JA PPE PAPR N95 Upgrade Redacted.pdf

Control Number VA-21-00040604

OCT 30 2020

JUSTIFICATION FOR A SOLE SOURCE AWARD

FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics

Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed sole source action is for 12 months with two 12 month option periods for continued updates and support for the platform and the simulation. This action is for a firm-fixed price (FFP) contract to complete content upgrade efforts with the University of Central Florida (UCF ) Institute for Simulation & Training (IST) for the delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) & N95 Donning and Doffing Web/iOS Application web content for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Employee Education System (EES) eLearning Gaming Office with the University of Central Florida (UCF) Institute for Simulation & Training (IST), 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816.

3. Description of Supplies or Services: The proposed action is to upgrade the current baseline of the Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID 19) - PPE PAPR application to update the COVID 19 - Personal Protective Equipment Powered Air Purifying Respirator Donning and Doffing baseline, add the N-95 PPE procedures, develop a PPE repository, and provide technical and training data support. The revised PPE Application will be delivered in the form of web content to be hosted in the VHA EES Akamai server. The upgrades to the application shall be tested and delivered as an educational training web accessed module to ensure that VA Healthcare Providers and staff personnel are adequately trained in donning and doffing personal protective equipment following PPE PAPR & N-95 procedures and processes as outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) standard operationg procedures. This training space is designed to shape the context for specific performance outcomes with dynamic immediate formative assessment feedback and overall summative evaluation feedback. The proposed web content module will address the training gap of PPE PAPR and N-95 educational learning objectives. The contractor shall provide web-based content that supports learner understanding in training staff personnel in donning and doffing personal protective equipment accessible on VA-issued Personal Computers (PC)and iOS.

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 1903 as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.501, entitled Special Documentation Requirements .

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: In 2016, the PPE app was designed, developed, tested, and delivered to help Healthcare participants reinforce the proper learned steps for donning and doffing of PPE gear to prevent the spread

PPE PAPR N-95 Upgrade Control Number VA-21-00040604 of highly contagious diseases. Participants conduct simulated donning and doffing processes (with the Powered Air Purifying Respirator and N-95 respirator) under the supervision of a virtual trained observer, who announces each step of the procedure and confirms visually that the PPE is donned and doffed successfully. The virtual trained observer uses a written checklist to confirm each step in the donning and doffing process. The current hosted solution is operational, however does not include the N-95 PPE procedures or a repository of all available PPE.

Due to current changes in the use of PPE PAPR and N-95, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the current COVID-19 PPE PAPR Donning and Doffing Application requires updating including adding the N-95 procedures and a PPE repository where all available PPE being used in VHA is available in order to support VHA facilities to select the appropriate PPE footprint conducive to their facility.

Currently, the COVID-19 PPE PAPR training application is available in the Talent Management System (TMS). However, currently the application has no option for N- 95 training nor the option for a learner to match the PPE footprint in the application to the PPE posture available in the facility. The deliverables for this work include updating the PPE app to be compatible with VA issued PCs and providing the updated builds to VA for deployment to the Akamai Server.

Only the University of Central Florida (UCF) Institute for Simulation & Training (IST) can provide these services as the PPE platform is owned by UCF IST and contains proprietary information within the cloud hosted platform. The cloud hosted platform owned by UCF IST provides for the data collection elements directly from the PPE application. Elements include the number of times the application was access by either a PC or an iOS and Android device. Though the gaming simulation is VHA financed and owned, the platform is a commercial product which the simulation is built upon and any modifications required to the computing environment requires access to source code and configurations that are proprietary to UCF IST. If any other offeror were to attempt to modify this code it would result in an invalidation of all licenses and agreements with UCF IST and VA would be evicted from the current hosting environment. Utilizing any other vendor would require a complete re-build as VA would not be able to use the current content or training simulations and VA does not own any of the source data to provide as Government Furnished Information (GFI). This effort is anticipated to take no less than 180 days, in addition to the estimated 180 days required to make the additional updates, resulting in VA not having a complete PPE training application consisting of Powered Air Purifying Respirator and N-95 to address the appropriate donning and doffing training throughout its support during the COVID-19 pandemic and any future virus. Futher, utilizing any other vendor would require an estimated $332,000 to redevelop and redeploy the functionality beyond the modification and maintenance costs. These costs would not include annual maintenance and upgrades and the costs would not be recooperated through competition.This investment is not anticipated to be recuperated through competition.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this document. This effort did not yield any additional sour competition anticipated for this acquisition. In accordance with FAR 6.302- 1(c)(1)(ii)(c) and 5.102 this justification shall be made publically available on the Contracting Opportunities page at beta.sam.gov within 14 days of award.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: VA technical experts reviewed the research capabilities on efforts previously performed. The Serious Educational Gaming Solution (SEGS) Indefinate Delivery/Indefinate Quantity (IDIQ) Prime Contract holders (Systems Kinetics and Engineering, Creative Veteran Productions, Advanced Computer Learning Company, and MTS Inc.) Though all the reviewed companies are likely capable of providing the required development, none have access to the proprietary source code used in the UCF IST cloud environment. Any interest in supplying this item would require a new Gaming application with no opportunity in leveraging off the legacy PPE application as the source code is not owned by the Government and the application is not operable.

The Government maintains its position, the Gaming application training content remains relevant to meet its training needs and therefore a technical refresh of the current baseline is the most beneficial and cost effective for the Government. The Government has not procured any source code in relation to this training application. Additional market research was conducted by contacting UCF and they confirmed that they are the only owners of the code and have no resellers and are not willing to sell the source code rights to VA.

9. Other Facts: None

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: Further price analysis will be conducted and subsequent negotiations held as necessary. Additionally, price discounts will be sought. Finally, the quotation will be compared to the Independent Government Cost Estimate.

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. As this contract action exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, but does not exceed $750,000, the certification required by FAR 13.501(a)(2)(i) serves as approval.