Justification and Approval – IT Infrastructure Support Services

Notice Type: Justification and Approval

Posted Date: 23-MAY-12

Office Address: Federal Communications Commission; Office of the Managing Director; Contracts and Purchasing Center; 445 12th Street, SW Washington DC 20554

Subject: IT Infrastructure Support Services

Classification Code: D - Information technology services, including telecommunications services

Contact: Beverly R. Howell, Contracting Officer, Phone 2024181021, Email [email protected] 6.302-2

Description: Federal Communications Commission

Office of the Managing Director

Contracts and Purchasing Center

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION FOR A F EDERAL SUPPLY

SCHEDULE ORDER EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED

ACQUISITION THRESHOLD OF $150,000 [See FAR 8.405-6(c)]

*1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a "limited-sources justification" (LSJ).

This limited-sources justification was prepared by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Headquarters; Office of the Managing Director, Administrative Operations, Contracts and Purchasing Center.

*2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The proposed urgent action is to issue a modification to FCC08G0002, a task order under General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract Number GS-35F-4841H, to AAC Inc., 8470 Tyco Road, Vienna VA 22182. The modification will extend the period of performance, through September 30, 2012, in the absence of competed option. The original task order was placed under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program (Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949; 40 U.S.C. [Sec.] 501). The action will result in a further modification and extension of the task order on a non-competitive basis to bridge continued support services until the long-term, competitively solicited ITISS Infrastructure Support Services requirement is awarded.

Originally, this order was competitively issued. It acquired IT Infrastructure Support Services (ITISS), including: network operations; development and web-based support services; asset and configuration management; Service Desk; Auctions program engineering support; and development, testing, and deployment of new technologies. As originally placed, the task order, including its exercised options, was scheduled to expire on August 31, 2011. Effective August 4, 2011, the task order period of performance was extended for 9 months, with the period ending on May 31, 2012. The extension justification was documented as a logical follow-on, and the order as extended provided substantially the same services as those previously acquired.

*3. A description of the supplies and/or services required to meet the FCC's needs (including the estimated maximum potential value).

The support services required to meet the FCC's needs are to be accomplished using system and communications engineers, developers, help desk technicians, technical specialists, and subject matter specialists. These personnel are needed to perform all aspects of hardware infrastructure, helpdesk and training support, testing, java development and web site support services for the agency's IT Infrastructure. Performing the services requires a broad knowledge and understanding of hardware information systems; service-oriented architecture principles; and web site principles, policies, and regulations, as well as the ability to execute the same. The proposed action involves continuation of onsite services without interruption at two primary locations: Washington, DC and Gettysburg, PA., and scheduled onsite service in Columbia, MD and national field offices. The contractor shall ensure that mission-critical system functionality, engineering support, programming support, sys!

tem monitoring, end user support, and all other services/functions of the existing ITISS Infrastructure Support Services contract (that have been provided under Task Order No. PUR08000407/FCC08G0002) are maintained. The estimated value of this action is $5,832,460.

*4. The authority and supporting rationale (see FAR 8.405-6(a) (1) (i) and (b) (1)) and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor's unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A). An urgent and compelling need exists, and following normal competitive procedures would result in unacceptable delay of projects, as well as unacceptable disruption to FCC IT operations and negative impacts to the agency's ability to meet its critical mission needs. Continuation of the services described in paragraph 3 without interruption is needed to ensure that the agency can perform all aspects of the data and telecommunications infrastructure and services that underlie and support agency functions and activities and emergent needs. This includes, but is not limited to, support for approximately 3,000 desktop endpoints, with roughly 200 of these endpoints located at 25 field offices throughout US and Puerto Rico; 2,800 end users; 2,615 workstations and laptops; 620 servers; 179 Cisco switches and routers; and over 34 firewalls. Along with the 34 firewalls, this contract maintains a number of FCC cyber security devices, such as Intrusion Preven!

tion Systems used to protect the FCC from the intrusions by anonymous and malicious domestic and international actors on the internet, and to sustain information assurance operations for the enterprise.

The Commission has urgent requirements that cannot await the award of the longer-term procurement. Many other vendors are capable of performing the required services, given an adequate period of time for a new vendor to hire its employee staff and management, accept knowledge transfer, and obtain suitability and security screening. Security screening alone can take up to 6 weeks, depending on whether the security office has to get files from OMB. At best, hiring would take a contractor 2 weeks and likely would require an additional two weeks for notice. Knowledge transfer, orientation, and even a steep learning curve would take nearly as long. Only the incumbent contractor has the screened, specialized staffing, and thorough knowledge of FCC infrastructure necessary, in the short-term, to provide the required services without risk of significant disruption, risk, or complete loss of functionality. For example, only the incumbent has the immediate required expertise and st!

affing to support the publically scheduled FCC Mobility Fund Phase I reverse auction.

The Commission is also in the midst of numerous major IT initiatives and enterprise level projects, including major technology upgrades (such as the migration to Voice Over IP (VoIP), upgrades to Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010), the re-compete of numerous IT services contracts, and the migration from FTS2001 services to Networx services. The incumbent is the key player is all of these projects, except the IT acquisition recompetition projects. Disruptions to these projects would be significant if contract transitions occurred during the project rollouts, adding significant cost and delays that would impact all other IT initiatives at the agency.

The incumbent is close to the end of these projects, and a significant delay will occur without the bridge. In particular, work on systems necessary to maintain continuity of operations cannot be risked or compromised for reasons of national security and public safety. Appropriate time is required for transition for public safety issues, coop and disaster recover. If the contract stops unexpectedly or is met by a successor contract without appropriate transition, the FCC will have to postpone potential auctions, all online application services will be shut down, and progress on all agency work will be seriously affected.

*5. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

No barriers to future competition are anticipated. This urgent effort will allow the incumbent to continue support services until the long-term competitively solicited ITISS Infrastructure Support Services requirement is awarded. The initial contract award was competed and pricing was determined to be fair and reasonable. Additionally, the requirement exclusively involves labor rates that have been determined by the GSA contracting officer to be fair and reasonable. The labor rates are also comparable to labor rates awarded on recent similar requirements. Therefore, the contracting officer determines that the order represents the best value consistent with 8.404(d).

*6. A description of the market research conducted among GSA schedule contract holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Previously, CPC has researched a number of potential procurement vehicles to minimize cost and maximize efficiency throughout the procurement process for this requirement. At this time, FCC has no other option but to issue a short-term vehicle as a bridge to the competitive acquisition. The forthcoming re-compete action will also include market research as required by the FAR.

*7. Any other facts supporting the limited sources justification.

N/A.

*8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency will take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for supplies and services is made.

The Commission required additional technical management personnel, which it has recently had the opportunity to bring onboard. Also, in order to address shortfalls in technical expertise, the Commission has recently contracted for technical support services to facilitate work on the longer-term acquisition. The agency is taking action to re-compete this requirement and will replace this short-term vehicle, which is scheduled for award by the end of this fiscal year. This will remove the need for restricted consideration in the future.

Link/URL: https://www.fbo.gov/notices/806f279eb06431badd3b58523eeb4339