JA18-054_COMSATCOM_JA_9_mar_Redacted.pdf

COMSATCOM Center Engineering, Acquisition, and Programmatic Services-JA18-054

Page 3 of 7 Pages technologies, and strategic and tactical communications systems. This requires expertise in a number of disciplines that include COMSATCOM operations, system design, development, implementation and sustainment, information assurance, communications/computer/website security, telecommunications, systems engineering, acquisition, program management, requirement analysis, business and financial analysis, business process reengineering, procurement, and administration/management.

(2) Proposed sole source contractor. TriSept Corporation, 15036 Conference Center Drive, Suite 500, Chantilly, VA, 20151-3848 is the only contractor that can continue this work without a degradation of services until the re-compete effort can be awarded, allowing for sufficient transition. TriSept Corporation has been providing these services since September 2012.

(3) Discussion regarding cause of the limited source situation. Due to additional time needed to define Government requirements, which resulted in a revision to the originally anticipated contract type and strategy, and the necessity to open discussions with all offerors after evaluation of initial proposals, the source selection for the follow-on contract is not complete yet. Although other contractors can perform this effort, because of the extensive knowledge and expertise of COMSATCOM operations needed, there is no longer time available to conduct a competitive procurement and allow for sufficient transition time for this short duration bridge contract. In May 2017, an open-market small business set-aside strategy was deemed appropriate. It would not be in the best interest of the Government to incur duplicative costs of conducting a concurrent source selection at the same time the follow-on contract is in source selection. An estimated can be saved by bridging the current services until source selection of the follow-on contract is completed. This value is based on the estimated loss of productivity through receipt of potentially degraded services and the loss of efforts performed by the program office, finance office and contracting office in conducting two source selections. The current support would be at risk of degradation by needing to transition in two different contractors within such a short time. Considering the short bridge timeframe, it would not be logical or efficient to undergo potentially two transitions during the period. Doing so not only unnecessarily strains existing resources, but would also make it very difficult for the contractor(s) to maintain qualified staff with the turmoil associated with a short PoP and two separate source selections in a short period of time.

(4) Demonstration of limited source. Any interruption or degradation of support is unacceptable, which would be the case without proper transition. TriSept Corporation, as the incumbent, has the requisite knowledge and personnel needed to maintain these services until the re-compete is awarded. These include: the IE22 DISA Enterprise Portal Service (DEPS) SharePoint site; the DISA Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process including DWCF rate determination; and DISA electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) and satellite access authorizations (SAAs) reporting. This contract

Page 4 of 7 Pages requires extensive knowledge of COMSATCOM market trends, networking technologies, strategic and tactical communications systems. The overall effort requires expertise in a number of disciplines to include COMSATCOM operations, system design, development, implementation and sustainment, information assurance, communications/computer/website security, telecommunications, systems engineering, acquisition, program management, requirement analysis, business and financial analysis, business process reengineering, procurement, and administration/management. Many of these need 30 days or more in order for a new contractor to be able to provide the required level of support.

(5) Procurement discussion. The initial strategy for this requirement was to compete the requirement as a small business set-aside on GSA Information Technology Schedule 70 for which a package was submitted to DITCO in January 2017. As discussed above, the acquisition strategy was revised due to additional market research as the requirement package documents were further developed. Ultimately the strategy of an open-market solicitation as a small business set-aside was approved in May 2017.

The projected award for the follow-on contract is June 22, 2018.

(6) Impact. Without a bridge effort, the necessary support would not be delivered at the required level of support, resulting in degraded efficiency and an inability to effectively execute the proper support for the critical mission of the COMSATCOM Center.

A break in service would delay the submission of the annual Budget Estimation Submission that is estimated to be completed during the April-June timeframe which the COMSATCOM users and IE21 projects depends on.

In addition to financial analysis support, requirements implementation support is necessary until the re-compete is awarded. This support includes monitoring operational status of task orders, serving as the focal point for EMI/RFI reporting, serving as focal point for trouble and outage reporting, issuance of SAAs, and providing space situational awareness for the Department of Defense (DoD). A break in service would cause a severe operational impact across the DoD, resulting in the following:

• Users would not be able to submit new satellite access authorizations for processing into an SAA; existing COMSATCOM missions would not be able to submit change System Authorization Requests resulting in:

- Users in the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) would not be able to start new missions on April 1, 2018;

all USPACOM missions are authorized for 30 days and would therefore expire March 31.

