A16_-_JOFOC_Strategic_Planning_NPS_redacted_1.pdf

ATTACHMENT 2

JUSTIFICATION & APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

for SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS OVER THE MICROPURCHASE THRESHOLD (See FAR Part 2)

UP TO SAT

(See FAR 13.106-1)

Date: September 9, 2024

PR Number: 0040673984

1. Nature and/or description of the item/service being procured and its intended use (include the anticipated cost):

Wildfire size, frequency, and duration have steadily increased over the last several decades within the western U.S. Climate-amplified wildfires have burned in several regions with multiple Pacific West

Regional parks affected by extreme fire spread rates and total area burned. Parks have had 60–100% of park land burned (Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Lava Beds National Monument, Lassen Volcanic

National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic

Site), and have been significantly impacted by multiple fires in the same year and successive fires year after year (Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon

National Parks, Lava Beds National Monument).

These fire events have had significant adverse impacts on irreplaceable natural and cultural resources. Since

2020, approximately 20% of the world’s monarch giant sequoias and 1.3 million Joshua Trees have been lost in parks due to wildfire. The Dixie Fire at Lassen Volcanic National Park resulted in an 8% loss of the federally listed whitebark pine. Park museum collections have been lost, historic structures burned, park infrastructure and seasonal housing destroyed, and park visitation and experience either directly impacted by park closures or indirectly by poor air quality. Changing climate conditions are also affecting the ability of parks to manage wildland fire and prescribed fire for beneficial effects and to understand the likely outcomes of these management actions.

Despite these serious incidents, parks rarely have the capacity to conduct and facilitate real-world interdisciplinary scenario planning and tabletop exercises to address preparedness levels, identify potential pre-incident mitigations and to test plans in place (e.g., Continuity of Operations Plans, park-specific evacuation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)s, structure protection, etc.). Nor do parks have essential pro-active plans and spatial products such as park-specific Resource Advisor Guides and accompanying

Geospatial Atlases of vulnerable natural and cultural resources, employee accountability systems, and museum evacuation protocols. An interdisciplinary effort for park-specific strategic planning is critical to developing shared goals and priorities to respond to wildfire.

The National Park Service – National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) as a requirement for a contractor to provide three (3) on-site facilitated workshops in the Legacy Pacific West and Intermountain regions of the

NPS. The primary intent of the workshops is focus on intent-based strategic planning for wildland fire preparedness based on worst-case fire scenarios. The Contractor shall define the types of impacts wildland fires may have on the individual park unit, a review of existing documents and plans to support wildland fire preparedness, identification of incomplete, missing, or outdated plans and documents, and the development intent-based strategic planning to assist the park to be prepared for an extreme wildfire event.

The estimated cost is approximately:

2. Sole Source Justification rationale (Check one and explain below):

__X____ Only one responsible source.

______ Urgent and compelling circumstances exist. Include critical delivery or performance dates, and when you became aware of the requirement. Provide a specific statement of the impact on Government operations, financial or otherwise, if the required delivery or performance dates are not met.

______ Other _____________________________________________________

Explain:

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1) For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (i) Contracting Officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

Mission-Centered Solutions (MCS) is a contractor that specializes in and is considered the leading expert worldwide in emergency preparedness and wildland fire training, consulting, and facilitation services. They are found to be the only contractor that provides these services for the National Interagency Fire Center

(NIFC), which is a partnership that consists of multiple federal agencies including the Department of the

Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (FWS) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the National Weather Service and the Department of Defense. They are the main service provider for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes the US. Coast

Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as, state, local, and international emergency response agencies around the globe.

MCS is one of the only approved training partners for the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group

(NWCG) and provides certified training, consulting and facilitation services that are approved by the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the partners located at NIFC. MCS is the only provider of specific training such as CA-010-PREV Incident

Leadership and CA-057-RESP Intent into Action in the State and Federal Sponsored Training Catalog that meets the L-381 – Incident Leadership & L-481 – Advanced Leadership for Command and General Staff certification standards that are required by NWCG.

This requirement is for the facilitated strategic planning workshops at three (3) NPS locations within the

Pacific West and Intermountain Region that experienced significant wildland fire activities or has the potential for significant wildland fire activity in the future. The MCS facilitated workshops will provide real-world interdisciplinary scenario planning and tabletop exercises to address preparedness levels, identify potential pre-incident mitigations and to test plans in place (e.g., Continuity of Operations Plans, park-specific evacuation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)s, structure protection, etc.).

MCS is considered the only leading expert for wildland fire facilitation, consultation and training company that works extensively with the Incident Management Team (IMT)s. MCS has been found to be the only company that provides the most advanced training available for incident management personnel that focuses on the building and reinforcing the decision processes that underpin the ICS structure, forms, and Advanced

Incident Management Plan (IMP) Development Framework that is congruent with the Incident Management

Team development track recommend by FEMA, the USFA, and NWCG that is required for the NPS strategic planning. MCS has created an integrated framework that are used as critical building blocks for

IMT development which is integral for strategic planning. The MCS provided workshops will focus on strategic planning and crisis management, that are consistent with the NPS core missions and enhancing operational culture for safety and effectiveness.

3. Market Research. Please explain the results or why one was not performed. State whether any other offers were received or anyone expressed interest:

Extensive Market Research was performed by the Contracting Officer (CO) in preparation of this requirement. While there are many approved NWCG emergency and wildland fire training partners with a lot of emergency and wildland fire experience out there like the Colorado Wildland Fire and Incident

Management Academy, which this CO is an NWCG Instructor for, they only provide NWCG related training. They do not provide consultation or facilitation outside of the classroom setting.

There are also multiple vendors available on GSA Schedules, including Human Capital and Training

Solutions 8A (HCATS 8A) under POOL1 – Professional & Management Development Training but none of the contractors were found to provide the specific emergency management and wildland fire experience that is required. This was also found true on the open market who provide professional consulting/facilitation type services, as only MCS has been identified as the leading expert and being capable of providing the specific emergency management and wildland fire related facilitation services that are required for this requirement.

Mission-Centered Solutions (MCS) is an approved NWCG training partner and is the only contractor that has been found to be the only vendor that has the staff and experience in the facilitation and consultation that specifically focuses on emergency/incident and wildland fire regarding strategic planning for wildland fire. One other company the was found International SOS was found to provide consulting services;

however, the focus is on health and security related items versus emergency and wildland fire response and not found to be comparable.

The NPS also issued a Special Notice – Intent to Sole Source for emergency planning workshops under solicitation 140PS124Q0031 on September 7, 2024, which allowed other contractors to state their qualifications and capability to provide wildland fire specialized facilitation, consultation, and training. No responses were received.

MCS has been determined to be the only contractor that has been found capable of facilitating these strategic planning workshops that are required by three (3) NPS locations within the Pacific West and

Intermountain Regions of the NPS.

4. If this is a determination for sole source, the contracting officer certifies:

a. Only one source is available, or urgent and compelling circumstances exist.

b. The anticipated price will be determined fair and reasonable using the price analysis techniques described in FAR Part 13.106-3(a).

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date)__________________________

Type or Print Name: __________________________________________

Title:

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date) ___________________________

Type or Print Name: Brian McCabe

Contracting Officer

Over $50,000:(if applicable)

(Signature) _______________________________________ (Date) ______________________

Warranted Individual 1 Level Above Contracting Officer