MICC_2016_76_Redacted.pdf

MICC Control Number: 2016-76 Contractor: STG Inc.

Service Contract

Department of Army

FAR PART 16.505 JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Hood, Contracting Division, 1001 762st Tank Battalion Ave, Room W103, Fort Hood, TX 76544-5025.

2. Description of Action: Request approval of the Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) interim contract (W91QUZ-06-D-0015 1Q04) issued on 8 March 2016 for up to one hundred and fifty (150) days. The period of performance is from 8 March – 8 August 2016 for Information Technology (IT) Support Services at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and Fort Hood, Texas. Fiscal year 2016, RDT&E funds will be used.

An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 207.103.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The interim contract will allow the continuance of IT support at HQ ATEC, Aberdeen Test Center (ATC), Army Evaluation Center (AEC), and Operational Test Command (OTC). These non-personal services include customer support (e.g., helpdesk operations, IT maintenance), network operations, IT training, software engineering, web-based development and IT support services for support of test and evaluation events. IT support includes systems engineering, software support programs, system administrators, analytical support and studies, logistics support (e.g., procurement, receipt, storage, issue and accountability), administrative support services and information management administrative services. This contract also provides IT and logistics support for the following:

a. Test operations support that includes test planning, field test support, data collection and reduction, data base management, and support for test report preparations.

b. Test operations logistics support that involves the preparation and maintenance, as required at the testing sites.

c. Period of Performance: 8 March 2016 – 8 August 2016. Total Value: $5.4M

4. Authority Cited: FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A)

Service Contract

5. Reason for Authority Cited: A protest of the awarded contract, W91CRB-16-F- 0009, was filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on 4 March 2016 – an event not within the control of the Army. A “stop-work” order was issued to the incumbent and new awardee on 7 March 2016. A break in service would severely impact development and operational testing that supports multiple DOD and Army Acquisition Category (ACAT) programs and their approved acquisition baseline schedules. Any break in service would result in mission failure in meeting ATEC, ATC, AEC, and OTC’s statutory mission requirements to provide test and evaluation support to the Army in accordance with 10 USC 139 and 2399. There are insufficient Government civilian personnel to provide the required level of IT support. Therefore, and interim contract was needed to prevent a break in service.

(a) Justification:

(1) A follow-on IT support contract was awarded on 24 February, with an effective date of 1 March 2016. As a result of the post award protest, a “stop-work” order was issued on 7 March 2016, which left ATEC HQ, ATC, AEC and OTC without IT services.

(2) Failure to support and respond immediately to the multitude of new Cybersecurity requirements and the resulting patches to avoid vulnerabilities to the IT systems would have a detrimental effect on ATEC HQ and its subordinate commands. For example, vulnerability scans are conducted on a daily basis and monitoring the Department of Defense (DOD) Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process Host Based Security System (HBSS) is critical. Scanning daily for incident handling are required under Army Regulations (AR) 25-2 and 25-1. Currently, contractors provide this support for ATEC, ATC, AEC and OTC and there are insufficient Government civilian personnel to perform these functions. Failure to provide this critical IT support could also impact Computer Network Defense activities on top of required daily Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) scanning with Assured Compliance Assessment Solution, active protection via HBSS, and monitoring and implementing of IAVM DOD Security Technical Implement Guide's security controls.

(3) Failure to support the software engineering and web-based development will delay progress on major projects and tasks such as Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Knowledge Management. A break in indirect IT support services of test and evaluation events would delay the customer’s scheduled milestone reviews and decisions. Failure to support the IT Network maintenance and logistics would hamper electronic workplace communications and/or stop the day-to-day operations of HQ ATEC, ATC, AEC, and OTC for approximately 3,600 civilians, Soldiers and contractors in the aforementioned organizations.

(4) STG, Inc. is the only contractor that currently possesses the knowledge, experience and expertise to provide support on ATEC, ATC, AEC, and OTC’s requirements within the required time frame.

Service Contract

(5) Other Contractors are unfamiliar with ATEC’s requirements and would be unable to immediately provide support for ATEC’s requirements without a break in service after which a considerable learning curve would result in further delay.

(b) Alternatives:

(1) Suspension of Contract Support. Reliable and specialized IT services are the backbone of HQ ATEC, ATC, OTC, and AEC’s operations, which cannot function without this support. A break in provision of IT services to ATEC, ATC, OTC and AEC would result in a failure of each activity to perform its critical test and evaluation mission.

Therefore, this alternative is not viable.

(2) Use of In-House Resources. There is no in-house capability to replace these services, nor is there authority or funding to hire additional personnel to bring the work in-house at this time. Therefore, using Government personnel (military or civilian) to replace contractor personnel is not a viable alternative.

(3) Award Interim Contract to a Different Contractor. A GAO protest has been filed against the follow on, competitive, IT support contract. Starting over with a new competitive procurement would be duplicative of the current effort and is not a viable alternative for meeting this immediate short-term need while the on-going GAO protest is resolved.

6. The verified minimum requirements of ATEC is customer support (e.g., helpdesk operations, IT maintenance), network operations, IT training, software engineering, web-based development and IT support services for support of test and evaluation events. IT support includes systems engineering, software support programs, system administrators, analytical support and studies, logistics support (e.g., procurement, receipt, storage, issue and accountability), administrative support services and information management administrative services. Test operations support (test planning, field test support, data collection and reduction, data base management, support for test report preparations), and test operations logistics support (preparation and maintenance, as required, of the test site). ATEC requires 5 months until the GAO bid protest resolved.

