SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Primary Entry Point Operation and Maintenance
- Notice Date
- 9/30/2014
- Notice Type
- Justification and Approval (J&A)
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Continuity Branch, 19844 Blue Ridge Mountain Road, State Route 601, Bluemont, Virginia, 20135, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20135
- Solicitation Number
- HSFEMW-10-F-0462
- Archive Date
- 10/30/2014
- Point of Contact
- deborah foster, Phone: 5405422687
- E-Mail Address
-
deborah.foster@fema.dhs.gov
(deborah.foster@fema.dhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- HSFEMW-10-F-0462
- Award Date
- 9/23/2014
- Description
- Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition Part I 1. Agency. DHS/FEMA National Continuity Programs (NCP) Directorate Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (Division) 500 C. Street SW Washington DC 20472 2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved. This Justification and Approval (J&A) requests a one-year, sole source extension to existing Task Order HSFEMW-10-F-0462 with CACI-ISS, INC. 14151 Park Meadow Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151-2218 under GSA Federal Supply Schedule. 3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's need. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national alert and warning system used by the President of the United States to issue warnings and provide information to the American public during extreme national emergencies. The EAS is comprised of AM, FM and TV broadcast stations, cable stations, direct broadcast satellite services, the satellite digital audio radio services and other participating entities. FEMA enters into agreements with commercial radio stations to participate in the Primary Entry Point (PEP) Program to receive and transmit Presidential messages. Since 2004, FEMA has served as the Federal Executive Branch (FEB) lead agency for developing the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). In June 2006, the President signed Executive Order 13407, which provided for the development of a more "effective, reliable, integrated, flexible and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people" before, during and after disasters. IPAWS is responsible for updating elements of the EAS. Under the existing Task Order, CACI-ISS, INC. has provided support to IPAWS to manage and coordinate maintenance, upgrades, purchase and replacement of PEP related equipment in support of EAS. CACI-ISS, INC. has developed and managed a Configuration Management Database (CMD), managed fuel replenishments, shelter rations, emergency equipment repairs, and fuel system monitoring and managed related permits, registration documents and fees. CACI-ISS, INC. has participated in the program by facilitating discussions via webinars, additional meetings with station owners and with IPAWS and FEMA. CACI-ISS, INC. has also managed site remediation work during actual fuel spillage events, managed Satellite Communications (SATCOM) services and High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) testing and supports EAS exercises and testing and provides training as required in support IPAWS' mission. These are all critical services to the EAS program, and without these services IPAWS would be unable to fulfill its mission to provide a national alert and warning system for use by the President of the United States to issue warnings and provide information to the American public during extreme national emergencies. During the proposed extension to this Task Order, the contractor shall continue to coordinate and manage all ongoing maintenance and operational support of PEP Station equipment to include necessary routine maintenance, emergency repair, remedial maintenance and upgrading, as required by FEMA. Work to be performed includes maintenance, upgrades, purchase and replacement of PEP related equipment. In addition, the contractor shall manage the Configuration Management Database (CMD), manage fuel replenishment, shelter rations, emergency equipment repairs, fuel system monitoring and manage related permits, registration documents and fees. The contractor shall promote participation in the program by facilitating discussions and meeting with stations owners and with FEMA. The contractor shall also provide daily response to PEP Station alarms, Analyze National EAS closed circuit tests, provide ongoing PEP Station generator maintenance and day-tanks installs and continue relationships with private partners. The contractor shall manage site remediation work in the event of fuel spillage, manage SATCOM services and HEMP testing, support EAS exercises and testing and provide training as required. 4. Estimated value of the acquisition. Estimated total value is $2.6 Million over a one year period, which is consistent with the effort provided over the previous four years. 5. Authority for acquiring the supplies or services on other than a full and open competitive basis. [ X ] This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule in accordance with FAR 8.401, as implemented by FAR 8.405-6(c)(2). Authority is FAR 8.4, less than three sources are being considered under Federal Supply Schedule. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B), only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized; and (C) in the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to the original Federal Supply Schedule order, which was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original Task Order was previously competed using FAR Part 8 procedures for GSA Federal Supply Schedules. Justification: The existing Task Order with CACI-ISS, Inc. was issued on 9/28/2010 for a four year Period of Performance, ending 9/27/2014. In April 2014, the IPAWS program began actively working with the National Continuity Branch on what will become the follow-on contract for these services. The strategic decision was made by the IPAWS program office and the NCB Branch Chief to combine these IPAWS PEP Station O&M services with the services previously provided under an Interagency Agreement with USACE for construction and modernization of the IPAWS PEP Stations throughout the United States. The SOW for the new, comprehensive requirement is entitled IPAWS Sustainment, Restoration, Modernization, and Environmental and Historic Preservation Support Services. The new IPAWS contract will not be awarded until FY15, as the standard PALT time for a procurement of this dollar value is 300 days. FEMA has an ongoing need to continue these services during the months it will take to complete the new competition. While market research indicates there are other contractors, both open market and under the Federal Supply Schedule, that could potentially perform this work in the future, it is not feasible to competitively award a new contract for these services in the existing time frame, by the end of FY14. Additionally, if a change in contractors was necessary as a result of such a competition, the new contractor would require a significant amount of transition time, with a substantial learning curve. Such a transition period would also require an extension of the existing Task Order with CACI-ISS, Inc., and result in additional costs to the