D01_FA_-_Redacted_LSJ_Redacted_1.pdf

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

AUTHORITY: FAR 8.405-6 and 40 U.S.C 501

PRE-12268

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program.

1. Identification of the agency and contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Limited-Sources Justification.”

This document is a limited-sources justification (LSJ) for the Department of the Interior (DOI), Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD), Division III, Branch IV, on behalf of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC).

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

The purpose of this LSJ is to document the rationale for procuring a follow-on for technical assistance in support of the State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) under ACF’S Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program. In accordance with (IAW) FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C), this requirement will utilize sole source procedures, and the subsequent award will be made to ICF Incorporated, LLC under GSA, Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) No. GS-00F-010C to ensure uninterrupted continuation of critical services provided by HHS ACF.

The SCBC provides technical assistance for CCDF state and territory grantees. As part of that broader effort, the technical assistance stemming from this partnership will support state and territory efforts to build successful, cohesive child care and early childhood systems and programs. Awarding ICF a follow-on Task Order (TO) will support ACF in maintaining mission critical services with minimal disruption, while AQD prepares a long-term competitive solution, anticipated for award by September 29, 2026.

Furthermore, inclusion of FAR clause 52.217-8 will assist in maintaining necessary coverage while transitioning to a new vendor.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s need (including the estimated value)

The OCC is a component of the ACF, which is an operating division of HHS that promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure. The OCC administers the CCDF, which is authorized by the $12.3B Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to state, territory, and Tribal governments. OCC develops policy guidance, delivers technical assistance (TA), supports grantees in program implementation and administration, monitors for compliance, supports research, and broadly supports a child care system that meets the needs of children and families.

The State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) is seeking technical assistance for CCDF state and territory grantees leading to the successful implementation and continued administration of the requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 and the accompanying regulations published in 2016. The OCC requires contractor support to provide multifaceted expertise in data analysis, tracking and monitoring, training and technical assistance as well as web presence and content management for an array of grantees and service components supported by the CCDF.

Specific Requirements/Tasks of SCBC include:

Task 1: Project Management and Reporting Task 2: Coordination of State and Territory Technical Assistance Task 3: Coordination and Support of the Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) Task 4: CCDF Plan Support, Training, and CCDF Data Organization and Analysis Task 5: Intensive Capacity Building Technical Assistance Task 6: Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response and Recovery (EPDRR) Technical Assistance Task 7: Consumer Education and ChildCare.gov Content Management Task 8: Infant/Toddler and School-Age Child Care Technical Assistance Assistance Task 9: Evaluation of Technical Assistance Task 10: Maintain and Enhance the Technical Assistance Tracker (TAT) (Operations and Maintenance - O&M) Task 11: Maintain and Enhance the Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) Website and Its Resources Task 12: ChildCare.gov Agile Development, Iterative Improvements, Maintenance and Operation

This requirement is anticipated to have a 12-month period of performance, and the option to extend services as authorized by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-8. The period of performance is as follows:

Base Period: September 30, 2025 – September 29, 2026 FAR 52.217-8: September 30, 2026 – March 30, 2027

Calculations were based on historical rates and market research conducted. Estimated costs were identified under each of the 12 PWS tasks. Costs consist of labor, materials and other direct costs (ODCs). For labor, the government selected Labor categories and estimated the level of effort using labor for the requirement. GSA's Contract-Awarded Labor Category (CALC) tool was used to estimate the hourly labor rates for each category (fully loaded), and total estimates for labor across the anticipated term of the order. Material, travel and other direct costs were identified based on the requirement.

4. The authority and supporting rationale (see 8.405-6(a)(1)(i) and (b)(1)) and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

FAR authority for this LSJ is as follow: 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 order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order or BPA must not have been previously issued under sole-source or limited-sources procedures.

The expiring award, TO 75ACF122F80021 under GSA contract GS-00F 010CA, was competed via GSA, using full and open competition procedures. Only one submission was received in response to the solicitation, from ICF Inc. Therefore, this follow-on action meets the criteria set forth in FAR 8.405- 6(a)(1)(i)(C).

Prior to awarding the expiring TO, HHS performed a Request for Information (RFI) under GSA MAS 541611 for Professional Services - Business Administrative Services. The RFI resulted in four responses, the subsequent Request for Quote (RFQ) was issued to the four participating vendors with only one response submitted by ICF Inc. Therefore, award was made to ICF, Inc. in the amount of for a 12-month base period, followed by two, 12-month option periods. The total period of performance for this action was September 30, 2023, through September 29, 2025.

