24Q0030_JNA_042424_Redacted.pdf

FAR Part 13.5 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition

Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 – Controlled Unclassified Information

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

CCRS Capacity-Building Support

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350-1400

2. Description of Action: A firm fixed price contract is planned with a total estimated value of $670,000.00. The period of performance is a 12-month base year and four 12-month option years. FY24 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the estimated amount of $134,000.00.

3. Description of Supplies and Services: The Contractor shall provide both agency membership and participation in collaborative/

SCASS (state collaborative on assessment and student standards) offerings such as the ones listed below. The number and type of groups required by DoDEA may vary each year due to the fact that DoDEA’s requirements for building-capacity support and the type of offerings may vary. Thirteen collaboratives/SCASS are required in the base year.

4. Authority: FAR 13.501(a), a sole source acquisition under the authority of the special program for commercial items. Only one responsible entity can meet DoDEA’s requirements, and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency’s requirements.

5. Demonstration of Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of Acquisition Requiring the Authority Cited: Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Contracting Officer, approve this justification for the proposed contract action pursuant to the authority cited above because the collaborative services afforded to DoDEA senior leaders and subject-matter experts for CCRS capacity-building support are essential to the Agency’s requirements and because market research indicates no other entity can meet the Agency's needs.

Background DoDEA’s Needs: The average military-connected child moves 5-7 times during his or her PK-12 experience. DoDEA receives students from virtually every state and territory and sends students to virtually every state and territory. Because DoDEA tailors its curriculum and instruction to national standards and practices, membership in a national educational organization like the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is essential. DoDEA senior leaders and subject-matter experts at the HQ level, benefit greatly from a national organization focused on elementary and secondary education, where other chief state school officers and their senior staff meet to discuss and help formulate best practices in almost every curricular/ assessment area. Often these best practices become national standards that DoDEA must adopt.

CCSSO: It is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head school systems and curricular areas in the states, District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education, and five extra-state jurisdictions including DoDEA. According to its website, CCSSO is …committed to ensuring that all students participating in our public school system—regardless of background—graduate prepared for college, careers, and life. Around the globe nations are struggling to find the best mix of centralized and decentralized power to assure the most effective performance of their students gauged by international benchmarks. In the United States, CCSSO is uniquely placed to help fashion the best balance between those forces/goals.

History: For many years DoDEA has participated in CCSSO meetings. Since 2014 DoDEA has contracted with CCSSO primarily to provide capacity-building support for our implementation of the College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (HE1254-14-P-0012). The lessons learned from the CCSSO collaboratives have helped make those initiatives successful and have helped DoDEA in many other curricular/assessment areas, that is, building our capacity to support our implementation of CCRS in every curricular area.

Rationale CCSSO is the only entity that brings together dedicated chief school officers together with the goal of gathering/harnessing exceptional ideas to achieve measurable progress for every student. No other entity has such extensive, high level membership and national influence—every state, territory, District of Columbia, etc. Finally, no other entity can provide the high-level CCRS capacity-building support DoDEA requires. The need for this capacity-building support is expected to last for many years as DoDEA expands CCRS implementation to multiple curricular areas/disciplines and also continually improves those areas that have been implemented. —Based on this rationale, the Contracting Office has made the

10. Interested Sources: Council of Chief State School Officers, Inc.

11. Effort to remove barriers to/increase competition: DoDEA subject-matter experts continually monitor developments in the marketplace. DoDEA will perform market research prior to each option exercise to determine whether new sources may result in competition. If a new organization that meets DoDEA’s requirements comes on the market, DoDEA will ensure that full and open competition occurs.

CCRS Capacity-Building Support

CERTIFICATION

Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance and which forms a basis for this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Digital Signature/Date:

COORDINATION

Legal Review: (required > $250K/SAT): Based on the foregoing, this Justification is legally sufficient.

APPROVAL

Approval is granted subject to the availability of funds and provided that the products / services described herein have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Contracting Officer: I certify the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and hereby determine the anticipated costs to the Government for this requirement will be fair and reasonable.