70--TAC-17-42211 CCECC Phase II

Community Care Enterprise Contact Center Implementation Control Number: TAC-17-42211 5 of 8 Community Care Enterprise Contact Center Implementation Control Number: TAC-17-42211 JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY 1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Acquisition Operations Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, New Jersey 07724 2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed-price task order to be issued under the General Services Administration (GSA) Connections II multiple award, Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract, to obtain an Avaya brand name geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center solution. The solution shall be comprised of services, hardware, software, maintenance, and training. 3. Description of Supplies or Services: VA Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) has a requirement to obtain an Avaya brand name geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center solution to support increased growth and demand for Community Care Enterprise Contact Center (CCECC) Veterans Health Administration s (VHA) Community Care and Member Services. The Enterprise Contact Center shall include four VA contact center sites, Chief Business Office Purchased Care (CBOPC)-Denver, Colorado (CO); Health Resource Center (HRC)-Topeka, Kansas (KS) and Waco, Texas (TX); and Health Eligibility Center (HEC)-Atlanta, Georgia (GA). The Denver, Waco, and Atlanta sites currently operate under an Avaya based hardware and software infrastructure. Topeka s existing legacy Nippon Electric Company (NEC) switch with Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and call center reporting package have reached the manufacturers defined End of Life (EOL) and must be incorporated with the Enterprise Contact Center Avaya solution. The contact centers centralize handling of individual communications, including telephone, letters, faxes, live support software, social media, instant message, and e-mail. These contact centers serve as a central point from which Veteran contacts are managed. Through these contact centers, valuable information about VA services is routed to Veterans and their family members. These interactions with Veterans are tracked and data is gathered to provide real time and historical information on how the Veteran and their family members contacts are being provided. The Avaya Enterprise Contact Center solution shall implement and integrate a geo-redundant infrastructure among the four sites. This solution shall include various services, specifically implementation, integration, configuration, installation, and disaster recovery (DR) services. VA previously procured expansion of the Avaya solution infrastructure, to include hardware and software, at the four contact center sites in order to meet the increasing site demands. With the continued growth of these sites, VA determined that its Call Center requirements could be better served by building out a geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center platform. VA could not articulate the Integration and Implementation (I&I) design of a geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center until a thorough review of the expanded Avaya infrastructure at the four contact centers was conducted. This I&I design has been articulated into the corresponding Performance Work Statement for this procurement. These four contact center sites will become an Enterprise Call Center by being integrated, configured, and optimized into an Avaya Aura Core Network configuration to provide expanded capabilities. The Denver and Waco sites function as core sites acting as central locations for contact center services in the Enterprise Contact Center solution. Services are then distributed from the core location to the survivable satellite sites. The two core sites shall be integrated to function as a geo-redundant infrastructure and have DR capabilities. The Atlanta site shall be folded into the Denver site as a survivable remote site and get all of its day to day features and functions off of the Denver core. Topeka shall be folded into the Waco location as a survivable remote and get all of its day to day features and functions off of the Waco core. DR services are required to ensure the survivability of the core locations, Waco and Denver, via the folded survivable remote sites, Topeka and Atlanta. This I&I effort will provide for future growth, high availability, and DR in support of the business lines continuity of operations (COOP) requirements and meet increased demands. VA requires the Avaya solution to connect and work seamlessly with the current contact centers located in Topeka, Waco, Atlanta, and Denver. VA requires a single unified platform for work force management, call recording and reporting as well as the ability to allow agents in all locations to have skill sets applied that will let them take calls for multiple skill groups from anywhere within the organizational footprint. Seamless connectivity allows each of the various sites to be able to support and take calls for each other in the event of catastrophic failure or natural disaster. This effort also requires the procurement of 150 Avaya Experience Portal version 7 software licenses. These licenses shall be installed solely at the Waco site in order to meet demands unanticipated at the time of the previous hardware/software procurement, support current growth projections and provide scalability for the Enterprise Contact Center. In addition, this effort includes optional tasks for additional support services, lab environment upgrade services to the Denver site, and up to four additional future survivability sites. The optional task for additional future survivability sites shall incorporate specific required Avaya brand telecommunications hardware, to include G450 gateways, primary rate interface cards, analog phones cards, and Voice over Internet Protocol phones, and telecommunications software, to include Call Center Elite Agent, Call Management System Agent, Advanced Work Force Operations, Advanced Speech Analytics, One-X, and Avaya Aura Messaging. Based upon growth expectations and the current architecture, it is anticipated that a minimum of four contact center sites will be required to integrate as survivability sites into the geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center solution. However, in order to add any specific survivable sites, a base enterprise solution must be in place before determining to expand services to a specific location. This geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center build out must occur first for VA to be able to make this determination. Furthermore, due to the high level of interdependency between the geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center