LSJ _SAISS Interim_Redacted.docx

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

FAR Part 8.405-6

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

2. Nature and Description of Action Being Approved.

The U.S. Department of State, Office of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Global Financial Management Systems (DCFO/GFMS) requests a 1-year ordering period extension with two additional 6-month option periods under the MIL Corporation’s existing Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) SAQMMA17A0120 for System Analysis Implementation and Support Services (SAISS). This BPA ordering period extension would allow DoS to continue ordering needed SAISS efforts within the BPA scope until March 31, 2026, if all options are exercised. The current BPA was awarded as a result of competitive procedures in accordance with FAR 8.405-3 on April 1, 2017, with a base and 4 option periods. In addition, pursuant to an approved limited sources justification, the total BPA ordering period is now scheduled to expire as of March 31, 2024. The proposed action will further extend the ordering period to March 31, 2025, and also provide for two 6-month optional ordering periods, if needed, extending through March 31, 2026, if all options are exercised. The total estimated BPA value, as extended, is $357.5M. Among the (approximately) 20 active task orders (TOs), the majority support CGFS requirements while others address defined support requirements for other Bureaus with known needs that fall under the SAISS scope. These include the Bureaus of Budget and Planning (BP), Global Talent Management (GTM), Diplomatic Security (DS), and Populations, Refugees and Migration (PRM). Collectively, this extension meets the currently known and presently contemplated SAISS support services requirements. The estimated cost of orders to be issued under the proposed BPA extension period is $139,058,000. This estimate considers issuance of mission-critical orders for systems analysis and support services for the SAISS program including currently known as well as emergent requirements. Accordingly, an increase in the BPA Total Estimated Value (TEV) to $496.5M is requested. This BPA TEV increase will give the Department the ability to address contemplated requirements for the planned interim period.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the Department’s needs.

The required SAISS services to be ordered under the MIL BPA’s extended ordering period include the provision of holistic financial, budget, and compensation systems analysis and support for DoS’s worldwide suite of over 20 discrete resource management systems. This suite includes applications that are fully integrated and enable worldwide end-to-end DoS resource management transactional activity processed. In addition, SAISS requirements entail ancillary systems that provide planning or other information needed to support financial processes in the transactional systems. The underlying goals of any requirements to be ordered during the extended BPA ordering period being requested will match the existing goals and scope of the BPA and the current or anticipated orders, including:

1} improving the quality and integrity of financial data, 2} standardizing resource management business processes worldwide, and 3} streamlining systems and processes to provide efficiencies.

Current efforts requiring continuation during the planned interim extension period include the following:

1) Lead quality assurance and portfolio management activities in support of the enterprise-wide business applications under CGFS management. Support for management of the CGFS bureaus Information Technology (IT) portfolio;

2) Systems related support for CGFS Domestically based portfolio across the financial management line of business. Includes help desk, tier 2, operational support, ISSO support, budget/accounting support, and system assurance support across applications such as GFMS, IBIS, GBI;

3) CGFS/FPRA support to conduct relevant data assurances across the myriad of systems and databases that contain relevant data needed for GTAS and/or financial statement reporting requirements;

4) System administration and technical support to the HR Shared Service center;

5) GFO Consulting supporting the Systems Coordination and Implementation (SCI) team within CGFS/GFO to design, configure, and implement value added automations across the CGFS enterprise;

6) Bureau Comptroller support for DS for range of financial management activities to support DS/C. Activities include audit preparation/remediation, invoice management, data analytics, financial system training, and other similar activities;

7) Global Compensation System Support (GCSS) consulting support to CGFS/GC in support of systems and data related activities;

8) CGFC/GC Compensation Systems Interface support;

9) DCFO Support to the Deputy Comptroller in the development of the Annual Financial Report (AFR), Department Financial Statements, and collaboration with the Department OIG that facilitates the independent audit of DoS financial records;

10) A-123 and Internal Controls support for CGFS/MC to align the Department’s documented internal controls with OMB’s A-123 regulations. This includes design, documentation, and subsequent evaluation of the A-123 internal controls;

11) Cybersecurity consulting that supports CGFS/GFMS with IT security audit preparation/remediation, security controls evaluations, and alignment of financial systems with NIST 800-53 regulations for data security;

