MPASS - Determination and Findngs-Consolidation - Redacted.pdf

CUI

Determination and Findings Authority to use Consolidation of Contract

Requirements Meeting, Programmatic, and Administrative Support

Services (MPASS)

FINDINGS

1. Contracting Activity: The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA)

2. Description of the Action Being Approved: The purpose of this requirement is to provide Meeting, Programmatic, and Administrative Support Services (MPASS), which provide benefit to the Government to support federally funded research programs as administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). These services support the unique processes of CDMRP and are not commercially purchased for private sector organizations in the commercial market. When CDMRP was first established in 1992 as the Breast CancerResearch Program, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (MRDC) commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to provide recommendations on the best approaches for managing the new, unprecedented program. IOM provided recommendations on how to conduct strategic planning, vision setting, and the review processes to evaluate and select applications for funding. CDMRP continues to adhere to the IOM’s recommendations, and CDMRP’s processes have received multiple laudatory reviews by the National Academy of Medicine and the Government Accountability Office.

Strategic planning and vision setting support is required for approximately 40 targeted programs focused on over 80 diseases/injuries/conditions as directed by Congress, with varying levels of funding ($4 to $370 million) and complexity. The MPASS contract enables the flexibility that CDMRP/MRDC needs to pivot in order to meet requirements because the funding levels and congressionally directed programs/topics change each year.

The requirement consists of a 100% re-compete of the previous Meeting, Scientific, and Support Service (MSASS) contract, W81XWH-17-D-0025; a full and open competition single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (SA/IDIQ), with a total ordering ceiling of $98M and currently valued at in task orders as of 06 January 2022. The base contract is still active for ordering through 31 July 2022 with the ability to extend the ordering period an additional six months if required.

The re-compete includes key tasks from the Program Administration and Technical Support Services (PATSS) contract. The PATSS contract was awarded under W81XWH-17-D-0003 as a 100% small business set aside with a total ordering measure SUM, OMB established the Tiered Maturity Model for common spend. This model differentiates spend as Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 2, and Best-in-Class (BIC) (see table below). Any spend designated as Tier 1, Tier 2, or BIC help agencies improve SUM and ultimately help eliminate redundancies, increase efficiencies, and deliver more value and savings.

During strategic planning, requirements owners and contracting professionals need to integrate CM principles and determine whether tiered solutions already in place can help to meet their requirement. In order to align spend, agencies often introduce policy recommending (or requiring) the use of particular contract vehicles. To ensure individuals are fully aware of the vehicles available to them, it is critical to share information and require ongoing communication between the requirements owners and contracting professionals.

The only other alternative is to leave the PATSS contract as is which the Government has determined is redundant and inefficient. The main purpose for this consolidation effort is to address inefficient use of Government contracts and to reduce contractual redundancies by means of CM. The approach as described in this document aims to address CM initiatives while minimizing the impact to small business.

c. The determination is coordinated with the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs;

The Small Business Professional from the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) has reviewed this determination.

The DD2579 was signed “concur” by the OSBP on 03 February 2022 and Small Business Administration Procurement Center Representative on 08 February 2022.

d. Any negative impact by the acquisition strategy on contracting with small business concerns has been identified;

Negative impacts have been minimized. Several PATSS tasks that were once considered for consolidation with MPASS have been removed and will remain a small business set-aside. PATSS will retain approximately 68% of its original scope, while approximately 12% will be consolidated into the MPASS scope.

MPASS will be re-competed as a full and open competition with market research to support the acquisition strategy. Overall 80% of the PATSS tasks will remain as a small business set-aside. Table 1 below identifies the overall consolidation effort and Table 2 identifies which specific PATSS tasks will be consolidated and where.

Table 1

Contract W81XWH-17-D-0003 PATSS Task Scope Realigned

Competition

PATSS Re-compete 68% 100% Small Business Set Aside

BOSS Re-compete 20% 100% SDVOSB Set Aside MPASS Re-compete 12% Unrestricted competition

Table 2

PATSS

W81XWH-17-D-

0003 Base Key Tasks

Assigned to Re-compete

4.1.1 Key Task: Clerical Support to the Grants

Management Division

BOSS

4.1.2 Key Task: Logistical Support BOSS

4.2.1 Key Task: Public Relations Support MPASS

4.2.2 Key Task: Program Evaluation Support PATSS

4.2.3 Key Task: Portfolio Analysis Support PATSS

4.2.4 Key Task: Data Management and

Reconciliation Support

BOSS

4.3.1 Key Task: Program Analyst Support PATSS

4.3.2 Key Task: Program Administration Support PATSS

e. Steps are taken to include small business concerns in the acquisitionstrategy;

A Request for Information (RFI) was posted to identify qualified, experienced, and interested potential business sources in support of the requirements. All capability statements received were reviewed and analysis of the statements indicated that there were not at least two or more proposals from responsible small business offerors could be expected. As previously stated, this requirement will be competed full and open. Additional information regarding the RFI can be found in the Market Research Memo.

5. FAR 7.107-2(b) allows for the inclusion of benefits in determining thenecessity and justification of the consolidation, if the benefits of the acquisition would substantially exceed the benefits that would be derived from the alternative contracting approaches identified.

Consolidating the Public Relations (PR) tasks from the PATSS contract to the MPASS contract are beneficial as these tasks align with the existing scope of MPASS more appropriately as the PR tasks in the PATSS contract are a direct spawn of the meeting support services provided under the MPASS contract.

Government Benefits of Consolidation:

There are many benefits of realigning the Public Relations tasks from the PATSS contract to the MPASS re-compete. Most importantly, the PATSS tasks align with the existing scope of MSASS more appropriately as they align with the existing Publicity services under the program cycle support currently housed under the existing MSASS contract, W81XWH-17-D-0025. Existing task order under MSASS for Publicity services, W81XWH-21-F-0230, provides support for CDMRP’s Highlights book, annual report, webinars, brochures, and videos, all for the general public, as well as posters and product displays for VIP and congressional visitors to USAMRDC and CDMRP. These products are created, edited and finalized as deliverables under the existing MSASS contract. Assisting CDMRP personnel in gathering, editing and developing content for all requested publication materials is a task requirement of the existing MSASS contract, which aligns with the existing PATSS Public Relations tasks recommended for consolidation with the MPASS Publicity key task area. It is redundant and inefficient to have two contracts providing similar support, under similar labor categories to create, edit and finalize public relations materials on behalf of CDMRP for the general public, MRDC, VIPs and congressional visitors. These tasks must remain on the MPASS re-compete because they are directly tied to the existing program cycle support. Public Relations support is not an isolated requirement. The entire programmatic support process produces deliverables that are used in creating these Public Relations materials for CDMRP to display and disseminate to the stakeholders and public audiences listed above.

Other benefits include:

Reduced government resources required during the source selection evaluation.

With the scope of tasks in better alignment by contract, the technical expertise required by the government on the source selection evaluation board is reduced. Aligning all the Public Relations services under one contract will reduce the burden for the CDMRP Public Affairs Manager who would serve on only one evaluation board instead of two.

Should these tasks remain on PATSS, additional/redundant government resources would need to participate on the PATSS source selection board as well, in order to review the Public Relations tasks. This consolidation streamlines the government’s efforts in source selection based on technical expertise required in order to provide a sound evaluation.

Reduced overall contract administration costs. With Public Relations services unified under the MPASS re-compete contract instead of two separate contracts under the MPASS and PATSS re-competes, the government would require only one task order COR and fewer technical leads for surveillance and performance monitoring.

Resources associated with contract management of Publicity Support under MPASS and separately Public Relations under PATSS would be reduced if these tasks were consolidated under just MPASS’ Publicity Key Task 4.4.

Increased overall efficiency, effectiveness and quality. Aligning similar skill sets and requirements under MPASS with the new task consolidation fosters an environment that will allow the CDMRP Public Affairs Manager to more efficiently work with one contractor. Technical work currently flows through the CDMRP Public Affairs Manager across contracts in the existing PATSS and MSASS contracts, making it disjointed and inefficient under two separate contracts. The two contractors cannot