DATMIS Sole Source Special Notice in PDF as PUBLISHED in SAM.gov on July 21 2025.pdf

This is NOT a Solicitation. This is instead a Sole Source Special Notice which explains why the

U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to award a SOLE-SOURCE contract to AZI

Consulting, Inc., for a Drug and Alcohol Testing Management Information System (DATMIS) which will be used by DOT to maintain a multifunctional, web-based database system for the management of DOT’s drug and alcohol testing program. Further supporting information is given below.

U.S. Department of Transportation

Office of the Secretary

Substance Abuse Awareness Testing Office

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

AGENCY REQUIRING ACITITY

Office of the Secretary (OST)

Substance Abuse Awareness Testing Office

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

CONTRACTNG ACTIVITY

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Office of the Secretary (OST)

Acquisitions Services Division

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED

The Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Substance Abuse Awareness Testing Office

(SAATO) has a need for the Drug and Alcohol Testing Management Information System

(DATMIS) which is used to maintain a multifunctional, web-based database system for the management of the drug and alcohol testing program and requesting a sole source justification for award.

Justification and approval to use other than full and open competition procedures to continue

DOT’s needed DATMIS support services by awarding a new DATMIS contract to AZI

Consulting, Inc. to cover one base year and four option years.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), OST/M14.3 requires program management support for the DATMIS to complete the following tasks:

1. Performing separate random drug and alcohol test lists for DOT, the

Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Air Marshals (FAM), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and DOT employees whose positions require they hold commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs);

2. Printing random test lists and related metropolitan statistical summary and detail reports;

3. Printing test results;

4. Downloading and editing test results;

5. Maintaining reference tables;

6. Importing personnel data used for random selection;

7. Importing drug test results from the contract laboratory;

8. Management of the Follow-up Drug and Alcohol Testing Program which includes various sub modules;

9. Updating Drug and Alcohol test lists;

10. User maintenance;

11. Printing statistical reports;

12. Completing all tasks related to the annual DATMIS Certification and

Accreditation (C&A);

13. Perform updates to DATMIS as needed/requested by DOT and/or the SAATO program staff.

The Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCE) has been developed. The IGCE for the base year and four option years of services is $1,076,920.00 .

4. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER

THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

The statutory authority for the proposed contract with AZI Consulting, Inc. is 41 U.S.C. 253

(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a), which states that an executive agency may use procedures other than competitive procedures only --- (2) “When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source…and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.”

5. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF THE

AUTHORITY CITED

Since its establishment in 1988, the Drug and Alcohol Testing Program has required technical support from a subject matter expert (SME) with extensive knowledge of both the system and the operational research field, along with a deep understanding of the technology involved. The

SME also plays a crucial role in helping the Department of Transportation (DOT) adapt to ongoing technological changes.

Mr. C. Naseer Ahmad, the system developer and owner of the source code used for DATMIS, has provided this expertise since the late 1980s. He played a pivotal role in transitioning the database from a mainframe platform to a server-based system. While Mr. Ahmad was initially willing to sell the code to the government, the associated cost and the ongoing maintenance fees were unaffordable for SAATO.

Mr. Ahmad has continued to support DOT’s DATMIS through his role with various contractors and subcontractors over the last 30 years. Mr. Ahmad's institutional knowledge, developed over more than 30 years, remains indispensable to the performance of the Drug and Alcohol Testing

Program. Transferring such critical knowledge to another contractor would require an extensive and costly transition period, with no guarantee of recovery through competitive bidding. Mr.

Ahmad's hands-on expertise is unmatched; he is the sole individual with an in-depth understanding of the tools and data sources necessary to maintain DATMIS. He also possesses unique knowledge of the information technology systems supporting the random selection process and the broader requirements of drug and alcohol testing for DOT.

Furthermore, Mr. Ahmad has been instrumental in ensuring the system's security, including migrating DATMIS to a virtual environment for greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness. As cyber security threats continue to evolve, DATMIS requires regular updates to protect personally identifiable information (PII) and ensure compliance with DOT policies, federal laws, and regulations. Mr. Ahmad's familiarity with the security protocols and the technical documentation required for the periodic Security Assessment & Authorization process is critical to maintaining the integrity and security of the system. He is also the key person responsible for addressing any issues identified during quarterly security vulnerability scans, ensuring that the system remains secure and operational.

