Eisenhower JEFO 2024_37_ MCA-2_Redacted.pdf

Control No: MICC 2024-37

Legal Counsel:

DSN:

Date: See digital signature

MICC Office of Counsel:

Director, MICC-Fort Eisenhower

Assistant Director, Small Business Program:

providing the equipment identified in paragraph 3. Any deviations from the approved solution would result in significant delays to bring facilities online and have available for student training. The approved solution was specifically engineered to be interoperable with the current designed network architecture and equipment available through the MCA-2 Wireless Installation contract which is being awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command contracting office to Booze Allen Hamilton. Changes to the approved solution could require an extensive modification to the Wireless Installation contract resulting in significant delays to the facility availability and increase in cost estimated at $200 thousand for administrative reviews and efforts by the integration provider.

These brand name IT components are expansions of existing networks and any changes would result in additional sustainment requirements impacting support contractors and Government employees across both enterprise service providers. Using a different brand of components would result in the need for 1 additional Government employee and an additional $300 thousand in contract costs. Until the additional Government employee was able to be hired, the network would be operating at a high level of risk.

The approved solution was developed to work with numerous cyber security processes, utilize software on the software authorized products list, employ equipment on the security authorized products list compatible with existing deployed solutions, and take advantage of existing army enterprise agreements. Changes to the approved solution would result in requirements for new Security Controls Assessment Validations at an estimated cost of $500 thousand, the delay to a new $100 million facility which impacts the CCoE’s force generating requirement, increased contract cost estimated at $2 million annually for maintenance of legacy equipment, and increased operational risk to multiple enterprises. The existing CCoE network uses similar equipment across the CCoE campus. Utilization of the approved solution would allow for the use of existing Army enterprise agreements thereby reducing long-term costs with regards to maintenance and sustainment.

b. Alternatives. Alternative solutions were examined at the start of this effort but due to enterprise service providers’ cyber security requirements alternative solutions were unable to be approved for implementation.

c. Additional Supporting Information:

1) Failure to acquire these various brand name items will result in a new facility valued at approximately $100M being initially unusable for its intended training mission.

2) The Cyber Security findings, and authorized products list for some networks are classified but the appropriate examination of alternatives was conducted via meetings.

3) Long lead time items are already risking the current project timeline of providing a fully operational capable training facility by 26 October 2024.

d. Impact if justification not approved: If these specific items are not approved, the

IT infrastructure for the MCA-2 facility will not be operational to absorb the CCoE student training requirements. Not procuring this mission unique equipment requirement disaggregates and desynchronizes the $1 billion Army effort and priority to transform and modernize the CCoE Campus, so it has the necessary capabilities to train and educate Soldiers to support Multi-Domain Operations in Large Scale Combat Operations.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: This effort utilizes the Army’s mandatory source of supply and will be open to all eligible providers on the ITES-3H vehicle.

7. Market Research: Customer market research was performed within the CHESS program and multiple companies can provide these requirements. All eligible ITES-3H contract holders will be eligible to compete for this requirement. Multiple ITES-3H vendors have expressed verbal interest during the market research. Market research was performed by the requiring activity on 5 December 2023, and the Contract Specialist at MICC – Fort Eisenhower on 19 April 2024. Market research revealed that the requirement could be fulfilled through the mandatory source CHESS. The Army CHESS program is a mandatory source program for the purchase of COTS software, IT equipment (e.g routers & servers), services, etc, regardless of dollar value. This requirement will be competed under Army CHESS ITES-3H on an unrestricted basis through Army CHESS.

8. Other Facts: This acquisition will use the mandatory source of supply. There is no available procurement history for these items.

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of the brand name purchase of Cisco, Haivision, Hewlett Packard, Nanolumens, and Tripp Lite Information Technology network components for MCA-2 at Fort Eisenhower using an exception to fair opportunity pursuant to the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.505(a)(4) - Restricting consideration to an item peculiar to one manufacturer. The estimated value of the contract is $2 million for a 15 November 2024 delivery date. This approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

SCOTT D. KUKES

Alternate Advocate for Competition U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX