Bliss-J A_Redacted.pdf

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HUA-14-17

Justification and Approval For Other than Full and Open Competition

1. Contracting Activity: Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC- APG), Huachuca Division, 2133 Cushing Street, Building 61801, Room 3212, Fort Huachuca, Arizona 85613-7070

2. Description of Action: Request approval for extension of performance under FAR Clause 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, for the Information Management Communications System (IMCS) II Multiple Award IDIQ Task Order, W91RUS-08-D-0004-0002 located at Fort Bliss, Texas for six months commencing 1 June 2014 and ending 30 November 2014. The incumbent contractor GC&E Systems Inc. will continue to provide the requested services. This action will provide continuity of non-personal services for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) to the Network Enterprise Center (NEC) site and support requirements for Administrative Telephone Services (ATS) and Information Technology (IT) under the current IMCS-II IDIQ contract. This extension will allow time for the acquisition follow-on solicitation, W91RUS-13-R-0004 to be competed and awarded for the IMCS-III program. At the conclusion of this extension, it is expected that this requirement will be competed under the newly awarded IMCS III IDIQ contract. Fiscal Year 2014 Operational and Maintenance (Army) funds will be used.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The existing task order provides technically qualified personnel to perform administration; management; supervision; provide materials, parts, supplies, tools, and equipment other than Government-furnished Property (GFP); and provide vehicles to operate and maintain (O&M) information systems and infrastructure at Fort Bliss, Biggs Army Airfield (BAAF), William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC), Site Monitor, and outlying ranges (McGregor, Oro Grande, Dona Ana) as required by the Directorate of Information Management (DOIM). The scope of this task order (TO) includes current systems, systems approved but not yet installed, and any new systems installed by the Government. The Contractor shall perform O&M communications services to support Administrative Telephone Services (ATS) such as Switchboard Console Operations, Inside Plant (ISP) Operations, Outside Plant (OSP) Operations, Customer Service Desk (Tier I), Customer Service Support Center (Tier II, Tier III maintenance support), Land Mobile Radio (LMR), and local area network (LAN) maintenance of the installation infrastructure to include Computer Aided Design (CAD) wire line drawing maintenance. The Contractor shall also provide Service Request, Customer Assistance, Documentation/Trouble Ticket Management and Telephone Management Systems (TMS). The Contractor may also be required to perform overtime and perform official travel as required by this Performance Work Statement (PWS).

4. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: It was fully anticipated that the follow-on effort, for IMCS III would be awarded prior to the expiration date of the subject task order at Fort Bliss. This will not most likely happen. The ongoing solicitation for a new IDIQ contract received an unexpected volume of proposals in response to the solicitation that was issued on 9 August 2013. As a result of the IMCS III market research conducted, approximately proposals were anticipated for submission based on the proposals received under the current IMCS II IDIQ MA contract, responses from the Request for Information (RFI) issued to industry in May 2013, and the attendees to the Industry Day (pre-solicitation conference) held in July 2013. The projected proposals were verbally communicated during the Acquisition Strategy briefing to the Director of the Army Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) and the deputy Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (PARC) at the solicitation review board (SRB) briefing. After release of the solicitation, there was an increase in the number of past performance questionnaires (PPQs) received as the due date neared for PPQ submission. An informal analysis conducted by the contracting officer revealed that the probable number of prime offerors would range from to . On the closing date of the solicitation 24 September 2013, proposals were received resulting in an increase of 25% over the number of proposals anticipated. Consequently, the established milestones were revised to accommodate the increased number of proposals and factor in the government-wide furlough.

The IMCS II program, of which GC&E, Inc. is a participant, is the only feasible approach for this short term extension effort. Currently, there are seven contractors participating under the IMCS II program, each with an IDIQ contract vehicle, which competes for each task order.

The IDIQ contracts were awarded as fixed-price contracts (FFP), small-business set-aside for a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods. The initial period of performance for all IDIQ contract holders was 1 October 2008 through 30 September 2013. The basic IDIQ contracts were extended six months using FAR Authority 52.217-8, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract. This particular task order was awarded 1 June 2009 and expires 31 May 2014.

However, the FAR Authority 52.217-8 was not evaluated as required by regulatory guidance.

Therefore, to ensure that continuity of service is maintained the ordering period for this task order will be extended for an additional six months based on the authority of this Justification and Approval pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(a) (2) (iii) (B) to avoid unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.

Although other companies would be able to provide the same service, time and cost does not permit placement of another company in the position of prime contractor before the task order expiration. Not having a task order vehicle available could result in interruption of services at this site which would adversely impact military command and control, emergency services, and security. Examples of critical services which could cause severe harm in the event of a disruption include 911 services and communication and infrastructure support to Fort Bliss’s critical missions.

This type of disruption could endanger people, Army systems, Army missions, and Security. To ensure that the required services continue uninterrupted, a six-month extension commencing 1 June 2014 through 31 November 2014 is required to provide sufficient time to competitively procure a new task order under the IMCS III IDIQ contract for the services at the best value to the government.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: As required by FAR 5.201 and 6.305, this Justification & Approval document was synopsized on April 23, 2014 and made available for public inspection and comment. The closing date for the synopsis is May 14, 2014. Any responses or inquiries will be addressed and any offers that demonstrate clear and convincing evidence that competition will be

APPROVAL

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement for services under the Information Management and Communications Services II Multiple Award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for the continuation of Administrative Telephone Services, Information Technology Services and related services as described within this document and covered under contract, W91RUS-08-D-0004-0002, on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), to provided the services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Approved:

Special Competition Advocate