This requirement calls for both programmatic technical assistance and Information Technology (IT) support services including, website hosting, operations and maintenance. Although these are commercial services available in the marketplace, historically and in recent market research, HHS has experienced substantial difficulties in identifying vendors capable of providing the highly specialized support services required. Additionally, the IT component of this action requires the contractor to provide website hosting, the operations and maintenance of the Technical Assistance Tracker (TAT), the Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) website and ChildCare.gov.

These services include the maintenance and support of thousands of individual links to multiple Grantee webpages on ChildCare.gov. The contractor must also ensure adherence with ACF governance framework and compliance with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) processes. The ACF Governance Framework applies to all ACF IT solutions to ensure compliance with all federal IT laws, regulations, mandates, and policies across all stages of development.

ICF’s in-depth knowledge and extensive experience has been instrumental in helping OCC meet ACF’s mission with ICF’s highly qualified staff and an effective management approach. ICF is highly specialized in providing these services and thus, understands the unique nature of programmatic and IT needs for maintaining OCC’s information hub. Additionally, ICF has held this action for the past ten years, and has been rated as exceptional for quality, schedule, cost control and management. ICF has a large team of highly qualified Programmatic/Technical Assistance and IT Team Leads and Specialists supporting SCBC. Furthermore, ICF’s support services provide the subject matter expertise and institutional knowledge that would be very difficult to replace, without the ample time to perform market research and communicate with industry. ICF offers a proven management approach that meets the government’s needs in a quickly changing atmosphere. ICF contractors also have the required security clearances and are currently performing in a way that is well suited to OCC and lead agency’s needs.

The unique and complex nature of this requirement necessitates a considerable amount of time for market research and communication with industry; however, award is required by September 29, 2025, to avert potential delays in mission critical services. The CCDF’s mission is to provide access to quality childcare to low-income families. Without a bridge contract in place, access to these resources would limit and compromise child development outcomes. Furthermore, without the necessary contract support, the OCC may be faced with the inability to meet the regulatory compliances of the CCDBG Act of 2014. Moreover, failure to award a bridge contract, while AQD works to obtain a long-term solution would require an extensive transition and ramp-up period of 60 -120 days plus, likely resulting in critical disruptions or degradation of mission critical services to CCDF state and territory grantees. The transition period is dependent on whether the existing software licenses and configuration can be transferred with a new vendor or if new licenses and configuration build out is required with the new vendor. AQD will establish a long-term solution that will be a competed acquisition against GSA MAS scheduled vendors.

Work performed under this TO will include twelve tasks and various subtasks. The Contractor will report on the performance of task metrics to evaluate both the Contractors performance and to assess the status of the IT infrastructure.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

Price will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 8.404(d). The Contracting Officer will determine price reasonableness based on comparison of the proposed price with prices found reasonable on previous similar purchases, comparison with the IGCE and current GSA price lists. In accordance with FAR 8.405- 2(d), the Government will consider the level of effort, and the mix of labor proposed in the total price reasonableness determination to ensure the TO represents the best value. Furthermore, IAW 8.405-4 Price Reductions, ordering activity shall seek a price reduction when the order exceeds the SAT.

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

The Contract Specialist (CS), in collaboration with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), conducted market research for this action. This involved reviewing the acquisition history, discussions with the Small Business Advocate (SBA), DOI contract vehicles, a review of current labor rates and other potential sources. For closer review, please reference the completed and approved Market Research Report, saved to the file.

An overview of the market research findings is outlined below:

a. Acquisition History: The SCBC has awarded three iterations of this requirement, because the contract history was administered and managed externally, details surrounding the acquisition process and award are limited.

i. Iteration One: Awarded as a TO under HHS Program Support Center’s Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) HHSP233201500071 to ICF

The period of performance began September 20, 2015, and ended September 20, 2020. The associated NAICS was 541611 Management and Financial Consulting, and the PSC was R499 - Support- Professional: Other.

ii. Iteration Two: The second iteration of this requirement was completed as a sole source award to the incumbent. The contract number is not known; however, the period of performance began September 30, 2020, and ended September 30, 2022. The associated NAICS was 541611 Management and Financial Consulting, and the PSC was R499 - Support- Professional: Other.

iii. Iteration Three: Iteration three is the current contract, TO GS-00F- 010CA/75ACF122F80021. This action was a competitive GSA award, under GSA Schedule GS-00F-010CA. Award was made to ICF Inc.