CIDER_LSJ.docx

National Transportation Safety Board Limited Sources Justification (LSJ) “Crash Investigation Data Extraction and Readout (CIDER) Software Maintenance & Enhancements”

1. Contracting Activity:

Office of Administration (AD), Acquisition and Lease Management Division (AD-20)

2. Program Office/Procurement Request Office of Research and Engineering (RE), Vehicle Recorder Division (RE-40)

3. Period of Performance Total period of performance is approximately August 17, 2015 through August 16, 2020 including options (one 12-month base year and four 12-month option years). (See description in section 6)

4. Nature of Action The purpose of this Limited Source Justification (LSJ) is to provide documentation that explains why this specific requirement is to be awarded without competition to General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. (GDIT) and thereby be considered “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” for maintenance and enhancements to its Crash Investigation Data Extraction and Readout (CIDER) software in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B).

5. Description of Requirement The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), through contract NTSB-C-04-0009 with GDIT, developed and implemented the first generation of its CIDER application. CIDER is used to read and analyze various pieces of information from all types of Flight Data Recorders (FDR).

Contract NTSB-C-04-0009 was completed on January 31, 2007. The NTSB received and accepted all deliverables, and has begun rolling out CIDER in a full operational mode. However, as with most new software applications, CIDER requires support and maintenance and updated functionality and enhancements as needed to prevent obsolescence.

In August 2009, the NTSB established Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract NTSB-D-09-0001 with GDIT to provide continuing support of the CIDER application. Individual time and materials task orders were established to provide continuing support to CIDER within three (3) main task areas: system maintenance, new features and functionality, and system enhancements and improvements. Thirteen task orders were issued against the IDIQ. Contract NTSB-D-09-0001 expired on August 16, 2014.

In August 2014, the NTSB established Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) NTSB-B-14-0002 under GDIT’s GSA contract GS-35F-4357D under Source 70, “General Purpose Commercial Information Technology Equipment, Software and Services” to provide continuing support of the CIDER application. To date, one (1) BPA order was established to provide continuing support to CIDER within three (3) main task areas: system maintenance, new features and functionality, and system enhancements and improvements.

At the time of the BPA award, GDIT’s GSA contract was due to expire on January 5, 2015 with an option period remaining which, if exercised, would cover the full period of performance of the NTSB BPA. Due to contract negotiations between GSA and GDIT, the performance period of this GSA contract has been revised to expire on September 30, 2016.

GDIT and GSA have issued a new GSA contract (GS-35F-080CA) under Source 70 with a five (5) year base period and three (3) five year option periods. To ensure NTSB is contractually covered for future CIDER requirements, it is recommended that a new BPA be issued under the new GSA contract (GS-35F-080CA). This will ensure continuity of services. The purpose of this LSJ is to continue the work of the previous BPA for CIDER software maintenance and enhancements in accordance FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) under GDIT’s new GSA contract.

The NTSB has a requirement for a Contractor to provide continuing support and development of its CIDER application as it matures and is mainstreamed into NTSB operations. The NTSB has identified the following three (3) Task Areas for support:

1. Task Area 1 – System Maintenance

2. Task Area 2 – New Features and Functionality

3. Task Area 3 – System Enhancements

This LSJ is a justification for services in the Task Areas listed above. NTSB intends to issue a BPA issued under a GSA schedule contract GS-35F-080CA for one (1) base period of 12 months and four (4) 12-month option years. Individually funded time and materials BPA Orders may be issued under the BPA for services in one (1) or more of the task areas listed above in a given year.

6. Statutory Authority

Check applicable FAR Citation:

7. Unique Qualifications/Circumstances of Requirement The NTSB has made a significant investment in the development of the CIDER advanced flight recorder readout software package. To date, NTSB has incurred $3,525,997 in sunken costs in support of the CIDER advanced flight recorder readout software package.

Through contract NTSB-C-04-0009, development was performed in four (4) main sections:

· Section I was the FDR software application that provides processing and analysis tools that permit importing raw binary data, automatic and manual synchronization of sub-frame and frame data, bit level editing of data, comprehensive control of engineering units conversion, and plotting and listing of parameter data.

