Redacted_JA.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

15-CIEA LAN Backbone Sustainment (Capital)

NITYU5AV053

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a

“Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity.”

a. Requiring/Requesting Activity

DFAS – XXXX

Attn: XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

b. Contracting Activity

DFAS Columbus

Contract Services Directorate

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

2. Nature or Description of the action being approved:

The purpose of this document is to obtain approval for a Items Peculiar to One Manufacturer (Brand Name) acquisition in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(B). Competition is limited to the following brand name products: Cisco.

The procurement strategy is to issue a request for quote (RFQ) on the NASA Solution for Enterprise-Wide

Procurement (SEWP), and the fair opportunity procedures set up by the SEWP will be followed. According to those procedures, a RFQ with a brand name requirement must include a justification and approval and be submitted to all four SEWP Contract Groups. The order at issue includes a brand name (Cisco) requirement. Therefore, the below justification and approval will be included with the RFQ, which will be submitted to all SEWP Contract Groups.

3. A description of supplies/services required to meet the agency needs (including the estimated value – base and option years):

DFAS I&T Infrastructure & Production Support require the capital sustainment expenditure to replace end of life (5 year old) Local Area Network (LAN) backbone hardware components. These devices are required to adequately sustain the increasing growth of current operations and provide the necessary capacity needed to facilitate future requirements.

The Local Area Network (LAN) backbone provides the primary network connectivity for computers and other network devices to communicate with each other across the LAN, site-to-site, and to the NIPRNet/Internet. It must be continually refreshed and re-engineered to:

Support mission workload requirements

Provide performance and capacity enhancements

Increase security and conform to mandates

Reduce the cost of operations

Support 10GB Multimode and Single mode fiber connections.

4. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

For the purposes of this requirement, the brand is limited to Cisco. DFAS Network Engineering has performed extensive research on alternative products. In all cases, Cisco was the only manufacturer that met our stringent interoperability, security, performance and redundancy requirements. Introducing network infrastructure hardware into our network that is not manufactured by Cisco would cause a complete network redesign, forcing us to change interior routing protocols, first-hop redundancy protocols and eliminate efficiencies provided by some Cisco protocols altogether. XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX (XXXX) Security Technical

Implementation Guides (STIGs) XXXXXXX XXXX XXXX manufactured by Cisco.

Due to the aggressive security posture maintained by DFAS we cannot afford to rely on generic STIG configurations in which compliance comes with a great deal of room for interpretation. XXXXX did meet STIG criteria but we found it to lack the required support for protocols mentioned in this document. DFAS XXXXXX a library of XXXXXX documents created by XXXXX XXXXXX that would need to be completely replaced in the event we were to change network equipment resellers. XXXX XXXXX DFAS personnel have familiarity with network device configurations XXXXX of Cisco. A new product brand would force formal training for all network engineering and operations personnel. Man-hours required to complete the actions needed to change resellers would drastically exceed man-hours available and render DFAS network personnel incapable of meeting operational mission objectives.

The estimated cost of this requirement is XXXXXXXXX. By turning in equipment for trade-in DFAS was credited

XXXXXXXX.

5. Identification of the exception to fair opportunity (see 16.505(b)(2)) and the supporting rationale, including a demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the exception cited. If the contracting officer uses the logical follow-on exception, the rationale shall describe why the relationship between the initial order and the follow-on is logical.

The purpose of this Justification is to obtain approval to proceed with a limited source acquisition of a brand name product, Cisco.

Compatibility with existing software/hardware environment - the hardware purchase of a particular brand is necessary because it is the only product that is seamlessly compatible with the existing environment/infrastructure.

DFAS has standardized the enterprise by using Cisco networking equipment. Cisco is the only manufacturer that meets our stringent interoperability, security, performance requirements. XXXX XXXXX XXXX. and XXXX XXXXX

XXX. were found to be incapable of meeting DFAS requirements due to the lack of interoperability with existing Cisco network protocols, DFAS engineering documentation and DFAS network design efficiencies. Introducing network infrastructure hardware into our network that is not manufactured by Cisco would cause a complete network redesign, forcing the potential of unplanned outages and business line downtime. As such, this procurement is for brand name manufacturer (Cisco), and includes hardware, software, licenses and support and is intended to integrate with the existing agency-deployed backbone components (Cisco).

