AL-CTE SS Determination Letter.pdf

Oregon achieves . . . together!

Colt Gill Director of the Oregon Department of Education

255 Capitol St NE, Salem, OR 97310 | Voice: 503-947-5600 | Fax: 503-378-5156 | www.oregon.gov/ode

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES

Date: September 17, 2021

MEMORANDUM FOR FILE

Authority:

Sole Source Justification pursuant to Oregon Revised Statute (“ORS”) 279B.075 and Oregon Administrative Rule (“OAR”) 125-247-0275, the Oregon Department of Education (“Agency”) finds a Sole Source Contract (“Contract”) is necessary to efficiently acquire services for the Accelerated Learning (“AL”) &Career Technical Education (“CTE”) Data Dashboards.

Authority for Agency to enter into a Sole Source Contract:

OAR 125-246-0170(2)(c)(H).

Background:

Agency is preparing to enter into a contract with Education Northwest (“EDNW”) from Sept 2021 to Sept.

2023. For more than 50 years EDNW has partnered with schools, districts, communities, and other stakeholders to help all children and youth meet their full potential. EDNW provide high-quality research, technical assistance, professional development, and evaluation services that address the most pressing education and youth-services needs in our region and across the country. Partnering with the Agency and Higher Education Coordinating Commission (“HECC”), EDNW would be contracted for the updating and maintaining of the Oregon Accelerated Learning (“AL”) and Career and Technical Education (“CTE”) Dashboards.

The AL and CTE Dashboards were developed by EDNW for a Regional Educational Laboratory (“REL”) Northwest training series. The Dashboards continue to serve as tools for educators across Oregon to understand what AL and CTE participation rates look like in their context and to identify equity gaps in student participation.

Under the proposed scope, EDNW will update the Dashboards and the databases underlying the Dashboards with three (3) years of data (2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22) and assure the Dashboards work for Users from September 2021 to September 2023.

The Agency, will provide funding to cover the annual cost for updating and maintaining the Dashboards and for two (2) Training Webinars each year—one (1) for each Dashboard.

Sole Source Justification – Within Agency Authority - Format approved 12/20/07, NC

Market Research Findings Pursuant to ORS279B.075:

The Contracting Officer makes the following determinations:

a. Pursuant to ORS 279B.075(2)(a): - It is unlikely that such a Sole Source contract will substantially diminish competition as the efficient utilization of existing goods requires the acquisition of compatible goods or services;

These Dashboards and database were developed and in operation for AL and CTE purposes prior to this acquisition of maintaining and continuing the use of the Dashboards and databases.

No other company has an existing database with this information.

b. Pursuant to ORS 279B.075(2)(b):The goods or services required for the exchange of software or data with other public or private agencies are available from only one source.

Form: A web-based, searchable dashboard of AL and CTE information that is publicly available for everyone, that is searchable by Education Service Districts (“ESD”), School Districts (“SD”), Schools and at community college level, and is 508c accessible does not currently exist.

Content: EDNW has fully created and formatted Dashboards that were created for other projects.

This Contract places that data and functionality onto a permanent web page that is public facing and accessible. The funds are for the creation of the website that will house the already created dashboards, cleaning of each year's data using algorithms already developed by EDNW, and updating the Dashboards by entering that data in the already existing format.

d. Pursuant to ORS 279B.075(2)(d): Additional findings that support the conclusion that the goods or services are available from only one source.

Attendance at educational vendor marketplaces found no comparative product.

Research of the internet yielded no identical products Discussion/networking with peers - no knowledge of similar products

The Agency has made reasonable effort to ensure competition for this Sole Source procurement, through the use of research for vendors with similar products online through the internet, at vendor's marketplaces/sources, and through networking with peers across the nation, and posting in OregonBuys.

The resulting Contract will be in the amount of $123,000 with the possibility of amendments should it become necessary to continue to provide the funding for services, and will be issued according to authority of OAR 125- 247-0275 with reasonable effort made to ensure competition

Kristidel McGregor, AL Specialist

Jennell Ives, Executive Manager

Karen K Harrison, Contracting Officer

Kai Turner, Designated Procurement Officer ODE Procurement Services

Jennell Ives