VT578003AT1_Bridge_Limited_Source_Justification_Approved_12.19.2913.pdf

Limited Source Justification Task Order: VT578003AT1

Limited Source Justification In Accordance With FAR 8.405-6

1) Identification of the Agency, Contracting Activity, and Document being approved:

Procurement Office: AAS Region 7 Agency: GSA Task Number: Bridge Task VT578003AT1 Description of Requirement: SAF/AQX Support for IT Transformation (SITT) Estimated Dollar Value: $1,174,563.12 (for base period of 90 days and (1) 30 day Option)

2) Description of action being approved: The mission of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (SAF/AQ) is the bedrock of the Air Force (AF) acquisition operations throughout the world. The mission of SAF/AQ is to develop, maintain, and integrate acquisition management policy; advance acquisition reform; facilitate strategic planning; development and training of acquisition human resources. The SAE formulates and executes over $200 billion AF investment strategy to acquire systems and support services to provide combat capability to joint warfighting commanders. The SAF/AQ vision includes providing mission critical, value-added, customer-focused and efficient manpower, personnel, information resources and executive services management support for the AF Acquisition Community. Overall SAF/AQ is solely responsible for leading the efforts for the AF for integration of Information Technology (IT) programming, budgeting and execution activities affecting AF Modernization programs. The services provided under the task order referenced herein enable the SAF/AQ office to execute critical mission acquisition functions that become known as changes in acquisition regulation and IT systems become known. The initiatives/projects performed under this task order are directly resulting from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and/or from the most senior AF leadership officials’ initiatives that significantly shape the overall execution of the AF acquisition mission. Based on the SAF/AQ mission, the organization requires the continued ability to obtain a broad range of comprehensive business and support services in a timely and cost-effective manner, while providing the greatest amount of flexibility possible to develop, analyze, and implement improvements to the flow of business, IT systems, work, program processes and tool utilization. A lapse in the contract will result in mission failure for the SAF/AQ office, as they do not employ Government personnel who can perform/support the initiatives described herein.

The SAF/AQ program office made the decision to combine the efforts of two contracts that are essentially for similar, related, and intertwined services. The decision was made to combine these two contracts because they are related services and because the cost of administration will decrease (e.g., only having to oversee one contractor and issue one contract). Additionally, these services were combined prior to the requirement being separated. The strategy to combine the requirements again is the result of SAF/AQ redefining their overall program support structure to their internal clients, which are their individual contracting directorates, and acquisition offices.

This extension to the task order is awarded via modification on a sole source basis to the incumbent vendor Council for Logistics Research (CLR) for the continued services on SAF/AQX VT578003AT1 Support for IT Transformation (SITT). The task is currently in option year (OY) four (4) which is the last option available and the task was extended the maximum allowable 6 months under the FAR Extension of Services Clause 52.217-

8. Currently, the period of performance ends 12/22/2013. The extension of services clause was initially used to cover the recompete and make award of the new AFTAS PRO ID07130035. However, due to the Client Agency making multiple changes to redefine the entire requirement, the solicitation package was delayed. It is important to note that this sole source solicitation is not the result of a failure to properly plan, but rather is the result of the SAF/AQ requirements development, review and approval processes that caused the solicitation to be delayed. . This sole source extension modification is being issued to add a base period of 90 days with (1) 30 day option period to continue critical services while the solicitation of AFTAS PRO ID07130035 is completed, which will ensure there is no break in services under the terms of the requirement. This sole source award to the incumbent contractor fulfills an existing Government need and funds are available to cover this modification.

The decision to award this sole source “bridge” modification to CLR (the incumbent) takes into account the Government's need for continuity of operations and the potential costs of disrupting operations. It was decided that executing the modification to extend the existing task order would be the most advantageous and cost effective to the Government, price and other factors considered. This bridge will allow for sufficient time for the recompete as described above and for GSA to properly award ID07130035in full compliance with appropriate regulations and policy directives. Thus a three (3) month extension with a one (1) month option is required at this time.

CLR will be providing services at the same rates as expiring option period 4. Prices proposed for the “bridge”/ modification extension will be analyzed through comparison to historical pricing, the Independent Government Estimate, and review of the vendor’s approved billing rates. Services will continue in the bridge at the same rates and level of effort as that of the existing contract.

