LSJ_COMMSS_Bridge.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

I recommend that NASA, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) negotiate with Analytical Services, Incorporated (ASI) only to provide continued support to the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications (OSAC). The proposed Strategic Analysis and Communications Support Services (COMMSS) Bridge Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) will provide continued support to the OSAC in the execution of its overarching communication strategy that includes clearly and consistently communicating 1) NASA’s strategic vision and guidance, and 2) MSFC’s direction, roles, capabilities, and expectations to various stakeholders. In accomplishing the communication activities which directly support the advancement of Agency goals and MSFC mission assignments, the contractor will provide communications-related support in the areas of Customer Communication Integration, Event Coordination, Technical Documents and Products, and Exhibit Support; along with any travel and other direct costs (ODCs) necessary to complete the required activity. This procurement will serve as a bridge contracting mechanism between Contract NNM12AA53C (COMMSS) and the follow-on Strategic Research and Analysis, Communications and Exhibits Services (SRACES) contract (the competition for which is ongoing and anticipated to be awarded in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020).

The estimated cost of this effort is $10,000,000, and the estimated period of performance is 12 months.

The contract will also include FAR Clause 52.217-8 (Option to Extend Services) to allow for up to an additional six months of performance, with an estimated value of up to $4,200,000.

This acquisition will be conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule (MAS) Program in accordance with Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C.

251, et seq.) and Title 40 U.S.C. 501, Services for Executive Agencies. Accordingly, it is proposed that a BPA for the required services be placed against ASI’s General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract GS-00F-020DA.

This recommendation for approval is made pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405- 6(a)(1)(i)(C), which authorizes limiting the number of sources from which the Government may place orders for supplies or services from GSA FSS contracts when a Limited Sources Justification (LSJ) has been approved demonstrating that “in the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order or BPA must not have been previously issued under sole-source or limited-sources procedures.” NNM12AA53C was awarded following a small business set-aside competition conducted in accordance with FAR 8.4.

The circumstances limiting consideration to one GSA FSS source are as follows:

1. The SRACES procurement was initiated following the cancellation of the COMMSS II request for quotation (RFQ) (80MSFC18R0024) on March 7, 2019. COMMSS II was the planned follow-on to NNM12AA53C (COMMSS). RFQ 80MSFC18R0024 was solicited via GSA’s Professional Services Schedule 871. The COMMSS II RFQ was cancelled as a corrective action following a protest of the COMMSS II selection. In order to allow for the completion of the SRACES follow-on competition, this procurement is being processed as a bridge action to allow for the continued, uninterrupted support to the OSAC by the COMMSS contractor, ASI.

2. Continuity of support during the brief period of the SRACES procurement is essential to the success of OSAC in executing its overarching communication strategy. The current COMMSS contractor is uniquely positioned to continue providing the required comprehensive strategic and analysis services. ASI’s performance throughout the life of the contract has been exceptional.

Overall, ASI has met and exceeded many contractual requirements to the Government’s benefit.

ASI has a significant investment in, and knowledge of, the support to OSAC in achieving the NASA and MSFC goals.

3. Since 2012, ASI has been providing a wide range of critical communication products and services to OSAC and multiple project offices throughout MSFC. A re-competition of this effort for the one-year bridge period would result in a significant disruption to the seamless delivery of those products and services, and in the incurrence of unnecessary costs in terms of resources and time. ASI maintains relationships with a number of vendors that are currently providing key products and services to OSAC which could not be quickly reproduced. These relationships include those needed to produce the highly visible, biannual MSFC Economic Impact Study that is scheduled to begin in October 2019. The timely completion of this study is critical to the success of MSFC executive engagements with Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana legislative visits and NASA Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. In addition, the efficiency and effectiveness of present program management processes could not be readily duplicated. For example, ASI maintains a large, temporary on-call workforce, who have been appropriately vetted and security-cleared, for work at MSFC in support of short-term surge projects. Given NASA’s renewed push to advance its space exploration efforts in response to the recent Moon 2024 mandate, the need for such surge support has already begun to increase. Lastly, the OSAC processes approximately 14,000 work orders annually using a contractor-provided work order management system. The implementation of a new work order management system under a new contractor would cause significant delays and lead to the unnecessary duplication of costs, especially given the potential for another transition upon the award of the SRACES contract.

4. There are several planned key stakeholder advocacy engagements to support critical MSFC programs during mid-2019 which lead the Moon 2024 efforts. Through July 2019, MSFC executives, subject matter experts, and communicators will engage in numerous high-profile Apollo anniversary events and activities honoring the past and highlighting future lunar exploration. Current activities involve a Moon 2024 communications sprint in support of achieving Agency lunar exploration goals – this includes full court press social media, media, and public engagement tactics. ASI provides staff, products, and services in support of these activities and events. ASI’s support ranges from arranging the events, to leading marketing and outreach efforts, to producing all promotional materials. Stakeholder events during this period of time to build advocacy for MSFC and the Agency’s Moon to Mars mission include, but are not limited to, the 2019 MSFC Economic Impact Data Report, New Orleans Small Business Forum, National Space Club Board Meeting, Tennessee Valley Summit, Apollo Stakeholder Tours, and ISS Research and Development Conference. These events will include an audience of key industry, academia, and community leaders, Federal and State elected officials, the general public, students, local media, and NASA executives. Any disruption to these planned engagements could greatly impair advocacy efforts to gain/grow needed stakeholder support for MSFC programs and reduce MSFC specific Moon 2024 message enhancing/magnifying opportunities.

Pursuant to FAR 8.405-6, the approved LSJ will be published on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website.

Pursuant to FAR 8.404(d), Pricing (DEVIATION), “Supplies offered on the schedule are listed at fixed prices. Services offered on the schedule are priced either at hourly rates, or at a fixed price for performance of a specific task (e.g., installation, maintenance, and repair). GSA has determined the prices of supplies and fixed-price services, and rates for services offered at hourly rates, to be fair and reasonable for the purpose of establishing the schedule contract. GSA’s determination does not relieve the ordering activity contracting officer from the responsibility of making a determination of fair and reasonable pricing for individual orders, BPAs, and orders under BPAs, using the proposal analysis techniques at FAR 15.404-1. The complexity and circumstances of each acquisition should determine the level of detail of the analysis required.” Therefore, rate and/or price analysis for the proposed order will be performed, as appropriate, to determine fair and reasonable rates and/or price(s).

Market research was not conducted specifically for the proposed action. Market research for the follow-on to NNM12AA53C was conducted during calendar year 2017 in advance of the issuance of RFQ 80MSFC18R0024. That research indicated sufficient competition was available among sources on an appropriate GSA schedule. A selection was made under RFQ 80MSFC18R0024, but the selection was protested and the RFQ cancelled on March 7, 2019. While current market research indicates that sources are available to undertake the general scope of work required by this acquisition, ASI is the only company that can provide the uninterrupted support to the OSAC necessary during the brief period of time between the expiration of the current COMMSS contract vehicle and the contract that will result from the ongoing SRACES competition.

There are no known actions which the agency may take to remove or overcome barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the services required.

For the above reasons, competition among FSS holders is not feasible, and the award of a sole source bridge BPA to ASI as a logical follow-on pursuant to FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) is a reasonable approach in the interest of economy and efficiency.