Justification for Other Than Full and Open_STAR360_Redacted.pdf

SharePoint ID: SP-OCIO-38068 Page 1 of 8

FAR Part 6 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition or FAR Part 13.5 Sole Source Template Version Date: 12/2023

Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition or Sole Source In Accordance with FAR 6.303-2 or FAR 6.303-2 Modified for FAR Subpart 13.5 or for

Contract Actions above the Micro-Purchase Threshold Using FAR Part 14 or 15 Procedures or Contract Actions using FAR Subpart 13.5 Procedures

1. Agency and Contracting Activity:

a. Contracting Activity: Office of Personnel Management (OPM)/ Office of Procurement Operations (OPO)

b. Requesting Activity: OPM/Human Resources Solutions (HRS)/Human Resources Strategy and Evaluation Solutions (HRSES)/Assessment & Evaluation (AE)

2. Nature/Description of Action: AE provides assessment-related reimbursable products and services, including a variety of 360-degree/multi-rater online surveys, to customer agencies to meet Federal human capital needs. AE requires the procurement of STAR360feedback survey software directly from Synthesis Technology Assessment & Research, LLC for 360-degree/multi-rater online surveys.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The self-service ability to create, administer, produce reports, and download data for a variety of 360-degree/multi-rater online surveys on an unlimited basis is critical for AE to provide reimbursable services that help customer agencies meet their missions. Each year, AE may administer 360-degree/multi-rater assessments for five thousand or more participants, each with up to twenty (and in some cases, more) raters. STAR360feedback from Synthesis Technology Assessment & Research, LLC is specialized software for delivering 360-degree/multi-rater assessment and reports to foster leadership excellence. See below for additional details.

a. Amount the current justification is justifying (including all options): for one (1) year base contract plus four (4) one-year option periods

b. Type of Action: Firm Fixed Price

c. Delivery schedule and/or period of performance:

i. Base Period: 6/1/2024 – 5/31/2025

ii. Option year 1: 6/1/2025 – 5/31/2026

iii. Option year 2: 6/1/2026 – 5/31/2027

iv. Option year 3: 6/1/2027 – 5/31/2028

v. Option year 4: 6/1/2028 – 5/31/2029

SharePoint ID: SP-OCIO-38068 Page 4 of 8

FAR Part 6 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition or FAR Part 13.5 Sole Source Template Version Date: 12/2023

i. Has an established, tested, production-ready 360-degree/multi-rater survey infrastructure already in use by customers.

ii. Utilizes Firm Fixed Pricing that does not depend on the number of survey participants and allows for unlimited survey administrators, survey participants, and survey raters.

iii. Allows AE to upload benchmark data.

iv. The frontend programming language is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The backend programming language is PERL and Python.

v. Allows AE to determine survey page breaks and spacing.

vi. The platform has question piping capability and allows conditional logic to be applied.

vii. Reports are producible in batches.

viii. AE can set the required minimum number of respondents for each rater group (e.g., 1 supervisor, 3 peers, etc.). If a rater group does not are not shown in reports as a breakout.

ix. Invitation and reminder email delivery is based on when a rater is added to the system. Invitation and reminder emails are automatically sent to new raters without AE intervention.

x. There is a system-wide search function to locate specific participants and/or raters.

xi. Provides pre-coded Excel-based report templates, each adaptable with the flexibility to add or remove pages as needed.

xii. Survey takers are able to access the survey using a unique/individual

URL.

b. Medallia does not meet our needs because:

i. They have no pre-built 360-degree/multi-rater survey infrastructure;

AE would have to manually build many processes, and in some cases, AE would have to use coding language.

c. Verint does not meet our needs because:

i. Verint does not have 360-degree/multi-rater survey capability.

d. Snap Surveys does not meet our needs because:

i. They have no pre-built 360-degree/multi-rater survey infrastructure;

AE would have to manually build many processes.

e. Qualtrics (directly and via resellers Office Remedies, Inc., GovSmart, and

Software Information Resources Corp) does not meet our needs because:

