J_and_A_-_M00264-16-C-1051_-_TAC.doc

MCINCR-RCO-JA-16030

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO

3250 CATLIN AVENUE

QUANTICO VIRGINIA 22134 5001

IN REPLY REFER TO:

C-21

MCINCR-RCO-JA-16030

26 September 2016

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

U.S. Marine Corps, Regional Contracting Office, National Capital Region (RCO-NCR)

(MCINCR-RCO)

2010 Henderson Road

Marine Corp Base (MCB)

Quantico, VA 22134-5001

2. Description of Action Being Approved.

This justification authorizes a non-competitive contract to be entered into with Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Inc. located 302 Sentinel Drive, Suite 120, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1044 in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, in order to maintain mission critical professional services support for Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA), Think Analyze Connect (TAC) program. The period of performance shall be for one 12-month base period plus four 12-month option periods.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The MCIA TAC Program is a web-based analytic and decision support system that enables real-time and collaborative analysis through persistent querying or streaming of stored data. TAC ingests disparate sources of textual and numeric data that can be either structured or unstructured. Through a combination of algorithmic metrics and user-defined questions, TAC alerts (with Indications & Warnings) and highlights in real-time any input that satisfies a user's questions, as well as any anomalous level of reporting. To accomplish this, TAC provides users a real-time, intuitive, persistent and collaborative analytic capability. TAC is scalable for analyzing problems that are global, high risk and adaptive. Analysis, risk assessment and decision-making accuracy, speed, efficiency and scope are enhanced through the use of TAC.

In addition, the operational and training support required by MCIA, Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and MARFORCYBER requires the contractor to have knowledge of how TAC is implemented and operates to effectively advise Marine Corps Analysts on effective use of the system.

The objective is to provide MCIA’s Analysts, along with MEF and MARFORCYBER analysts, with continued quality assurance and analyst training of the TAC capabilities to allow them to best leverage the intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities embodied in the TAC system. The Contractor shall support account creation, periodic refresher training, new TAC version transition training, and advanced training through desk-side assistance in the construction of queries and analytic grid frameworks to persistently monitor information of interest to this analytic cadre. The Contractor also assists in the development and implementation of standard procedures for MCIA’s data Analysts in the use of TAC.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. Section 2304(c)(1), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B), only one responsible 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.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Authority.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is designated as the Intelligence Community Congressionally Delegated Executive Agent for TAC. As the TAC Executive Agent, DIA provides and coordinates access for all Intelligence Community members to TAC servers through a web-based graphical user interface. Due to resource limitations, DIA has directed MCIA to seek TAC support services from an external contracting agency, rather than directly from DIA.

Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Inc. (Boeing) provides unique, highly specialized, and complex services to support the TAC program and to maintain full interoperability of the TAC Servers. TAC is a DIA application that Marine Corps Analysts are authorized to access. DIA owns TAC and manages the TAC servers and application providing support to Defense and Federal users of the system.

Boeing and/or its affiliated companies own various patents for the TAC analytic methodology. Specifically, the patents are for "Systems and Methods for Propagating Alerts via a Hierarchy of Grids". The patents apply to "the present solution which addresses the displaying of multiple levels of information in a constrained display footprint in a manner that allows a user to be vigilant over the information, allowing an analyst to view results and status from monitoring numerous and persistent queries against real-time data streams.” As the owner of this patented methodology, Boeing is uniquely positioned as the only source which possesses highly specialized capabilities necessary to fulfull the requirement. The operational and training support required by MCIA, MCIA MEF and MARFORCYBER requires the contractor to have highly specialized operational knowledge of the TAC system. Accordingly, this type of support for TAC can only be provided by Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Inc.

Award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.Without the support of certified TAC specialists MCIA risks having degraded access to TAC and real time alerts on key intel questions, collaborative analytic capacity, risk assessment and decision-making accuracy, speed, and efficiency enabled by advanced querying capabilities and delays in new account creation.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit from as Many Offerors as possible.

Market Research was conducted by searching and reviewing several sources.

· Reviewed Acquisition history: Previous Market Research report and RFI M00264-14-RFI-0212 results indicated sole-source to fill the requirement.

· Interviewed knowledgeable individuals in industry/Government: DOE has a TAC support contract and per their contract manager, Sandra Johnson, the market reseach results also showed that this is a sole-source.

· Reviewed the SBA Dynamic Small Business Database: Use of key words froms PWS such as: Think, Analyze, Connect; analytic and decision support system; analytic and decision support system; a real-time; persistent and collaborative analytic capability; intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities No results were found that related to the TAC requirement.

· Reviewed existing DoD Multiple-Award Contract Vehicles and Other Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs): None were found that would support Think Analyze Connect (TAC) program requirements.

In addition to conducting the above market research and analysis, the Government published a Sources Sought RFI on 17 June 2016 on Fedbizops, which yielded only two responses. Responses were received from Circinus LLC and Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Inc.

The capabilities described by the CIRCINUS LLC in the RFI response did not demonstrate any knowledge or experience supporting the TAC tool. Instead, their response detailed only general analyst training experience instead of the technical, specialized use and training in the TAC tool. A review of Boeing’s RFI response demonstrated their continuing capabilities to provide the required, highly specialized services. Boeing maintains a pool of TAC Systems Specialists that undergo specialized training and certification in both adavanced analytic methodologies and also on the TAC system architecture and advanced pattern specification training. Boeing has extensive experience providing the services needed to other members of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

The Government intends to make a determination of fair and reasonable pricing on the basis of adequate competition by using price analysis techniques such as comparison of historical prices, same or similar items, published catalog pricelists, etc.

The Government will establish a total evaluated price for each Offeror by multiplying the Offeror's proposed unit price for each CLIN to calculate an extended price. The sum of the extended prices will determine the "Total Evaluated Price."

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition The Government will conduct market research to verify no other sources with necessary certifications to perform on and support the TAC tool exists and assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible prior to exercising an option year or follow-on contract.

9. Description of Market Research Conducted See section 6 above.

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