A20 JA_VWC Adm Operational_redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

1155 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1155

WHS-2024- 558

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES

FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

UNDER FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) 13.5

1. AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: The Department of Defense (DoD), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Acquisition Directorate (AD), Enterprise Security and Services Division (ESSD) on behalf of the Vietnam War Commemoration (VWC).

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: The purpose of this justification is to document the decision issue a sole source contract to Interactive Process Technology LLC for continued support for Administrative and Operational Support Services. This action will be a Firm-Fixed-Priced contract type, utilizing Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) funding with a total estimated dollar value of $2,285,866.

3. BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: Congress, under the provisions of the

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, section 598, Public Law 110-181, authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a program (The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration (VWC)) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam war. VWC entailed planning and promoting activities and ceremonies to achieve the following objectives: (1) To thank and honor Vietnam Veterans, POW/MIAs, and families of these Veterans, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States; (2) To highlight the service of the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and the contributions of Federal agencies and Governmental and non-Governmental organizations that served with, or in support of, the Armed Forces; (3) To pay tribute to the contributions made on the home front by the people of the United States during the Vietnam War; (4) To highlight the advances in technology, science, and medicine related to military research conducted during the Vietnam War;

(5) To recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by the allies of the United States during the Vietnam War.

The VWC program began 2012 and has been supported by competitively awarded contracts since 2013.

The current contract is expiring. Per the 2022 Presidential Proclamation “Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War,” the commemoration is set to end in late 2025.

As only a limited time remains for commemoration activities, the Government intends to issue a sole source to the current service provider to wind up the program and to maximize the time remaining.

The period of performance for the sole source will be as follows:

Performance Periods Performance Period Dates Amount

Base Period December 29, 2023 - December 28, 2024 $1,126,042 Option Period I December 29, 2024 - December 28, 2025 $1,148,497 Base + All Options $2,274,539

There will be no -8 extension provided. The Government anticipates no follow-ons.

Under this sole source, the Contractor will continue to provide non-personal services – Warehouse Operations support, Social Media Content support, Web Designing support, Videography and Photography support, and Administrative support, to provide administration and operational support services, to ensure all the necessary technical, business, planning, organizing, managing, coordinating, tracking (e.g. schedule, deliverable of shipments), performance management, resource management, and data management – for the balance of the commemoration period.

4. AUTHORITY CITED: This action is under the procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.5 under the authority of:

☒41 U.S.C. 1901, Simplified Acquisition Procedures ☐ 41 U.S.C. 1903, Special Emergency Procurement Authority

5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED: A sole source award to Interactive Process Technology LLC (IPT) is in the best interest of the Government because only a limited amount of time remains for the commemoration program and the benefits of continuing with the current contractor outweigh the benefits to be gained from competition. IPT already has the knowledge to provide essential operational support to VWC. This includes updating iDev Content Management System (CMS) database and inventory reports for VWC's warehouse, using Agorapulse software to manage and write, design, and distribute daily organizational messages nationally VWC’s social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube), and using web platform iDev Content Management System developed by Americaneagle.com to customize VWC’s social media platform content and its images. The Government estimates a new vendor would need at least two months to learn the VWC operations, review past VWC’s content and images on various web platforms to gain an understanding of VWC's mission, and to learn to use the iDev CMS database and inventory report to reconcile and account for proper warehouse inventory management and Agorapulse software to manage VWC social media platforms. Two months, in the context of only a two year long contract is rather significant. IPT’s current experience on this contract will allow the Government to maximize it’s use of the limited time remaining on the commemoration program.

Competing this requirement would at this juncture would also result in a duplication of cost of $187,673. With only two years left of the program, this is unlikely to be recovered through competition or to result in noteworthy cost savings. This duplicative cost is noteworthy in the context of a sole source that is itself no more than $2,274,539.

The duplication of cost will increase if a new vendor requires more than two months to be ready to support VWC requirement.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted to sam.gov on Nov 14, 2023 with a response due date of Nov 28, 2023. No objections was received to the sole source award to Interactive Process Technology, LLC.

7. FAIR AND REASONABLE COST DETERMINATION: The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated prices will be fair and reasonable by using the techniques identified at FAR 13.106-3(a) Basis for Award to ensure award will be at fair and reasonable prices. Certified Cost and Pricing Data will not be obtained for this requirement.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: Market research was conducted by Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition

Directorate’s (WHS AD) Contract Specialist for Administrative and Organizational Support Services. There is no existing internal contract vehicle that is available for use to place an order for this service.