7. The current contractor, STG, Inc. is the only contractor who can immediately provide available personnel for a short-term period to continue these essential and highly specialized services without undue delay or excessive, non-recoverable cost to the Government. Another contractor does not have sufficient equipment and trained manpower readily available on short notice to seamlessly assume the performance of these ongoing services. For example, transfer to a new contractor would require recruitment of personnel having the specialty expertise required to provide IT support for each type of test, performing transfer and accountability of GFE, preparation and approval of management and performance plans, verification of data, obtaining security clearances, familiarization with on-going IT protocols and procedures – all of which

Service Contract would require a phase-out/phase-in period of at least 30 days. Awarding this follow-on to STG, Inc. for 5 months is in the best interest of the Government.

8. The requirement is for an interim contract required due to the receipt of a GAO protest upon award of a follow-on IT services contract. The IT services contract was awarded on 24 February 2016. Notice of the protest was received by ATEC on 7 March 2016. Consideration was given to requesting a protest override but was not determined to be an appropriate alternative because the provision of these services does not need the standard required to secure such override. Resolution of this protest is expected on or before the expiration of this Interim contract. The date the interim contract expires is 8 August 2016

9. Efforts to Obtain Competition: In accordance with FAR 5.202(a)(6), this action will not be synopsized.

10. Actions Taken to Overcome Barriers Leading to Exception: The competitive follow-on contract that has been protested, was issued under the GSA Alliant SB GWAC to all fifty (50) awardees. A notice will be published IAW FAR 5.301(d)(3) and this J&A will be made publicly available IAW FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D). The subcontracting goals specified in STG’s previous IT support contract are included in this Interim contract.

11. Interested Sources: See Paragraph 6 for the synopsis information.

12. Other Facts: Procurement History

(1) Task Order No. W91QUZ-06-D-0015 / 1Q01 was awarded to STG, Inc.

as an Exception to Fair Opportunity under the authority of FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(c). It was awarded on 1 March 2015, with a 12 month period of performance and an estimated value of $15,000,000.00.

(2) Task Order No. W91QUZ-06-D-0015-0RS2 was competitively awarded to STG, Inc. using the CHESS multiple award ID/IQ contract vehicle. The Request for Task Order Proposal was issued to all 15 available vendors on 04 August 2009, in accordance with the fair opportunity procedures. After receiving and evaluating responsive proposals, Task Order W91QUZ-06-D-0015-0RS2, was awarded on 1 September 2009 to STG, Inc. The Task Order had one (1) base year and four one (1) year option periods at a value of $67,502,483 for the five-year period of performance.

The Government exercised each of the four option periods with the fourth expiring on 31 August 2014. On 26 August 2014, a modification to the task order (92) was issued extending the period of performance from 1 September 2014 through 28 February 2015, in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-8 (Option to Extend Services) in the estimated amount of $7M.

Service Contract

(3) The previous task order, DATM01-02-F-0048, was awarded to STG, Inc. under GSA Contract No. 50CMMA900064 for a Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) value of $49,169,712.00. The period of performance had a one year base and six one-year option periods from 13 August 2002 to 31 August 2009.

Service Contract

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: _________________ ____________________________ Pamela B. Jones

Director, Information Management

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: _________________ ____________________________ Pamela B. Jones

Director, Information Management

JONES.PAMELA

.B.1265385571

Digitally signed by

JONES.PAMELA.B.1265385571

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=JONES.PAMELA.B.1265385571 Date: 2016.05.26 18:18:34 -04'00'

JONES.PAMELA

.B.1265385571

Digitally signed by

JONES.PAMELA.B.1265385571

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=JONES.PAMELA.B.1265385571 Date: 2016.05.26 18:19:22 -04'00'

26 May 2016

26 May 2016

Service Contract

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. The rates are based on those currently determined to be fair and reasonable for the previous task order (W91QUZ-06-D-0015 1Q01) subject to adjustments resulting from revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Computer Hardware Enterprise Service Solutions (CHESS), the Secretary of Labor, an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), and DCAA audit. In addition certified cost and pricing data was obtained.

Date: _________________ ____________________________ Claudetta N. Smith Contracting Officer

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: _________________ ____________________________ Claudetta N. Smith Contracting Officer

SMITH.CLAUDETT

A.NECOLE.105646

Digitally signed by

SMITH.CLAUDETTA.NECOLE.1056466505

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=SMITH.CLAUDETTA.NECOLE.1056466505 Date: 2016.06.07 12:32:28 -05'00'

SMITH.CLAUDETTA.

NECOLE.1056466505

Digitally signed by

SMITH.CLAUDETTA.NECOLE.1056466505

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=SMITH.CLAUDETTA.NECOLE.1056466505 Date: 2016.06.07 12:32:55 -05'00'

7 June 2016

7 June 2016

Service Contract

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of a 5 month interim contract for an estimated cost $5.4 million to the incumbent, STG Inc., for Information Technology Support Services on an exception to fair opportunity basis pursuant to the authority of FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A), subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Date: Signature:

Dean M. Carsello Special Advocate for Competition

USA Mission and Installation Contracting Command, FSH TX

CARSELLO.DEA

N.M.1230116675

Digitally signed by

CARSELLO.DEAN.M.1230116675

DN: c=US, o=U.S. Government, ou=DoD, ou=PKI, ou=USA, cn=CARSELLO.DEAN.M.1230116675 Date: 2016.06.07 13:42:21 -05'00'7 June 2016