36C77618Q9239-003.pdf

VHAPM Part 813.106 Simplified Acquisition Procedures: Soliciting from a Single Source Attachment 1: Single Source Justification for SAP under the SAT

VHAPM Part 813.106 Page 1 of 2 Original Date: 08/30/17 Revision 01 Eff Date: 04/23/2018

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Justification for Single Source Awards IAW FAR 13.106-1 For

Over Micro-Purchase Threshold but Not Exceeding the SAT ($250K)

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C776-18-AP-0526

1. Contracting Activity:

Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Health Information (OHI) Strategic Investment Management (SIM) Business Architecture (BA)

2. Brief Description of Supplies/ Services required and the intended use/Estimated Amount:

Effective Enterprise Architecture (EA) is essential for modernizing VHA health IT in support of high-quality Veteran-centric healthcare. EA will play a key role in major initiatives that support the delivery of services to veterans in line with the Department of Veterans Affairs 16 major initiatives including support for the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER), and the integrated Electronic Health Record (iEHR). Within the VHA, the SIM Business Architecture (BA) team is responsible for Enterprise Architecture. SIM leadership has done an outstanding job of launching and building BA;

however, there is now a need to mature and expand the group, to keep abreast of the latest Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) developments (e.g. the Federal Segment Architecture Methodology - FSAM), and to become FEA certified. The FEA Certification Institute is a leading organization offering a curriculum of classroom and online courses and job-related projects, leading to FEA Certification (FEAC). For 2018 BA is recommending the FEAC curriculum for the Lead and Technical Staff Registration cost for the full FEAC Institute curriculum including (expected) certification is $9,350 per participant Training will provide employee professional credentials that support the assertion to develop, market, and manage an Enterprise Architecture as part of a large program both within VA as well as among other federal partners. This credential establishes work force integrity, provides a tool the Federal government can capitalize, and transforms the professional network in Enterprise Architecture.

The total estimated price of the proposed purchase of registration for 2 attendees is:

Government registration cost is 2 x $9350.00 = $18,700.00.

3. Unique characteristics that limit availability to only one source, with the reason no other supplies or services can be used:

The Federated Enterprise Architecture Certification (FEAC) Institute is the recognized industry standard organization offering enterprise architecture certification, and the only organization offering certification in the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA), Federal Segment Architecture https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=/browse/far/13

VHAPM Part 813.106 Simplified Acquisition Procedures: Soliciting from a Single Source Attachment 1: Single Source Justification for SAP under the SAT

VHAPM Part 813.106 Page 2 of 2 Original Date: 08/30/17 Revision 01 Eff Date: 04/23/2018

Methodology (FSAM), Department of Defense Architectural Framework (DoDAF), and The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Strategic Investment Management (SIM) Business Architecture (BA) team must work with all of these architectural frameworks, especially FEA and FSAM for Office of Management and Budget compliance, and DoDAF for the joint DoD/VA integrated Electronic Health Record (iEHR) and Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) transformational initiatives. Business Architecture leverages FEAC Institute training and certification to achieve a high standard of architectural excellence, and to build a cohesive high-performance team.

It is highly advantageous from a team continuity and communications perspective that our senior team members share the common architectural baseline training and certification experience provided by the FEAC Institute. Seven of our current staff have attended training from this organization, have successfully passed the course, and hold the CEA designation. We believe that the continuity of having similar training for or additional staff is an important component of our team’s success.

The FEAC Institute was founded in 2002 and their curriculum is certified and accepted for graduate credit through the University of California at San Diego. Additionally, the curriculum provides 200 professional development units (PDU) toward Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification/re-certification

4. Description of market research conducted and results or statement why it was not conducted:

The VA has done significant research into all of the vendors offering Enterprise Architecture related training.

FEAC is only source for this type of Federated Enterprise Architecture Certification. Other sources offer Enterprise Architecture training, but do not offer the certification backed by a graduate level Certificate in the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA), Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM), Department of Defense Architectural Framework (DoDAF), and The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF). Nor do the other EA training organizations offer the same product: two 1-week long face to face sessions already scheduled in the northern Virginia area, combined with a team practicum and Orals practicum presentation, over an approximately 10 week calendar period.

5. Contracting Officer's Certification: Purchase is approved in accordance with FAR13.106-1(b). I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Andrea Fink Contracting Officer https://acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2013_1.html#wp1125466