LSJ Monster BPA Synopsis.pdf

LIMITED SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

PURSUANT TO FAR SUBPART 8.4

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity:

The Office of Acquisition Management proposes to award a sole source, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contract Number GS 35F 0609V with MONSTER GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC (MGS) for a Monster Platform Software subscription on behalf of the Bureau of Global Talent Management (GTM) and the Bureau Overseas Building Operations (OBO). The total estimated cost is for a base + four option years award is , which includes an optional enhancements projection.

Monster Government Solutions is a software firm that offers the services needed for operation and maintenance of an enterprise automated staffing system. This service streamlines the staffing process, saves valuable time by employees, managers, and HR professionals during the recruitment process, and provides faster candidate referral to manager to fill critical positions.

Monster Government Solutions has the experience working with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS portal and other government agencies for similar requirements and has been used by GTM for five years. This acquisition will be a follow on from the previous Department BPA, 19AQMM19A0273. The Monster platform is FedRAMP approved and in collaboration with the GTM ISSO Team and the Department Cloud CPMO.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This proposed action is a sole source, firm fixed price, BPA under GSA MAS, Contract Number GS 35F 0047S with MONSTER GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC for a Monster Platform Software subscription. MSG is considered a large business, and a DS 1910 will be accomplished.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

The Department of State (DoS), Bureau of Human Resources (HR), requires a solution to provide, operate and maintain an automated staffing system to include the technical expertise and training services for the Department of State. These services include, but are not limited to, automating the staffing process for all Competitive Service and most Excepted Service job vacancies to include Civil Service, Student Interns, Fellows, Foreign Service generalists and specialists.

Additionally, the system must be FedRAMP approved, or undergoing FedRAMP approval. The FedRAMP Authorization Act was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Biden as part of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization (NDAA) Act in January of 2023. The

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

Monster Government Solutions (MGS) offers several unique features that distinguish it from other recruitment platforms for the Department of State:

1. Provides, operates and maintains an automated staffing system to include the technical expertise and training services for the Department of State. These services include, but are not limited to, automating the staffing process for all Competitive Service and most Excepted Service job vacancies to include Civil Service, Student Interns, Fellows, Foreign Service generalists and specialists.

2. Integration with Government Systems: MGS integrates seamlessly with various government human resource systems, allowing for efficient and streamlined recruitment processes. Provides capability to accurately export data to DoS Human Resources databases. To include:

Electronic data feeds available to the U. S. Department of State in an XML format over Secure File Transfer Protocol.

Data mapping, file structure, field attributes and definitions.

Ensures that Department of State data is secure and encrypted in use, in transit and at rest, to guarantee absolute integrity and not to be co mingled (i.e., separate database) with other customer data.

3. Specialization in Government Recruitment: MGS is specifically tailored for government agencies, providing solutions that address the unique challenges and requirements of public sector recruitment.

4. Compliance with Federal Hiring Regulations: MGS ensures that its recruitment processes comply with federal hiring regulations and standards, such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines, ensuring a fair and legal hiring process.

5. Security and Privacy: Given the sensitivity of government positions, MGS prioritizes security and privacy, implementing robust measures to protect candidate and agency data.

6. Veterans and Diversity Hiring: MGS places a strong emphasis on hiring veterans and promoting diversity, aligning with federal initiatives to support underrepresented groups in government employment.

7. Customized Solutions: MGS offers tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of different government agencies, whether they are federal, state, or local.

8. Advanced Analytics and Reporting: MGS provides advanced analytics and reporting tools that help government agencies track recruitment metrics, analyze hiring trends, and make data driven decisions.

9. Comprehensive Support Services: MGS offers extensive support services, including training, consulting, and technical support, to help agencies optimize their recruitment strategies and processes.

These features collectively make Monster Government Solutions a specialized and effective platform for government recruitment, differentiating it from more general recruitment platforms.

5. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated contract action will represent the best value based on cost benefit and required time it would take for the Government to re establish similar services. Unique and proprietary data have been implemented not only in Department of State historical data but also web links, Department of State internal HR systems, embassy web site links and distributed materials throughout the world. Based on the market research, it is within the best interest of the Government to award to Monster Government Solutions, LLC to upkeep the current HR recruitment and hiring activities in place.

The Contracting Officer will not award the planned contract action unless the Contracting Officer evaluates and determines that the resultant price is fair and reasonable.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

The Bureau of Global Talent Management (GTM) is responsible for all HR processes across the Department of State. The Civil Service and Overseas recruiting teams continues to support the Department’s crucial recruitment activities through use of the Monster platform and have done so for five years. Migration to another tool would result in transitional costs as well as a potential loss in historical data.

