Automated Requirements Process (ARP) Development

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION I. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY The United States Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, 502d Air Base Wing, 802d Contracting Squadron, is executing this Limited Source Justification on behalf of the Headquarters Air Force Security Forces Center (HQ AFSFC) at Lackland AFB, Texas. II. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING PROCESSED This action is to award a follow on Task Order (TO) to Frankie Friend & Associates, Inc., hereafter referred to as contractor, under Federal Supply Schedule GS-35F-0543W. The anticipated TO will be firm-fixed priced with a 1-year base period plus a 1-year option period. The period of performance for the base period is 30 Sep 11 - 29 Sep 12 and 30 Sep 12 - 29 Sep 13 for the option period. The estimated total of this action, including the option period, is $311,729.60. III. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY'S NEEDS Under the contemplated task order, the contractor will provide Headquarters Air Force Security Forces Center with continued web-development and database services to further develop and maintain the Automated Requirements Process (ARP) operational website for US Air Force Security Forces. The ARP is a web-based application initiated at Lackland AFB which will be used by Security Forces personnel world-wide. This web-based application will provide security forces personnel an electronic means to input and submit a description of their request for implementation consideration and will allow security forces unit leadership and MAJCOMs/COCOMs the ability to manage and report data to higher headquarters staffs. Progress to date will allow an ARP beta test to be released in October 2011. The purpose of the beta test is to check the functionality of the program, gather feedback, present findings, and to make corrections and or improvements. The program will be tested on a server maintained at Lackland AFB. One unit from each MAJCOM will input data during the test period. Unit and MAJCOM commanders and HQ AFSFC will test the coordination function and AFSFC will test the reports function. Once the beta test is complete and corrections are made, the program will become available to all security forces units. There is a need for continuing maintenance and upgrades through Sep 13. IV. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING LIMITED SOURCING AND DEMONSTRATION THAT THE CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple Award Schedule Program. The statutory authority for this justification is Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251, et seq.) and Title 40 U.S. C. 501, Services for Executive Agencies. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) and DFARS 208.405-70, a logical follow-on contract can be legitimately traced to the competitively awarded FSS task order FA3047-10-F-0596 issued to Frankie Friend & Associates, Inc. on 30 Sep 10. The web-based application was discovered by HQ AFSFC as used by HAF/SG for medical logistics management. The application is based on an Oracle database structure. FA3047-10-F-0596 awarded to Frankie Friend & Associates, Inc. to manipulate graphics and design of HAF/SG's application from a medical application to a force protection application. AFSFC was unable to use the original source code in its entirety without extensive manipulation undergone by the incumbent in FA3047-10-F-0596. The original source code was written with Adobe Cold Fusion, which was an unknown factor when FA3047-10-F-0596 was awarded. The contractor paid all costs to send their employee to Cold Fusion training. After the Air Force purchased the Cold Fusion software, the contractor had to prepare servers for Cold Fusion and SQL and then install the software. Further, the code was written in Cold Fusion version 5 and the current development software is Cold Fusion version 9. Translating the software between these disparate versions while at the same time re-writing the code to work from the Oracle database management system to Microsoft's SQL is time-consuming and tedious. The SQL database enables more interaction between the end user and the local unit, MAJCOM, and Air Staff action officers. Continuing database manipulation is required to migrate all web functions required from the current Oracle-based database application to a Microsoft SQL-based application. V. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTS THE BEST VALUE The anticipated cost of the TO represent the Best Value consistent with FAR 8.404(d). The contracting officer will require submission of information other than cost or pricing data from the offeror, which is adequate to determine the best value. VI. DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS, OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASONS MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED Market research was conducted on the original Federal Supply Schedule order and the result led to a competitive acquisition on GSA e-Buy. Market research for the current requirement is limited to comparison of other schedules on GSA Advantage. This is a commercial service provided by other companies, however, it is appropriate for a logical follow-on as explained below. VII. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION Translating a different programmer's code writing techniques and re-compiling it to a useable format for the ARP application is time-consuming and a very inexact science. Seamless integration of AF software needs with the existing programming architecture within an acceptable timeframe is difficult until the entire program is received, dismantled, and reviewed. The need for uninterrupted service in the further development of this project and the on-going maintenance considerations makes the incumbent, Frankie Friend & Associates, Inc., the logical source to ensure a fully operable system. Using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software package in order to meet all standards of the architecture required to run on Air Force servers and to interact with the current source code would require significant modifications. Awarding the contract to another company at this point in the project would require them to reverse engineer the HAF/SG source code to understand the flow of the database structure and interaction with other authoritative databases. The incumbent contractor completed coordination with the code originators and web server managers which cannot be replicated since they are no longer on contract to the Air Force. At this time, a change in contractor would set the project back six months and the loss of the incumbent contractor's expertise could be devastating to further the development of the program. Progress to date will enable a beta test to be in place in Oct 11. Award to any other contractor will delay the test and the overall achievement of the system. The Headquarters Air Force Security Forces Center, Lackland Air Force Base, serves as the program development and management office of this system in order to ensure efficient operations and to avoid duplication of cost and effort that using other systems would cause. VIII. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE MAKING SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITIONS FOR THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED The agency promotes competition to the fullest extent possible. For some acquisitions, it is in the best interest of the Air Force to award a task order to the incumbent as justified in paragraph IV. Upon completion of the contract, the contractor shall surrender to the government all ARP HTML code, source code, and development history required to operate and maintain the system by government employees. IX. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S CERTIFICATION The contracting officer's signature on the Coordination and Approval Document evidences that she has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of her knowledge and belief. X. TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL'S CERTIFICATION As evidenced by their signatures on the Coordination and Approval Document, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein for limited sources and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate.