JA_Gale_-_Career_Transitions_Redacted.pdf

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE

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Due to circumstances described herein, the activity requests authority to purchase electronic access to Career Tranisitions from Gale Cengage using Other Than Full and Open Competition as prescribed by FAR 13.106-1(b) (soliciting from a single source), and 13.501(a)(Sole source acquisitions). This individual action will result in the award of a new Firm Fixed Price Contract.

The mission of DoD MWR Libraries is outlined in DoDI 1015.10 stating DoD Libraries will provide information resources and services required to accomplish the mission. The libraries support military personnel assigned to contingency operations, remote sites, and military missions IAW DoDI 1015.10, Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs.

The program provides professional military and voluntary education programs materials and services. Libraries also provide facilities, resources, and services to enhance the quality of life, regeneration, and resiliency for authorized customers. The DoD Library Consortium exists to create partnerships among the libraries within the various services of the DoD. They cooperatively acquire materials that are made available to military and civilian employees across the DoD. These resources relate to various overarching goals of the DoD such as professional, recreation, physical wellness, emotional resiliency, and educational pursuits.

To meet these needs, the DoD libraries must procure resources that can be accessed globally, including in areas with low or no internet access, and provide the below stated requirements. These resources need to include access to quality of life resources. The Career Transitions database is a vital professional and academic tool for DoD personnel.

Gale is important to service personnel and library staff for having the ability to provide instantly accessible digital information in multiple platforms that can be streamed or downloading with no waiting. This subscription must be firm-fixed pricing so there is no increase when new titles are accessed. It should also not limit the number of titles or electronic checkouts per title. This database collection provides information that supports education and enhances quality of life for DoD personnel. The DoD Libraries also require a resource that provides research for personnel development that meet the quality of life, regeneration, and resiliency as stipulated by DoDI 1015.10. To meet those needs, the DoD Libraries require a resource that provides quality of life information.

DoD Libraries require access to a database that provides immediate help for job seekers to improve their chances of finding sustainable employment. Database should provide users the ability to complete an interactive assessment that maps their interests through Department of Labor data and the Holland Code characteristics of vocational choice to explore potential career options, work through guided resume and cover letter creation, explore interactive interview practice and work through actual job searches. Cengage Learning Inc. Gale Database Collection: Career Transitions would be a resource that would provide the needed tools in an accessible database. Gale Cengage Career Transitions database meets both the AF and DoD base library mission requirements. This database must provides access to information and skills for job seekers to improve their needs of finding sustainable employment. It provides users the ability to complete an interactive assessment of their interests to explore potential career options, work through guided resume and cover letter creation, explore interactive interview practice, and work through actual job searches.

They also support search opportunities for all job types including internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level and temporary listings. Must provide aid to investigate new careers options, including the college bound, enrolled students, and soon to be graduates and alumni. Assistance matching work and military experience to new careers.

Offer visual, easy-to-create reports detailing what features users are using and finding valuable with optional user

March 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 2 of 3 surveys to identify accomplishments and value in jobs and progress. Career Transitions provides the capability for users to develop real world knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Career Transitions is the only resource able to accomplish mission requirements based upon documented capabilities to deliver resume, cover letter, interview practice, professional credentialing requirements, and unique career overviews, such as, “A Day in the Life” series featuring “real people” in various occupations. Career Transitions is updated on a continuous basis with immediate, real-time jobs availability, sophisticated user search interface, and job fairs. Career Transitions further supports AF and DoD mission through its capability to offer military personnel with matching career and work opportunities. Career Transitions results are measurable. The resource is truly unique with its capability to provide reports to document with its value and Return on Investment (ROI). Career and guidance scalability is nowhere available or offered with similar research capabilities, at a comparable or similar cost.

Gale Cengage is the sole provider of Career Transitions. They are the only know source that provides comprehensive job searching and education exploration with the ability to save, download, and print all created documents in one database. This cultivation of job searching skills which helps library users improve their chances of finding sustainable employment is essential for DoD libraries' mission.

Gale Cengage has exclusive legal copyright and is a "must order direct" company. The publisher does not market their web products through distributors so they are not available from any other source. The proposed sole source is the only known source for this requirement. Gale Cengage is the leading provider of learning and knowledge products and one of the world's most trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable. Without this sole source acquisition, the DoD Library's mission to provide military members with safe educational and recreational support would be seriously harmed or delayed without the latest, up-to-the-minute information available from this subscription. It is imperative to continue offering access to this job searching and educational material to DoD Library customers as it provides the most authoritative information available. Thereofore, there is no other viable resource that can meet the DoD libraries' mission available on the market.

In accordance with FAR Part 10, market research was conducted by synopsis of the proposed acquisition, advising industry of the pending acquisition and soliciting inquiries from interested parties. Moreover, the AFSVA/SVPL surveyed the market in order to determine if competition was obtainable. The library reviewed advertisements, new publications, and available conferences to ensure the course of action for a sole source acquisition was the most appropriate moving forward. Library staff reviewed relevant professional journals and publications to acquire information on the capabilities of the resources on the market. The products of other service providers were also compared and reviewed at library technology conferences. The libraries are in contact with other agency librarians to confirm the competitive environment for this supply, and seek out additional solutions for this requirement. Market research confirms that Gale Cengage is the only known source that can satisfy the Government's requirements and is intended to to support the DoD Library Programs quality of life and educational efforts.

An intent to award on a sole source basis notice was posted on Federal Business Opportunity Net and no qualified responses that could meet the requirement were received. The proposed sole source is the only known source able to satisfy the Government's requirements.

AFSVC/SVPL will keep an open dialog with the users/patrons and evaluate statistics to determine the necessity to use this resource to supplement its collection of research databases. AFSVC/SVPL will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition in databases. The library uses publishers' advertisements, professional

March 2018 SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE Page 3 of 3 conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys.

AFSVC/SVPL will attempt to obtain competition whenever possible by use of professional journals and trade exhibits. The AFSVC/SVPL personnel will continue to keep up-to-date and review new research databases to determine if another source will meet the needs of the students, faculty, and staff. We will also keep an open dialog with our patrons and usage statistics to determine the necessity for future purposes.