Brand Name Justification and Approval for Base Telephone..pdf

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

CONTRACTING DEPARTMENT

MARINE CORPS BASE

P.O. BOX 8368

CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA 28547-8368

Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

CONT

21 Jan 2020 J&A No. MCIEast2001

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Office. Marine Corps Installations East-Regional Contracting Office

2. Description of Action Being Approved. This Justification is for the award of a commercial firm fixed price contract Nortel/Avaya Extended Service Plan (ESP) telephone maintenance support services on a brand name basis.

3. Description of Supplies/Services. This J&A authorizes and approves the award of a brand name Extended Service Plan (ESP) by Nortel/Avaya for the Base Telephone customers at MCAS Cherry Point in support of the SL-100 switch, remote switch at North side, the Avaya Aura CM6 at Bogue Field (Avaya 450), Naval Health Clinic (Avaya), the IVR System and Nortel Call Pilot 4.0 Voicemail System hardware and software and T-Metrics system. The ESP shall:

(a) Be a comprehensive package of services with a pre-established price designed to provide support services similar to that offered during a warranty period.

(b) Include the service requirements of TAS/ETAS Technical Assistance, Return & Repair Replacement, Remote Diagnostics, IVR hard ware and software and T-Metric system diagnostics.

(c) Consist of core Nortel TAS/ETAS support on a 24/7 basis for the term of the contract. The contractor shall take incoming service calls. The contractor shall provide initial Tier 1 support and shall open ETAS tickets with Nortel on required service issues. The core TAS/ETAS support package shall provide the primary services required for day-to-day support of the MCAS Cherry Point Meridian SL-100/11C service operation, Benning rectifiers, Benning inverters, IVR hard ware and software and T-Metric systems.

The independent government estimated cost for this requirement for a brand name Extended Service Plan (ESP) is a total cost of $450,000.00.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Communication. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. Section 2304 (c)(1), One Source or Limited Sources, as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302- 1(c)(1).

5. Rationale Justification use of cited statutory authority.

This required extended service plan for maintenance support will ensure no interruption in communication networks and support services that are critical in the activities operational and mission accomplishment occur abroad MCAS, Cherry Point, N.C. It is paramount that a new replacement extended service plan for base telephone communication maintenance to establish using the same versions of Nortel/Avaya with minimal testing requirements, and minimal chance

IN REPLY REFER TO:

of technical malfunction and disruption to the network communications system. The brand name basis will maintain compatibility with the current Nortel SL-100/11cC switching system, IVR hard ware and software and T-Metric system. This Nortel/Avaya software and hardware is a major asset for the Base telephone customer.

In 2016, the Nortel Network Corporation completed their bankruptcy case and sold billions of dollars’ worth of assets. But, the Extended Service Plans (ESP) are still provided by some open market commercial businesses and GSA vendors.

This service to be provided is a maintenance contract intended to support MCAS Cherry Point Base Telephone Switchboards, T-Metrics and NR systems. This maintenance contact would allow timely repairs and software updates for an SL-100, RCC 2, Avaya G450 located at Bogue Field and an Avaya G450 located in the Naval Clinic on Cherry Point. The T-Metrics and TM- 2000 IP Platform is an innovative single platform system that enhances the capabilities of the telephone switch to offer unlimited flexibility and customization to meet the Base Telephone Department user's communications requirements at MCAS, Cherry Point, N.C.

The vendor shall have employees with 2 years’ experience in to performing maintenance troubleshooting and/or repairs on Nortel, Avaya brand name telephone switches installed at MCAS Cherry Point, NC as well as the outlying Bogue Field. The vendor shall also have two years’ experience in perform maintenance troubleshooting and/or repairs for T-Metrics and IVR system platforms.

The Base Telecommunications Support Department currently owns and manages the Nortel/Avaya system equipment. Consideration of another brand would require extensive installation Certification and Accreditation (C&A) testing and documentation that would create additional cost and delay and breaks in telephone communication.

These Nortel/Avaya support systems have gone through an extensive process of integration and testing to ensure compatibility with the currently fielded communication hardware in three locations. Any deviation from the current infrastructure could jeopardize current communication and call center base operation mission support. The purchase of any other product would result in duplicate cost to the government to modify/recreate the current system design.

6. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

A determination has been made that placing a competed firm-fixed-priced contract for this brand name Nortel/Avaya extended service plan represents the best value consistent with FAR Subpart 13.501. The required services are offered on the commercial market. The fair and reasonable of the cost/price will be based on an analysis of competitive contractor’s price proposals with backup information supporting the overall cost and by conducting a market research analysis on prior contracts for the same items.

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

This effort was posted as a Sources Sought Notice on 17 January 2020 with a closing date of 28 January 2020 in beta.SAMs in accordance with the requirements for FAR 5.2. To date, the MCIEast, RCO received responses from one commercial small business, one GSA small business, and one large commercial business. Market research was conducted in accordance with FAR Part 10 through reviewing similar requirements and internet exploration including NASA SEWP and GSA Federal Supply Schedules.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.

Currently, there is no action that can be taken to remove brand name barriers to competition.

This requirement and Limited Source Justification and Approval will also be posted on beta.SAMs to make available to all Nortel/Avaya extended service plan certified commercial partners.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL

Technical/Requirements Certification

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this Justification and its supporting acquisition planning documents, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief

Technical/ Requirements Cognizance:

(Signature)______________________________________________Date_________________

Printed Name and Phone No._____________________________________________________

Legal Sufficiency Review

I have determined that this Justification is legally sufficient.

Printed Name and Phone No._____________________________________________________

Contracting Officer Certification

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Printed Name and Phone No.____________________________________________________