52810 JOFOC RD_Redacted.pdf

SP-HRS-52810

Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) In Accordance with Federal Acquisition (FAR) Part 13

National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s (NPLI) Meta-Leadership Training For the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Human Resource Solutions (HRS) Center for Leadership

Development (CLD) Federal Executive Institute (FEI)

1. Contracting activity

This Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition supports a procurement action to be conducted under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The procurement action is generated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) on behalf of OPM, Human Resource Solutions (HRS), Center for Leadership Development (CLD) Federal Executive Institute (FEI) for President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health) National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s (NPLI) Meta-Leadership Training. .

2. Nature and Description of the action being approved

The documentation sets forth the Agency’s rationale to award a sole source contract to President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) located at 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-6028. The purpose of this requirement is to provide Senior Executive development/educational services on the subject of Meta-Leadership to support a variety of government-wide, Senior Executive development opportunities in FY 2022 and subsequent years. At a minimum, these would include the OPM SES Orientation Briefing, which is offered usually two times per year. It might also provide programs, as requested by the White House Presidential Personnel Office (PPO), for certain specified non-career/political appointee orientation or leadership programs (e.g., for political appointees, Schedule C members, etc.); and other enterprise-level senior executive developmental opportunities. These activities are not currently planned but have been organized in past administrations.

OPM HRS CLD FEI will use this contract to develop and deliver leadership effectiveness modules that provide a continuity of common terminology and frameworks in the orientation and continuing development of Federal career Senior Executives and Political Appointees so that participants are equipped to act and direct others in emergency, crisis, high-stress, high-stakes situations using the proprietary Meta-Leadership training framework.

The anticipated period of performance of the base year of this contract would be from the date of contract award until September 30, 2022, with two option years. The first delivery session is scheduled for virtual delivery on July 15, 2022, as determined by OPM HRS CLD FEI for up to 100 to 150 participants.

3. Description of the supplies and services required to meet the agency’s need

The known requirement is to design and deliver either 2-hour or half-day modules of Meta Leadership development/training sessions. These sessions, whether virtual or in-person, will be delivered for large groups (100+) of Career Federal Senior Executives, as determined by the OPM HRS CLD FEI. These sessions will be part of an OPMHRS CLD FEI SES Leading EDGE (SESLE) program, serving the orientation or continuing development of Federal Senior Executives. Session should focus on challenges facing senior-level leaders in a risk-based “volatile, uncertain, complex, and adaptive” (VUCA) environment that they and their agencies face. The purpose of this training is to prepare Federal Senior Executives, be they career or high-level political appointees, for the strategic and operational leadership challenges with a practical, proven framework and practice method of leader effectiveness in fast-moving, high-stress, high stakes situations involving numerous stakeholders, complex interdependencies, while also operating in traditional hierarchies and silos. The Meta-Leadership module will ensure appointees are mission-ready, expertly trained, and deliberately developed to act and direct others in times of crisis with tools that are conceptually and practically rigorous. At the direction of the OPM HRS CLD FEI and as requested by the White House Presidential Personnel Office (PPO) or other executive office, be prepared to design and deliver single 2-hour module or half-day session of executive-level Meta-Leadership development/training for a large group of non-career Senior Executives and political appointees. The nation’s top political executives and career Senior Executives, especially those newly appointed to their roles, face a set of unique challenges leading agencies and implementing Administration priorities. For example, they must understand the complexities and nuances of a 21st century workforce, manage the interests of a wide variety of external stakeholders and central management agencies in advancing Administration priorities to better serve the Nation and the American public, while protecting key tenets of the merit system.

Based on these very high-level executive development/training requirements, as well OPM HRS CLD FEI’s past experience delivering proprietary Meta-Leadership modules with the Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI), OPM HRS CLD FEI has determined that NPLI is uniquely qualified to provide this holistic leadership framework and development program so that Senior Executives and Political Appointees have tools that are conceptually and practically rigorous to lead and direct others in times of crisis and every day.

The NPLI proprietary framework is based on rigorous first-hand observation and research of Federal government leaders in crisis situations and the applicability of their actions (and non-actions) to leadership behavior in crisis and non-crisis situations. In addition to academic experience, NPLI provides faculty who have applied Meta-Leadership as former senior Federal officials in real-life crisis situations. This academic and executive-level practitioner experience is significant in its immediate relevance to the customer population OPM HRS CLD FEI SES Leading EDGE services.

All 2022 SESLE deliveries are scheduled to be virtual on the Webex Meetings IT platform. Future programs may revert back to in-person delivery in the DC-Northern Virginia area as identified by OPM HRS CLD FEI, as prevailing health measures allow.

4. Statutory Authority permitting Other than Full and Open Competition

FAR 13.106-1(b) (l) (i), for purchases not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, Contracting Officers may solicit from one source if the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source is reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand names or industrial mobilization).

5. Demonstration that the contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited

The OPM HRS CLD FEI mission, and more specifically OPM HRS CLD FEI SES Leading EDGE, include providing government-wide Senior Executive development programs with specialized instruction on crisis leadership.

