--ATS Services for Fort Bliss Texas--Extension of Services

Under Authority of FAR 6.302-1, the Government intends to modify contract DABL03-03-C-0025 with CORDEV Corporation, exercising FAR Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, for Administrative Telephone Services at Fort Bliss Texas. The government will exercise the full 6 month extension allowed under this clause for the period 1 October 2008 through 31 March 2009. Any responses or inquiries to this notice must demonstrate clear and convincing evidence that competition will be advantageous to the government. Responses are due by noon, 5 September 2008 and addressed to David Freshour +1 (555) 000-0000 or email contact@example.gov. The Justification and Approval (J&A) is attached below: 1. Contracting Activity: Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC), Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center-West (ITEC4-W), 2133 Cushing Street, Building 61801, Fort Huachuca, Arizona 85613-7070. 2. Description of Action: Request approval for extension of performance under FAR Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, for the period 1 October 2008 through 31 March 2009 for Administrative Telephone Services (ATS) at Fort Bliss, TX, pending the outcome of the re-evaluation of the IMCS II Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. This will be an extension of a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract originally awarded with a base year and four option years. The total estimate for the six month extension is $2,553,798.24 using FY09 Operation and Maintenance Army (OMA) funds. This extension includes an increase in O&M support above the original contract limits requiring this justification and approval. 3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Performance Work Statement (PWS) for this effort is for operations and maintenance of the ATS at Fort Bliss, TX. These services include the operation, administration, and maintenance of Fort Bliss, classified and unclassified enterprise network and customer local area networks. The scope of work on this effort includes: administration; management; parts, supplies, tools and equipment other than GFE; and vehicles to operate and maintain the Administrative Telephone System, Special Projects and cable plant at Fort Bliss, TX. This includes Switchboard Console Operations, Inside Plant, Customer Services (Telephone), and Outside Plant (Cable) required by the Directorate of Information Management (DOIM) to support the organizations at Fort Bliss. The contractor shall provide technical and administrative coordination of inside plant (ISP), outside plant (OSP) and other on-base telephone activities; track and complete all telecommunications service orders. The contractor shall also be responsible for operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Intuity Audix Voice Mail System, Call Accounting System, and data input of Local Service Requests (LSR), cable record changes, associated components and instruments into the Telephone Management System (TMS). The contractor may also be required to provide material, overtime, travel and per diem, and training in support of requirements, as needed. 4. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) and FAR Part 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) Only One Responsible Source. 5. Reason for Authority Cited: These services are currently being provided under contract DABL03-03-C-0025, with CORDEV Corporation, a small business. The current performance period expires on 30 September 2008. These services are being competed as part of a larger consolidated, competitive, small business set aside, the Information Management Communications Support II (IMCS- II) effort. This requirement is necessary to allow for the Contracting Officers actions in response to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) protests and subsequent re-evaluation of offers submitted for the IMCS II IDIQ contract. After resolution of protests, the Government requires time to conduct a mini competition between IMCS II vendors, conduct site visits, evaluate proposals and place orders. Placement of the task order for Fort Bliss is anticipated for the January 2009 timeframe with full performance expected to begin March 2009. It is anticipated that award of a task order for Fort Bliss can be made within two months. If this J&A for a 6-month extension of services is not approved, it will prevent Fort Bliss from providing telephone service for wireless and landlines customers supporting the increased mission, maintenance of classified and unclassified enterprise network, and supporting the local area networks. Fort Bliss DOIM serves many important customers such as the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School, 1st Armored Division, Joint Task Force (JTF) North, United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF), William Beaumont Army Medical Center, and the German Air Force Air Defense Artillery School. Background: In February 2008, the Director of the Fort Bliss DOIM, along with the Contracting Officers Representative (COR), contacted this office to discuss the significant changes happening at Fort Bliss and how these changes were presenting challenges to the current contract. One of the challenges was how to provide O&M support to hundreds of buildings and structures, not on the current contract, that were being accepted and ready for occupancy by new organizations as well as the numerous digital training ranges activated to meet new training needs. Another area of concern was the possible expiration of local contracting vehicles, put in place by the Fort Bliss Directorate of Contracting for use by all Fort Bliss customers, and used by DOIM to purchase materials for O&M of this contract. In March 2008, the COR notified this office that the contract vehicles expired