- Most United States Marine Corps (USMC) missions are in the USPACOM AOR; USMC operations would cease on March 31.

Page 5 of 7 Pages

- USPACOM missions in Korea would not be supported.

- Army pre-deployment training, and Guard/Reserve readiness training missions would cease.

• Support of Operation Olympic Defender would cease and DoD would lose visibility of all COMSATCOM leased space resulting in:

- No space situational awareness or EMI/RFI reporting, tracking, and resolution.

- JFCC-Space COMSATCOM mission would be degraded.

• Subject matter expert support would not be available to the combatant commands (COCOMs), North America Civil Defense, and Department of Homeland Security which would cause loss of mission planning and fulfillment of requirements such as Satellite Resource allocation in support of the warfighter.

As documented above, a break in or degradation of service, even if for only one day, of the contractor support would have a major impact on DoD, DISA, and the COMSATCOM acquisitions and operations.

5. BEST VALUE DETERMINATION:

GSA has already determined that prices of fixed price services and rates for services offered at hourly rates are fair and reasonable for the purpose of establishing the schedule contract. The Government will utilize the various proposal analysis techniques described in FAR 15.404-1. By placing an order against a schedule contract using the procedures in FAR Part 8, the ordering activity has concluded that the order represents the best value (as defined in FAR 2.101) and results in the lowest overall cost alternative (considering price, special features, administrative costs, etc.) to meet the Government's needs in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). A further determination will be made by the Contracting Officer that the action represents the best value to the Government by conducting both a technical and price evaluation as part of a fair and reasonable price determination.

6. MARKET RESEARCH:

Based on current market research conducted by the Contracting Officer’s Representative for IE22, dated February 2018 through March 2018, it has been determined only the aforementioned service provided by TriSept Corporation can fully support the Government's immediate need.

The Government has determined that the current rates provided by TriSept Corporation are competitive, fair, and reasonable when compared to other Government contractors on GSA Information Technology Schedule 70, Special Item Number 132-51 (IT Professional Services), performing similar tasks.

Page 6 of 7 Pages

Market research conducted from February 2016 through April 2017 for the follow-on effort determined the follow-on effort could be competitively solicited. Market research was conducted through posting of a sources sought notice on FEDBIZOPPS. The notice closed on August 02, 2016. A Dynamic Small Business Search for satellite services was also used.

Although seven contractors responded to the sources sought notice, no two small business contractors were determined to be capable of completing the requirement and available on the same contract vehicle. Therefore, through the market research conducted for the follow-on contract, it was determined the requirement would be competed as an open-market small business set-aside.

7. ANY OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS: There are no other supporting facts.

8. ACTIONS THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE BARRIERS THAT LED TO THE

RESTRICTED CONSIDERATION:

(a) Procurement history.

Current Contract: HC1047-12-F-4600 Services: COMSATCOM Center Engineering, Acquisition, and Programmatic Services Contract Type: FFP PoP: September 24, 2012 – March 23, 2018 Type of Set-Aside: Competitive; Total Small Business Set-Aside Contractor: TriSept Corporation

(b) This effort is being re-competed under solicitation HC102817R0128, as previously discussed in this J&A.

(c) There were no previous awards that required an exception to fair opportunity under this requirement.

9. REFERENCE TO THE APPROVED ACQUISITION PLAN (AP): Not required in accordance with DARS 7.103(e).

Page 7 of 7 Pages

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: Kelli Ross SIGNATURE: See separate signature page

TITLE/ORGANIZATION: Contracting Officer Representative/IE22

PHONE: DATE:

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: Michael A. Nichols SIGNATURE: See separate signature page

TITLE/ORGANIZATION: Chief, COMSATCOM Technical Support Branch/IE22

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

NAME: Matthew K. Wilkens SIGNATURE: See separate signature page

TITLE/ORGANIZATION: DISA/DITCO/PL8333

PROCURING ACTIVITY COMPETITION ADVOCATE APPROVAL: I have reviewed this justification and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Since this justification does not exceed $13.5M, this review serves as approval and my written determination that the aforementioned FAR circumstances apply.

NAME: Gay Arnold SIGNATURE: See separate signature page

TITLE/ORGANIZATION: PACA/DISA

ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS JUSTIFICATION ARE TO BE REFERRED TO

Christopher Doyon, .