An internal program office analysis determined the risks and costs associated with use of another tool:

Monster ERA (Overseas Recruitment) The Electronic Recruitment Application (ERA) was rolled out starting in 2017 and is in use worldwide. ERA is an application tracking system (ATS) from Monster Government Services that allows mission HR offices to announce vacancies and manage job applications in a standardized fashion. In 2023, mission HR offices announced 11,063 vacancies in 164 countries and received 640,650 applications. A lack of continuity to the software as a service (SAAS) Monster solution would significantly disrupt the mission of HR operations. Alternatively, HR offices would have to accept, screen, and manage paper job applications for all vacancies. A paper process requires a significantly higher level of effort and more time to recruit, particularly in locations that receive high volumes of job applicants.

For example, in a mission that receives five hundred paper applications for a job listing, it is projected to take two HR staff two hours per day over ten days to screen applicants, whereas one HR staff could screen and create a shortlist in two hours using the Monster platform.

Additionally, mission HR offices have built up their recruitment/marketing infrastructure around Monster ERA, meaning all the Embassy website’s career pages, marketing materials, and any external job links would require updating.

To establish and implement a new ATS vendor contract for overseas missions, there are numerous steps required; aside from the acquisition process, a vendor transition plan would need to be developed, to ensure all 164 missions are prepared for a platform change. The vendor and GTM would have to make any customizations needed to the new software and perform all necessary testing. This would potentially involve pilot testing, several rounds of feedback, a GTM developed communications plan, and would require adequate time for training in the new system. System training materials would have to be reviewed and finalized with the vendor. Training would be divided into phases.

Phase 1: Train the trainers – Power Users and GTM/OE staff.

Phase 2: Instructor led and video – 2 trainings per geographic region (ten in total).

Phase 3: Ongoing training blending video, eLearning, and peer to peer coaching methods.

The vendor would train the GTM/OE staff and the ERA Power User team (22 LE staff recruiters) in system use.

Phase 1 would be in Washington D.C.; costs would be approximately for travel, lodging, and M&IE to bring the 22 LE staff recruiters to Washington DC. GTM would explore virtual training opportunities, when able.

Phase 2 involves GTM/OE and the ERA Power Users organizing two trainings per geographic region, ten in total, based on a four day training cycle. The ten trainings would allow at least two hundred local HR staff, one per mission, training in an instructor led classroom setting. Phase 2 would include some hybrid/video training in advance of in person learning and would cover system use, how to coach their HR colleagues, and how to support supervisors. This training would cost approximately for travel, lodging, and M&IE for 2 GTM/OE staff and 1 regional Power User to attend each of the ten trainings. Once this implementation training is rolled out and all missions have an HR staff who is knowledgeable in a new ATS, the training would move to phase three.

Phase three would be the ongoing vendor eLearning and video training combined with peer to peer coaching from the Power User team.

Monster Civil Service (including SES/SL/ST)

The Department currently uses the Monster Hiring Management Enterprise system (MGS) application tracking system (ATS) from Monster Government Services that allows HR offices to announce Civil Service (CS), Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level (SL), and Science and Professional (ST) position vacancies; collect and manage job applications; issue certificates of eligibles; and audit vacancy case files in a standardized fashion. This solution was first implemented in 2013 and has since developed into the primary tool used to advertise and staff positions by all the bureaus, with over 2500 active users. The use of an automated ATS is required to meet the OPM requirement of posting all open positions on USAJOBS. In 2023 alone, the ATS was used to advertise 2,144 vacancies on USAJOBS, receiving 157,666 applications. As agencies are mandated by OPM to use an electronic ATS for the recruitment of CS, SES, SL and ST types of positions, the Department must have an ATS in place and switching from one application to another takes time, budget, infrastructure, training and good change management and project management so as to not significantly disrupt the ability to recruit and fill CS, SES, SL, and ST positions.

The agency does not have the option to accept, screen, and manage paper job applications for theses vacancies as an alternative. Additionally, recruitment and marketing infrastructure has been built around MGS, which would require TAC, CSTM and recruiters to update websites, marketing materials, and linked job information sites.

Lastly, ceasing use of the current ATS would impact the Department’s ability to meet required regular reporting in areas such as DEIA and applicant flow data; department wide dashboards such as the recent S/ODI DEIA dashboard, and negatively impact the ability to provide ad hoc reporting for official reports and Congressional inquiries. The Department has also invested in significant development to push data from the ATS to the recently implemented onboarding tool (Welcome to State); as well as to OAA’s non competitive hiring database, and to the FS REETA and Yello tools.