· Section 1A was a new flight recorder format ARINC-767, which is significantly different from the traditional way that data is organized and stored in a conventional flight data recorder.

· Section II was the Incident Database Module that added a client-server architecture, which allowed the system to operate in a collaborative multi-user environment.

· Section III was the Data Mining Module that added a capability to search through the Incident Database and perform data mining procedures.

· Section IV added the capability to directly recover flight recorder data stored on magnetic tape medium.

· Through contract NTSB-D-09-0001 and BPA NTSB-B-14-0002, system maintenance, new features and functionality, and system enhancements were performed:

· System maintenance and improvements

· Animation module

· Binary input module

· Animation module improvements

· Improvements for tape interface

· RailPlus module

· Image import module

· Batch processing and data scanning module

· Large file processing

· Light RDF and FREDitor enhancements

· Image enhancements module

Specific and intimate knowledge of this package, written entirely in Java programming language, is required to ensure the NTSB ‘flagship’ software application is working at an acceptable efficiency and capacity. Furthermore, this extensive familiarity is required to maintain the system, repair programming ‘bugs’ as they are identified, and to make enhancements. As the developer of the CIDER application, GDIT has this unique and specific knowledge that is not otherwise offered in the commercial market. Finally, the NTSB requires a Contractor with an extensive understanding of flight data recorders and the analysis NTSB performs of this data.

GDIT is the only company with the qualifications, skills, and capabilities to perform this requirement. As stated above, GDIT was the Contractor who developed CIDER for NTSB. GDIT has a unique understanding of the programming language, structure, and nuances of CIDER.

In addition, CIDER was developed with Java, Microsoft SQL, WebDav and JViews software products. GDIT is Java certified, and their programmers have unique experience in developing CIDER in Java while having an excellent understanding of FDR data analysis.

GDIT is the only company with extensive knowledge and understanding of flight recorder data generated from various flight data recorders AND experience/knowledge in Java, Microsoft SQL, WebDav and JViews software products. The required combination of flight recorder understanding and specific programming/software knowledge is only available from GDIT.

8. Efforts to Determine Only One Source The NTSB staff annually meets with representatives from ten (10) international government accident investigative agencies to discuss what tools other agencies use for accident data recovery. In addition, RE staff are active members of government and industry funded domestic and international flight recorder standards groups. Through conversations with this group, no vendors or schedule holders could be identified that possesses both the unique flight recorder knowledge and the Java programming experience. Market research described in section 11 also confirmed that GDIT is the only responsible source.

9. Contracting Officer’s Determination I have reviewed the information, contained in this LSJ, and determined that based on all the information provided, the anticipated cost of any subsequent sole source award would be fair and reasonable and represent the best value to the Government consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

10. Market Research The NTSB closely monitors flight data recorder companies to ensure we have the capability to read all types of FDRs. Through these efforts, the NTSB technical staff have contact with many representatives in a relatively small field of expertise, and through their attendance at conferences and meetings, the NTSB has not identified any other sources or schedule holders with the capabilities to perform this requirement.

In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(ii)(2), within 14 days of establishing the BPA, a notice of this contract action and LSJ will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website (www.fbo.gov) and the NTSB website for 30 days.

11. Other Pertinent Information The CIDER application has been developed and maintained over an eleven year period with GDIT.

12. List of Interested Sources No other companies/organizations have expressed an interest in this requirement.

13. Efforts to Remove Barriers to Competition This is a very small niche in programming. Before the development of CIDER, the NTSB and similar safety organizations representing their countries, purchased software licenses for an application called RAPS (Recovery Analysis Presentation System), developed and maintained by FlightScape, a Canadian company. The NTSB will continue to conduct market research to acquire other sources to meet its requirements.

14. Contracting Officer Certification I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the LSJ, are accurate and complete, to the best of my knowledge and belief.

15. Concurrence and Approval(s) I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the LSJ, are accurate and complete, to the best of my knowledge and belief.