Sole Source Memo.HM.12.25_sign.pdf

Date:

From:

Subject:

To:

December 11, 2025

Teresa McDivitt, Program Director, Staffing & Workforce Planning Office NIH CC Nursing Department 10 Center Drive Bldg. 10/1-5664 Bethesda, MD 20892 Email: Teresa.mcDivitt@nih.gov Phone: 301-451-1256

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

NIH, CLINICAL CENTER, CONTRACTING OFFICER

1. AGENCY IDENTIFICATION AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

National Institute of Health Clinical Center 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 AO’s Name, contact information: Amber Scott, AO – amber.scott@nih.gov

Contracting Activity:

NIH Clinical Center Office of Purchasing and Contracts 6707 Democracy Blvd Bethesda, MD 20892

2. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACQUISITION BEING APPROVED

The Clinical Center Nursing Department currently utilizes Articulate 360 authoring software to create online trainings/courses which are published to Learning Management Systems (LMS). The Nursing Department has been using this software since 2015 and has created numerous online courses. The software is critical to developing easily accessible trainings for a 24/7 workforce. In recent years four other Clinical Center entities have started use the software – Department of Clinical Research Informatics, Office of Clinical Research, Office of Workforce Management and Development, and the Pharmacy Department. Increasing the footprint across the hospital helps those areas meet their individual missions and also strengthens collaborative efforts on interdepartmental training initiatives. research beds in the United States and accommodates about 7,000 inpatient and 70,000 outpatient visits a year. Patients with rare medical conditions are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center from all over the world for the sole purpose of participating in a clinical research protocol.

mailto:Helen.Mayberry@nih.gov mailto:matthew.norris.@nih.gov

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES AND SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE

AGENCY’S NEEDS

Statement of Objectives

Articulate 360 is a commercial off the shelf (COTS) product. It is a suite of e-learning authoring tools.

Articulate 360 is a yearly license subscription. The cost for a team subscription for 26 users is $35,076.60.

We would like this to be in place as soon as possible. This software is used on a continuous basis to develop employee classes, courses and just-in-time training needed to maintain or enhance clinical knowledge, skill, and competence and ultimately contributing to maintaining patient safety and clinical quality.

4. IDENTIFICATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL

AND OPEN COMPETITION.

X FAR 13.106-1(b) (1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), contracting officers may solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstance of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g.

urgency, inclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization).

5. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF

THE AUTHORITY CITED

The NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department Program Director for Nursing Professional Development completed a review of e-learning authoring tool products using online resources.

From that review and comparison, Articulate 360 was found to be the only vendor who provided a suite of customizable tools to meet the needs of novice to proficient content developers. In addition, since 2015 the Nursing Department has developed a wealth of experience using the Articulate 360 suite of e-learning authoring tools. Over 60 online courses have been developed by the Nursing Department using this software. These courses will continue to need maintenance and updates.

Without Articulate 360, the Clinical Center would have to start from scratch with a new vendor’s software in order to make changes to 60 + online courses. This would significantly impact on the Clinical Center’s ability to make updates to existing LMS courses and provide them in a reasonable time-frame to the clinical staff.

6. A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE

SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS PRACTIABLE

This specific suite of e-learning authoring tools is not available through any other vendor.

7. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST WILL BE FAIR AND

REASONABLE

Based on market research of products with similar functionality, this cost is reasonable.

8. DESCRIPTION OF MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS OR

STATEMENT OF THE REASON MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED

The NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department Program Director for Nursing Professional Development completed a review of e-learning authoring tool products using online resources.

From that review and comparison, Articulate 360 was found to be the only vendor who provided a comprehensive suite of customizable tools to meet the needs of novice to proficient content developers.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION.

10. LISTING OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN

INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION.

11. STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO

REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY

SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR THE REQUIRED SUPPLIES OR SERVICES.

12. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER/PROGRAM OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION

“I hereby certify that the information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.”

Teresa McDivitt, Program Director

Staffing & Workforce Planning NIH CC Nursing Department

13. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S CERTIFICATION

“I hereby certify that the information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.”

Susan Nsangou Contracting Officer NIH Clinical Center