To establish and implement a new ATS vendor contract, there are numerous steps that need to be taken. First, GTM must finalize market research on ATS vendors, with the full understanding of what needs to be replaced, by mapping the flow of data from the ATS to various DOS systems. Then we must complete the acquisition process to compete, identify, and select the next vendor. A vendor transition plan must be finalized to prepare all 9 delegated HR service providers (HRSPs) ready for the switch. The vendor and GTM would have to make any customizations and establish interconnections with other HR systems needed to the new software and perform all necessary testing. This may involve several rounds of pilots and feedback. GTM would develop a communications plan and allow adequate time for training in the new system for all aspects of users. System training materials for HR users, hiring managers, and reporting and auditing functions would have to be reviewed and finalized with the vendor. We anticipate that training would be divided into phases as following:

Phase 1: Train the trainers – Power Users, GTM/EX/SOD, and GTM/CSTM staff

Phase 2: Instructor training sessions – a minimum of 2 trainings focused on HR Specialists per HR Service provider plus 1 additional training session per bureau focused on HR Managers to ensure good understanding of how to use the system by all users.

Also, will need to have at least one training on advanced reporting functionality.

Phase 3: Ongoing training blending video, eLearning, and peer to peer coaching methods that covers all user types to include HR Specialists, managers, and administrators.

The vendor would initially train the GTM/EX/SOD and GTM/CSTM staff, as well as the HRSP power Users in the HR service provider offices. For phase two, GTM/EX/SOD and GTM/CSTM staff would coordinate and oversee the vendor’s trainings of HR specialists and HR managers in the bureaus. These trainings would be provided as a mix of instructor led classroom and virtual trainings to accommodate users in multiple geographic locations. Once this implementation training is rolled out and all HRSPs have a HR staff knowledgeable in the new ATS, the training would move to phase three. Phase three would be the ongoing vendor eLearning and video training combined with peer to peer coaching from the Power User team.

Finally, the Office of Technology Solutions would need to spend time and resources to build new interfaces to support the existing infrastructure to ensure that applicants selected through the new ATS would be able to onboarded using the existing Welcome to State solution used by multiple bureaus to onboard new CS and FS employees. OTS will also need to have resources coordinating on redesigning the data integrations with existing TAC FS solutions prior to final selection and work with OTA, S/ODI and others on ensuring that the data interfaces needed for the existing the dashboards and reporting systems.

In summary, going without an ATS is not something that the Department of State can do and replacing the ATS requires significant time, resources and planning. Granting a sole source contract would give us the time needed to do the research to determine the best path forward to ensuring that the Department of State can continue to recruit and hire the best.

Overseas Building Operations (OBO) Personal Services Contractors (PSC) Recruitment OBO uses Monster for recruitment of PSCs to support the mission of the bureau through the regulatory authority given to the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Section 5 of the Foreign Service Buildings Act, 1926, as amended (22 U.S.C. 296) and 3 FAM 9113 (f).

OBO has 555 established PSC positions that are subject to federal contract management and regulations. These positions are both technical and administrative and support both domestic and overseas operations. The PSC positions supplement the resource gap due to limited FTE authorization and high turnover and processing onboarding of FS staffing. PSC positions are more cost efficient versus utilizing Third Party Contractors and are not fully subject to employment regulations for direct hire personnel. As PSCs are not fully subject to federal employment regulations, this reduces the amount of time from recruitment to on boarding.

2021 PSCs EOD 66 2022 PSCs EOD 89 2023 PSCs EOD – 73

OBO uses the Monster platform to build and posting of vacancy adds through their application and military website, have an extensive question library for developing self assessments, and allow potential applicants to apply directly through their platform and collect applications/resumes, and provide basic data analysis reports of those who view the vacancy and those who apply. The adds can run up to 30 calendar days.

The Monster platform also allows us to provide training to our HR Staff and Hiring Managers on the use of the platform and their role. The training provides the legal requirements for analysis, assessment, and selection. This allows all to develop strategies to define the KSA/Competency requirements of the job series and assessments items needed for building the vacancy announcement. It is a Monster Instructor led course.

OBO also technically links with Monster to our internal application under ServiceNow which is used for managing the day to day transactions and tracking of our PSC population. This allows for more time efficient reviews and tracking of applicants who apply for our PSC positions.

staff at GTM and OBO offices. Additionally, as mentioned above, the Avature and Oracle ROMs DO NOT include the OBO or Civil Service components included in the Monster solution, which would render the costs much higher.

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

The features and functionalities of Monster Government Solution’s (MGS) “Monster Hiring Management” service are unique from other automated staffing tools. The MGS solution is currently integrated into the Department’s business processes and is integrated with the Bureau of Human Resources’ Integrated Personnel Management System (IPMS). MGS owns all rights to this hosted proprietary application and possesses the experience and expertise in working with Department’s specific business logic. There is only one responsible source available to satisfy this requirement.

In order to remove or overcome barriers to competition in the future acquisitions for this requirement, the Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be fully competed. GTM will include a transition support task as well as a data deliverable to ensure that historical data can be preserved for future use/ inputs. GTM will also ensure that ProgramManagement and Budget Offices stay engaged during this continued market research, to request necessary funding to support the development/ configuration of a new tool in the future. With the 5 year BPA in place, this allows GTM to POM or reprogram funding to align to new program requirements.