In anticipation of a new contract, SAATO conducted market research in 2024 to explore the possibility of transitioning to a new system with a different vendor. The estimated cost quoted to us for such a transition was significantly higher than maintaining DATMIS, which is a proven system that meets DOT’s needs and with which DOT is more than satisfied. Given this price disparity, continuing with the current vendor remains the most cost-effective option.

Also, if the contract were awarded to a new vendor, it would not only disrupt operations but also require substantial funding to train the new vendor on the system and implement the necessary software updates. These additional costs are unlikely to be recovered through competition, and such a transition would pose significant risks to the DOT’s mission, as evidenced by the challenges experienced with Compliance Information Systems.

To ensure continued support for the system in the future, SAATO will be assigning a designee to learn the functions currently performed by Mr. Ahmad for DATMIS. This will ensure that the office is not limited by the need for a single contractor, facilitating flexibility for future acquisitions.

6. EFFORTS MADE TO OBTAIN COMPETITION, AND WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR

WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY FAR SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH

EXCEPTION UNDER FAR 5.202 APPLIES

This published Sole Source Special Notice constitutes DOT’s compliance with the sole-source-notice-requirements laid down in FAR 5.201 and in FAR Part 6. Additionally, if further work is required following the completion of the program, DOT would consider the possibility of then competing a Statement of Work (SOW) for which additional offerors might hereafter be considered.

7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED

COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE:

The Contracting Officer and COR reviewed the proposed rates and determined that they are consistent with the work to be performed. Moreover, each invoice submitted by the contractor during performance of this Sole Source Special Notice’s resulting AZI contract will be scrutinized for allowability, allocability and reasonableness of billed cost in accordance with

FAR Part 31. These procedures will ensure that the anticipated cost to the Government is fair and reasonable.

8. A DESCRIPTION OF MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS OR A

STATEMENT OF THE REASON THAT MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED:

In preparation for a potential new contract, SAATO conducted market research in 2024 by sending a Request for Information (RFI) to five potential vendors. However, we did not receive any responses. The research also indicated that very few companies offer a comprehensive implementation service capable of meeting the specific requirements of the Drug and Alcohol

Testing Program (DATMIS).

Switching to a new vendor would not only disrupt the operations of this office but also require significant additional funding to train a new vendor on the system and the necessary software updates mandated by the DOT Chief Information Officer. Moreover, such a transition would introduce considerable risks—similar to the challenges faced with Compliance Information

Systems—that could impact the DOT’s mission.

But DOT’s foregoing Market Research is hereby supplemented by the permission, hereby granted in this Sole Source Special Notice, for any interested entity or person (OTHER than

AZI) to e-mail—to James.Mowery@dot.gov and to Ginger.Wigglesworth@dot.gov and to

Tonya.Templeton@dot.gov, for RECEIPT by those addressees not later than 11:30 PM Eastern

Daylight Time August 3rd, 2025—a Statement of Qualifications attempting to prove the submitter’s capability of providing DOT’s needed DATMIS services at the high level of quality indispensable to the Department.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION:

None

10. A LIST OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN

THE ACQUISITION

No contractor-entities, other than AZI, have expressed any interest in the subject FY 2025

DATMIS procurement as of the time of DOT’s publishing of this Sole Source Special Notice.

And AZI is here contemplated as a sole-source awardee of DOT’s subject needed new FY 2025

DATMIS contract based on AZI’s unique knowledge and expertise as explained above, and based on AZI’s past performance and knowledge of the DATMIS project.

mailto:James.Mowery@dot.gov mailto:Ginger.Wigglesworth@dot.gov mailto:Tonya.Templeton@dot.gov

11. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE

OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT

ACQUISITION FOR THESE SERVICES:

If further work is required following the completion of the option-years of this Sole Source

Special Notice’s resulting FY 2025 AZI DATMIS contract, then DOT at that future time would consider the possibility of issuing a solicitation that might include the necessary information for a transition plan.