Initial task order VT578003AT1 was placed utilizing the ordering procedures for Federal Supply Schedules as identified under FAR 8.405. The bridge task continues the valued services needed by SAF/AQX. Without the modification to extend the task order the following continuing programs/activities would break both internal and external to SAF/AQX:

SAF/AQXI - CCARs, CMRA, support on eBusiness pilot project with OSD, SMART/Acq LHA Requirements Review Boards and Functional Review Board support

SAF/AQX/AQXL - business process design, DoD protocol, data analysis, WAR Reports and Monthly Activity Reports for Sr AF leadership (SECAF), "Bellringer" reports

SAF/AQXA - Acquisition policy, Corrosion Control, Trusted Systems Network, preparing and coordinating ACAT ID PPPs for submission to USD (AT&L)

PEO/CM - CTi, SML, data analysis/database support, services contract policy, acquisition policy analysis, SAF/SB - SBIP, acquisition policy support, policy review and impact summary, market analysis support, SB performance analysis, FAR/DFAR/AFFAR reviews and policy development

AF/A6 - Clinger-Cohen Act compliance (including expanded review of ACAT III defense business systems), C&A, IT Acquisition Processes, ISP/TISP review and revisions, Updating and coordinating input for Enterprise Information technology Data Repository (EITDR)

All of the above responsibilities of SAF/AQ office are critical because SAF/AQ provides the foundational, overall support for all AF acquisition activities. Without the ability to support the services defined herein with contract labor support on an as-the-need arises basis, the SAF/AQ office will not be able to perform their mission. The SAF/AQ has a very small staff, and does not have the expertise within their Government employee resource pool to fully support their mission requirements, which is the key reason this T&M task is so critical to the operational success of the AF. Acquisition functions are the bedrock/backbone of the AF’s operations, because most all support to the warfighter and military personnel, their aircraft, etc. is in the form of a fully executed contract. The services performed by the incumbent contractor are critical to supporting the accurate, high quality, timely and compliant execution of those contract actions and overall acquisition programs. Therefore, the acquisition operations (e.g., contract writing systems, training on new IT systems, financial systems, policy updates and procedural guidance systems/databases updates) will not be updated and maintained in accordance with the latest acquisition regulation, OMB directive, or may experience programmatic (software) system failures due to neglect. This will result in a hard-stop of all acquisition activities within the AF.

FAR 8.405-6 Limited sources justification and approval.

Orders placed under Federal Supply Schedules are exempt from the requirements in Part 6. However, an ordering activity must justify its action when restricting consideration in accordance with paragraphs (a) or (b) of

FAR 8.405-6:

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1): Circumstances justifying limiting the source:

__X__(1) An urgent and compelling need exists, and following the ordering procedures would result in unacceptable delays; FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A)

_____ (2) Only one source is capable of responding due to the unique or specialized nature of the work;

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

_____ (3) The new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order must not have been previously issued under sole source or limited source procedures; FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C)

3) Description of Supplies or Services Required:

The mission of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (SAF/AQ) is to develop, maintain, and integrate acquisition management policy; advance acquisition reform; facilitate strategic planning; development and training of acquisition human resources. The SAF/AQ vision includes providing value-added, customer-focused and efficient manpower, personnel, information resources and executive services management support for the Air Force Acquisition Community. Overall SAF/AQ is responsible for integrating programming, budgeting and execution activities affecting AF Modernization programs. SAF/AQ requires the continued ability to obtain a broad range of comprehensive business and support services in a timely and cost-effective manner, while providing the greatest amount of flexibility possible to develop, analyze, and implement improvements to the flow of business, IT systems, work, program processes and tool utilization.

The objective of this effort is to provide support services and products to include personnel, material, services, and conference support to complete the tasks described herein. Task Order VT578003AT1 is being accomplished by the vendor Council for Logistics Research Inc (CLR).

4) Identification of Authority and Supporting Rationale:

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 8.405-6 for orders placed against the Multiple Award Schedule Program.

5) Demonstration that the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited:

Task Order VT578003AT1 was competitively awarded using VETS Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), and was managed by GSA. The period of performance ends on December 22, 2013. In order to maintain continuity of support for the client until a new task could be properly awarded, the need to issue a 3 month bridge task with a 30 day option was the most logical and cost effective alternative to the Government.

