A12 FAR 8.4_Limited Sources Justification Exceeding SAT Revised.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Limited Sources Justification for an Order/BPA Exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

Federal Supply Schedules/Multiple Award Schedule Program

FAR 8.405

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

USDA Rural Development-Office of External Affairs supported by the Procurement Management Office, Regional Acquisition Division.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The USDA Rural Development (RD) Office of External Affairs (OEA) requires Procurement Management Office assistance to award a 1-year base plus 4 option years contract. However, due to the nature of the requirement and expiration of the original BPA, this will require a short-term bridge requirement to ensure no break in services. The mission critical support services related to this requirement support the following programs:

- Strategic communications consultancy services to assist in the execution of a communications pilot project. This pilot will demonstrate how OEA’s new strategic tools can be employed to generate awareness of RD’s priority programs and promote understanding and consideration among its high priority and hard to reach stakeholders. The pilot will provide a proof of concept (and enable subsequent execution of additional campaigns) that will give RD programs a strategic advantage in accomplishing the mission to drive prosperity in rural communities of all colors across the country. OEA seeks to identify, prioritize, and effectively communicate with new, underserved, loan and grant recipients to bring critical resources to bear against the toughest rural challenges. For example, through this initiative, OEA will develop customized communications products and targeted outreach capability. These critical tools will help deliver RD capability, including broadband to small, rural schools and healthcare facilities;

assist in economic resilience; improve rural infrastructure in rural communities; ensure safe drinking water and wastewater systems; and, create jobs, opportunities, and equity in rural communities. As a result, RD will help improve opportunity and equity in rural communities.

- Production of effective communications products that use RD’s new strategic framework and toolset to engage specific rural audiences. Communication products and campaign execution need to cut through the clutter to reach their intended audiences (e.g., socially and economically disadvantaged rural individuals, families, and communities) and motivate them to apply to RD programs.

These USDA Rural Development (RD) programs provide support and services to rural America that significantly improve the quality of life in rural communities, CONUS, and territories.

This effort directly supports the complex technical and mission critical programs for the USDA/RD loan, grant and loan guarantee customers.

All services included on the follow on are non-personal and not considered inherently governmental in nature. As a result of this award, the contractor shall be required to meet all of the requirements set forth and provide the Subject Matter Expert support to supplement the OEA teams in providing the Senior Level communication support (to include strategy support, documentation development support, market outreach research and focus group and market survey support, template implementation, and training of program staff.

USDA Rural Development intends to issue a Firm Fixed price award with a base POP of 6 months and NTE 6-month Option. This is a logical follow on requirement as Ogilvy has invested many hours and resources in developing the requirement to its current stage, and in changing vendors at this time would result in duplicative work and additional cost to the government. It is the intention of the contracting officer to award this contract to Ogilvy.

3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

Project Title: RD Office of External Affairs Strategic Communications (Campaign Development & Execution)

Project Description: The contractor shall effectively assist OEA in providing communications related support services to RD leadership and staff. Senior Communications positions will primarily serve as advisors to management on the development and execution of communications campaigns and determine effectiveness of outreach efforts. Individuals require knowledge of the following:

- Current best practices related to strategic communications campaigns

- Traditional and digital communications tactics and tools

- market research

- USDA and RD brand guidelines and communications regulations policies (e.g., 508 compliance)

Personnel shall analyze data and develop reports upon request. The work requires skill in application of traditional and digital communications, stakeholder segmentation, campaign blueprinting, performance evaluation; oral and written communications; and development of presentations and reports; data collection through surveys and focus groups and other methods.

The contractor will assist in all aspects of the communications process and with their extensive experience and knowledge, will help assist the Government teams by:

- Provide advice and recommendations for all elements in communications plans, including approaches, options, strategies, editorial calendar and milestone schedule, recommend an effective and supportable course of action;

- Evaluate different approaches and sources for communications support, provide expert advice and options on brand and campaign development and execution

Estimated Dollar Amount: $275,000 per period.

Period of Performance: Base Period, August 15, 2021 through February 14, 2022 Option Period, February 15, 2022 – August 14, 2022.

4. The authority and supporting rationale.

The following circumstance justifies limiting the source under FAR 8.405-6:

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) – In the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule.

5. A statement demonstrating the unique qualifications of the proposed contractor or the nature of the action requiring the use of the authority.

