USTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
1. Contracting Activity
The U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, Information Management Divisions propose to enter into a contract on a basis of other than full and open competition with the Canton Group.
2. Nature and/or description of the action being processed
Interim Contract for website design, administrative, and maintenance support Contractor: Canton Group
Contract #: AID-OIG_M-17-0028 / GS-06F-0796Z
Type of Contract: Firm Fixed Price
Original Context & Scope:
The contractor shall provide the Office of Inspector General (OIG) with a redesign of its external corporate website. The system shall allow the organization to effectively publish, disseminate, display, and sort electronic files and reports as legally required of OIG organizations. Design shall incorporate the use and functionality of a content management system and content shall be displayed or redisplayed dynamically based on user preference. The redesign shall be developed for inclusion in production and test environments. The redesign will be implemented for OIG organizations facing servers.
Justification Funding Year: FY 2023 FY2024 (subsequent years as needs persists; if applicable)
3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs.
The requirement is to continue design, maintenance, support, and administration services of the USAID OIG External Public Website; also 508 compliancy remediation services.
A follow-on contract is required to allow time for contractor to complete implementation of new Linux architecture for the USAID OIG External Public Website and to remediate reported security vulnerabilities present within currently deployed Content Management System (CMS) platform. Specialized configuration and platform knowledge has equipped the current vendor with the understanding to complete the work that is in progress. The current vendor's technical knowledge will help facilitate the processing of our upcoming Security Assessment work, which includes code-based changes to the platform, along with revisions to NIST control standards from rev.4 to rev. 5. The Assessment work is statutorily required for all
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government production systems and websites to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO).
Period of Performance:
Base Year: March 15, 2023 March 14, 2024
Priced Option Year 1: March 15, 2024 March 14, 2025
Priced Option Year 2: March 15, 2025 March 14, 2026
Estimated Cost: $929,469.61
4. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.
Cite the authority under one of the seven exceptions listed under FAR
6.302. Identify only one specific statutory authority that will be used to justify other than full and open competition and provide explanation.
6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements
6.302-2 Unusual and compelling urgency
6.302-3 Industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services
6.302-4 International agreement
6.302-5 Authorized or required by statute
6.302-6 National security
6.302-7 Public interest
5. Demonstration that the Contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above
As the current contractor, the Canton Group is uniquely qualified to provide these services to the US Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, based upon the following:
Design and Maintenance Services: As the contractor responsible for the design and implementation of the current Website architecture, Canton Group holds complete knowledge of the technical platform and design, functionality, and services used for the OIG Website. Also, security training and clearance have previously been completed for the contractor, allowing services to continue without any interruption.
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Ability to meet Agency Security requirements: Canton Group currently works with USAID OIG and CIO entities to evaluate and address any security concerns, including vulnerability remediation and system processes. As USAID OIG is currently undergoing a new ATO assessment due to the new Linux website environment, Canton Group, having already established the knowledge and familiarity of USAID OIG and CIO processes, will be able to continue the assessment without disruption.
Continuing work with the Canton Group through a follow-on contract eliminates the risk of work interruptions and the disablement of the USAID OIG Public Website due to security/ATO requirements. Also, possible additional expenses may be needed for any necessary clearance and/or training for a new supplier, as well as to understand, implement and assess the current environment. Any future requirements for website related services will be competed.
