A03_SOLE_SOURCE_JUSTIFICATION__Eggplant_-_PLAD__18246_Redacted.pdf

Control No: JA-E-17-290

Program/Equipment: Distributed Common Ground System-Army/Testplant eggPlant

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR SUBPART 13.5 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES FOR

CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS – BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION AND

APPROVAL

Program/Equipment: Distributed Common Ground System-Army/Testplant eggPlant

Authority: Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 41 U.S.C.

1901(a)(2) as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.501(a)(2)

Amount:

Prepared by:

Software Engineering Center (SEC) DSN:

Centralized Acquisition and License Date: 30 Jan 2017

Management (CALM) Team

Email:

Procuring Contracting Officer: DSN:

Date Reviewed:3/6/2017

Contracting Officer

Technical Representative:

DSN:

Contracts & Licensing Mgr, SEC IEW&S-D Date Reviewed: 3/21/2017

Requirements Representative:

DSN:

Chief (A), Contracts division Date

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support limiting competition.

Program Manager: DSN:

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Program/Equipment: Distributed Common Ground System-Army/Testplant Eggplant

FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items - Brand Name Justification and Approval

1. Contracting Activity:

Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Grounds Division E.

Bldg 6001 Combat Drive

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21005

2. Description of Action:

The Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Center

(SEC) in support of the Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) program requests approval for a Firm-Fixed-Priced contract for the procurement of the brand name TestPlant eggPlant Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software licenses: TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard (31), eggPlant Manager Licenses (45), and TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard upgrade from node locked to floating (14). The applicable North American Industry Classification System

Code (NAICS) is 541519, Information Technology Value Added Resellers. The

Government projects an award date of March 2017 using Fiscal Year 2017 Operation and

Maintenance, Army (OMA) funds for the base period. Funds are currently available for this procurement. An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement

207.103(d)(i)(B)

3. Description of Supplies/Services:

The requirement is for TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard and eggPlant Manager Licenses, as well as an upgrade from node locked to floating license for TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard. The contract options will re-purchase the term licenses purchased during the base at one year increments. Thus, for the base period a quantity of 31 TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team

Standard Licenses, a quantity of 45 eggPlant Manager Licenses, and a quantity of 14

TestPlant eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard upgrade Licenses will be purchased. This will result in a quantity of 45 eggPlant Functional Development Team

Standard Licenses, and a quantity of 45 eggPlant Manager Licenses being purchased for each of the contract option years.

Period Description Quantity

Base eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard 31 eggPlant Manager 45 eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard

(upgrade from node locked to floating)

Options eggPlant Functional Development Team Standard 45 eggPlant Manager 45

Period Performance Period Price

Base Date of Award through12 months $

The eggPlant automated testing application is being used by the SEC Intelligence

Systems Division (ISD) Test Team to automate testing of the US Army’s Distributed

Common Ground System – Army (DCGS-A) Program of Record (POR) Systems, including the DCGS-A, DCGS-A Fixed, DE-SS, DE-ACE AFS(AA)and the Imagery

Workstation (IWS). While this software is not part of the DCGS-A baseline; it is used to test the baseline. DCGS-A is an integration of existing and multifaceted intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) ground processors to produce a common, network-centric, modular, scalable and multi-disciplined interoperable architecture.

DCGS-A program has a requirement for the eggPlant licenses. eggPlant is an image-based automated testing platform used to verify that applications meet Army-approved requirements. Automated testing platforms are used to reduce the amount of time needed to verify system requirements and performance. eggPlant can test any interface – from individual screens to complex command and control systems. eggPlant is used to perform functional, regression, integration, load, user experience, Graphic User Interface (GUI), multi-media, mobile, and Quality of Service testing.

4. Authority Cited:

Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 41 U.S.C. 1901(a)(2) as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.501(a)(2):

Other: Brand Name

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

This acquisition requires the procurement of the brand-name TestPlant eggplant software licenses. TestPlant, 6 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AY, United Kingdom is the manufacturer of the eggPlant software. The use of a brand name description in this acquisition is essential to DCGS-A’s requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company. The OEM has provided a list of the authorized resellers for this product (see market research).

CECOM SEC ISD performed evaluations of several other automated testing platforms.

eggPlant was selected as a preferred automated testing platform during these evaluations.

The action was researched, reviewed and approved by SEC ISD.

The software, , is a less expensive product, but requires more in-depth coding knowledge to use proficiently, which is a skill that isn’t currently possessed by all members of the test team. This would lead to under-use of the product until sufficient training could be conducted and a skill base developed within the team. is also reported to only work on Windows, where systems required for testing use Linux and UNIX as well. The eggplant solution can operate on all these operating systems by utilizing Virtual Network Computing. No freeware products have been discovered that would be suitable regarding functionality, usability and trustworthiness.

TestPlant's eggPlant provides a robust set of capabilities and workflow for automated test design, execution and results reporting. Properly utilized, it allows a large volume of testing to be performed and the results reported back for evaluation. It also enables testing to take place during nights and weekends when the facility is closed. Losing the output of the product would necessitate the development of the same level of test cases through the other product. There would be the investments in selecting a replacement, the licensing costs of this product, training staff on the use of the product, recreating the existing automated test cases that were written to run on eggPlant, and automated testing time lost as these test cases are generated.

