Special Notice - Intent to Award Sole Source.pdf

Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source

It is the intent of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to enter into a sole source, firm fixed price contract with Rochester Institute of Technology, Image Permanence Institute, 70 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, New York, NY, 14623, to purchase their services for updates, operation, maintenance, and support of the NARA eClimateNotebook website.

The proposed contract action will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The NAICS code is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services. The contract will be for a base year plus four (4) option years. The base year period of performance will be from September 30, 2021 through September 29, 2022. The anticipated award date is September 29, 2021. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 13.106- 1(b)(1)(i), Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).”

Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals no later than 12:00 p.m. eastern time on June 21, 2021. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received after the date of publication of this synopsis and prior to 12:00 p.m. eastern time on June 21, 2021will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this notice. Direct any questions regarding this announcement in writing to Ms. Cynthia Jones no later than 12:00 p.m. eastern time on June 11, 2021.

Points of Contact:

Cynthia Jones, Contract Specialist, cynthia.jones@nara.gov Santo Plater, Contracting Officer, santo.plater@nara.gov Place of performance: National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740.

See Attachment 1 – FAR 13 Sole Source Justification for Commercial Items See Attachment 2 – Performance Work Statement mailto:cynthia.jones@nara.gov

ATTACHMENT 1

SOLE SOURCE (INCLUDING BRAND NAME) JUSTIFICATION FOR COMMERCIAL

ITEMS

FAR 13.106-1(b) – Simplified Acquisitions Procedures

National Archives and Records Administration

Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer 8601 Adelphi Road

College Park, MD 20740-6001

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, IMAGE PERMANENCE INSTITUE

UPDATE, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND SUPPORT FOR THE NARA

eCLIMATENOTEBOOK WEBSITE

Technical Requirements Certification:

I hereby certify that this sole source justification for commercial items is made in good faith, that the supporting data and information are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that I would not be making this request if it were feasible to fully compete this requirement. I further certify this request is not the result of lack of advanced planning or a desire to expend funds while those funds are still available.

I. IDENTIFICATION OF THE AGENCY AND THE CONTRACTING ACTIVITY,

AND SPECIFIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE DOCUMENT AS A “SOLE SOURCE

JUSTIFICATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS.”

See page 1.

II. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) seeks to award a firm fixed price purchase order to Rochester Institute of Technology, Image Permanence Institute (IPI) for updates, operation, maintenance, and support services for the NARA eClimateNotebook website.

The purchase order will be for a base year plus four (4) option years.

III. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET

THE AGENCY’S NEEDS (INCLUDING THE ESTIMATED VALUE).

The NARA eClimateNotebook website was adapted from the standard IPI eClimateNotebook software to meet NARA’s unique requirements, and provides immediate access to environmental data archives and management for over 45 NARA records storage facilities throughout NARA including Archival Offices, Federal Records Centers, and Presidential Libraries. IPI initially developed, customized, and provided operation and support services for the NARA eClimateNotebook website in FY 2011 under purchase order NAMA-11-M-0115 and continued development and services in FY 2016 under purchase order NAMA-16-M-0088.

The website allows users to upload, manage, record, archive, and review environmental data gathered by the Preservation Environment Monitors (PEM2) data loggers that are in place in all facilities. The website provides analytical tools to provide reports tailored for NARA users that include preservation specialists, facility managers and engineers, administration, and staff to identify problems and document trends that affect compliance with standards.

NARA 1571 Archival Storage Standards, 36 CFR1234 Facility Standards for Records Storage Facilities, and international ISO standards (ISO 11799) require the National Archives to monitor, document, and analyze holdings storage environmental conditions to determine compliance with required standards. The NARA eClimateNotebook website is a key component of the environmental monitoring and management programs required for preservation of records and holdings at NARA facilities.