Maintaining dated and unsupported equipment leads to availability risk and will not address DFAS’ need for increased bandwidth to support critical projects such as virtualization and data center consolidation. In XXXXX and XXXX capital purchases were made via contract numbers XXXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXXX) and

XXXXXXXXXX (XXXXXXXX) which replaced outdated core equipment in select sites; this procurement extends the same equipment to remaining DFAS sites. Not moving forward with this procurement would result in potential unplanned outages.

The replacement of current Cisco equipment aligns DFAS to the Cisco roadmap for the foreseeable future of which DFAS has already invested considerable capital into Cisco. This procurement includes hardware, software, service agreements and licenses. DFAS is standardized on the protocols of the brand name manufacturers (Cisco, XXXXXXXXX); use of any other manufacturer will incur substantial transition costs and considerable time and effort estimated at XXXXX XXXXX (XXXX in hardware/software/licensing requirements and

XXXXX in staff retraining) to convert our existing infrastructure over to an alternate solution

(XXXXXXXXXXXXX). Consequently, the renewal of the existing product ensures continuity of operations without interruption.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/16.htm#P464_78748

6. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

In determining a fair and reasonable price, the Contracting Officer will evaluate the Independent Government

Cost Estimate (IGCE). Based on an RFQ issued against the NASA SEWP IDIQ vehicle, it is anticipated the pricing will be fair and reasonable, as determined under the terms and conditions of the RFQ to be submitted to all SEWP contract holders. Additionally, price comparisons will also be accomplished from as many other sources as possible, including commercially as well as any Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC) and the GSA Federal Supply Schedules.

These items are available from multiple Value Added Resellers on the NASA SEWP schedule. Based on market research, it is anticipated that NASA SEWP pricing will be lower than open market pricing.

Leveraging DFAS’ current use of Cisco products, along with open market price comparison, the contracting officer is confident in obtaining the best value for DFAS.

NOTE: Based on additional market research there may be other interested sources as well.

Market research was conducted for the purpose of seeking as many potential sources as possible. Although

CISCO is the sole manufacturer and provider of the product, there are multiple distributors with the required software maintenance and support available on the NASA SEWP Contracts. An RFQ will be posted on NASA

SEWP. Competition will be sought among all authorized resellers for the best possible pricing. Market research has shown that Secure64 products are available in a competitive environment under NASA SEWP.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

Nothing to add to this section that has not already been articulated within this justification document. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

8. A Statement of actions, if any, the agency may take or remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made:

Availability and pricing information was sought from the following NASA SEWP Contract Holders: XXXXXXX, XXXX, XXXXX, XXXXX XXX, XXXXX. NOTE: All interested SEWP resellers inquired about being provided serial numbers in order to bid however, serial numbers could not be provided since that equipment has not been delivered yet. This being a Capital procurement also limited the number of resellers who could meet the requirement of the items listed on the BOM.

Market research was conducted for the purpose of seeking as many potential sources as possible. Although Cisco is the sole manufacturer and provider of the product/service, there are multiple distributors with the required hardware/software/maintenance and support available on the NASA SEWP Contracts. An RFQ will be posted on

NASA SEWP. Competition will be sought among all authorized resellers for the best possible pricing. Market research has shown that Cisco products/services are available in a competitive environment under NASA SEWP.

In order to remove or overcome barriers to competition in future acquisitions for this requirement, the agency will work with the program office to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the market place that would enable future actions to be competed on other than a name brand basis.

Availability and pricing information was sought from the following NASA SEWP Contract Holders:

XXXXXXXXX

9. The contracting officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

10. Evidence that any supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel (e.g., verifying the Government’s minimum needs or requirements or other rationale for an exception to fair opportunity) and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical or requirements personnel.

CERTIFICATIONS

As the technical and requirements subject matter expert, I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification are complete and accurate.

Technical Certification

Printed Name: _____XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_____________________________________

Title: Technical Reviewer Org. Code: XXXXXXX__________________________

Signature:_______XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_______________________________Phone:XXXXXXXXXX

Requiring Activity/Program Management Office Certification:

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXXXXX ________________________

Title: System Manager _____________ Org. Code: XXXXXXX

Contracting Officer Certification

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. I certify that this J&A is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Printed Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX _____________________________

Title: Contracting Officer Organization Code XXXXXXXXXXXXX

REVIEW FOR LEGAL SUFFICIENCY

Printed Name ____XXXXXXXXXXXX___________________________________________________

Title __________________________ Organization Code ____XXXXXXXXXX________________

APPROVAL