SharePoint ID: SP-OCIO-38068 Page 5 of 8

FAR Part 6 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition or FAR Part 13.5 Sole Source Template Version Date: 12/2023

i. They are not using firm fixed pricing; costs are based on the number of survey participants.

f. Explorance does not meet our needs because:

i. They are not using firm fixed pricing; costs are based on the number of survey participants.

g. EchoSpan, Inc. does not meet our needs because:

i. They are not using firm fixed pricing; costs are based on the number of survey participants.

h. ZeroedIn Technologies does not meet our needs because:

i. We would be unable to upload our own benchmarks.

ii. The current Surveyor architecture is built on HTML, Javascript, & PHP. PHP is the programming language that caused OCIO to stop supporting our legacy on-premise survey system, USA Survey.

i. IntelliSurvey

i. Their system does not automatically limit the results shown by the number of respondents for each rater group).

ii. The invitation and reminder email batches only account for the raters currently in the system at that time. If raters are added after the initial invitations have been sent, AE would need to manually set up additional invitation email batches.

iii. There is no system-wide search function to locate participants or raters.

iv. AE would have to program the Excel macro-based templates for reporting.

j. Track360 Feedback does not meet our needs because:

i. Survey takers sign on with their email and a temporary password that they then need to change vs using a unique/individual URL.

ii. Their system does not automatically limit the results shown by the number of respondents for each rater group).

k. EDA Inc. does not meet our needs because:

i. Questions are presented one per page, determine page breaks.

ii. T .

iii. Reports are produced individually.

SharePoint ID: SP-OCIO-38068 Page 6 of 8

FAR Part 6 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition or FAR Part 13.5 Sole Source Template Version Date: 12/2023

l. Bishop S. Holdings does not meet our needs because:

i. Their submission for the sources sought notice was unresponsive.

ii. They marketed their expertise in developing customized software solutions and did not indicate the existence of a pre-built 360 infrastructure (or any survey software infrastructure).

m. Ecology Mir Group does not meet our needs because:

i. Their submission for the sources sought notice was unresponsive.

Past experience listed was for heavy equipment rental.

n. Carahsoft reselling Salesforce does not meet our needs because:

i. Their platform is tailored toward customer experience feedback, and their response did not indicate the existence of a pre-built 360 infrastructure.

6. Solicitation of Sources: The STAR360 requirement shall only be solicited from the

OEM, Synthesis Technology Assessment & Research, LLC, as they are the only source from which the requirement can be acquired.

7. Fair and Reasonable Determination: During market research, AE requested a rough order of magnitude cost estimate for software, development, implementation, and operational support for a project of this type. This research information can be used in evaluating the quoted price. Rough order of magnitude cost estimates submitted by vendors were as follows:

Qualtrics: For 5,000 participants only: for one (1) year base contract only (Extrapolated to 5 years: ). Not firm fixed pricing; pricing is based on the number of participants.

ZeroedIn Technologies: for one (1) year base contract plus four (4) one-year option periods.

Explorance: For one wave of 150 ratees/participants per year (AEB estimates around 5,000 participants per year): for one (1) year base contract plus four (4) one-year option periods (Extrapolated to 5,000 participants per year:

). Not firm fixed pricing; pricing is based on the number of participants.

EchoSpan: For 5,000 participants only: for one (1) year base contract only (Extrapolated to 5 years: ). Not firm fixed pricing; pricing is based on the number of participants.

SharePoint ID: SP-OCIO-38068 Page 7 of 8

FAR Part 6 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition or FAR Part 13.5 Sole Source Template Version Date: 12/2023

IntelliSurvey: for one (1) year base contract plus four (4) one-year option periods.

In addition, Synthesis has similar offerings with published pricing available via its GSA contract that can be used for determining fair and reasonable.

8. Description of Market Research: Market Research details are provided in numbers five (5) and seven (7) above.

9. Any Other Supporting Facts: None

10. Listing of Interested Sources: Synthesis Technology Assessment & Research, LLC is the only source available to provide the requirement.

11. Actions Taken to Remove or Overcome Barriers to Restricted Consideration: AE has and will continue to monitor the 360-degree/multi-rater survey industry for software that meets federal government and agency standards.

(See next page for approvals and signatures)