Market Research Techniques: In an effort to identify the capabilities, customary practices, and standards of the commercial market, research was conducted using the following techniques:

a. Previous/Current Requirement: Currently VWC is receiving Administrative and Operational Support Services from Interactive Process Technology LLC (IPT). IPT was previously awarded Call Order HQ0034-18-F-0262 on June 29, 2018, for a total contract value of $8,281,908 with a period of performance from the award date until December 28, 2023. The current call order contract was issued under the internal BPA HQ0034-15- A-0015 through a competitive multiple award BPA solicitation for the call order.

b. Publishing Formal Request for Information: On September 25, 2023, a Sources Sought

Notice was posted to GSA eBuy under Request for Quote Sources Sought Notice ID:

RFQ1661870. The Sources Sought Notice was posted for twenty two (22) days and closed on October 17, 2023. The Notice resulted in seventy seven (77) capability statement responses. The Sources Sought Notice was successful in attracting a broad range of potential vendors. After careful consideration of the 77 responses, it was determined that while there is market interest, the circumstances of the Vietnam War Commemoration being decommissioned in 2025 in accordance with 2022 Presidential Proclamation by Joseph R. Biden Jr., made a sole source to Interactive Process Technology LLC (IPT) in the Government’s best interests. This limited timeframe poses challenges and risks in transitioning to a new vendor. Considering the decommissioning, it is in the best interest of the government to ensure uninterrupted continuity of services. Transitioning to a new vendor at this stage would not only involve uncessary duplication of costs but also pose risks of interruption of services to the operation of VWC's Warehouse Operations support, Social Media Content support, Web Designing support, and Videography and Photography. IPT’s knowledge of providing essential operation support with VWC’s customized AmericanEagle.com iDev Content Management System database and inventory reports for Warehouse, Web Designer, Photogrpher/Videographer Operations, and Agorapulse software to manage social media platform content, are critical to the success of VWC’s mission. In light of the above considerations, a sole source award to the incumbent vendor is justified. This approach is deemed the most efficient and effective means of fulfilling VWC’s requirements, ensuring continuity of service, and avoiding unnecessary transition costs and risks.

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted to sam.gov on Nov 14, 2023 with a response due date of Nov 28, 2023. No objections was received to the sole source award to Interactive Process Technology, LLC.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF SOLE SOURCE: N/A

10. INTERESTED SOURCES: On September 25, 2023, a Sources Sought Notice was posted to GSA eBuy under Request for Quote Sources Sought Notice ID: RFQ1661870. The Sources Sought Notice was posted for twenty two

(22) days and closed on October 17, 2023. The Notice resulted in seventy seven (77) capability statement responses.

The Sources Sought Notice was successful in attracting a broad range of potential vendors.

11. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: The VWC will be terminated in 2025 and there is no anticipation for any future follow-on requirement.

Is this acquisition for a non-competitive follow-on acquisition previously awarded on a non-competitive basis?

☐ Yes. A copy of the previous justification is attached. The actions to remove any barriers to competition cited on the previous justification ☐ were ☐ were not completed [Must include explanation of why the answer is “no”].

☒No. The original acquisition was conducted on a competitive basis.

☐ Not Applicable. This is a new requirement.

CERTIFICATION

I, hereby, certify that the supporting data under my cognizance included in this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

BURTON.TODD.RICHARD.10

86136810

Digitally signed by

BURTON.TODD.RICHARD.1086136810

Date: 2024.01.05 09:33:33 -06'00'

1/5/24

Contracting Officer’s Representative/Program Office Date

CONCURRENCE

Based on the foregoing, I hereby concur with this justification and recommend for approval.

Karen A. Smith Contracting Officer

1/9/24

Date

APPROVAL

KAO.DAVID.HOBERT.11121728

David H. Kao Competition Advocate

Digitally signed by

KAO.DAVID.HOBERT.1112172870

Date: 2024.01.11 18:28:18 -05'00'

Date

SMITH.KAREN.A.1402420347 Digitally signed by SMITH.KAREN.A.1402420347 Date: 2024.01.09 10:59:17 -05'00'