Titanium Sole Source - Brand Name Justification - 01142021.docx.pdf

Version 1.0

June 10, 2020

Source Selection Information – see FAR 2.101 and 3.104

SOLE SOURCE/BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

FOR AN ACTION EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

USING SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

EDOFSA-21-000080

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA), Acquisition Directorate (AD), Enterprise Support Contracts Group (ESG) and Technology Directorate (TD).

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

It is the intention of the United States Department of Education Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) Acquisition Directorate to award a follow-on, firm-fixed price, sole source purchase order to Fair Isaacs Corporation (FICO) for maintenance and support of Debt Manager (Titanium) software, in accordance with FAR 13.501. The Debt Manager (DM) software is a suite of COTS products that serves as the foundation of FSA’s Debt Management and Collection System (DMCS). This software has been customized to support the management of FSA’s debt collection portfolio and corresponding workflows. FSA awarded a sole source purchase order to Fair Isaacs Corporation for the same maintenance and support for its Debt Manager (Titanium) perpetual licenses under contract #91003120P0002.

In accordance with FAR 13.501(a)(1)(iii), a sole source/brand name justification will be posted to Beta.SAM within 14 days after award.

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

Maintenance support services are as follows:

Software Product: Debt Manager (Titanium) - Maintenance - Standard Support –OMA Licenses Type: Database Quantity: 1 Price: $569,333.65

LR # 1999953

Software Product: Debt Manager (Titanium) - Maintenance - Pervasive Data - Integrator Engine –

OMA

Licenses Type: Extract, transform, and load (ETL) Developer Quantity: 19 Price: $9,374.35

Software Product: Debt Manager (Titanium) - Maintenance - Pervasive Data Integrator Engine –

OMA

Licenses Type: Extract, transform, and load (ETL) Run Time Quantity: 12 Price: $11,841.29

PR #EDOFSA-21-000080

Period of Performance

01/15/2021 through 01/14/2022

Period of Performance Cost

01/15/2021 through 01/14/2022

$590,549.29

4. Statutory authority permitting the sole source (including brand name) acquisition.

20 USC 1018a(e)

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

The Contracting Officer has determined the following circumstances justify the use of a sole source as supported below:

Debt Manager (Titanium) software is currently and has been in the FSA environment since 2014.

The Debt Manager software serves as the foundation of the Debt Management and Collection System (DMCS). It has been customized so that FSA can effectively manage FSA’s debt collection portfolio and corresponding workflows. The software is the user interface for the FSA, various Customer Service Agents (CSRs), and Private Collection Agencies (PCA). The software is used to validate and/or change information, payment plans, and provides other features when interacting with the various borrowers. The software is also used as an extract, transform, load (ETL) tool which is used for the transformation and load of the various flat files received by DMCS so they can be loaded into the DMCS database.

FICO is the only manufacturer and supplier of the Debt Manager (Titanium) software. FICO is also the only source that can provide the maintenance and support for the Debt Manager (Titanium) software. No other manufacturer can provide the required maintenance and support for the software. Additionally, FICO does not work with any third-party vendors or verified authorized resellers to supply its software and/or maintenance and support.

6. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

N/A, the maintenance support for the FICO products is provided directly by the manufacturer. No other manufacturer can provide this maintenance support.

Additionally, FSA has used Titanium/Pervasive software since 2014 and it continues to meet FSA’s business and operational requirements. Therefore, no other potential sources were solicited.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The estimated cost provided by the vendor is consistent with the historical price paid on Contract #91003120P0002 for the same maintenance support.

8. Description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

This is a continuance of maintenance support for existing Titanium/Debt Manager software licenses (perpetual). Maintenance support is generally packaged with the purchase of software, the most economical way to obtain such service. Titanium/Debt Manager software and associated maintenance support has been in the FSA Business Operations environment since 2014.

There are products that provide similar functionality that Titanium’s software provides. However, moving to a new software product that performs the same functionality would require FSA to acquire new license(s); configure business applications; retrain the staff in the operations of the new software; and software maintenance. Any cost savings achieved in conducting a competition would be offset by these expenses. Therefore, it is more cost-effective for FSA to renew the Titanium software suite maintenance. In consideration of cost saving(s), it would not be in the best interest of FSA to solicit or acquire an alternative software solution.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of a sole source (including brand name), such as:

No additional facts to add. All supporting facts have been documented herein.

10. List of the sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition.

No other sources expressed an interest in this acquisition. No other vendor can provide the maintenance and support for Debt Manager (Titanium) software.

11. 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.

N/A

12. Technical/Requirements Representative Certification

I certify that this requirement constitutes the Government’s minimum needs and the supporting data provided herein is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Stacey Ewing Date FSA Software Asset Manager/COR

1/14/2021

13. Contracting Officer’s Certification and Approval

I certify this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Nicole Stevenson Date Contracting Officer