The reason the option to extend the terms of the current task is considered the most logical and cost effective, is because the option achieves the desired results (i.e., no gap in services) without issuing a new stand alone bridge task order. The task order administration team considered issuing a standalone bridge contract to support continuity of operations; however, the stand alone bridge task order would require a new AP, and an entirely separate contract file, which would be redundant work when all of the information would simply be a repeat of the current contract file (VT578003AT1). Additionally, a new solicitation is being prepared for issuance in January 2014, which includes the redefined requirement in its entirety. This task order is simply one piece of the overall requirement, and the extension is to ensure there is no break in-service, without substantial duplication of work effort that would result from issuing a separate, duplicate task to this one

(VT578003AT1).

The support provided by the vendor as described above is critical to the client’s mission. The loss of vendor support for any period of time would result in the client being unable to satisfy Integrating Acquisition Management Policy.

The follow on effort ID07130035 is currently being solicited, and award of the new task order is planned for the end of March 2014; therefore, the Government anticipates award within the extension time period The estimated value of this longer term contract is $73M with a Base Year period of performance and (4) option years.

6) Description of Efforts to Solicit as Many Offers as Practicable or Exception:

Considering the prescription at FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C), only the incumbent will be solicited for services required to support the Client as identified in this limited sources justification for the extension of services under Task Order VT578003AT1. However, the new, redefined requirement shall be released to all Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract holders in a two step method. A request for interested parties shall be released, with the draft PWS attached, requesting the name and contact information of those schedule contract holders who are interested in providing a quote to the Government. The full solicitation shall be sent to all interested parties. Additionally, if interested parties request a copy of the solicitation after the full solicitation has been released, the solicitation shall be provided.

7) Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable and Represents the Best Value:

This request is for a possible 4 months of continued service in support of SAF/AQX. Continued contractual support will allow sufficient time to complete award of the longer term task order ID07130035. A quote was received from CLR on 12/09/13 and the 4 month effort was determined to be fair and reasonable by the Contracting Officer. Prices proposed for the 4 month bridge were analyzed through a comparison of historical pricing, the Independent Government Estimate, and review of the vendor’s approved billing rates. As stated above in paragraph 2 of this document, the contractor, CLR, will be providing services at the same rates as expiring option period 4. Therefore, services will continue in the modified period of performance extension at the same rates and level of effort as that of the existing contract. The CO has determined that VT578003AT1 represents the best value consistent with 8.404(d) – See 8.405-6(g)(2)(v). The prices were determined fair and reasonable at the time Option four (4) was exercised. Additionally, market research will consist of a review of the contractor’s current FSS contract pricing as compared to the awarded pricing on Option four (4) of this task order is being utilized to ensure that the current prices that will be awarded under the sole source modification to this task order are still considered fair and reasonable. This extension shall be prepared and fully executed by the contracting officer upon approval of this Limited Sources Justification (LSJ).

The overall price of this extension modification will be calculated using the Option Year 4 pricing on VT578003AT1, which is $293,640.78. A three (3) month extension with a one (1) month option, the total estimated value of the extension is $1,174,563.12.

8) Description of market research conducted:

The Government intends to make a sole source award to the incumbent Council for Logistics Research Inc (CLR). Ongoing market research is being conducted in support of the new task order, and that market research is being utilized to ensure that the current prices that will be awarded under the sole source modification to this task order are still considered fair and reasonable. Task Order VT578003AT1 was competed amongst all vendors on VETS (GWAC) and the rates proposed by CLR were determined to be fair and reasonable at the time of award.

This justification shall be posted on FBO.gov, in accordance with the requirements at FAR 8.405-6(a)(2)

9) Other facts supporting the justification: Not applicable.

10) List of sources that expressed an interest in the acquisition:

Council for Logistics Research, Inc.

11) Statement of Actions to overcome barriers of competition:

The follow-on effort ID07130035 will be competed among the appropriate Schedule 70, MOBIS 874-1, and AIMS vehicles.

The Contracting Officer and the Project Manager certifies by signature below that the information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief.

Date

Project Manager

Date Contracting Officer

Loretta Nared Date AOD Branch Manager

Legal Counsel Date

I, the approving authority, determine that the circumstances identified in this document are accurate; therefore, limiting sources under FAR 8.405-6(a)(1) and __8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A) is justified. The signature below also represents approval of this Limited Sources Justification.

Competition Advocate Date Shaloy Castle-Higgins