Archived data for all NARA facilities can now be accessed immediately on the NARA eClimateNotebook website by any user, with analysis tools and reports available to respond to issues. This enhances NARA’s ability to identify and treat environmental problems before they impact the holdings. This is much more efficient and less expensive than waiting to treat individual records after they have been adversely affected by exposure to inappropriate conditions.

Services provided by IPI will include continued operation and support for ongoing website maintenance, a unique domain name for NARA, dedicated service with daily data back-up, continuous management of system health, system updates, and data security and integrity. IPI will provide ongoing technical updating and support of the website software, troubleshooting, analytical tools and framework, and virtual training for NARA system administrators as required. IPI will provide email and telephone business hour contacts for a dedicated system administrator for the primary NARA system administrator, and provide advice on technical and research issues and provide new information as it becomes available through the IPI research initiatives. IPI will also provide ongoing technical support for the NARA-owned PEM2 data loggers – over 1,000 in over 45 NARA facilities. PEM2 data logger support also includes calibration and battery replacement, as needed on a 3-5 year cycle to ensure that the data being recorded in the system is accurate and verified by testing. Data captured by PEM2 and compatible dataloggers will be archived on the NARA eClimateNotebook website for each of NARA’s 45+ facilities.

IPI’s continued operation and support services of the NARA eClimateNotebook website will permit NARA staff to continue to securely store, manage, remotely access, and analyze data documenting the preservation impact of temperature and relative humidity conditions using the PEM2 data loggers and to continue to make decisions about temperature and relative humidity conditions that serve both the preservation and the energy efficiency of storage areas in NARA facilities.

The total estimated cost for this requirement is $---

IV. AN IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING

OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, Public Law 103-355 in conjunction with the Competition in Contracting Act, 41 U.S.C § 3304(a)(1) as implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), which states “ Contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).”

V. A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF

THE AUTHORITY CITED.

IPI continues to be the only resource that provides a method to automatically quantify the combined long term preservation impact of temperature and relative humidity on archival materials in NARA holdings. This permits NARA to determine the best combination of temperature and relative humidity for both preservation and energy economy. IPI’s Time Weighted Preservation Index (TWPI) provides information on additional risks (i.e., mold or corrosion). This preservation information is the result of decades of research at IPI. IPI continues to carry out research and develop the tools to support the preservation of holdings. NARA automatically receives the benefits from this research through the TWPI and the other analytical tools provided on the website.

The TWPI and other analytical tools such as the Mold Risk Factor (MRF) use the data collected through the NARA’s PEM2 data loggers.

The NARA eClimateNotebook website holds more than ten years of archived environmental data as well as monitoring location and equipment inventory tracking used to manage and document environmental monitoring programs and make environmental management decisions for the preservation of the holdings. This data would be very costly to transfer and manage and we would lose the capacity to index and analyze the data in a comparable manner.

This acquisition meets the authority of FAR 6.302-1 which states that this authority may be used "when the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or,…from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for." See above II.

VI. A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE

SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTICABLE,

INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED

BY SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER 5.202 APPLIES.

Communications and contact with preservation specialists in the US, UK and Europe through environmental management activities related to the International Standards Organization is ongoing by NARA’s preservation staff and no new systems have been developed that meet NARA’s needs. In addition, searches on the web showed no other systems that could provide an equivalent to the functionality of the analysis provided by the Time Weighted Preservation Index, and/or would provide similar analysis using the NARA data loggers and environmental data. Therefore, competition is not available at this time.

An Intent to Award Sole Source will be posted on Federal Business Opportunities for 15 days.

VII. A DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE

ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE

Pricing will be determined to be fair and reasonable based on historical data from previous contracts and the Independent Government Cost Estimate.

VIII. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED (SEE PART

10) AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASON MARKET

RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED.

Communications and contact with preservation specialists in the US, UK and Europe through environmental management activities related to the International Standards Organization is ongoing by NARA’s preservation staff and no new systems have been developed that meet NARA’s needs. In addition, searches on the web showed no other systems that could provide an equivalent to the functionality of the analysis provided by the Time Weighted Preservation Index, and/or would provide similar analysis using the NARA data loggers and environmental data. Therefore, competition is not available at this time.

