A16_Sole_Source_Justification_FS123P0158_Redacted_1.pdf

The Region 1 Science Applications program is requesting to continue contracted service for expansion, maintenance, and outreach of the Conservation Program Explorer (CPE) tool as subcontracted under the original contract 140F0119P0257. Accomplishing our USFWS and program missions depend on the CPE tool to provide ongoing support to meet our science and conservation delivery goals in collaboration with other USFWS programs and our long-standing partners. A pilot version of the CPE tool was developed for western Washington state to support the Cascades to Coast Landscape Collaborative (CCLC, www.ctoclc.org) an effort led by the USFWS through the Science Applications program that has meaningful influence region-wide. The CPE tool was so well received that CCLC partners in Oregon want the tool built out for their state too. A new contract with Rachel Santa Olalla, the subcontractor under 140F0119P0257, structured as a base-year with an additional option year will best secure the required service. The requirement is for a part-time position to expand the CPE tool into western Oregon, to provide maintenance and updates to the tool, and to promote adoption of the tool by engaging with partners and the public through outreach. The Region 1 Science Applications program is also developing a separate, interrelated contract for a CCLC facilitator whose tasks will include convening local partners in Oregon around the CCLC’s tools, especially the CPE tool. The success of the CCLC facilitator contract will depend on the CPE tool being built out for western Oregon, so that the facilitator will have a tool to convene partners around.

This project has been in development since 2019 from the US Fish and Wildlife service. The current contract has been performed by Rachel Santa Olalla since 2021 and has the knowledge and understanding of the CPE tool and the future developments. While there are other contractors who perform this type of work, they do not have the knowledge of this tool and the CCLC partners and other requirements that will be developed. Resoliciting this requirement would be detrimental to the ongoing partnerships and work in process.

There are no known other sources for this project. This contractor has been in performance of this work since 2019.

The major barriers to competition for this contract are the technical web developer skills required to ensure that the design and function of the CPE tool remains consistent during its built out into Oregon state. Essentially, this contract is to take the existing version of the CPE tool which has been built for Washington state and replicate it for Oregon. Once the CPE tool is built for Oregon, future needs will include updates and maintenance, which are much less technical in nature. We anticipate that subsequent contract acquisitions can be openly competed.

FWS Form 3-0034 (Rev. 10/2020) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

SINGLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

(UNDER SAT)

JOINT ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS

Acquisitions Operations

Pursuant to FAR subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) and (ii), for purchases not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), Contracting Officers may solicit from only one source if the circumstances deem only one source is reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization).

Instructions: The information in the text boxes are provided as sample language or to indicate a needed fill-in. Sample language should be removed from the final document. All text boxes require information and shall not be left blank.

1. Description of Need

2. Market Research Conducted

3. Other Capable Sources

4. Barriers to Competition

The current contractor is Rachel Santa Olalla, and she has been subcontracted under 140F0119P0257 since 2021. During her time working with the CCLC, she has created an interactive, web-based Conservation Program Explorer tool for the state of Washington intended to raise awareness of available programs and connect landowners to agencies and organizations that implement programs.

This required significant technical skills in web development to design the user interface and to structure the database of conservation programs. With this current contract acquisition request, we would like to retain Rachel Santa Olalla so she can expand the CPE tool and replicate it for the state of Oregon. Success for this project is dependent upon knowledge, skills, and relationships with partners that have been fostered during Rachel’s tenure. It would be extremely time consuming and difficult to reproduce this. Additionally, the knowledge in methods and approaches are unique to this project. There are few contractors that could continue with this work without at least several months of training and relationship building. This would cause delays to the work outlined the SOW, and to the separate, interrelated contract that the Region 1 Science Applications program is developing for a CCLC facilitator.

Officer