Award of Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Post-Implementation Enterprise Training Management System (ETMS) Support Services for the Meridian Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS)
BPA 70RTAC20A00000002 was awarded to Meridian Knowledge Solutions on 5/18/20 via a sole source, firm-fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a two-year ordering period (5/27/20-5/26/22). The estimated value of the BPA is $12,938,490.99. This BPA was not awarded competitively. As a result, an LSJ was approved for this action pursuant to the authority at FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.
The scope of the BPA is to provide the following software-as-a-service (SaaS) services for DHS' Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS): subscription services, training services, help desk support, operations and maintenance support, performance and capacity management, enhancement services, and decommissioning / disposal services. The Meridian Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS) is a customized proprietary software application. Awarded contract 70RTAC20A00000002 to MERIDIAN KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS, LLC for 12938490.99 on 2020-05-18.
70RTAC20A00000002 Department of Homeland Security Office of Procurement Operations
5/18/20, 5:23 PM LSJ for Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Provide Post-Implementation Enterprise Training Management System (ETMS) Support Services for the Meridian Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) requested a DHS-wide Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide post-implementation Enterprise Training Management System (ETMS) support services for the Meridian Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS).
The scope of this BPA is to provide the following software-as-a-service (SaaS) services: subscription services, training services, Help Desk support, operations and maintenance support, performance and capacity management, enhancement services, and decommission/disposal services.
The BPA was established via Meridian Knowledge Solution’s (Meridian’s) General Services Administration (GSA) Information Technology (IT) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) 70 Contract Number 47QTCA20D004L to fulfill repetitive needs of the Department relating to the existing Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS). Components have varying repetitive requirements (such as varying number of licenses, different types of helpdesk services, and optional enhancement services) that may need to get issued at different times throughout the BPA’s ordering period.
The Meridian Performance and Learning Management System (PALMS) is a customized proprietary software application. In addition, Meridian Knowledge Solutions confirmed that it does not have any authorized resellers. Based on the existing license agreement in place, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already acknowledged and agreed that the Software is protected by U.S. and international copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property rights and registrations. DHS acknowledged that all right, title and interest in and to the Software and all intellectual property rights thereto will be owned solely by VIP/Meridian and its licensors, as applicable.
The continuation of these services by Meridian is required to prevent a stoppage in the current systems and services from occurring and to fully transition to the replacement Performance and Learning Management System. If DHS had to precipitously transition to another solution at this time, it would potentially lose valuable data that will be transferred to the Department once PALMS is appropriately decommissioned. It is vital that the decommissioning phase be appropriately executed and completed which will consist of Decommission Planning and Scheduling, coordination between DHS and the vendor, data extraction, data transformation, data load and data inspection to ensure no data is lost during transition activities. Additionally, operational costs would likely increase due to maintaining current operations while at the same time developing a new application to replace the existing system. In addition, no other system exists which the current application could migrate to without a significant and prolonged development and testing effort. Without this critical BPA, DHS is unable to ensure continuity of operations and performance without interruptions. DHS would be negatively impacted if the subject LSJ is not approved because DHS would lose an integral part of the eLearning design and development process. DHS would not be able to store the eLearning materials in one location, which would increase hard drives and/or other storage devices costs and increase the risk of losing important data. DHS would not be able to do away with instructor travel costs, online training site rentals, and printed eLearning materials, which would increase learning and development costs. DHS would not have the ability to keep track of learner progress and ensure that they are meeting their performance milestones, which would decrease the workforce performance and learning behaviors. DHS would not have the ability to add new compliance standards to the online training course within a matter of minutes, which would be a time-consuming effort otherwise. DHS would not be able to add additional online modules to its eLearning course in order to update information based on new trends or scientific evidence, which would result in DHS having to redo its entire eLearning course.
As the wholly owned subsidiary of the incumbent and the owner of the proprietary software, Meridian Knowledge Solutions (Meridian) has the necessary experience, personnel, and security clearances to continue to perform services while the new competitive, multiple award BPA is being solicited and awarded. Failure to continue performance of these services would be highly disruptive to DHS as the current Performance and Learning Management System would cease to operate as required.
Additional details are included in the attached LSJ. Awarded contract 70RTAC20A00000002 to unknown vendor for unknown amount on 2020-05-18.
FY20-0087 Department of Homeland Security Office of Procurement Operations
5/18/20, 1:30 PM