5-Sole Source Memo TJJE March4-7-sc.pdf

Sole Source Justification – The Justice Journey Experience (TJJE)

Program: Timuel D. Black Jr. Scholarship & Fellowship (TBSF) – Civil Rights Learning Journey

Dates: March 4–7 Route: Atlanta, GA → Montgomery/Selma/Birmingham, AL → Atlanta, GA Estimated Cohort: [16 students] + [4 chaperones] = 20 CCC students, staff, and faculty.

Vendor: The Justice Journey Experience (TJJE) Quoted Pricing: $48,300 for 20 travelers (proposal on file)

The Office of Legislative & Community Affairs requests approval of a sole source procurement with The Justice Journey Experience (TJJE) for the upcoming Timuel Black Scholarship & Fellowship Civil Rights Learning Journey on March 4–7, 2026.

Why Sole Source

Integrated, education-first delivery (not a standard tour): pre-trip preparation;

daily small-group reflection circles at each meal; participant journaling;

expert/eyewitness presentations at sites; and a scheduled post-trip debrief 4–6 weeks later.

Turnkey logistics (single vendor, single invoice): airfare, hotels, ground transport, meals, and museum/site entry bundled—minimizing per-diem handling and multi-invoice reconciliation.

Chaperone enablement: TJJE prepares our chaperones to support students processing emotionally challenging civil-rights content.

Public-institution readiness: non-sectarian, inclusive delivery aligned to CCC equity and student-rights commitments.

Why Not In-House

In the past, we have coordinated this trip entirely in-house, which has required two to three employees working for several months to manage all logistics. This intensive workload has pulled staff away from other responsibilities and placed considerable strain on our department. Staff have had to manage hotel bookings, buses, ground transportation, and meals at multiple restaurants. Additionally, our team has had to make thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket payments—sometimes upwards of $5,000—that then required lengthy reimbursement processes.

Beyond the workload, this approach also raises concerns regarding audit and compliance. Managing numerous receipts, reimbursements, and manual payments across multiple vendors increases the likelihood of inconsistencies and potential audit findings. It is not a best practice for staff to make large out-of-pocket expenditures or to manually track this level of spending activity. Partnering with Justice Journey eliminates these risks by consolidating all costs into a single contract with clear documentation, robust financial controls, and transparent reporting.

By working with Justice Journey, we can alleviate these issues entirely. This approach enables our staff to focus on their core responsibilities while ensuring that students receive the rich, uninterrupted educational experience that is the program's true purpose.

Market Research & Best-Price Efforts

Over multiple months, we reviewed alternatives (group-travel firms, museum packages, piecemeal contracting). Competitors could cover parts (transport/hotel/tickets) but lacked the facilitated learning model (Subject matter experts (SME), daily circles, scheduled debrief) central to TBSF outcomes. We obtained TJJE’s written, bundled proposal with line-item inclusions (air, hotel, ground, meals, site fees). Quote: $2,165 per participant (double) + $5,000 facilitation; for 20 travelers ≈ $48,300. Scope excludes only Saturday dinner, single occupancy, and optional travel insurance.

Price Reasonableness & Operational Efficiency

The bundled per-person rate compares favorably to multi-award builds once staff labor, per-diem handling, and facilitation value are factored in. Previously, in-house delivery required 2–3 employees during the first trip in 2024, within less than 2 weeks. The trip back in March 2025 was over 8–10 weeks, but encountered numerous and significant issues that resulted in paying high out-of-pocket payments, requiring reimbursement.

TJJE’s single-invoice model eliminates those burdens and compliance risks, facilitating coordinated holds across MLK National Historical Park, Legacy Museum/NMPJ, Edmund Pettus Bridge, 16th Street Baptist Church, and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Impact if Not Approved (and RFP Required)

Learning outcomes degrade: the integrated pedagogy (SMEs, daily circles/journaling, post-debrief) would be lost with logistics-only vendors.

Cost and risk increase: multi-award builds add fees/minimums/overtime and expand reconciliation workload and on-trip payouts.

Schedule jeopardy: RFP timelines risk losing holds at high-demand sites/speakers across four cities within our date window.

Compliance, Risk & Deliverables

TJJE agrees to non-sectarian, inclusive delivery; CCC retains approval of language, SMEs, and reflection materials. CCC will obtain/verify required documents (COI meeting CCC insurance requirements, and any safety attestations). Deliverables include finalized itinerary; confirmed flights/hotels/ground/meal plan; named sites and SMEs; chaperone orientation; on-trip facilitation plan; post-trip debrief session; single, itemized invoice.

Request

Approve TJJE as a sole source for the March 4–7, 2026 TBSF Civil Rights Learning Journey.

Attachments

1. TJJE Proposal & Quote

2. TJJE Justification