OPM HRS CLD FEI has designed programs through SES Leading EDGE, such as the SES Orientation Briefing, to provide groups of Senior Executives, career and appointees, from across the Federal government orientation and continuing development sessions focusing on the challenges that they and their agencies face in a risk-based “volatile, uncertain, complex, and adaptive” (VUCA) environment.

OPM HRS CLD FEI requires a cutting edge, executive-level development, education and training program to prepare Senior Executives for the strategic and operational challenges with a practical, proven leadership framework that is effective in rapidly evolving, high-stress, high- stakes situations involving multiple stakeholders, complex interdependencies. The National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) of Harvard University Meta-Leadership curriculum is recognized as on the cutting edge of this unique leadership discipline.

Meta-Leadership training framework is a proprietary training to National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) of Harvard University. No other contractor has the rights and the level of expertise required to provide this training framework at the level of expertise necessary for top levels of Federal leadership.

The Meta-Leadership framework and practice method has been developed by faculty of the NPLI after extensive research on and observation of leaders in high-stress, high-stakes situations. It is designed to provide individuals with the tools that are conceptually and practically rigorous so that they are better equipped to act and direct others in emergency and non-emergency situations. Meta-leadership is currently being used by leaders in the field of homeland security, emergency preparedness and response, and public health in the public, private, and non-profit sectors (national and international).

NPLI possesses recent experience delivering the Meta-Leadership curriculum to Federal Senior Executives.

This module rated in top three modules in past SES Leading EDGE programs as measured by post program evaluations. Ratings have exceeded 90% satisfaction and many participants cited it as the most effective module.

Due to these considerations and the nature of OPM HRS CLDFEI’s requirement to support Federal agencies and Senior Executives, career and political, by providing continuing executive development, education and training opportunities, only the President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health) are capable of providing and adapting the required services at the level of expertise to satisfy OPM requirements. Therefore, IAW FAR13.106-1(b)(1)(i) , Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s (NPLI) is determined to be the only responsible source and no other supplies or services could satisfy OPM’s requirements.

6. Efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies

On December 17, 2021, OPO HRS CLD released Sources Sought notice, RFI OPMSS2243661, to gather market research. Twenty-five (25) vendors had an opportunity to respond. OPM received only one response.

The vendor had no academic experience delivering Meta-Leadership sessions but would provide a subcontract to NPLI.

Since the Meta-Leadership training framework is a proprietary brand to National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) of President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), it is difficult to solicit from other sources. A current search of academic programs found no Meta-Leadership programs designed for delivery to Federal senior executives. OPM has not found another vendor granted the rights to the NPLI proprietary training or the level of experience required to provide this training framework at the level of expertise necessary for top levels of Federal leadership.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 13.106-3.

8. Description of the market research conducted, and the results or statement of the reason market research was not conducted

On May 8, 2018, OPM issued a Notice of Intent 24322618N0004 on FedBizOpps regarding OPM’s intent to contract using FAR 13.106-1 (b) (1) (i) to President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as:

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) for providing Meta-Leadership Framework instruction. In the Notice of Intent, OPM offered interested parties the opportunity to identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement by May 11, 2018. OPM received no responses. On December 17, 2021, OPO HRS CLD released Sources Sought notice, RFI OPMSS2243661, to gather market research. OPO received only one response. The vendor did not meet the educational services requirements of the RFI. The vendor had no academic experience delivering Meta-Leadership sessions, nor were they granted authority to provide the proprietary Meta- Leadership instruction.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

This requirement meets a very specific, unique executive development requirement for a comprehensive, holistic leadership model that OPM HRS CLD FEI seeks to provide in support of career Federal Senior Executives and political appointees during their orientation and continuing development. The objective to provide a common model for understanding and integrating the many facets of leadership; a common strategy for engaging collaborative activity; and a common methodology for analyzing and reacting to crisis as well as improving the overall functioning and performance of the government.

As such, it is in the best interest of the Federal government to secure Meta-Leadership executive development services from President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health).

10. Statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made

OPM HRS CLD FEI will continue to conduct market research to discover additional vendors with the capabilities to meet this requirement. Responsible vendors may submit capability statements to be reviewed by the agency to the following POC: Sharon Brenner, OPO HRS CLD Contract Specialist at Sharon.brenner@opm.gov.

11. A listing of sources, if any, that expressed interest in the acquisition

OPMHRS CLDFEI remains committed to competitive procurement and will seek innovative ways to procure training using competition in the future. At present time, cost and all other factors considered, it is in the Federal government’s best interest to acquire the cited training delivery from President and Fellows of Harvard College (Doing Business as: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). OPM HRS CLD FEI continues to evaluate mission requirements, customer needs, and the marketplace of education service providers to promote competition to the maximum extent practicable. In fact, OPMHRS CLD FEI SESLE is in the process of submitting a separate education services proposal for competitive procurement.

12. Approval

In accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), I hereby certify that the justification herein is complete and accurate to the best of the contracting officer’s knowledge and belief.

Sharon Brenner Contracting Specialist

Approved By:

Laurie Griffin, Contracting Officer