EFO-ESP 27 Feb 21_Redacted.pdf

Control No: 21-008 Contractor: AMYX, Inc.

Program: Employment Support Program (ESP) Services

CUI

FAR Part 16 Exception to Fair Opportunity Justification Under Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery Contracts

For Actions Exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)

1. Contracting Activity: National Guard Bureau Operational Contracting Division (NGB- AQ), 111 South George Mason Dr., Arlington, VA 22204-1382.

2. Description of Action: The NGB-J1, Readiness Division requests a firm-fixed-price task order with AMYX, Inc. The Government projects award for 1 March 2021 and fiscal year 2021, Army Operations and Maintenance funds will be used.

An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i)(B).

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The purpose of the National Guard Employment Support Program is to develop and promote supportive work environments for service members in the Army and Air National Guard provide employment opportunities and career options, while working with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) (see http://www.esgr.mil/) representative in increasing awareness of applicable laws and resolving employer conflicts between the service members and their employers through outreach, and recognition. The objective of this requirement is to provide Program Management Services and Program Support Specialist located at the 54 state, territories and the District of Columbia to serve as the statewide point of contact and coordinator, and to provide technical support to managers, supervisors, National Guard members and family members as to the benefits and entitlements available through the Employment Support Program and to ensure standardization and continuity of service.

The services also entail significant coordination to ensure that Guard members and their families are linked to available employment resources as well as kept appraised of all job-related information

Period of Performance: 01 March 2021 to 30 August 2021 Total Value: $2,277,926.48 (estimated)

4. Authority Cited: 10 U.S.C. 2304c(b)(1) as implemented by FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

a) Award to the current vendor, AMYX Inc., is the only way to continue employment services at the current quality level and ensure no break in these critical services. The significant increase of National Guard members activated to perform COVID-19 and District of Columbia operational support will lead to a sharp increase of National Guard members requiring employment support services. Based upon the contract value, a competitive effort would take no less than 90 days to complete and processing each contractor employee for the Common Access Card (CAC) could take up to an additional 60 days. During this five-month gap in service, up to 23,000 Guard members are expected to come off their current orders. Not having access to existing employment support services as they come off of orders would directly harm the Guard members as well as their families.

Each of the contractor employees has built a significant network of employment resources that National Guard members and their families are connected to within each state/territory. A break in service would degrade this network and would result in the loss of numerous job-related events for National Guard members and their families during the Spring and Summer months.

The employment services delivered under this proposed action have a direct impact upon National Guard readiness, Soldier-Family care as well as the retention and attrition management of National Guard members.

b) The only two alternatives to the execution of this bridge is to compete the effort or to allow the services to expire and not issue a replacement. Both alternatives result in over 20,000 Guard members and their families not having access to employment services as they transition from their existing activation orders. This also results in the Guard members and their families losing effective access to critical job events during the Spring and Summer. Both alternatives represent an unacceptable risk to National Guard members and their families as well as the readiness level of National Guard units.

c) The total task order period of six months represents the required minimum time necessary to effectively transition these services to another contract. Although a competitive effort could have potentially been feasible had more time been available, a competitive effort for this extremely short period of performance was not seen as feasible based upon phase-in time, administrative processing of new CAC requests, gaining access to the applicable networks as well as replicating the employment network within each state/territory. It would not be cost effective nor realistic to expect another contractor to perform during this short six-month period. A new vendor assuming this service would be required to coordinate transition in every state/territory and could face delays in access to the needed systems following award. In addition the vendor would face manning issues as they attempted to hire personnel for a period of performance not exceeding six months.

6. Actions to Increase Competition:

Following this six-month bridge contract the employment services will be migrated to an existing contract. This contract will not be available until August 2021 which has necessitated the use of a bridge contract.

7. Market Research:

The agency conducted market research on February 08, 2021. The focus of the market research was to identify any existing contracts within/outside the agency capable of providing this service without a break in service or degradation in the quality of the services. The GSA vehicles listed below were identified as capable of providing alike services to the one outlined in the ESP Performance Work Statement (PWS). Although capable of providing the services, the GSA vehicles below were not considered viable courses of action due to the urgency of the requirement. Any competitive task order awards made against the below contracts would result in an estimated 90-day break in service which represents an unacceptable risk to the National Guard employment support of servicemembers and their families.

- One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Small Business Pool 1

- Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCATS Pool 1)

- Professional Services Business Administrative Services (Category 541611)

8. Other Facts: No other facts identified

a. Procurement History:

Contract: GS00Q14OADS103 / W9133L-16-F-0021 Contractor: AMYX, Inc.

Award Date: August 31, 2015 Competitive Status: Competitive OASIS (GSA) task order