SMD_JOFOC_EP09W001968_FINAL_Redacted.doc

LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

1. Identification of the Agency and the Contracting Activity.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Headquarters Procurement Operations Division, Administrative Contract Service Center.

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

The action being approved is the award of a bridge task order for the GSA task order EP09W001968 with one (1) six month Base Period and six (6) one-month option periods. This bridge order will serve as an interim contract, providing reasonable time for EPA to solicit and award a consolidated contract on a competitive basis.

The consolidated contract will combine and integrate the requirements of this GSA task order EP09W001968, as well as eight other task orders. Combining the requirements of these task orders into a consolidated contract will result in internal efficiency, operational effectiveness and a reduction of costs. A bridge order is necessary to allow additional time to properly align the period of performance and the start dates of the various task orders that will be consolidated.

The total estimated value of the interim bridge order is $ if all of the option periods are exercised. The period of performance is for one 6-month Base Period (April 1, 2015 – September 30, 2015) estimated at $ and six one-month Option Periods (from October 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016) estimated at $ per month. This bridge order is intended to temporarily replace EP09W001968, a 5-year GSA task order awarded on September 15, 2009 to Mantech.

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

EPA’s Security Management Division (SMD) operates a nationwide Suitability and Security program for the Agency and requires uninterrupted contractor support in order to meet federal mandates governing SMD’s mission. These mandates, including 5 CFR Part 731 “Suitability;” Executive Orders 10450, 12958, 13467, 13488; HSPD-12 and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; require background investigations for Federal employees, contractors and grantees who work on behalf of the agency. SMD is also responsible for ensuring compliance with requirements established by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the processing and granting of clearances and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

The services to be acquired support SMD’s mission and comply with all of the requirements set forth above. As part of its performance of EP09W001968, Mantech assists with processing the Standard Form (SF) 52 actions involved in recruitment, reassignment, and promotions. Under the task order, Mantech utilizes a customized, role-based, case management workflow system that is unique to EPA and is critical to the timely processing of SF 52 actions for federal personnel and the initiation of investigations. Mantech assists SMD with ensuring that these actions are processed on a timely basis, enabling the Agency to address the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 80-day end-to-end hiring initiative.

At EPA, background investigations are initiated with support from Mantech, prior to allowing an employee or contractor employee to enter on duty or begin to bill EPA for their services, in the case of contractor employees. The timeliness of those initiations is measured by OPM and reported to the President of the United States. Governing mandates also require the timely adjudication of the completed background investigations, received from OPM. Mantech also assists SMD by supporting outreach to personnel whose investigations may have developed issues that require mitigation before an adjudicative determination by EPA can be made.

4. Identification of the justification rationale.

The authority for this procurement is FAR 8.4 and the Multiple Award Schedule program and subsequently 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C): “In the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order.” The rationale that supports this authority is set forth below:

This is an interim task order for professional services supporting SMD to allow for the continuity of services while a long-term task order is placed for these services, estimated to be awarded in Spring 2016. Due to the nature of the competition and evaluation for the new consolidated contract, it has been determined that an additional interim performance period is required until the consolidated contract is in place. The new contract will be a consolidation of this task order and eight other task orders from different offices and divisions within EPA. This requires complex joint meetings and intricate partnership between all the offices and divisions involved, not to mention, senior management’s approval for each decision made. As previously mentioned, additional time through an interim bridge order is absolutely necessary to properly align the periods of performance and the start dates of the various task orders that will be consolidated.

Mantech has provided support to EPA with the tasks referenced in Section 3. Therefore, Mantech’s continued involvement is necessary and is a natural follow on to the work that has already been performed. While other contractors could in the long-term develop the same specialized knowledge and experience, in the short-term, it is not feasible for the planned and on-going projects.

This interim bridge order cannot be competed or awarded to another contractor at this time because Mantech is most familiar with the highly specialized support for background investigations and personnel actions, which require familiarity with the EPA customized workflow system. Therefore, Mantech will not be burdened with start-up cost that another vendor would encounter, nor would Mantech incur the initial learning curve that would be detrimental to this current and time sensitive need.

5. Determination that the order represents the best value to the Government.

GSA has already determined the prices to be fair and reasonable. Furthermore, the Contracting Officer will request discounts from Mantech’s current GSA schedule prices. Lastly, the undersigned Contracting Officer has determined that the overall price of this acquisition was the best value for the government at the time of award. The Contracting Officer will once again conduct a thorough review of the vendor’s GSA schedule and its price list for pricing of all proposed labor categories, and the number of hours per labor category prior to awarding the interim bridge order.

6. Description of the market research conducted.

No new market research was conducted for this extension because of insufficient time between the expiration of the predecessor order and the need to award this bridge order.

However, thorough market research was conducted prior to the release of the solicitation for the original task order. Since the market research was last conducted, the nature of the services and the marketplace have not significantly changed, therefore the original market research is applicable to this interim effort. In the procurement of the current order, seven firms were sent the request for quote and statement of work and only Mantech, the incumbent responded with a quote. There is no reason to believe, that given the shortened timeframe for response, the Agency would receive more competition for this bridge order. Finally, thorough market research will be conducted prior to the release of the solicitation for the upcoming consolidated contract in order to refine our requirements in a way that will promote robust competition.

7. Other facts supporting the justification.

N/A

8. A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made (FAR 8.405-6(c)(2)).

EPA will award a consolidated contract before this interim bridge order expires in 2016. The consolidated contract will be awarded by full and open competition, which will ensure robust competition for this consolidated contract. Several offices and divisions are currently actively pursuing this high visibility initiative and are collaborating to award a strategic sourcing contract in a timely manner.

9. 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 limited sources) and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical or requirements personnel.

_Signed____________________________ _________________ Project Officer

Date

10. Contracting officer certifies that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer

11. ACSC Service Center Manager certifies that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the SCM’s knowledge and belief.

Service Center Manager

12. Competition advocate certifies that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the competition advocate’s knowledge and belief.

__Signed___________________________ _________________ Competition Advocate