COVID 19 Rapid Response Survey - Limited Sources Justification FAR 8.405-6 4-13-20 FINAL w Comp Ad sign.pdf

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

In Accordance With FAR 8.405-6 & CAM 1306.70

Task Order Title: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Response Survey Software as a Service (SaaS) Support

Solicitation Number: YA1323-20-KD-0005

Contractor: Carahsoft Technology Corporation

Period of Performance: April 15, 2020 – April 14, 2021

Place of Performance: U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland, MD

COR: Theresa Leslie

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity

U.S. Census Bureau, HQ Acquisitions Division

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

This is a sole-source procurement for Software as a Service (SaaS) support from Carahsoft Technology Corporation located 11493 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 100, Reston, Virginia 20190.

The proposed fixed price task order will be awarded off General Service Administration (GSA) Information Technology (IT) Schedule 70 GS-35F-0119Y.

3. Description of the Supplies/Services Required

The U.S. Census Bureau, in consultation with its federal statistical partners, is in a unique position to produce data on the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on American businesses and households. The circumstances surrounding the effects of COVID-19 are unprecedented and historical. The ability to understand how businesses and individuals are experiencing this period is critical to governmental and non-governmental response in light of business curtailment and closures, stay-at-home orders, school closures, changes in the availability of consumer goods and consumer patterns, and other abrupt and significant changes to American life.

The Demographic and Research and Methodology Directorates of the U.S. Census Bureau require the purchase of a subscription based, Software-as –a-Service (SaaS) survey programming platform, specifically Qualtrics, to support the Rapid Response Survey Study regarding COVID- 19 (Coronavirus) and its impact on the public, businesses, and policymakers.

The purpose of this acquisition is to procure a subscription service to web-based survey programming and administration Software as a Service (SaaS) that is both moderate risk FedRAMP certified and hosted on a FedRAMP approved Commercial Cloud Service Provider (CSP) at all times. This effort is intended to leverage the Qualtrics platform, which is currently Authorized to Operate by the U.S. Census Bureau, for survey programming, administration, and dissemination data review and analysis software.

The period of performance of this task order includes a one-year base period from April 15, 2020 through April 14, 2021. Given the uncertainty surrounding the duration and extent of the impact COVID-19 poses to the United States, this task order will include FAR 52.217-8 Optional Extension of Services.

The estimated value of this procurement is $2,000,000.00.

4. Authority and Supporting Rationale -

This action is taken pursuant to the authority of FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A) – an urgent and compelling need exists.

As of April 3, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported 213,144 cases of COVID-19 and 4,513 related deaths in the United States. As of April 8, 2020, just five (5) days later, the CDC reported 395,011 cases of COVID-19 and 12,754 related deaths in the United States. As the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies and continues to foster social and economic uncertainty, time is of the essence. The pandemic demands real-time data in a way that is urgent, unprecedented and compelling. COVID-19 has presented to be the most challenging event facing the U.S.

Government and the American people since the middle of the 20th century.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of a national emergency by the President of the United States on March 13, 2020, the U.S Census Bureau has been tasked with providing its unique capabilities and expertise to aid the United States as it confronts unprecedented and historic challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic by studying its impacts on the public, businesses, and policymakers. There is a need for the production of current data that tracks the trajectory of the impacts of the pandemic and helps Governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations respond accordingly. The U.S. Census Bureau is expediting an effort to provide timely data that position federal, state, and local officials and policymakers to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and support their communities at a time when the social and economic status of these communities are being compromised. It is vital for the Government and policy makers to understand how changes in employment and household income, the availability of consumer goods, interruptions in schooling, and challenges with housing and food security are impacting the American life as policy is drafted to help restart the economy. By leveraging its large, high-quality sample frames and data collection infrastructure, the U.S. Census Bureau will deploy a large-scale, low burden, rapid-response survey of households.

This tasking created an urgent need to leverage all available resources needed to launch the survey efforts within 15 days so that data collection can begin and start producing the necessary critical insights and impact data for decision makers, and yield the required number of survey responses necessary to study and understand the impact of this COVID-19 pandemic. One of the available resources with the unique authorization to operate by the U.S. Census Bureau that is being leveraged in this tasking is Qualtrics, a web-based survey programming and administration Software as a Service (SaaS) that is both moderate risk FedRAMP certified and hosted on a FedRAMP approved Commercial Cloud Service Provider (CSP). The U.S. Census Bureau acquires the use of Qualtrics to facilitate all the activities that go into the design, implementation, collection and dissemination of data resulting from similar U.S. Census Bureau’s sponsored surveys, via Carahsoft Technology Corporation’s GSA IT Schedule 70 contract. Additionally, Qualtrics is the only provider of these surveys with an Authority to Operate (ATO) by the U.S.

