24QE022_JNA_082324_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

Assessment Data Use and Implementation Pilot Project

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 . The period of performance is 12 months.

3. Description of Supplies and Services: To help DoDEA improve practice and student outcomes, the Contractor shall assist

DoDEA embed at the system, district, region, district, and school levels a consistent and high quality protocol, professional learning structure, and related coaching around the use of assessment data as a part of instructional team development and collaborative planning. The pilot project will touch one school in each of DoDEA’s nine districts. The pilot project’s four key priorities are as follows:

▪ Adopting a consistent and high quality structure for instructional planning and data analysis to be used during

PLCs and action planning.

▪ Accelerating best practices in instruction through consistent implementation of teaching and learning cycles across schools.

▪ Strengthening leader and teacher capacity to effectively take action on data using clearly defined protocols, systems, and structures.

▪ Maximizing the use of tools and systems for data analysis and action planning to support instructional progress and student achievement.

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 rationale, I, as the Contracting Officer, approve this justification for the proposed contract action pursuant to the authority cited above because the assessment data and implementation support provided by The Achievement

Network, Ltd. (ANet) are essential to the Agency’s requirements and because market research indicates no other entity can meet the Agency's needs in the required timeframe.

Background: Many companies provide services within the assessment market to schools. In most cases those services are formulated in a structure where the primary service is to provide a testing electronic system and related professional learning, coaching, and technical support. Another market is strategic consulting services, which focuses on building custom services to meet the needs of an individual school system, which usually entails developing tools from scratch. A third market is that of researchers and authors who have packaged services oriented around the tools and methods they describe in their books. DoDEA already contracts for several assessment systems and related support.

Rationale

▪ The solution that DoDEA requires does not fit into the three product lines/markets cited above. First, DoDEA requires a pilot program to use our existing assessment tools to match our content standards. Also, DoDEA requires a functional solution during the 2024-25 school year, which precludes all but one vendor from providing a solution, since other vendors would have to start from scratch. Second, DoDEA requires coaching and related support to build our capacity as we implement this assessment system, which goes beyond the scope of the small operations that the research/author-oriented companies have.

▪ The Achievement Network (ANet), which started over two decades ago as a non-profit serving school districts, has developed a strong set of tools for focusing instructional planning based on assessment results. Not only is the placement of ANet in this market unique, but also ANet has developed templates that will meet DoDEA’s requirements with minimal customization. ANet’s tools are proprietary, and the company has no resellers. Only

ANet can provide the required solution in the pilot program’s required timeframe.

▪ The pilot program phase will last 12 months and will directly impact 9 of DoDEA’s 160 schools. After completion of this pilot, DoDEA will issue a competitive solicitation to obtain support for full, systemwide implementation.

Based on the rationale above, the Contracting Officer has made the determination to issue a sole source solicitation to

The Achievement Network, Ltd. as the only entity that can provide the required assessment services for DoDEA’s pilot program.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: As stated above, DoDEA has done extensive market research. DoDEA will publicize a notice as required by FAR Subpart 5.2.

7. Fair and Reasonable Determination: The contracting officer has determined the anticipated costs are fair and reasonable.

8. Market Research

The Achievement Network, Ltd., 1 Beacon Street, Suite 2200, Boston, MA 02108. Vaughn Thompson, Partnership Development, 901-233-9066, vthompson@achieveemntnetwork.org. Not a small business, per SAM.gov for NAICS codes 611710

(Educational Support Services and 813410 (Civic and Social Organizations). CAGE code 65M64.

DoDEA has identified vendors with existing assessments that possess strong resources and support services. However, those resources and services are targeted toward their assessments, platforms, and tools. Therefore, they do not have the capability to meet DoDEA’s requirement in the required timeframe.

DoDEA identified vendors representative of those in the consulting space. While they may be able to provide customized assessment tools, they do not have an existing well developed product line around supporting data use. Therefore, they cannot meet DoDEA’s requirement in the required timeframe.

DoDEA reached out to all the contractors identified in June/July 2024 through emails and phone calls.

Search parameters to review the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS):

The expected NAICS code, 611710 (Educational Support Services), and the keywords data coaching were used.

FPDS

▪ No contracts match the criteria.

DSBS

▪ No profiles met the search criteria.

9. Other Supporting Facts: No

10. Interested Sources: The Achievement Network, Ltd.

11. Effort to Remove Barriers to Increase Competition: DoDEA subject-matter experts continually monitor developments in assessment-related resources and services. DoDEA will perform market research prior to each option exercise to determine whether new sources may result in competition. If one or more companies that can meet DoDEA’s requirements is identified, DoDEA will ensure that full and open competition occurs.

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.

Digital Signature/Date: ______________________________________________

Competition Advocate (required > $700,000)

Digital Signature/Date: _______________________________________________________________

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.

Digital Signature/Date: _______________________________________