Jand HIV AIDs Advisor Extension Lopa to Sep 2022 05032021 QH reformat fully signed.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF A PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT

To: Ken Seifert, Contracting Officer, USAID/Vietnam From: Ritu Singh, Health Office Director Date: May 05, 2021 Subject: Justification and Approval for other than full and open competition for one-year extension to the contract 72044019S00002 with Offshore USPSC, Dr.

Lopa Basu (September 14, 2021 – September 13, 2022)

1. This document sets forth the facts and rationale justifying the extension of a personal services contract, in accordance with Section 636(a)(3) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended and 48 CFR chapter 7, AIDAR APPENDIX D:

This document was prepared by Ritu Singh, USAID/Vietnam/Health Office in support of the Offshore U.S. Personal Services Contract (USPSC) contract extension for the continuing services of Dr. Lopa Basu as Senior HIV/AIDs Technical Advisor for the duration September 14, 2021 – September 13, 2022.

2. The nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This is a request for an extension of 72044019S00002 with Dr. Lopa Basu, Senior HIV Technical Advisor, in the Office of Health. The incumbent serves as a core member of the HIV technical and management team in the Health Office and directly manages USAID relationships with CDC, PEPFAR Coordination Office and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator.

Dr. Lopa Basu’s contract states, the “period of service is o/a September 14, 2019 to o/a September 13, 2021 with possibility for contract extension. Extensions will depend on the need for continuation of such services, availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and the needs of the Agency.”

The solicitation to recruit Dr. Lopa Basu, RFP: 72044018R00005, issued June 13, 2018, included a provision for extension: “PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: To start o/a September 2019 for a period of two years for each USPSC with the possibility of extensions. Extensions will depend on the need for continuation of such services, availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and the needs of the ABC Office, USAID/Vietnam.”

Dr. Lopa Basu is the HIV Team’s sole expatriate medical doctor. She is an exceptional leader and team member of the USAID HIV team. In her two-year term in Hanoi she has excelled in technical knowledge and leadership of her team. Dr. Basu has two singular achievements - She has gained the trust of the HIV technical team and she has developed deep and trusted relationships with the Office of Global AIDS Coordinator.

Given the critical nature of Dr. Lopa Basu work, USAID/Vietnam continues to have a required need for Dr. Lopa Basu’s services and sees an urgent need to extend Dr. Lopa Basu’s contract for another year. We anticipate the need for Dr. Lopa Basu’s services to continue from 2021 to 2022.

3. Description of the supplies or services required, including an estimated value:

Estimated Value:

The total estimated cost (TEC) of the subject contract is currently $410,093 for the two-year performance period, o/a September 14, 2019 to September 13, 2021. The requested one-year extension will increase the TEC by $194,738 (and after recalculation with the actual expenses incurred to date) thus changing the new total to read $592,689.

In addition to the immediacy of the position, there is cost savings associated with extending the contract. The mission will save approximately $60,000 in moving/shipping costs, staff time required for recruitment and on-boarding, as well training and other associated costs required to bring a new hire to full performance of duties.

Major duties and responsibilities The Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor is a USAID/Vietnam technical expert on implementation of technically sound HIV programs for key populations epidemics in concentrated HIV epidemic countries. As a critical member of the USAID/Vietnam Health Office and HIV team, the Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor, will continue to serve as the USAID/Vietnam HIV Team’s lead focal point on developing and designing HIV programming in Vietnam.

The Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor serves as the Mission’s HIV/AIDS Subject Matter Expert and will play a leadership role for comprehensive and strategic program planning across the 90-90-95 cascade, budget development, policy planning, and research/monitoring and evaluation. The Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor will also continue to be a primary interlocutor for the USAID HIV Team in the complex interagency setting that includes CDC, the PEPFAR Coordination Office and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC). The services discussed above are stated in the current position description and are the services that the incumbent currently provides to the Mission.

4. Statutory authority permitting the PSC extension:

Section 636(a)(3) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, authorizes the Agency to enter into personal services contracts with individuals for personal services abroad.

48 CFR chapter 7, AIDAR Appendix D, sets forth the authority, policy, and procedures under which USAID contracts with a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien for personal services abroad, including extensions with the same USPSC for the same required services.

USAID’s Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directive (AAPD) 05-02, clarifies the procedures for extending USAID personal services contracts and the maximum length of a

USPSC’s period of performance.