The original order was not previously issued under sole-source or limited-sources procedures and was competitively awarded. The work required under the bridge contract is a logical follow-on as described below. As such, only the original source can provide the necessary services without a substantial duplication of cost to the Government, delays in onboarding, lapse in mission critical support that could not be expected to be recovered through competition in a timely manner nor at a possible cost savings that would offset the delays in mission essential acquisition support.

Ogilvy is in a unique position to provide these communications services to USDA/RD/OEA. Ogilvy has supported OEA (since 2018) through the USDA Office of Communications (USDA/OC) blanket purchase agreement. Ogilvy has thorough understating of the RD Brand Ogilvy embarked on Phase 1 of OEA’s strategic communications initiative, which re-envisioned the RD brand and launched a new brand identity. Ogilvy gained unique insights into USDA and RD through extensive interviews, stakeholder research, and product testing to rebrand RD and launch RD’s new identity across all internal and external stakeholders. Ogilvy successfully captured and articulated RD’s voice through core messaging (found in RD’s current message box), visual identity (found in RD’s visual identity Guide) and many brand templates used at HQ and in every State. Ogilvy provided critical services and put in place a methodology for thinking strategically and executing key priority communications campaigns.

Ogilvy studied RD programs, conducted stakeholder focus groups, and developed templates for thinking strategically when developing communications campaigns, as exemplified in the RD strategic communication blueprint framework and the RD Communications Playbook (that they are currently being revised based on new administrations priorities. They conducted a demonstration of the new strategic approach with RD’s flagship broadband program—ReConnect. As a result, Ogilvy has a deep knowledge base and understanding of RD stakeholders, RD programs, and especially OEA’s capabilities. They conducted a thorough audit and designed many components of OEA’s strategic communications capability, including a new digital strategy and an editorial calendar for 2021-2022.

RD will launch Phase 2 in August 2021 as a logical follow-on to Phase 1 of the strategic communications initiative. With the initial building blocks in place, OEA now requires Ogilvy’s assistance in demonstrating its full strategic communications capability. Continuing on this path with Ogilvy will allow OEA to rapidly develop and execute a high priority communications campaign. This campaign will support one of RD’s key priority initiatives—combatting COVID-19 and supporting economic recovery. Other campaigns will include improving rural infrastructure and clean energy/climate. Continued engagement with Ogilvy will help elevate USDA RD’s strategic communications capabilities to a level of sophistication that will help RD programs reach new participants and communities who may not have benefited from RD programs in the past.

6. Description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Due to the nature of this requirement, and additional support services requirement is being developed, and solicited, however due to the short timeline of the requirement this sole source bridge requirement is being initiated to cover the time from expiration to award of the new contract. This logical follow on will save the government money and prevent rework of products that require final approval of officials who are not appointed as of yet. This is a huge economical savings due to the logical follow on.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

Engagement of a new firm would result in substantial duplication of resources, time, and money already invested in gaining knowledge and insight required to generate the brand, products, and messaging. Having just implemented a new communications construct with accompanying templates and framework, bringing on a new contractor who would also bring its own methodology and approach, would put RD’s credibility at risk and create customer fatigue. Engaging a new contractor would necessarily include excessive rework in re-doing all interviews, changes in process and business templates, and retraining RD communications professionals.

8. Statement of actions the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition if subsequent acquisitions are anticipated.

USDA Rural Development will follow the bridge contract that covers Phase 2 with a competitive solicitation and award. This contract will have a base year plus four 1-year option periods. This solicitation shall be released and evaluated during the base period of the bridge contract therefore, removing all barriers to the competition. The intent is to complete the new solicitation process with an anticipated start day on or about 1 February 2022.

9. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer (CO) that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

Pursuing a different course of action would cost the government time and money for a mission critical requirement. Doing this any other way than the recommend course of action could cause a break in the mission critical services. The short term bridge requirement allows time for the new award to be properly developed, solicited and evaluated along with a transition. To ensure pricing and level of effort required, the LCATS will be compared with historical contract actions and GSA contract rates for the subject vendor, along with CALC to determine that the price is fair and reasonable and represents the best value to the Government.

Certifications & Approval

☒ The information provided for this justification has been reviewed and certified accurate and complete by Elizabeth Dann, Program/Technical Personnel.

Contracting Officer (not exceeding $750,000). I have reviewed this justification and certify it to be accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

☒ Approved.

☐ Reviewed and forwarding to the Procuring Activity Advocate (MASCO or Delegate).

Gary Brown Contracting Officer