A significant component of the cost for licensing eggPlant is the quantity of licenses requested. ISD’s approach to verification and validation requires that automated testing be propagated to Integration and Development activities, not solely used in Testing, which necessitates a larger number of licenses than would be required for just

Independent Verification and Validation activities. Another factor is that there are multiple segregated networks that testing must be run upon, and floating licenses can't be used across those boundaries. These factors are likely to apply to any replacement software selected.

Below are the assumptions used and the calculations to convert 320 eggPlant automated test cases currently in the Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) library.

1. Time to convert a test case from eggPlant to a new automation tool with completely unknown working parameters is unknown at this point, but a consideration that would be required if another product were selected.

2. Test case complexity varies widely so times are based upon a distribution of short, medium, long and extra-long test case lengths measured in lines of script and complexity.

3. Conversion time includes analysis of old test case functionality, re-coding in new, unknown script language, verifying, validating and peer reviewing the converted test case with comparison of new to old test results.

4. Short test cases consist of 19% of the total volume,

5. Medium test cases consist of 47% of the total volume, equaling 150 cases, time to convert to an unknown new test product is estimated

6. Long test cases consist of 25% of the total volume, equaling s, time to convert to an unknown new test product is estimated to require per test case equals

7. Very long test cases consist of 9% of the total volume, equaling cases, time to convert to an unknown new test product is estimated to require per test case equals .

8. The Full Time Equivalent year model consists of labor hrs/year (

9. Total effort to convert all test cases equals .

10. If labor cost is averaged at , the estimated cost to convert to a new product is .

Length of time to set up the required hardware and software infrastructure and train test engineers to use a new automation tool is unknown and not factored into the effort estimated above.

6.Efforts to Obtain Competition:

Contracting Officer has published the notices required by FAR 5.201, RFQ W56JSR-17-

Q-0009 on Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps), 16 March 2017. Any bids or proposals received will be considered.

a. Effective Competition: Members of the Software Engineering Center

Centralized Acquisition and License Management (CALM) Team conducted market research - details of which are outlined in paragraph 8.

b. Subcontracting Competition: There are no subcontracting requirements under this effort.

7.Actions to Increase Competition:

Commercial software manufacturers are encouraged to increase the number of authorized resellers. Additionally, upon receipt of the requirement an authorized list of authorized distributors for this software is immediately requested from the original manufacturer.

The manufacturer is also encouraged to pursue distribution of their products/services through Small businesses, HUBZONE, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, and Woman

Owned Small businesses. Market research will be conducted annually on the current baseline to determine if changes occur in the market place that would enable greater competition.

8. Market Research:

Market research was performed by the SEC-CALM Team in January 2017. The research that was conducted by reviewing information on the internet from various software sources, reviewing in-house information, contacting the OEM, and searching various

Government contract vehicles including the General Services Administration (GSA), the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-

Wide Procurement-V (SEWP V) and the Army’s Computer Hardware and Enterprise software and Solutions (CHESS) websites. CHESS provided a Statement of Non-

Availability # 216717407. The Goal 1 Waiver, Number 0161021285586334, is dated 29

November 2016. GSA did not yield any pricing; however, pricing was received through

NASA SEWP and Open Market.

The following lists illustrates the vendors who showed interest in fulfilling this requirement.

Vendor Cage Code Contract

AccessAgility 50TZ9 NNG15SC23B

KPaul 4K1Y5 NNG15SD33B

PC Mall Gov 4LNW7 NNG15SC44B

Insight Public Sector 06ZC1 NNG15SC40B

TestPlant 5L2G0 Open Market

New Tech Solutions 1QN24 Open Market

SHI International 1HTF0 Open Market

9. Interested Sources:

The Government Point of Entry (GPE) notice required by FAR 5.201 has been published on the Federal Business Opportunities Page, RFQ W56JSR-17-Q-0009, 16 March 2017.

Any proposals that are received will be considered.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History:

Same TestPlant Software Requirement

Company Name Credit Card

Purchases Date Extent Competed

CACI # P000024659 6/30/2016 - 6/29/2017 Not available

Spectrum System LLC # 201513997 8/21/2015-8/20/2016 Not available

Similar TestPlant Software Requirement

Company Name Contract/ Purchase

Order # Date Extent

Competed

Spectrum Systems, Inc. W56JSR-15-C-0039 8/20/2015 -8/19/2017 Full and Open

New Tech Solutions Inc. W909MY-11-P-0032 8/3/2011-8/1/2014 Set-aside (8a)

TestPlant Inc. W91QV1-09-P-0367 8/13/2011 – 8/12/2012 unrestricted

11. Technical Certification:

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

12. Requirements Certification:

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

13.Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable

This determination will be made using the following:

PRICE ANALYSIS IGCE

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data is not required because the item and/or services being acquired are considered commercial.

14. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification:

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

The award was expedited to meet be awarded before the existing contract expired. Permission was received from Russ Williams to award the base only on 14 April 2017.

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