AWARD
D -- Purchase of SAS Analytics Pro for BVA
- Notice Date
- 12/21/2018
- Notice Type
- Award
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;Technology Acquisition Center;23 Christopher Way;Eatontown NJ 07724
- ZIP Code
- 07724
- Solicitation Number
- 36C10B19Q0063
- Archive Date
- 3/30/2019
- Point of Contact
- Phone: 732-440-9687
- Award Number
- 47QTCA18D0081 36C10B19F0064
- Award Date
- 12/21/2018
- Awardee
- EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS, LLC;6901 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE STE 600;BETHESDA;MD;20817
- Award Amount
- $30,255.00
- Description
- Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Software Control Number: TAC-19-53169 LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION 1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724 2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed-price delivery order (DO) issued under General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Contract Number 47QTCA18D0081 with Executive Information Systems (EIS), Limited Liability Company (LLC) for brand name Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software and maintenance. 3. Description of Supplies/Services: VA, Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Operations Veterans Affairs Central Office-Internet Technology Support Services, in support of Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) has a requirement for SAS Analytics Pro software licenses, SAS add-ons and software maintenance. SAS is an integrated software suite for advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management, and predictive analytics. SAS will allow BVA to interface with current VA appeals data repositories, (i.e., Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Corporate Database, BVA legacy Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System (VACOLS) database, BVA Appeals Modernization Caseflow data, Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS) data, HR Smart data), and analyze data using statistical techniques ranging from descriptive measures like correlations, logistic regression and mixed models to sophisticated methods such as modern model selection and Bayesian hierarchical models, providing BVA research analysts with required level of analysis. SAS will enhance the ability of the financial management division and the board as whole to develop analytic insights. Applications at the BVA will include prescreening of case descriptors for triaging of cases for complexity analysis and assignment; performing principle component analysis, factor analysis, and cluster methodologies on existing case data to find trends and patterns that will be used to amplify performance; and time series and use pattern analysis across the attorney population for individual performance management. The results from these studies will prove significantly useful in preparing for the Appeals Modernization Act. In addition, SAS provides dynamic visualization, model deployment and process optimization. Lastly, SAS provides a range of techniques and processes for the collection, classification, analysis and interpretation of data to reveal patterns, anomalies, key variables and relationships, leading to new insights and better answers faster. The period of performance shall be 12 months from date of acceptance. The total estimated price of this proposed action is XXXXX 4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C.3304(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(a) (1)(i)(B), Only one source is capable of providing supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies and services ordered are unique or highly specialized. 5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: The proposed source for this action is Executive Information Systems (EIS), LLC, 6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20817-7836. Based on extensive market research, as described in section 8 of this document, it was determined that there is no competition among vendors for the required software and that EIS is the sole Government provider of SAS software and maintenance support. SAS offers the only known integrated suite of analytics software available that provides interoperability and compatibility with analytics software currently used throughout VBA, Appeals Management Office (AMO) and VHA all of which currently use SAS. Use of SAS software will provide compatibility with these organizations which is especially critical with the analysts for the BVA due to the Appeals Modernization Act which will be fully implemented in Feb 2019. This law proscribes a new structure to benefits appeals processing and decisions that will increase the input rate of appeals case inventory. Without advanced analytics to facilitate decisions on how to accommodate the new structure, the risk of an unsustainable input rate increases. VBA and BVA analysts need to work in synchronization since the overwhelming number of appeals sent to BVA come through VBA. These workloads are intertwined, and a common platform for advanced analytics is needed. SAS is especially critical to the analysts for the BVA as SAS provides an integrated suite of analytics software that provides for predictive and descriptive modeling, data mining, text analytics, forecasting, optimization, simulation, and experimental design. Use of commercial software will provide benefits that are not possible with using a general license command line analytics compiler such as R or Python. SAS software is the only complete functional statistical program that BVA can use because of compatibility with existing data throughout VA and affiliated institutions. Information gathered from the SAS products is used to formulate policy and procedures in VA. SAS s software is proprietary in nature and is not released to any other party; only SAS or its authorized resellers have the required access to the source code and other proprietary software data to be able to meet the Government s needs. No other firm has the capability to develop and issue software updates and fixes for SAS software necessary to support statistical and analytical requirements without access to SAS proprietary software code. SAS software maintenance will ensure that all support services are performed and properly configured to the VA-owned SAS software which can only be provided by those who have access to the proprietary software code. SAS software and support is sold to the Government exclusively through EIS and no other resellers. Furthermore, EIS holds a current contract under GSA FSS 70. Only EIS can provide the software and support that meets the Government s requirements. Therefore, only an award to EIS will satisfy the Government s requirement for SAS software. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. There is no competition anticipated for this acquisition. Based on market research, EIS is the only authorized Government reseller of SAS software maintenance. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6 (a)(3)(i), the ordering activity will post the justification along with the Request for Quotation on the GSA e-Buy site. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would warrant competition for other software solutions or additional resellers in the future. Specifically, the Government will continue to research alternatives to SAS software and services that may provide the required capabilities, and/or research whether SAS will permit future third party access to its proprietary software to provide the required maintenance support. 8. Market Research: Government technical experts conducted market research in October 2018 by reviewing the similar software and software maintenance services mentioned below to ascertain if these items or providers could meet the Government s requirements. The Government technical experts reviewed various websites and trade publications and had discussions with data managers and researchers in VA to determine if there are other similar items that can meet the Government's requirements. Specifically, VA technical experts researched International Business Machine's family of "Statistical Package for the Social Sciences" products; however, even though these products are comparable, none offered interoperability and compatibility with the current VBA and OI&T environment. Additionally, the products only offer a limited array of analytics, and none offer a grid-enabled, high-performance computing environment which is crucial in meeting the Government's requirements. VA technical experts also researched software from Oracle and Informatics; however, this software is also not interoperable and compatible with the current VBA environment. Additionally, this software did not offer the array of advanced analytics sufficient to BVA's needs and mission. SAS provider guarantees its algorithms and computations, whereas general license compiler has no guarantees and is only as good as the last upload from an unknown source. SAS provider ensures technical support and help/tutorials with both basic and advanced features. BVA s operations research analysts are familiar with the software, minimizing time to productive utilization. Based on this market research, it was determined that only SAS software can meet all of the Government's requirements, and purchasing SAS Analytics Professional is in the Government's best interest. VA performed further market research in October 2018 by conducting a search on the GSA e-Library. Market research indicated only EIS has exclusive rights to sell and support all SAS software licenses and maintenance to Government customers. Finally, Government representatives received a sole source letter on August 16, 2018 directly from SAS confirming EIS as the sole authorized reseller for SAS software to Government entities. Therefore, this proposed action will be a sole source task order issued under GSA FSS 70, contract number 47QTCA18D0081 with EIS. 9. Other Facts: None NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (21-DEC-2018); HOWEVER, IT DID APPEAR IN THE FEDBIZOPPS FTP FEED ON THIS DATE. PLEASE CONTACT 877-472-3779 or fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
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