infrastructure, the Government requires a single integrator for hardware, software, maintenance and services necessary to bring an additional survivability site into the solution. A single integrator shall ensure continuity of the solution and that VA has a single source for resolution of conflicts and interoperability issues that may arise during these tasks. The use of multiple integrators would create a rift in the continuity of the enterprise solution and increase risk of crossover/technical issues between dual integrators. A single integrator that can provide all of the hardware, software, maintenance, and services is critical to the overall success of the CCECC project and operation of the geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center. The Contractor shall also provide maintenance support which includes routine, preventive, emergency, and disaster recovery support. Additionally, training shall include introductory and intermediate training for the operation of the system for agents, supervisors, managers, and reporters and shall include advanced operation of system used by schedulers, metrics team, and quality coaches. All services including planning and design services, hardware and software installation, configuration and programming services and DR services, training and maintenance shall occur within 18 months of award. Additionally, there are three 12-month option periods to extend the term of the order for the continuance of maintenance support. The total estimated value of the proposed action, including all options, is $21,248,527.00. 4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting an exception to fair opportunity is Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(2) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), entitled Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized. 5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on the market research, as further described in Section 8 in the justification, VA has determined that limited competition is available among Avaya authorized resellers. Only an Avaya brand solution has the capability to connect and work seamlessly with the current contact center solution, which is built upon a proprietary Avaya infrastructure. No other source, other than Avaya and its authorized resellers, has access to the proprietary source code that runs the Avaya infrastructure in order to fully integrate a geo-redundant infrastructure with survivability DR. This code is required by any source that will provide the services required under this proposed action as outlined in Section 3 of this justification. The Avaya solution shall be designed for DR supporting the dual geo-redundant core model utilizing the Denver and Waco contact centers, with survivable sites, Topeka and Atlanta, for mission critical applications. In order to architect this DR structure within the existing Avaya infrastructure, access to the Avaya source code is required. Although there are various telecommunications manufacturers that provide similar Contact Center system functionality, only an Avaya integrated solution can meet the interoperability and compatibility requirements between the four contact centers. This is not a standalone solution for a single location, but a major piece of OI&T s Integrated Enterprise Contact Center Distribution Network which provides communications for all Veterans and their families. Only Avaya and authorized resellers of Avaya can provide a geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center within the current Avaya based infrastructure. Additionally, only an Avaya brand solution is able to seamlessly interoperate with the Avaya Enterprise Contact Center solution and act as a survivability site within the geo-redundant design. As such, any future survivability sites must have an Avaya based infrastructure implemented in order to seamlessly integrate into the geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center solution and provide for DR. Furthermore, only an Avaya based infrastructure can seamlessly integrate and be fully compatible within the geo-redundant Enterprise Contact Center and the current Avaya based infrastructure. Only Avaya software and hardware can interoperate within the current Avaya based infrastructure due to the proprietary software source code. Specifically, if any other brand name software and hardware were utilized, it would not communicate with the existing Avaya infrastructure. VA requires maintenance support to include routine, preventive, emergency, and DR support and services. Only Avaya or an authorized reseller can provide the necessary support and services because of the propriety nature of the technology required to troubleshoot, diagnose and configure the Avaya infrastructure. Furthermore, only Avaya or its authorized resellers can provide the required level of training and knowledge base specific to implementation of the Enterprise Avaya solution including access to required proprietary code and technical data. Utilizing any source other than Avaya would prohibit OI&T s ability to integrate into an Enterprise Contact Center platform. VHA Community Care and Member Services would have to deploy silo infrastructures and lose its ability to provide geo-redundancy and COOP within these infrastructures. Loss of the ability to integrate into an Enterprise Contact Center would also prevent contact centers to deploy agents at any location within an Enterprise Contact Center platform and would cause delay in processing Veteran callers attempting to access these contact centers for services. Business processes will be impacted, as silo sites require business lines of service to take calls limited to that site and unable to use shared human and technology resources. Current investments of Avaya infrastructure at the core sites will be unable to utilize the enterprise functionality and result in OI&T having to procure separate functionality to provide contact center services. OI&T would also require additional manpower to support these silo solutions and operations and maintenance would need to be added to each silo system and maintained individually. As a result VA would incur a substantial duplication of cost at approximately $6 million to $8 million that would not be recovered through competition. This cost was determined by the historical prices of past project silo contact center sites and current market pricing. Furthermore, VA would experience unacceptable delays in fulfilling VA s requirements to expand and add additional sites to support Veteran callers and their families. Current activities for procuring a silo contact center can take two to three years from start to finish. By having the ability to expand an existing enterprise solution as proposed, that time would be reduced to six months or less. The current contact centers operate on source code that is proprietary to Avaya. No other source other than Avaya or an authorized reseller is capable of providing the required services, hardware, software, maintenance, and training. Avaya is the only vendor with the knowledge, capability and authorization to perform this work. Furthermore, this effort supports the expansion of access services to the Veteran Caller and their families for various information including Veteran benefits. Without this effort, Veterans will continue to face geographical limitations of services delivery that could be expanded through the geo-redundant infrastructure. Veterans and their families will also lack the survivability of a geo-redundant infrastructure in the scenario of a core site going down and face delays in benefit services. