GS35F0108W_HE125424FE303_JNA_091024___Redacted.pdf

CUI//SP-SSEL

“Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and FAR 3.104”

JUSTIFICATION

For

LIMITED SOURCES GSA SCHEDULE FAR 8.405

1. Contracting Agency: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350

2. Description of Supplies: DoDEA requires next-level statistical software to take the agency’s established analytical system, processes, and codes in Stata 16 without alteration or regression. Stata is a powerful statistical software package that provides support for data science, including data manipulation, visualization, and automated reporting. Version 16 of the software is currently being used in DoDEA at the

HQ, region, and district levels to complete work related to regular job responsibilities. The Stata 18 upgrade will allow a higher level of efficiency.

The following key features are needed for the next level software which Stata 18 provides.

1. Support more rigorous statistical analyses (https://www.stata.com/new-in-stata/instrumental-variable-quantile-regression/)

a. Stata 18 equips more advanced causal analysis methods, including causal mediation analysis.

b. One of the new features is a coefficient graph for Instrumental-variable quantile regression, which allows clear visualization of the impact of intervention effect from the lower to the upper quantile.

2. New date time function (https://www.stata.com/new-in-stata/week-datetime-functions/)

a. When calculating students’ days of absence, the current version doesn’t have the feature to calculate ‘workdays’ only. State 18 have new [D] date function which allows DoDEA to calculate # of weekday of certain period.

3. Do-file Editor enhancement (https://www.stata.com/new-in-stata/do-file-editor/)

a. Stata 18 added “automatic backups of Do-file”. No more worries of sudden loss of power or interruptions of connectivity.

4. Other exciting new updates for better editing and reporting

a. New “dtable’ command which create tables of descriptive statistics easily

b. Updated “putdocs” and “putexcel” function

c. Clear and user-friendly graph generation (which helps to explain the complex concepts to educators).

Stata18 is proprietary software owned and sold by StataCorp LLC.

Purchase Request Number: TBD

GSA Schedule Contract Number: GS-35F-0108W

Task/Delivery Order Number: TBD

Procurement Title: Stata/SE

Estimated Value: $140,114.17

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

3. A firm fixed price contract is planned with a total estimated value of $140,114.17 using FAR Part 8.405 ordering procedures. The period of performance/estimated delivery date is for a 12-month base period

FY24 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the in the estimated amount of

$140,114.17.

4. Authority: 41 U.S.C. 152(3) and 40 U.S.C. 501, FAR 8.405-6 . Only one responsible entity can meet

DoDEA’s requirements, and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency’s requirements.

5. Reason for Restricting Competition:

Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies are unique or highly specialized.

Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Contracting Officer, approve this justification for the proposed contract action pursuant to the authority cited above because the statistical capabilities of

Stata 18 are essential to the Agency’s requirements and because market research indicates no other software and contractor can meet the Agency's needs.

Background and Rationale:

Stata is a vital tool for the Research, Accountability, and Evaluation (RAE) Division at DoDEA, supporting critical initiatives and driving data-informed decision-making. DoDEA's extensive research, analytics, and code base are deeply rooted in Stata.

While Stata 16 has served as a valuable foundation, the RAE Division now requires a more advanced and efficient tool to meet evolving needs. Stata 18, the latest version, offers essential features for the successful completion of key projects like the Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS), Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS), and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

Beyond these strategic initiatives, Stata 18 is widely used by CIL Ed Researchers and District Ed

Researchers to fulfill their daily responsibilities, demonstrating its versatility and applicability across various research and evaluation domains.

Below are key reasons for transitioning to Stata 18:

1. Project Completion: Stata 18's new features are directly relevant to the timely completion of

DoDEA projects. For instance, its capabilities in data processing and modeling will accelerate the development of many components of the EWIS and enhance the efficiency of DoDEA

CAS rostering and academic growth analysis.

2. Code Base and Efficiency: The existing code base for processing assessment data is written in

Stata, ensuring seamless integration and avoiding the costly and time-consuming process of migrating to a new software.

3. Alignment with DoDEA Priorities: Stata 18 is a key analytics tool for supporting the MTSS, a top priority for the DoDEA Director.

Consequences of not procuring Stata 18:

1. Significant Delays: Failure to procure Stata 18 will result in substantial delays for the aforementioned projects, hindering DoDEA's ability to meet its goals and provide timely support to schools and students.

2. Disruption of Operations: Migrating to a different statistical software would necessitate a complete overhaul of existing codes, systems, and processes. This would be a time-consuming and resource-intensive endeavor, disrupting current operations and potentially leading to data loss or inaccuracies.

3. Increased Costs: The transition to a new software would involve significant costs associated with acquiring licenses, training staff, and redeveloping existing tools. These costs would far outweigh the potential savings from not renewing Stata 18.

Based on the rationale above, the Contracting Office has made the determination to issue a sole source solicitation to StataCorp for Stata 18 as the only entity that can provide the required educational/assessment services.

6. Effort to remove barriers to/increase competition: RAE will continually monitor developments in statistical software. RAE will perform market research prior to each purchase whether new sources may result in competition.

7. Market Research: Incumbent: StataCorp LLC, 4905 Lakeway Drive, College Station, Texas 77845-

4512. Anna Erskine, Senior Account Executive, aerskine@stata.com. The incumbent, StataCorp LLC meets the requirements set forth by DoDEA for the provision of Stata 18.

Review of Government and/or commercial databases for relevant information. The current contract’s

NAICS code is 513210 (Software Publishers) was used. Keywords: Stata 18.

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) – No contractor matches the criteria

Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) – No profiles meet the search criteria

If an acquisition or portion of an acquisition that uses a brand-name description or other purchase description to specify a particular brand-name, product, or feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer, the ordering activity must post the justification with the solicitation (FAR 5.102(a)(6); if above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), the justification shall cite that the acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program (FAR 8.405-6(c)(1). The market research conducted or rationale provided in this section should support the rationale justifying the use of the Regulatory Authority cited in Section 4 and 5 above.

8. Other Facts: N/A