MILSATCOM Analysis, Systems Integration and Engineering Services (MASIES)

Services acquisition to provide SE & I services under the MILSATCOM Analysis Systems Engineering & Integration Services (MASIES) contract FA8808-13-C-0009 by extending the current period of performance through 31 August 2019 to support the MSEIT 60 day transition period requirement as specified in the MSEIT performance work statement (PWS).

The MASIES contract provides Systems Engineering and Integration (SE & I) support for the MILSATCOM enterprise to include MILSATCOM subject matter expert (SME) support for systems engineering planning and execution, risk management, and test and evaluation support services. This contract expired on 30 June 2019 and did not contain a clause to extend services while the follow-on MILSATCOM Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test (MSEIT) contract was in source selection. A bilateral modification to extend the MASIES contract would prevent a break in service despite award of the MSEIT (follow-on) contract whose award was announced on 12 June 2019. The MSEIT contract, awarded to the incumbent contractor, LinQuest, requires a 60 day transition period. The 60 day transition period was a requirement of the MSEIT contract specified in the PWS. Additionally, the CLIN structure in the RFP was built assuming an award date of 1 May. Therefore, all offerors' pricing were predicated on the 60 day transition period with an assumed 1 May start date. Despite the MSEIT contract being awarded to the incumbent, the transition period is necessary for the contractor to perform activities such [text redacted] establish subcontracts, set up their accounting systems, and establish processes that are new requirements under MSEIT that weren't performed on MASIES. Loss of SE & I support during this transition will result in unacceptable harm to the Government. SE & I support is critical to all systems engineering processes in the MILSATCOM Directorate and a gap in service will negatively impact the cost, schedule, and performance of all programs within the MILSATCOM portfolio. The MILSATCOM Directorate began the process to modify the MASIES contract to extend services once it became clear that the follow-on award was delayed. Due to the short timeframe prior to the MASIES contract expiration, the MILSATCOM Directorate sought approval to extend the current contract using other than full and open competition procedures and a waiver from the requirement to post a request for information or a sources sought notice in accordance with FAR 5.201(a).

DFARS PGI 206.302-1 requires the Contracting Officer to post a Request for Information (RFI) or Sources Sought when using FAR 6.302-1 as an exception to competition. Due to shortened timeline for this extension and the fact that market research was recently conducted for the follow-on contract, the requirement to post a RFI was waived in conjunction with the approval of this J & A.

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