Census Bureau. The process of obtaining an ATO by the U.S. Census Bureau typically takes anywhere from three (3) to six (6) months. Due to the critical nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent and compelling need for real time data, the extensive amount of time involved in obtaining an ATO for another provider would jeopardize the expedient delivery of secure and necessary data to Federal decision makers. Given the Census Bureau’s experience with Qualtrics in successfully meeting requirements for similar surveys, it is in the best interest of the Government to leverage Qualtrics, via Carahsoft Technology Corporation.

5. Contracting Officer Determination of Best Value

Pursuant to FAR 8.404(d), the Contracting Officer has determined that the proposed order represents the best value for the subject requirement. In accordance with FAR 8.404(d) Pricing, GSA has already determined the prices offered under schedule contracts to be fair and reasonable. A comparison will be made to determine if the proposed price aligns with the rates on Carahsoft Technology Corporation’s GSA IT Schedule 70. Although GSA has already negotiated fair and reasonable pricing, the Contracting Officer will seek additional discounts before placing this task order. In accordance with FAR 8.405-2(d), the Contracting Officer will determine that the final proposed value of the task order is fair and reasonable. A comparative analysis will be done between the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and the Offeror’s proposal to assist in the determination of fair and reasonableness.

6. Market Research

Market Research Report was completed and documented in accordance with FAR Part 10 in support of this procurement. Market Research for this procurement consisted of a review of historical acquisition information for similar requirements, knowledge in procuring services of this type, review of internet resources, and the review of Government and/or commercial databases for relevant information.

In 2019, Market Research was conducted to determine what industry providers had the necessary capabilities to support a similar requirement of the U.S. Census Bureau’s for survey programming and administration software solutions. The market research revealed four (4) providers possess capabilities to meet most of the technical capabilities required by the U.S.

Census Bureau to fulfill the requirements similar to those needed now to successfully execute this critical task. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau required that the providers be FedRamp certified, and of the providers with technical capabilities and core competencies, Qualtrics was the only provider FedRamp certified and authorized to operate (ATO) by the U.S. Census Bureau at that time. As a result, Carasoft Technology Corporation, as an authorized reseller, was awarded a task order to provide access to Qualtrics and has been operating at the U.S. Census Bureau since June of 2019. More recent market research revealed that several other vendors have since obtained FedRamp certification, however, Qualtrics is the only vendor with an ATO at the U.S. Census Bureau at this time. Given the compelling urgency surrounding this study, obtaining an ATO for another provider would jeopardize the expedient delivery of secure and necessary data to Federal decision makers. The Market Research Report is located in the task order file.

7. Other Facts Supporting the Justification

With the urgent start date of April 15, 2020, the ATO process for another solution is inconceivable given that the process is not expedient. Given that it is already FedRAMP certified, has the ATO at the U.S. Census Bureau, and is currently in production supporting similar surveys and satisfying the effort with its continued use, Qualtrics will be instrumental to getting the critical information disseminated to those who need it most. The timely information will better position the policymakers for data driven decision-making, aid with better understanding of viable healthcare solutions, and support the speed of the economic recovery including those businesses being impacted while this pandemic continues to grow exponentially.

8. Actions to Remove or Overcome Barriers to Competition

For this particular requirement, due to the urgency of the need, no other sources were sought at this time, for the detailed reasons documented in the Justification above. However, in an attempt to remove and overcome barriers to competition, for any future similar needs and requirements, the U.S. Census Bureau plans to compete these requirements amongst providers on GSA IT Schedule or other Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) and Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs).

Technical Certification

I certify that the data and information forming the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Jennifer Childs Date Assistant Center Chief Emerging Methods and Applications Center for Behavioral Science Methods

9. Contracting Officer Certification

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Dijon Ferdinand Date Contracting Officer

Approval

Based on the above justification, I hereby approve award of the subject task order action due to urgent and compelling need pursuant to the authority FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A).

Leslie Andrecs Date Census Competition Advocate