accomplish the work that would be required to complete contract requirements. They identified that they do not have the specialties to address the specific military concerns related to the application of the environmental sciences identified within the contract requirements.

as telephonically contacted on regarding performing scientific research services at YPG. The administration official identified that they do not provide all the specific scientific research services that were required for the contract. They identified that they would need at least 1 year of time post-award to hire the required staff to accomplish the work that would be required to complete contract requirements. They identified that they have not worked on military contracts that relate soil properties to military vehicle mobility requirements.

9. Interested Sources: To date, no other sources have written to express interest in the acquisition.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History:

Contract Number Contractor Competitive Status

Period of Performance Business

W91151-21-D-0004

W9124R-17-C-0001

W9124R-11-D-0211

W9124R-07-C-0028

W9124R-05-C-0 135

Sole Source

FAR 6.302-1

Unrestricted

Sole Source

FAR 6.302-1

Sole Source

FAR 6.302-1

Sole Source

FAR 6.302-1

Size

Large

Large

Large

Large

Large

b. On 3 May 2021 , -was awarded a two-year contract W91151-21-D-0004 on a sole source basis for a total contract value of The authority permitting other than full and open competition was 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. The J&A (Control No. MICC-2021-21) was approved on 5 May 2021 by the Alternate Advocate for Competition.

c. The solicitation (W9124R-16-R-0021 for contract W9124R-17-C-0001 resulted in receiving only one proposal on was the only vendor who responded to the solicitation no ice.

d. On 16 September 2011 as awarded a thre

- ear contract W9124R-11-D- 0211 on a sole source basis for a total contract value of The authority permitting other than full and open competition was 10 . . . c)(1 ), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1-Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The J&A (Control No. MICC-0010-11) was approved on 18 August 2011 by the Special Advocate for Competition.

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: See Digital Signature

Technology Investment Manager

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: See Digital Signature

Chief, Development Division

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination will be made using Cost Analysis in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(c) and comparison of previous cost estimates for the same or similar items. As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data will be required due to this being a non competitive, non-commercial action exceeding the threshold for obtaining certified cost and pricing data established in FAR 15.403-4(a)(1 ).

Tejae Craig Contracting Officer

Date: See Digital Signature

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Tejae Craig Contracting Officer

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of Geological and Terrain Characterization on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 United States Code §3204(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 (a)(1 ), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satis A ency Requirements. The estimated value of the contract is period of performance (base year and one option year), from approximate y The approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or property herein described have otherwise been authorized for this acquisition.