and that all materials to support ATS must now be purchased on contract DABL03-03-C-0025. The materials CLIN on the current contract was intentionally a low estimate because of the availability of these local contract vehicles. Since their expiration, the materials CLIN has increased exponentially to meet the normal O&M requirement. In July 2008, the Technical Representative from the NETCOM G4 conducted a site visit to Fort Bliss, to get a sense of the increased operational tempo and the impact on the current contract. Of the numerous changes occurring at Fort Bliss, the most obvious was the installation and erection of entire troop villages consisting of Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) that serve as housing and office space. These villages are semi-permanent structures that require support through the ATS contract. There are also 27, new or reactivated, training ranges that previously required no or minimal telecommunications support that are now used on a full time basis by units deploying to Southwest Asia. These ranges support, on a yearly average, 20,000 soldiers and now require daily O&M support and on-call critical mission support. The current contract, originally awarded in September 2003, supports and services approximately 20,000 phone and data lines. Since 2003 an additional 10,000 phone and data lines have been added with a targeted capacity of 50,000 by 2012. Approximately 500 buildings or structures were on the original contract. That number has doubled since 2003 and is projected to double again by 2012. The soldier population at Fort Bliss stood at 4,500 in 2003; today the population is well over 16,000 and is expected to be 45,000 by 2012. In the next few years, no other CONUS installation will see a population growth larger than Fort Bliss. The current Administrative Telephone Service contract performed by CORDEV Corporation will expire 30 September 2008. The publics interest will be served by ensuring the continuation of the Fort Bliss DOIM mission requirement is met by a qualified contractor performing the essential services without interruption. The Government has analyzed and evaluated the use of potential alternatives such as; a) maintaining current levels of support, b) allow expiration of contract, c) use of in-house resources, and d) awarding to a different contractor to perform this effort. This analysis concluded that none are practicable in the short term. Allowing the contract to expire would cause significant and irreparable harm to the Government. The Government does not have nor expects to have the expertise or in-house resources to perform this effort in the near term. Award to another source at this point would cost the government time (a potentially extensive learning curve and familiarity with the site); significant duplication of cost that would not be recouped through competition; and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the requirement. It is not in the Governments best interest to compete this short six-month requirement for interim support. A new contractor would require additional time to be able to satisfy the requirements. The time would be spent hiring employees and purchasing vehicles, tools and test equipment. Duplication of costs would result from those purchases, estimated at a minimum of $175,000 (based on historical data). In addition, conducting site visits and solicitation preparation and evaluation would result in duplicative costs and effort for Government personnel. Government resources are already tenuous. In addition, competition for this six-month extension could potentially result in at least two different contractors providing services over the course of a few months, creating personnel turbulence, significant learning curves, and potential loss of critical employees. Turnover of this magnitude would be harmful to the mission. Finally, it appears unlikely that any contractor can mobilize at this point in time to even attempt the effort. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: As required by FAR 5.201 and 6.305, this Justification & Approval document will be synopsized on or about August 22, 2008 and made available for public inspection and comment. The closing date for the synopsis will be 15 days after posting, or approximately September 5, 2008. Any responses or inquiries will be addressed and any offers that demonstrate clear and convincing evidence that competition will be more advantageous to the Government will be considered. To date, no companies have expressed an interest in performing this short term effort. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: These services have been competed as part of the IMCS II requirement and significant competition has been obtained. A Notice of Intent for the IMCS II IDIQ contract, which included the Fort Bliss ATS effort, was synopsized on FedBizOpps. It is anticipated that no further actions will be necessary after award of the IMSC II IDIQ contract, as orders will be issued under fair opportunity in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(1) to satisfy this effort. 8. Market Research: Market Research was conducted via synopsis on August 22, 2008, as required by FAR 5.201. No inquiries or comments were received from other sources, nor has there been any interest expressed by other firms to perform these services in the short term. 9. Interested Sources: CORDEV Corporation is currently performing this contract and is the only known source capable of performing at the current levels while maintaining continuity of services through 31 March 2009. The notice required by FAR 5.201 will be published 22 August 2008, and any proposals or inquiries received shall be considered. To date, no other sources have expressed an interest in performing the six month interim contracts that will transition to the IMSC II IDIQ contract.