Minerals Tracking System Refinements and Adjust

Added: Jul 22, 2014 5:26 pm Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

Background: The Bureau of Land Management Solid Minerals Tracking Systems is in use for documenting mandated coal and non-coal mine inspections and production verifications by BLM Certified Coal and Non-Coal Mine inspectors. In addition, the Minerals Tracking System tracks lease status for coal diligence and continuing operations along with several other features provided for BLM supervisory functions at the field, state, and wo levels. MTS also provides access for ONRR personnel. Requirement: Maintenance of the system including: adding new users, providing assistance to new and existing users, providing modifications to adjust for BLM computer system changes, etc. Refinements of the Coal MTS for continuing applications and to move further with National BLM Use. Refinements of the Non-Coal Solid Mineral Modules such as removing irrelevant non-coal tables and references, modifying surface and underground mining modules, removing potash lease data from the coal and gilsonite lease sections, removing gilsonite lease data from the potash inspection template, and modifications for Hard Rock underground and surface. Authority: FAR 8.405-6 B&C Only one source is capable of providing the services required at the level of quality required because the services are unique or highly specialized and in the interest of economy or efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order which was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures and was competed amongst vendors on that schedule. Determination: As contracting officer, and reviewing past procurement history on similar projects, the rates charged for this work are similar and not historically different. The vendor Innovative Systems Architecture has been the only one to bid on such requirements in the past. The rates charged in the past have been determined fair and reasonable in comparison to other similar contracted engineering services. And introducing an inexperienced contractor would increase cost and time would make providing full and open competition again unreasonable. Other Efforts to Provide Market Research and Obtain Vendors:

Over the past 5 plus years, BLM has tried the following to obtain competition on similar/equal requirements: 1. Vendor Trade Shows, exhibits and conversations with exhibitors 2. Technical presentations 3. Published Advertisements through GSA and Technical Articles 4. Discussions with contractors providing similar services 5. Discussions with BLM IT personnel. The option of an in-house MTS system was discussed and evaluated by IT personnel and negated as an option due to staffing levels. No other vendors have provided or indicated an interest in this requirement.

This justification for limited sources is accurate and complete to the best of employee knowledge and it is anticipated that a Firm Fixed Price Delivery Order will be awarded under GSA Schedules in SIN 132-51 to Innovative Systems Architecture on or about September 1, 2014.

Sincerely,

JoLyn Goss Contracting Officer