Under AIDAR 706.302-70, full and open competition need not be obtained when it would impair or otherwise have an adverse effect on programs conducted for the purposes of foreign aid, relief, and rehabilitation. Specifically, the authority contained in AIDAR 706.302-70(b)(5) is used for an award for the continued provision of highly specialized services when award to another resource would result in substantial additional costs to the Government or would result in unacceptable delays.

5. A demonstration of the continuing needs of the U.S. Government:

Dr. Lopa Basu has significant technical and programmatic experience. She has more than two decades of work experience in and knowledge of the interventions required to address the drivers of the concentrated HIV epidemic in Vietnam. On this contract, Dr. Basu oversees the HIV treatment, HIV prevention and PreExposure prohylaxis, program monitoring and strategic data sections of the HIV team. She has worked closely with the team and the FSN staff to coach the team and individuals and bring a technical rigor to the team’s work. In a parallel vein, through a meaningful engagement with the CDC HIV team, Dr. Basu has managed to bridge the gap between USAID and CDC and more closely align the technical work of both agencies in order to guide the best USG program for Vietnam. She has brought transparency to the interagency interactions and works hard to make sure teams are solving problems together and not getting mired in agency-biased issues.

Dr. Basu is uniquely qualified to continue supporting the HIV Team given that Dr. Basu has the trust of OGAC colleagues, who drive the technical and programmatic directions of the Vietnam PEPFAR portfolio. She understands what OGAC is asking of the Vietnam team and is also able to provide critical feedback to OGAC – in order to truly advance the HIV program in Vietnam. It takes years to build relationships and trust especially in the critical PEPFAR environment.

USAID is in a critical design phase of developing the HIV testing costing standards for community-based organization HIV work. Dr. Basu has brough her considerable experience to bear on designing and guiding the work of the USAID and CDC teams for this complicated task. Once the HIV testing costing standards are developed and approved by OGAC, Dr. Basu will seek endorsement from the Government of Vietnam, and guide her team and the USAID implementing partners to implement the strategy, which will require a robust level of monitoring to ensure compliance. Her experience, her medical qualifications and her unique ability to design cogent HIV programming in the unique setting of Vietnam as a concentrated epidemic - make Dr. Basu uniquely suited to continue in the position as the Senior HIV Advisor.

Continuing this one (1)-year-extension of the USPSC’s contract will be critical to ensuring optimal spread of management units across the team and achievement of Mission objectives.

Over the next year, EG will face continuing management and technical expertise needs that outstrip the office’s carrying capacity, without the USPSC.

6. Description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.202 [AIDAR 705.002].

The original solicitation was full and open and publicized widely. A synopsis of this proposed contract action to extend the contract for one year was publicized on beta.SAM.gov on April 02, 2021 in accordance with FAR 5.201, and this document will be publicized in accordance with FAR6.3. No expressions of interest were received. In the meantime, Dr.

Lopa Basu is currently filling Agency requirements for this Offshore USPSC position and is available immediately for the new extension. Conducting a full and open request for this position would include substantial market research, which would unnecessarily tie up Mission personnel and resources as discussed above. Accordingly, the Contracting Officer concluded that the incumbent contractor is the only practicable, potential offeror.

7. A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

This position was classified at a GS-15 level and the Contractor’s salary was determined based on the market rate for the positions along with salary history using the individual’s biodata form, thus ensuring that the anticipated cost to the Government was fair and reasonable.

8. Description of the market research conducted, and the results or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted:

For this extension, market research was not conducted as Dr. Lopa Basu is currently filling Agency requirements for the (job title) USPSC position and is available immediately for the extension. Conducting a full and open request for the extension period of this position, which would include substantial market research, would unnecessarily tie up Mission personnel and resources as discussed above.

9. Other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

As mentioned earlier, Dr. Lopa Basu is available immediately to fulfill the continuing needs of the Agency. The USAID/Vietnam Mission has a continuing need for the services that are performed on this contract in order to provide a robust strategic leadership, technical guidance and management of USAID’s HIV portfolio in a concentrated epidemic like Vietnam’s. Dr. Lopa Basus performance has been consistently rated as excellent in his/her performance evaluations. Furthermore, funds are available for the extension. HCTM approval for this USPSC extension was granted on April 16, 2021 and the NSDD-38 cable was also approved for the reallocation of the position from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city on May 03, 2021.

10. Sources, if any, that expressed an interest, in writing, in the acquisition:

Not applicable – no other sources have been contacted for this extension. A full and open Request for Proposals was originally issued to fill the position in 2018.

11. The actions the Agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required:

If any subsequent requirements for this position are needed, they will be competed.