JA_FAR-13-5_Sole-Source-Justification_OAW-Survey_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children Families

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING SERVICES

e. Name and address of the proposed contractor.

The Urban Institute 500 L’Enfant Plz SW Washington, Dc 20024-2131

4. Identification of the statutory authority permitting a sole source.

This sole source acquisition is being conducted using the procedures of FAR part 12 and FAR subpart 13.5 in accordance with 41.U.S.C 1901 for a commercial item not exceeding $7.5 million. Acquisitions conducted under simplified acquisition procedures are exempt from the requirements in FAR part 6. In accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b) and FAR 13.501(a), Contracting Officers may conduct sole source acquisitions if the need to do so is justified in writing. FAR 13.106-1 permits a sole source when the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

5. Proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

The Contracting Officer has determined that only one source, The Urban Institute, is reasonably available to perform the work required under the contemplated contract. No other contractor has the specialized knowledge and unique experience needed to complete this work at the level of quality and in the time required without substantial duplication of costs. The Urban Institute developed a unique and complex infrastructure for efficiently and effectively administering the ASR, and due to the nature of the survey and analysis approval process through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the data is not yet releasable. It would cost the Government substantial time and resources to work with any other contractor to develop a new process to carry out this one-time survey.

The OAW Survey of Resettled Afghans is an expansion of the ASR data collection effort that will enable ORR to generate nationally representative data on OAW Afghans’ well-being, integration outcomes, and progress towards self-sufficiency. Under Contract # HHSP233201600024I / 75P00120F37006, The Urban Institute designed the survey instrument for the ASR and established the infrastructure and processes for administering the ASR, which this new OAW Survey of Resettled Afghans will leverage.

On April 29, 2022, ORR and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning Evaluation (ASPE) entered into Interagency Agreement (IAA) #750122PE0G0065 for the design and delivery of a new survey instrument for arrivals from Afghanistan. Under the auspices of this IAA, the HHS Office of Acquisition Management Services (OAMS), then known as the Program Support Center (PSC), awarded this scope under Contract # HHSP23320150064I / 75P00119F37024 with The Urban Institute. It was not possible for HHS to include OAW survey administration in this ASPE/PSC contract due to ceiling limitations as well as the fact that the supplemental OAW survey questionnaire had not yet

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children Families

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING SERVICES

received OMB approval to be administered. OMB granted that approval in April 2023.

To date, The Urban Institute has consulted with experts in the field and designed the new OAW Survey of Resettled Afghans instrument, implemented seven waves of ASR data collection, published four ASR datasets for public review (including the first public use dataset since the ASR inception), developed numerous internal reports, conducted six briefings for ORR, obtained OMB approval for one non-substantive change request and two full packages, at a cost of approximately [combined cost of OAW survey design efforts and current ASR contract]. Preparing to administer this survey would take a significant level of effort, resources, and time for any other contractor to overcome.

The contractor for the proposed acquisition will need to rely on several aspects of the work from the OAW survey instrument design work and the ASR contract: (1) their existing knowledge of the respondent population developed through expert consultations; (2) their specialized knowledge of the intricacies of the data collection instruments, survey administration procedures, and sampling design;

(3) their ability to draw a sample and administer a survey in multiple languages of a “hard-to-reach” population; and (4) their ability to use the data collected to write deliverables that integrate all the findings and meet the Government’s objectives.

As a result, no other contractor is capable of providing the services required to successfully complete this effort.

The Government also requires performance to begin in September 2023, and a new contractor would be unable to immediately start because The Urban Institute is currently analyzing the 2022 ASR data. If a new contractor is selected, there would be significant delays administering and analyzing the OAW Survey of Resettled Afghans, which is intended to supplement the ASR mandated by Congress. This is a one-time requirement, and the Government does not anticipate any future requirements for the OAW Survey of Resettled Afghans.

6. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

A Request for Information (RFI) was issued utilizing the GSA Market Research as a Service tool, the result of which are summarized in paragraph 8 of this document.

A notice will also be publicized via the government-wide point of entry (GPE) as required by FAR subpart 5.2.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost/price to the Government will be fair and reasonable.