Limiting_Competition-Criterion-REDACTED.pdf

Control No:

Version – 1.1 February 2018

Limiting Competition elow the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Contracting Activity:

2. Description of Action:

Nature: New Requirement Follow-on Requirement

Contract Vehicle: Purchase Order Number _______________________________ Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Number _______________ Order/BPA# _______ against FSS Contract #_____ _________ Order #___________ against Multiple Award IDIQ Contract Name or #______________

Order #_______ against a single award IDC Contract

Modification # _______ to existing PO/TO/DO/Call Order

Pricing/Contract Type: Fixed Price Time & Materials/Labor Hours Cost Reimbursable Hybrid

Funds: Operations & Maintenance, Army (OMA) Other Funds: ________

FY: ________

Name of Proposed Contractor(s) and Address:

3. Description of Services or Supplies:

MICC Fort Leavenworth, 535 Kearny Ave., Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027

Criterion

TBD

Educational Testing Service 660 Rosedale Road MS 39-L Princeton, NJ 08541

The Criterion assessment satisfies the CG CACs intent to develop leader “communication” skills by addressing writing ability. It addresses a student’s basic writing skills so that improvement can occur early in their career. Students are required to submit an essay and an online scoring engine provides immediate feedback regarding grammar, structure, mechanics, lexical complexity (average word length, sophistication of work choice) and topic specific vocabulary usage. This assessment was originally developed to automatically score the essay portion of the SAT and has been continuously improved since its inception. Time to take is approximately 30 minutes. This assessment will be delivered to BOLC students

Control

Period of Performance: ___________ to ___________ or (insert completion date)

4. Authority: Select the appropriate authority below:

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), only one source reasonably available, urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization.

5. Reasons for Authority Cited:

6. Publicizing Contract Actions: For FAR Part 13 actions, the public display and synopsis requirements of FAR 5.101 and FAR 5.203 do not apply due to the $ threshold, apply and will be followed, or do not apply due to an exception at

5.202 ______________________.

This is a sole source procurement because the Criterion assessment best addresses evaluation of the CG CAC's key leadership skill area of "communication" in support of Project Athena. This assessment also meets the following selection criteria used during vendor research efforts: administered through web-based means, provides immediate feedback to students through the use of reports, is capable of providing electronic data and reports for follow-on analyses and integration into Army databases, and requires a minimal amount of time to administer thereby minimizing the time impacts on students. It provides automated scoring which will significantly reduce administrative and scoring efforts, is highly modifiable and can be tailored to best address the learning needs of students. The Criterion assessment was identified by the scientific team at CAPL as the best writing skills assessment available to sufficiently evaluate student writing ability and satisfy the CG CAC intent.

19 June 2020

Control No:

Requirement to post justification in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b)(3), FAR 13.105(c), or FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A)

Action is a brand name restriction, under $25K, no posting required Action is a brand name restriction, over $25K. It will be redacted and posted with the solicitation.

Action is a brand name restriction over $25K but will not be posted due to exception:

FAR 6.305(f) FAR 8.405-6(b) (3) (iii) (A) FAR 8.405-6(b) (3) (iii) (B) FAR 8.405-6(b) (3) (iii) (C) FAR 16.505(a) (4) (iii(C)

7. Market Research:

8. Other Facts:

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

Printed Name:

Date:

Title:

Signature:

10. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon

Details and pricing for the Criterion Writing Skills Assessment were received from Educational Testing Service The Criterion assessment was identified following a web search and upon further inquiry was determined to be the tool that best addressed the selection criteria identified in Question 5 above. Once identified, the vendor was contacted on multiple occasions for additional details and cost information. The fact that it is completely web-based and utilizes an automatic scoring engine will significantly reduce the administrative burdens associated with scoring and providing feedback for each assessment to

Nine commercial assessments were reviewed in an attempt to address the key leadership skill areas requested by the CG CAC (leadership, cognitive, communication, mental toughness/interpersonal skills), only this assessment was identified as sufficiently meeting the Army project requirements and addressing communication skills (i.e. writing ability).

the above.

Control

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that completing this purchase as a sole source is in the best interest of the Government. Additionally, I approve this justification to limit competition subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Printed Name:

Date:

Title:

Signature:

Robert M. Parvin 05/01/2020 Contracting Officer