Limited Sources Justification-Redacted-FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B)_1.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

FOR FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULE (FSS) AWARD (FAR 8.4)

The USGS geospatial and mapping capabilities are primarily built on an Esri technology stack.

One of our goals is to leverage existing geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities whenever possible. Esri is the only provider of this full array of products and services.

USGS uses Esri as the platform for the National Map, and all geospatial capabilities. The NGP requires the ability to make upgrades and changes to the suite of existing software applications which have been customized for USGS. Upgrades and changes require access to Esri’s program, since Esri does not have any re-sellers of this professional services product.

The National Geospatial Program currently uses Esri software at the enterprise level to support multiple national level projects and derived products. Because of the very large scope of the work done by the NGP, the technical limits of the Esri software are often stretched. The proposed will allow NGP to interact directly with Esri software developers, engineers and subject matter experts to simulate and prototype capabilities using Esri’s latest and emerging ArcGIS Server technology. Esri can identify, modify, or expose core and emerging capabilities to meet NGP requirements. No other vendor of COTS software or software support has access to Esri proprietary ArcGIS core code or technology capabilities within the TNM ArcGIS Enterprise COTS technology stack.

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey plans to contract by means other than full and open competition. This document sets forth the justification and approval for award of a Federal Supply Schedule 70 BPA on a limited source basis as required by FAR 8.405-6.(a)(1)(i)(B).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. Purchase of a new order under t GS-35F-253CA.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The requiring program office is the National Geospatial Program (NGP). The NGP needs to engage Esri to provide professional and development services in support of the numerous mapping applications, including web services, products and capabilities based on Esri’s software. The software and services are required to support The National Map (TNM) with update and maintenance through Esri’s ArcGIS Server Product On Demand (POD) Server architecture extension and developed through Esri’s COTS ArcGIS and ArcGIS Server architectures.

4. Estimated Dollar Value. Estimated value of approximately $1,000,000.00 per year for 5 years. Total value $5M.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 8.405-6.(a)(1)(i)(B)-Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5.

Esri is uniquely qualified because of the broad spectrum of capabilities supported across the suite of software and the in-depth knowledge not only of current capabilities but emerging capabilities. Esri is developing capabilities to allow user control of the dynamically exported map product, such as layer control and adding user data sources, or to automatically scale the map output to the appropriate scale product based on the user area of interest. These types of developments coupled with providing prototype test environments saves the government money by not having to develop capabilities or implement unstable and short-term band-aide fixes.

Having this contract in place with Esri allows the opportunity to test and prototype emerging capabilities using NGP requirements and data.

7. Other Information.

Esri built and maintains the platform that the National Geospatial Program is currently using for mapping, export on-grid Geospatial PDF’s and TNM and GIS analysis tool capabilities. The National Geospatial Program has built and customized this platform for the past 12 years and to create the US Topo map product laying the groundwork to implement a dynamic topographic mapping environment. Even if another software was available to allow for competition, it would not be in the best interest of the taxpayer as all existing investments would be lost. Switching to a different platform would result in a total duplication of effort, which could ultimately cost the Government to redevelop the existing capabilities and then add upgrades and updates which would potentially double the cost of the proposed contract, since no other vendor can provide all of the capabilities that Esri provides.

Two NGP near-term goals are to 1) complete the TRAILS assessment geospatial analysis tool required by DOI in 2021 and 2) deploy a public capability to create dynamic topographic maps.

Going with another vendor at this stage of development would cause enormous delays that are unacceptable. The TRAILS initiative would be delayed two years. The Dynamic Mapping capability would be delayed five years minimum.

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market research was conducted and found that Esri is the only provider that can provide the ArcGIS platform services that the National Geospatial Program requires. There are other providers on GSA that provide similar products, professional services and technical support, but not specifically what the National Geospatial Program needs to continue with development.

Specific capabilities NGP requires to continue development include user controlled map layer visibility, user selected contour detail level, customized data layer import and dynamic map scale adjustment based on user area of interest. Components of these requirements are in development by Esri for implementation into the ArcGIS Server Product On Demand extension capability, the specific architecture NGP Dynamic Mapping capability is built upon. ESRI has no authorized resellers among whom competition can be obtained.

The Contracting Officer issued an RFI 1443473 through GSA eBuy for seven (7) days and received multiple responses, none of which could meet the Government’s minimum needs as described above without loss of the existing investment/architecture and without an unacceptable time delay.

9. Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition.

The ability to permit future competition is constrained by the availability of products that provide the required capabilities outlined in the preceding sections. However, future requirements will undergo market research and be competed to the maximum extent practical.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a limited source basis. I certify that technical data which form a basis for this justification, that are the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel are complete and accurate.

<Program/Project Officer Name> Signature Date <Title>

11. Certifications and Approval from the Contracting Officer:

a. Price reasonableness will be based on ESRI’s previous and current open market price list.

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

12. Approvals

Lisa D. Williams, Contracting Officer Date

Annie M. Howard, Chief of the Contracting Office Date

Jennifer Kelley, Bureau Competition Advocate Date

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers employee signatures to be Personal Protected Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contracting Officer attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained.