M2638117RC00043_4Lenses_Kits__Justification_Letter_Final_(R2).pdf

SAP Justification for Use of Other than Full and Open Competition

RCO-NO-17001

V 1.0 (20 Nov 2015)

MEMORANDUM TO THE FILE

Subj: JUSTIFICATION FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

FOR AN ACQUISITION UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

I. BACKGROUND:

1. FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) states for purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, Contracting Officers may solicit from one source if the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization).

2. As required by FAR 13.106-3(b)(i), this memorandum explains the absence of competition for this acquisition, as only one source will be solicited for this requirement (or for a portion of the requirement) and the requirement (or portion of the requirement to be sole-sourced) is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

II. DESCRIPTION OF ITEM OR SERVICE:

Four Lenses Training Kits are the main supporting educational material used in support of Four Lenses Training Workshops hosted by Marine Corps Family Team Building. The Four Lenses Training Kit includes a small 40 page workbook, which contains the actual assessment for the participant and 4 sets of cards. The workbook has exercises that go along with the assessment and class discussion. The cards are a companion to the workbook in that they are used as part of the assessment. By first looking at the cards and getting your first score on the test matrix and then reading the cards you get another score. The last part of the assessment is in the workbook.

After all of your scores are added they are compiled in the book and you get an overall score, which in turn leads the participant to find out what their temperament is. The self-assessment provides participants with a one-page report indicating the participant’s personal preferences in relation to four temperaments, which are Blue, Gold, Green, and Orange. The training kits are imperative to successfully conduct the Four Lenses Program. This interactive workshop is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of personal communication styles and personality types. The workshop also helps define individual, signature strengths and highlights ways to build on those strengths to solve common problems and enjoy Marine Corps life both on a professional and personal level. This new understanding of self will improve communication and relationships with participants spouse, family, friends and co-workers. With a core competency in communication practices, Four Lenses Training is developed with a unique temperament assessment, which not only provides individual students with information about self, but takes them to the next level of application within the various roles they fill in their life. The Four Lenses Training process is helpful in providing knowledge and understanding to multiple areas within the military family readiness arena to include, but not limited to job seekers, including spouses and family members of military personnel, and military personnel who are transitioning to civilian life and also helping in deployment preparedness.

This training is conducted on multiple occasions as regularly scheduled department programming and sometimes at the request of units’ family readiness officers.

The Four Lenses Training Kits are manufactured and published solely by Shipley Communication and Marine Corps Family Team Building is requesting 400 kits valued at $35,464.00 and a delivery of date of NLT 31 Dec 2016.

III. THE DETERMINATION FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION IS

BASED ON THE FOLLOWING (select all that apply):

A. _X_ ONLY ONE RESPONSIBLE SOURCE (select all that apply):

1. _X_ RESTRICTIVE RIGHTS. The source has established proprietary rights, limited rights in data, patent rights, copyrights or secret processes in the item or service required.

Four Lenses Kits are copyrighted as of 2002 – present. After careful research via an internet search and communication with multiple Marine Corps Family Team Building personnel Four Lenses Training is the only product that can meet the demand of providing training and curriculum for the federal government and military in the areas of communication, presentations, leadership, and personal effectiveness. Other training programs/modules only cater to a specific role or population which in turn brings about the need for the government to establish multiple contracts. Four Lenses and its products have been and are still currently in use throughout the Marine Corps by Marine Corps Family Team Building at all installations to include Marine Corps Recruiting Command and Marine Forces Reserve. A majority of family readiness trainers have taken this trainer certification course but without the proper material the training will be ineffective.

2. N/A EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENTS. The item or service is only available from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), or there is only one authorized distributor or technical representative for the OEM.

3. X OTHER REASONS.

For over a decade the Marine Corps Family Team Building (MCFTB) department has utilized the Four Lenses training and its proprietary materials. These training courses are provided throughout the year at all Marine Corps Installations and hosted by Family Readiness Trainers and Officers who have been certified by Shipley Communication.

This training has been a staple in the Life Skills section of MCFTB, which is responsible in providing resourceful programs that have been designed to support military personnel and their families in promoting relationship enhancement and self-improvement.

Maintaining a cohesive and synonymous training curriculum, to include its training material, is integral in providing the Marines and their families of Marine Forces Reserve (MFR) the same opportunities as what is provided to their peers at installations.

The Marine Corps has spent thousands of dollars training MCFTB employees and even Marines to use this specific program to help support their unit's required family readiness program. Searching for or selecting other training material would render the training already received by MCFTB civilians and Marines of MFR ineffective and would cause additional unnecessary expenditure of funds to retrain/recertify all currently trained individuals just to successfully execute another version of training.

Futhermore, a Request for Information (RFI) No. M67861-17-I-BW01 was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website for 4 days with the express purpose of determining if there are any other sources of this product. The RFI was posted on 12/8/2016 at 3pm EST and closed on 12/12/2016 at 3pm EST with no responses from industry.

B. N/A BRAND NAME

Item required must be a brand name, product, or feature of a product, particular to one manufacturer.

C. N/A URGENT AND COMPELLING. The supplies or services are of such unusual and compelling urgency that the Government would be seriously injured unless the agency is permitted to limit the number of sources from which it solicits bids or proposals. Urgent requirements are supplies or services that will result in a work stoppage, or are mission critical and the routine processing time would result in injury to the Government. The determination that the procurement for the above item/service is an urgent and compelling requirement is based on the following:

1. Date on which the requirement was first identified:

2. Required delivery date/period of performance:

3. Explanation of why delivery/commencement of services by the date mentioned above is required:

4. If appropriate, include any additional pertinent information.

V. CERTIFICATIONS:

A. Technical / Requirements Certification: I certify that the facts and representation under my cognizance which are included in this justification are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature Name (Printed) / Phone # Date

B. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature Name (Printed) / Phone # Date