Government, which is unnecessary at this time. A modification to extend the existing CACI-ISS, INC. Task Order by one year would not require a learning curve, training period or phase-in period before performing the work contemplated herein. CACI-ISS, INC. has successfully performed this work in the past, and the contractor has been a reliable source of professional services in support of the IPAWS related tasks. CACI-ISS, INC. is familiar with the Emergency Alert System (EAS) Primary Entry Point (PEP) Operation and Maintenance, from the work they have performed under the current IPAWS Task Order. The nature of the work necessitates a contractor that has extensive organizational and relational knowledge of FEMA, NCP/IPAWS and EAS. The contractor will need to be cognitive and sensitive to IPAWS' responsibility requirement in relation to EAS, agency specific roles, relationships with broadcast stations, cable stations, direct broadcast satellite services, the satellite digital audio radio services and other participating entities of the PEP program. The interdependencies and functions of these groups are well understood by CACI-ISS, INC. CACI-ISS, INC. has provided support to IPAWS to manage and coordinate maintenance, upgrades, purchase and replacement of PEP related equipment in support of EAS. CACI-ISS, INC. has developed and managed a Configuration Management Database (CMD), managed fuel replenishments, shelter rations, emergency equipment repairs, and fuel system monitoring and managed related permits, registration documents and fees. CACI-ISS, INC. has participated in the program by facilitation discussions via webinars, additional meetings with station owners and with IPAWS and FEMA. CACI-ISS, INC. has also managed site remediation work during actual fuel spillage events, managed SATCOM services and HEMP testing and supports EAS exercises and testing and provides training as required in support of IPAWS' mission. For these reasons, CACI-ISS, Inc. is the only capable source for these services while the new IPAWS contract is being competed. Likewise, the proposed extension meets the criteria in FAR 8.504-6(1)(i)(C) for a non-competitive logical follow-on action, and it is in the interest of economy and efficiency to extend the existing PEP O&M Task Order with CACI-ISS, Inc. by one year, in order to continue performance without interruption. Extending the existing Task Order with CACI-ISS, Inc., will allow sufficient time for the full and open competition of the new IPAWS contract. 6. Additional supporting facts for the acquisition: By Executive Order 13407, IPAWS is charged to improve public safety through the rapid dissemination of emergency messages to as many people as possible over as many communications devices as possible. FEMA is upgrading the alert and warning infrastructure so that no matter what the crisis, the public will receive life-saving information. Contract assistance for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) Primary Entry Point (PEP) Operation and Maintenance support will help ensure overall mission success through timely management of fuel replenishment, shelter rations, emergency equipment repairs, fuel system monitoring, related permits, registration documents, payment of fees, promoted participation in the program through facilitated discussions, meeting with stations owners, management of site remediation work in the event of fuel spillage, management of SATCOM services, HEMP testing, EAS exercises, testing and training as required. Therefore, significant impact exists if this request is not approved and there is a break in performance. This impact includes: • IPAWS' ability to continue the operation of its PEP Stations from contract O&M Support. • Risk of lives lost due to the interruption of the EAS and the Presidential message to the American Public. • Daily response to alarms at the PEP Stations. • Analyzing National EAS closed circuit tests. • Ongoing generator and day-tank installs. • Maintaining relationships with private partners. could experience unnecessary risk, without valuable information that would otherwise be available via the EAS system. Given the critical nature of the work, it is not acceptable for the IPAWS program to experience a lapse in contract coverage for PEP O&M maintenance. 7. Actions taken to removal of barriers to competition. FEMA will be conducting a full and open competition for the new IPAWS contract. The IPAWS program is currently working closely with the Contracting Officers in NCB on the pre-solicitation process and documentations. In accordance with FAR 5.201, a pre-solicitation notice for this competitive procurement will be advertised on FedBizOpps. Prior to release of the actual RFP, NCB also plans to release a draft of the Statement of Work, in an effort to stimulate interest in the requirement and maximize competition among qualified offerors possessing the requisite Top Secret Facility Clearances. PART II 1. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable and listing of the sources, if any that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(2), a notice of this Limited Source Justification will be published on FedBizOpps. Any inquiries from other prospective sources for these services will be encouraged to respond to the upcoming solicitation for the IPAWS comprehensive follow-on contract that is being competed on a full and open basis. 2. Market Research. [x ] Additional or [] no additional market research was conducted to determine potential sources based on the facts presented in PART I of this justification. At the time the original Task Order was issued in 2010, market research was performed to determine that the services would be competed under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule. A subsequent review of the GSA Federal Supply Schedule indicates there are still alternative sources that could perform this work in the future. In accordance with FAR 8.404(d), the prices to be paid for these services during the extension have already been determined to be fair and reasonable, as they will be at or below the contractor's established GSA Schedule prices. Additional market research for the upcoming full and open competition will be accomplished by posting this J&A on FedBizOpps after award of the extension, and also by posting a copy of the draft SOW to explore the capabilities of any prospective sources that reply to that notice. All prospective sources will be encouraged to participate in that competition. 3. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. I have determined that the fully loaded labor rates to be paid during the one-year extension will be fair and reasonable, as the labor rates to be utilized have previously been negotiated by GSA and are determined to be fair and reasonable. Additional discounts will be requested at the time the pricing for the extension is negotiated. Any associated travel costs will be reimbursed based on actual costs incurred by the contractor and according to the current per diem rates in effect as governed by the Joint Travel Regulations.
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- Record
- SN03538334-W 20141002/141001000523-d08794e2994fafc32c1497f1db250c5b (fbodaily.com)
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