SS just PCIT (002).pdf

Limited Sources Justification United States Department of Agriculture

FAR 8.405 Federal Supply Schedules Multiple Award Schedule Program

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

Contracting Activity: USDA, APHIS, MRPBS, Acquisition and Asset Management Division (AAMD) 250 Marquette Ave., Suite 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401

Ordering Agency: USDA, APHIS, MRPBS, IT Services 4700 River Road Riverdale, MD 20737

2. The nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The USDA, APHIS, MRPBS, AAMD intends to award a bridge contract Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) extension under GSA contract GS-35F-0663M to Binary Information Technology (BIT) for continued operations and maintenance and required regulatory development and minor enhancements of the APHIS Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking (PCIT) system.

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

The current PCIT IT system contract provides the delivery of regulatory development, minor enhancements and maintenance of systems which support the mission of USDA APHIS related to the import, shipment and tracking of commodities as well as to program goals to monitor, safeguard, and regulate animal and plant commodities. APHIS performs this work in conjunction with partners that include: other federal agencies, state agencies, tribal governments, local governments, foreign governments, etc. The work under this contract encompasses three separate IT systems which are:

1. Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance & Tracking (PCIT) system is a public web-based system that tracks the inspection of agricultural products and certifies compliance with plant health standards of importing countries. This system provides APHIS/PPQ with enhanced security, automated tools, reporting functions, and monitoring capabilities for exported commodities.

2. Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) is a public web-based system that provides core functionality to create, endorse, and process veterinary export health certificates for international trade of U.S.-origin live animals, including hatching eggs and germplasm. This system is owned by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS).

3. Lacey Act Web Governance System (LAWGS) is a public web-based system that tracks electronic declarations via PPQ Form 505 (the Lacey Act declaration). LAWGS is used by the

Importer of Record or Broker/Agent acting on behalf of the Importer of Record. The main goal of the system is to assist importers currently submitting Lacey Act paper declarations.

Currently LAWGS receives the vast majority of declarations electronically via the Customs and Border Protection Automated Commercial System (ACE).

The work under this BPA is currently being performed by BIT under a competitively awarded GSA BPA number AG-6395-B-14-0059. Solicitation 12639520Q0013 was issued on February 3, 2020 for the award of the PCIT replacement contract. The expectation was that the new contract performance would be currently underway. However, the new contract award has been delayed due to a protest.

Estimated value for this bridge contract is $420,000 for the period of July 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020.

4. The authority and supporting rationale.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B) - 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;

BIT has provided PCIT operations and maintenance and minor development and enhancement services for over five years under the current BPA. The PCIT BPA is for the support of three highly complex and unique non-commercial IT systems. There would be a long learning curve of several months minimum to bring a new contractor on board to learn the intricacies of these systems as well as the multiple stakeholders and interfaces with other systems. BIT’s current experience is crucial to sustain current contract performance until the new BPA can be awarded. BIT is the only contractor who currenlty possesses the ability to perform these services over the next several months. The nature of the work in progress, the agency’s IT and program environment institutional knowledge, and intellectual capital gained through performance of the original contract cannot be transferred to a new contractor in a timely manner to allow consideration of the immediate contract support necessary.

5. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer (CO) that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

In accordance with FAR 8.404(d), GSA has already determined the rates for services offered at hourly rates under schedule contracts are fair and reasonable. The prices proposed by BIT are consistent with the GSA schedule pricing and are consistent with the historical pricing of the current contract which was awarded on a competitive basis.

Based on this information, I have determined that the pricing offered by BIT represents best value for the bridge contract.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted and a competitive procurement was conducted for replacement of the current PCIT BPA. This award will be made in the near future. The current contract extension is only necessary to bridge the gap until the new contract award can be made and performance can start under a new BPA.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

N/A

8. A statement of actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition if subsequent acquisitions are anticipated.

Barriers to competition are not the intention of APHIS. This current bridge contract is only necessary because of unanticipated procurement delays. This will be a contract of short duration for a period of performance only long enough to allow for the new contract award.

Certifications & Approval

Supporting data which form the basis for and included in this justification are certified accurate and complete.

Isaac White Trade Team Project Manager USDA, APHIS, MRP-Information Technology Services

The information contained in this Limited Sources Justification is certified accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Larry Nelson Contracting Officer