IX. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND

OPEN COMPETITION.

The NARA eClimateNotebook website holds more than ten years of archived environmental data as well as monitoring location and equipment inventory tracking used to manage and document environmental monitoring programs and make environmental management decisions for the preservation of the holdings. This data would be very costly to transfer and manage and we would lose the capacity to index and analyze the data in a comparable manner.

X. A LISTING OF THE SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN

INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION.

N/A

XI. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO

REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY

SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED.

NARA will continue to perform periodic market surveys to assess the changes in the market place for this service.

XII. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION THAT THE JUSTIFICATION IS

ACCURATE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER’S

KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF.

See Page 1.

ATTACHMENT 2

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

FOR

UPDATES, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND SUPPORT OF NARA

eCLIMATENOTEBOOK WEBSITE

1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1.1 The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent Federal agency that helps safeguard and preserve our nation's history by overseeing the management of all Federal records. The stories of our nation and our people are told in the records and artifacts cared for in NARA facilities around the country and people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The mission is to ensure ready access to the essential evidence that documents the rights of American citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience.

1.2 NARA carries out environmental monitoring programs at over 45 facilities including our main repositories in the Washington, DC area; and Archival Field Offices, Federal Records Centers and Presidential Libraries across the United States. The data is used to document, analyze and evaluate compliance with environmental storage requirements for records and holdings, and the quality of exhibition and storage conditions. The NARA eClimateNotebook environmental data management system and dedicated website provides long-term storage for environmental data along with data management, analytical tools and reporting templates used to track and evaluate environmental conditions and manage storage and exhibition environments.

2.0 SCOPE

2.1 NARA has a requirement for update, operation, maintenance, and support of the NARA eClimate Environmental Data Management System and Website.

2.2 Base Year Priority System and Functional Updates

2.2.1 The Contractor shall make priority system and functional updates in the base year of the contract.

2.2.1.2 The Contractor shall update Access levels to include:

• Update the Administrator function to limit access to specified NARA and IPI administrators with full access to all accounts.

• Rename Normal Access to Data Manager with data upload and datafile management access to specified accounts.

• Rename Read Only Access to Data Analyst with access to look at data, run reports and use analysis tools for evaluation with specified accounts.

2.2.1.3 The Contractor shall update Flexibility functions to include:

• Provide a central access control list where the NARA Administrator can assign individual staff access to one or multiple facilities and designate the type of access for each facility.

• Update the log-in screen for each user so it will show the facilities the user can access and the access level.

• Consult with the NARA Administrator to revise and update the current accounts to separate or merge the listed facility listings to meet management needs.

• Revise the Data History page design including:

o Default to tab with current/active dataloggers assigned to datafiles and unassigned data, with a separate tab for archived datalogger files.

o Flexible sorting options for columns o File names maintain hierarchy

• Improve sorting options for Data History pages.

• Simplify datafile merging and renaming procedures used when dataloggers are replaced for calibration or repair.

2.2.1.4 The Contractor shall update the datalogger inventory page to provide functions including:

• A datalogger inventory list by serial number with current location.

• Automatic updating from account datafiles with a default to ‘Stock’ when a datalogger is removed for repair/calibration and the datafile renamed.

• Manual update when a datalogger is written off or a named datafile is moved to

‘old data.’

2.2.1.5 The Contractor shall update standards list in consultation with NARA.

2.2.1.6 The Contractor shall add new Standard Report formats in consultation with NARA.

2.2.1.7 The Contractor shall update Custom Report format so Custom Report Template is saved and available to the creator for all facilities.

2.3 System Enhancements and Configurations

2.3.1 The Contractor shall provide up to 40 hours in each option year of the contract for enhancements and configuration items, including bug fixes, to improve the usability of the system. Key areas include:

• Periodic review to ensure software components do not reach end of service or support during the contract term.

• Enhancements developed for the generic eClimate website are offered to NARA at no additional cost if seen as appropriate enhancements.

• Periodic refresh of technical information on the website to reflect current research and NARA-specific interpretations.

2.4 Operation, Maintenance, and Support

2.4.1 The Contractor shall provide operation, maintenance, and support of the system.

Services include:

● Ongoing site maintenance.

● A unique domain name and a dedicated server with daily data back-up.

● Continuous management of system health, system updates, and data security/integrity.

● Reasonable technical support and virtual training of NARA system administrators.

● Regular communication with the primary system administrator.

● Technical support for NARA eClimate administrators for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

● Available phone support and email support for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

● A minimum service level agreement (SLA) for server uptime/connectivity and data restoration.

2.5 PEM2 Data Loggers

2.5.1 The Contractor shall provide calibration services for NARA-owned PEM2 data loggers.

Calibration services include:

● Calibrating PEM2 data loggers according to manufacturer’s specifications to maintain accuracy and integrity of data.

● Replacement of batteries during calibration to maintain continuous function.

● Repairs, as needed, to PEM2s that require services that are covered under warranty.

2.5.2 Calibration Requirements for PEM2 Data Loggers

Base Year Calibration of up to 200 NARA PEM2 data loggers Option Year I Calibration of up to 200 or more NARA PEM2 data loggers Option year II Calibration of up to 200 or more NARA PEM2 data loggers Option year III Calibration of up to 200 or more NARA PEM2 data loggers Option year IV Calibration of up to 200 or more NARA PEM2 data loggers

2.5.3 Repair Services for PEM2 Data Loggers

2.5.3.1 If Contractor determines that repairs are needed for PEM2 data loggers that are no longer under warranty, the Contractor shall notify the NARA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or their designated representative before incurring additional expenses. The Contractor shall provide the NARA COR or their designated representative with a written cost estimate.

2.5.3.2 If repairs are approved, they will be priced separately and added to the contract via a modification signed by a NARA Contracting Officer.

2.5.3.3 Neither the NARA COR nor their designated representative is authorized to approve repairs that incur additional expenses. Any repairs made in advance of receiving a signed contract modification is at the Contractor’s risk.

2.5.3.4 The Contractor shall complete repairs within three (3) weeks of receiving a signed contract modification. If repairs cannot be completed within three (3) weeks, the Contractor shall inform the NARA COR or their designated representative.

2.5.3.5 The NARA COR and their designated representative are authorized to approve repairs that do not incur an additional expense. The Contractor shall complete repairs within three (3) weeks of receiving approval. If repairs cannot be completed within three (3) weeks, the Contractor shall inform the NARA COR or their designated representative.

2.5.3.6 Data loggers within the three-year warranty period that cannot be repaired shall be replaced by the Contractor.

2.6 All work must be completed on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the NARA COR. Work shall be completed no later than six (6) months after the end of Option Year IV, if exercised.

2.7 Data Ownership and Accessibility

2.7.1 Contractor shall ensure that NARA retains ownership of all website data and the Contractor shall support data migration to another platform if required.

3.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE and CONTRACTING OFFICER’S

REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

3.1 NARA staff in over 45 locations require access to the online site to carry out environmental monitoring program activities. The quantity of locations may change over the period of the contract. See Attachment 3, NARA Field Office and Federal Records Center Facilities.

3.2 The Contracting Officer’s Representative assigned to this contract is:

Name: TBD Telephone:

Email:

4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

4.1 The period of performance will be for one base year plus four (4) option years. The base year will be from September 30, 2021 through September 29, 2022.

5.0 HOURS OF OPERATION

5.1 Work shall be undertaken during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time unless mutually agreed upon by the NARA COR and the Contractor.

6.0 TASK AND DELIVERABLES

6.1 Tasks and deliverables are discussed in section 2.0.