JEFO_EBSCO_REDACTED.pdf

Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity for EBSCO Information Services

JEFO No.: - 2 -

4. Identify the exception to fair opportunity and supporting rationale, including a demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the exception cited.

____X_____FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B). Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

Rationale:

EBSCO is the only source that can meet all of DHS’ evidence-based science and health research requirements. EBSCO Information Services holds exclusive copyright and digital rights for all EBSCO Information Services proprietary content and discovery service technology. EBSCO Information Services is the sole provider of the Academic Search Complete, Accel5-Business Book Summaries, Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate, Business Source Complete, CINAHL Complete, Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text, Legal Collection, MEDLINE Complete Databases via EBSCO and the EBSCO Discovery Service. These information subscriptions are exclusive proprietary products of EBSCO Information Services. There are no other sources with an equivalent service.

The DHS RLIS Program is an invaluable aid to delivering credible, timely information from scientific and health literature to DHS scientists and clinicians by making available knowledge resources, publications, and reference and research services. To fulfill DHS’ evidence-based mission research requirements, RLIS must collect, manage, and interpret data. This is accomplished by providing Library Support Services and electronic access to all DHS staff through a secure access network managed by IP authentication.

A subscription to EBSCO Information Services provides integrated access to a specialized research tool, EBSCO Discovery, which provides DHS the capability to search and discover evidence-based scientific and health literature that is not available in similar scope from any other provider. EBSCO provides invaluable evidence-based literature access. Across DHS, there are more than 90 psychologists and social workers who provide invaluable subject matter expertise along a broad range of psychological science topics, including suicide prevention, psychological resilience, personnel support, workforce health, fitness for duty, performance enhancement, psychological trauma, disaster mental health, violence prevention, and other critical areas. Subject matter experts require the capability to access the most accurate and up to date scientific information in order to effectively develop and implement policies, programs, and research.

EBSCO database resources, including full-text peer-reviewed scholarly research publications permit DHS’s subject matter experts to access the most pertinent resources to best support the DHS mission.

If DHS does not procure this EBSCO Information, it would not have access to key scientific and health care evidence-based literature. This includes EBSCO exclusive information such as science and health journals that can only be purchased from EBSCO. EBSCO Discovery and

Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity for EBSCO Information Services

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Databases are derivative works as defined by Copyright Law of the United States | U.S.

Copyright Office, and therefore are subject to copyright protection. EBSCO is the sole provider of proprietary EBSCO databases and Discovery. This makes EBSCO a unique source due to their highly specialized content that is protected by US Copyright Law.

Without this information, DHS would not be able to meet its scientific research priorities and mission goals.

5. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

Prices have been previously negotiated by the LC and were determined to be fair and reasonable at time of award. The order level Contracting Officer will verify that the price for this effort is consistent with the pricing in FEDLINK Contract Number LCFDL23D0067 and request additional discounts.

6. Any other facts supporting the justification.

DHS has a Directive for Efficiency Review Initiative: Subscription Consolidation, Directive Number: 072-01, Revision Number: 00. This Directive establishes the DHS RLIS and sets forth the policies for managing and operating the Program. The RLIS Program supports the information and research needs of DHS Components; is an information resource center providing access to research and information subscriptions in accordance with the DHS Efficiency Review process; and serves as an information resource center that collects and organizes research materials instrumental to the mission of DHS Components.

7. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

The RLIS program office regularly performs market research such as reviewing Government and Commercial databases, reviewing professional journals and attending conferences to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the exception to fair opportunity, and will continue to do so before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

8. DHS intends to post this requirement on Sam.gov pursuant to FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D).