SF 1014 JEFO PS RFP5000165108_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

SF 1014 - JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION

TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Treasury Standard Form – 1014 (Rev 5/18)

Prescribed by Treasury: DTAP 1016.505

Tracking No.

1. Identification of the requiring activity and the contracting activity:

The requiring activity is the Internal Revenue Service, Human Capital Office, Talent

Acquisition and the contracting activity is Internal Revenue Service, Office of the Chief

Procurement Officer (OCPO) Office of Business Solutions Acquisition.

2.a Nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This acquisition is a bridge contract for Federal Background Investigation support services. A competitive award for the services was made on February 9, 2023 with a period of performance start date of February 16, 2023. The award was protested on February 23, 2023.

To maintain these critical services, a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) nine-month bridge contract to provide continued Personnel Security Support services to the incumbent, Parker Tide

Corporation, is required. The need for these services to continue is immediate.

2.b Name of the vendor. Parker Tide Corporation

2.c Requisition No.: 5000165108

2.d Bridge contract: ☒ Yes ☐ No 2.e Brand name: ☐ Yes ☒ No

3.a A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs:

Personnel Security Support Services that support strategic and operational human capital solutions which enhance the current Security Program, and ensure IRS employees and contractors meet federal security and suitability standards. This includes Program

Management and Federal Background Investigation Support services and requires the support of Personnel Security Specialists and a Project Manager. The period of performance inclusive of all options will be February 16, 2023 - November 15, 2023 with a base of three months and two three-month options.

3.b Includes IT: ☐ Yes ☒ No

3.c IGCE/Estimated dollar value: The IGCE is inclusive of option periods:

Base Period: February 16, 2023 – May 15,2023

Option Period I: May 16, 2023 – August 15, 2023 Option Period II: August 16, 2023 – November 15, 2023

4.a Identification of the exception to fair opportunity being used:

☒ FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) – The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

☐ FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) – Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

☐ FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C) – The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order

☐ FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(D) – It is necessary to place an order to satisfy a minimum guarantee.

☐ FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(E) – For orders exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, a statute expressly authorizes or requires that the purchase be made from a specified source.

☐ FAR 16.505(a)(4) – The requirement is for an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

4.b Supporting rationale:

A bridge contract is needed to support Personnel Security (PS) work that is critical to completion of mandated security requirements under 5 CFR 731, as it relates to suitability determinations, to include various security checks, screenings, and adjudication. These

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

SF 1014 - JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION

TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

Tracking No.

mandated requirements must be met when considering/hiring employees and contractors to work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The service is poised to hire thousands of personnel to execute the IRS mission, and to better support taxpayer needs as afforded by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Due to the contractors work stoppage production capacity is significantly impacted, and must be addressed as soon as possible. The support that

PS had been receiving was critical to the agency’s success in completing the required security work currently in inventory and projected inventory. The work was and is vast and significant, and PS is challenged to keep pace with a surging workload without additional support. The vendor also staffed the PS e-QIP Help Desk, which provided invaluable ‘near-real time’ customer support by assisting those who need help with completing e-QIPs and avoiding rejections due to error submissions. This assistance was critical to expediency in onboarding both employees and contractors to support the IRS mission. The Contractor must undergo and receive a favorably adjudicated Tier 4 or higher background investigation, and always maintain contractor staff levels to provide services and assistance identified in this contract related to personnel security.

Cleared Personnel: PS services require the initial support of 75 contractor Personnel Security

Specialists at contract start and an additional 75 for a total of 150. IRS onboarding can take more than two months. Re-validation of a clearance can take between 3-5 days while processing a new application can take up to thirty days. Badging and the issuance of laptops can take up to an additional thirty days. Parker Tide is positioned to start work on day one with

76 employees (75 Personnel Security Specialists and one Program Manager) whose clearances have been re-validated and are in possession of the training, badging, laptops and other

Government furnished equipment required to begin work. Parker Tide also has an additional

75 applications ready to submit to begin the onboarding process. No other vendor can satisfy the Government’s need to begin work on the day of contract award.

5. A determination that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable: The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on comparing price/cost with prior and similar task orders issued.

6.a Any other facts supporting this justification: None

6.b Attachments: ☐ Yes X No

7. A statement of the actions, if any, the Requiring Activity and Contracting Activity may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies and services is made:

The requiring activity and the contracting activity could not have predicated a protest. Any subsequent acquisition for the services will be a fair opportunity.

9.d Treasury Chief Information Officer (for IT requirements that are over $68 million). I have reviewed this justification and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and representative of the Government’s need. Therefore, I hereby consent to the approval of this justification.

Name: Date:

Signature:

9.e Senior Procurement Executive (if over $68 million) (Contracting Activity). I have reviewed this justification for an exception to fair opportunity and find it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Therefore, as the senior procurement executive, I hereby approve this justification based on the authority specified in 4.a above.

Name: Date:

Signature: