Notice of Intent to Sole Source_09.20.2024.pdf

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management

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September 20, 2024

Notice of Intent to Sole Source – Safety Culture Survey

This is a notification of an intent to award a sole source procurement. This notice of intent is neither a formal solicitation nor a request for competitive proposals. The intent of this synopsis is for informational purposes only.

As part of its ongoing efforts to develop and sustain a healthy safety culture, the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) is required to conduct a survey periodically of the workforce. OREM is issuing this notice to inform industry contractors of the Government's intent to execute a sole source award in accordance with FAR 6.302-1 that authorizes other than full and open competition when there is only one responsible source, and no other supplies and services will satisfy agency requirements.

The prior survey completed in October 2018 was conducted as an independent evaluation of OREM Organization Safety Culture perceptions and attitudes. The evaluation identified strengths and weaknesses and helped OREM to focus on future safety culture program activities.

It has been over five years since the last Safety Culture (SC) Survey was performed in OREM.

As part of maintenance of the OREM SC Program and looking for self-improvement opportunities it is time for a new survey to be conducted. Since the last survey the organization hired new employees (Federal and support contractors) who had been trained on SC.

Management needs to know where OREM is in terms of knowledge and SC implementation across the organization. OREM Management intends to secure an outside firm to conduct a new safety culture survey in 2024/2025. For maximum usefulness, the firm must be able to compare OREM results with survey and focus group results of other organizations within the DOE Complex. The firm must also be able to translate findings from surveys and focus groups to crafting specific recommendations based on state-of-the-art industrial organization/psychology principles and first-hand implementation experience.

The Government believes that only one responsible source, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) can provide this requirement. Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Dr. Davyda Hammond and their staff at ORAU provide a unique opportunity and ability to perform the scope of the Safety Culture assessment planned for OREM this year. Dr Miller has been a primary participant for over ten years in efforts across the DOE Complex to nurture sustained efforts to improve all aspects of safety culture, both within Federal and contractor organizations. Having given a continually refined survey instrument to over 25,000 participants across the DOE Complex and other Federal agencies, ORAU is uniquely positioned to help OREM compare and interpret results of their survey in a DOE-specific context, specifically strengths and weaknesses relative to DOE organizations facing similar challenges of highly specialized and dangerous work using a largely out-sourced execution strategy. Beyond this, the ORAU staff enlists the expertise of several PhDs in organizational psychology, leadership, and educational psychology. This unique expertise enables ORAU to identify which results are meaningful and actionable and aid in identifying and implementing initiatives to improve the existing culture. Ahead of these specific capabilities, ORAU, as an organization itself earned the Voluntary Protection Program award achieving a Star of Excellence designation for over five consecutive years. Thus, the

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management

89303524PEM000016

September 20, 2024 practitioners at ORAU have, as a collective team, developed a depth of experience in the personal application of safety culture principles in DOE and other Federal agencies.

The proximity of the ORAU staff affords for short-lead time availability in supporting the OREM safety culture panel in implementing and trouble-shooting implementation of specific safety culture actions. In summary, the ability of ORAU to provide comprehensive DOE-complex context for the survey results, its bench strength in the areas of industrial/educational psychology, and its proximity for access make it uniquely positioned to meet OREM’s safety culture survey needs for 2024/2025.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541611

- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services. The Product Service Code (PSC) for this requirement is R408 Support – Professional: Program Management/Support.