12) CGFS/GFMS/GFSS support for implementation of the Approva COTS GCR system to support user provisioning, separation of duties (SoD) analysis, and annual ID validations;

13) System support for BP Bureau BFEM application used for budget formulation; other consulting support to BP bureau;

14) Close-out and other review support of PRM specific transactions with surge support during the year end and period closing activities;

15) Support to GFSS for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) establishment, supplemental grants support, and subsequent implementation of BOT automations across GFSS customer organizations to streamline manual activities;

16) PRM/C support for program and grants management, financial analysis, budget support, program control, and related efforts;

17) Support for PRM IOM Travel Loan Program.

Based upon the contemplated time required for award of the planned recompete contract, DoS will lose the ability to meet these and related critical, time sensitive SAISS requirements for up to 24 months if the BPA ordering period is not extended.

4. The authority and supporting rationale and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the supply or services.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule (MAS) Program (41 U.S.C. 152(3), and 40 U.S.C. 501), as implemented at FAR 8.405-6 as follows:

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.

Successful, effective, and efficient performance of tasks ordered under this BPA requires the contractor and its personnel to be knowledgeable of and provide end-to-end support of the full suite of DoS resource management business systems and processes. Contractor personnel need to know the impact of analysis and recommendations relevant to one subsystem or application on the full business process and whether/how these recommendations may have collateral impacts that would extend outside that subsystem or affect the responsibilities and requirements of another task order.

MIL Corporation, as the only holder of a current BPA for provision of SAISS services, has the active corporate knowledge and experienced, qualified personnel to immediately provide the needed holistic financial, budget, and compensation systems analysis and support for the DoS worldwide suite of integrated resource management systems on an interim basis pending award of the planned competitive follow-on contract.

5. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d) and FAR 8.405-1(d).

This BPA requires contractor personnel to become knowledgeable of end-to-end support of resource management business and system processes. As stated above, contractor personnel need to assess and understand the impact of analysis and recommendations relevant to one subsystem or application on the full business process and whether/how these recommendations may have collateral impacts that would extend outside that subsystem or impact the requirements of another task order being performed by another contractor. Based on MIL’s experience in performing these support services over the current contract period of performance as well as prior contracts for similar services, extension of the current MIL BPA including rates based upon current rates adjusted for escalation provides the best value for continuing these services.

6. A description of the market survey conducted and the results or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted.

A market survey was not conducted specifically related to the requested extension of the BPA, since its purpose is limited to ensuring that no gaps would occur in the ability to meet emergent DoS mission needs while a competitive follow-on competition is conducted. A market survey has been conducted as required in connection with the planned recompete effort as stated in Section 9 below.

7. Other Supporting Facts.

All tasks covered under this BPA require independence from DoS resource management system development contractors. Activities such as Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), Development Network support, and production financial management and compensation support require the independent analysis and findings of a company that has no conflicts of interest with the software development companies and their subcontractors. The staff that conducts this work acts on behalf of CGFS, DS, and PRM management rather than of the software development companies. Decisions being made by DoS management require analysis from a support contractor that is not influenced in any way by underlying software developer goals. Much of the work being done under this BPA results in Government technical direction to the development contractor teams. Only MIL Corporation and its team of experts currently possess the combination of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the suite of DoS resource management systems; in addition, MIL has accepted the limitations of the governing OCI provisions of the contract. Therefore, until award of the competitive follow-on effort and successful transition-in of the follow-on contractor, only MIL Corporation has the knowledge and capability as well as the required OCI arrangements to effectively and efficiently continue performance of current BPA requirements, including any new, emergent task order requirements for efforts within the general scope of the BPA as extended.

8. Listing of the Sources.

MIL Corporation is the single award holder of the BPA and the only source that can effectively perform current and emergent SAISS task order requirements.

9. Statement of Actions Taken to Remove Barriers to Competition.

As previously noted, a re-compete process is ongoing and is in the planning stages. A thorough market research process per FAR Part 10 has been conducted, including a Sources Sought Notice via GSA’s Market Research as a Service (MRAS). The results of the market research efforts indicate that adequate competition is expected.