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government s requirements. It was determined, however, that limited competition is viable among authorized resellers. In accordance with FAR 5.301 and 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D), this action will be synopsized and the justification will be made publicly available on the Federal Business Opportunities Page within 14 days of award of the order, and this justification will also be posted to the GSA Connections II website along with the Request for Proposal. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed. Specifically, Contact Center Engineering will continue to monitor market trends, new/emerging products, looking for compatible and more advanced technologies to meet VA needs. 8. Market Research: Market research was conducted as recently as January 2017 by VA technical experts through extensive one on one contact with manufacturers and internet research regarding Avaya brand name hardware and software to determine if sources other than Avaya or Avaya authorized resellers can satisfy the requirement. Specifically, the technical experts researched other Voice and Enterprise Contact Center platforms from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) NEC and Technology for Business. While these OEM solutions offer general capabilities to provide a call center solution, the VA technical experts determined that only Avaya and authorized resellers of Avaya have access to the proprietary data and source code necessary to communicate and interoperate the solution with the existing Avaya based infrastructure at the VA contact centers. Communications with these OEM representatives confirmed that, in order to utilize either OEM solution, VA would have to overhaul the entire existing Avaya infrastructure and replace it completely with the corresponding OEM s solution. This conclusion was determined by Government technical experts and concurred with by respective OEM representatives. VA technical experts also determined only Avaya and its authorized resellers have access to proprietary code and technical data necessary to provide support services such as maintenance and training for the Enterprise Avaya solution. Based on the market research, it was determined that no other maintenance providers have access to the proprietary data required to provide the necessary maintenance. Therefore, no other solution can provide a single unified platform. On April 3, 2017, a Request for Information (RFI) was issued to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, GSA Connections II IDIQ, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) to determine the availability of competition of the required Avaya brand solution. In addition, the RFI requested industry to provide company information, capability statements of specific Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements and management, and feedback of the draft Performance Work Statement. The RFI closed on April 10, 2017 with a total of five responses received. Of those five responses, two responses were from large businesses under GSA Connections II; one response was from a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with a NASA SEWP V GWAC contract; one response was from a small business proposing to subcontract with a SDVOSB; and one response was from large business with no indication of an existing vehicle. Government technical experts thoroughly reviewed the RFI responses to determine the vendors capabilities to meeting the PWS requirements. Government technical experts determined three of the five vendors capable of meeting the requirements: the two large businesses from Connections II and the small business. Based on the market research there is not a reasonable expectation that two or more SDVOSBs or small businesses can perform the work specified above; however there is limited competition among GSA Connections II IDIQ contract holders. This requirement has been found to be within scope of the GSA Connection II IDIQ contract which is specifically in a separate determination network and telecommunications labor, equipment, and support for to acquire network infrastructure solutions, including: Infrastructure design, installation, and implementation; professional services to support existing networks; upgrading network equipment, standards (including IPv6), and systems; transition planning and integration services; and customized client-specific systems. 9. Other Facts: NA 10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Donald Bartlett Date: 5/9/2017 Telecommunications Specialist Contact Center Engineering Signature: 11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this action will be fair and reasonable based anticipated competition. Additionally, GSA Connections II has already determined the prices on contract to be fair and reasonable. Finally, price analysis will be conducted by comparing the successful quote to the Independent Government Cost Estimate. Juan Quinones Date: ______________________ Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: ______________________ 12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Juan Quinones Date: ______________________ Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: __________________ 13. Legal Sufficiency Certification: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support an exception to fair opportunity and deem it legally sufficient. Mellany Alio Date: ______________________ Legal Counsel Signature: ______________________ Approval In my role as Agency Competition Advocate, based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the acquisition of Avaya Enterprise Contact Center solution on an other than fair opportunity basis pursuant to the authority cited in paragraph 4 above, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the property and services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition. Date: ____________ Signature: __________________________________ Michele R. Foster Head of Contracting Activity Office of Acquisition Operations