P03 JA Veterans in Agriculture Year 2.pdf

VHAPM Part 813.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items Attachment 1: Request for Sole Source Justification Template >SAT‐$7M under FAR13.5

PM Part 813.5 SAP for Certain Commercial Items Page 1 of 4 Original Date: 08/30/17 Revision 02 Date: 08/04/2020

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL

ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C260‐20‐AP‐5373

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, NCO 20, procuring for the VA Puget Sound

Healthcare System utilizing purchase request 663‐20‐4‐398‐0007.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: This procurement is for the continuation of training services in agricultural vocations as well as behavioral and mental health services for Veterans from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) under a “Veterans in Agriculture” pilot program in accordance with the Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) to the Consolidated Appropriations Act [Omnibus] 2018. This procurement is conducted in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR 13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303‐2. This is a new requirement and will be awarded as a firm fixed price contract.

The period of performance will be for one year, 9/24/2020 – 9/23/2021, and the estimated cost is $693,883.42.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs’ (WDVA), in conjunction with VA Puget Sound Health Care System, seeks to link Western, Central, and Eastern Washington partners in the training and support of Veterans seeking to enter or expand their work within Agriculture. Veterans with mental health conditions often experience occupational impairment (Kukla, Rattray, & Salyers, 2015; Sripada et al., 2018) and may exhibit higher rates of unemployment (Smith, Schnurr, & Rosenheck, 2005; Zivin et al., 2011). However, research suggests that employment supports resilience. For example, work is associated with decreased intensity of depression (Heinz et al., 2018). Accordingly, the Department of Veterans Affairs has long understood the role of work in mental health recovery and helping Veterans attain jobs remains a focus in VA (Kukla, et al, 2018). Washington State is home to 112,689 rural Veterans (2011‐2015 ACS); 31.2% of these rural Veterans are unemployed and not seeking employment, whereas 22.5% of the State’s urban Veterans are unemployed not seeking employment. Agricultural occupations provide unique advantages to Veterans by providing employment that makes sense where the Veteran lives. The Washington State Veterans in Agriculture Pilot would bring together regional partners to support the state’s Veteran population with locally applicable programming including training, technical assistance, mental health access, suicide prevention training, and employment generation with mentorship specific to Veterans health care access and agriculture.

The focus of the pilot is reaching and integrating rural Veterans who are currently agricultural farmers or seeking to become agricultural farmers.

Veterans/participants in the pilot program will receive a variety of integrating services to include:

a) Agriculture/ business finance education provided by regional business and financial education partners.

PM Part 813.5 SAP for Certain Commercial Items Page 2 of 4

Revision 02 Date: 08/04/2020

b) On‐farm support provided by five regionally located learning/Incubator farms currently serving Veterans.

c) Direct connection to Veteran‐specific benefits, and services available through the state and Federal VA.

d) Mental health counseling in rural to highly rural communities by licensed mental health providers.

e) Comprehensive business training and technical assistance provided by regional partners serving Veterans.

f) Training on how to apply for non‐VA micro‐loans provided by regional business partners.

g) Direct connection to trained and supported Veteran mentors.

h) Access to internships that support their long‐term goals, while connecting and supporting their own access to mental health services.

The Pilot shall perform the following:

1) Hiring 3 veterans as agricultural specific staff at WDVA and/or partner agencies.

2) Provide training at 5 regional incubator/learning farms to enable veterans to gain hands on experience.

3) Provide 25 veterans in mental health/ agricultural specific trainings or workshops across the state.

4) Enroll 25 veterans in VCC managed agricultural internships with varied ag industries.

5) Train 100 veterans in agricultural business and Veteran‐specific supports and benefits.

6) Support 20‐30 Veterans across Washington State with partner‐ leveraged micro loans, business loans, health care enrollment and grants.

7) Intake new rural to highly rural mental health clients with 6 contracted mental health providers

8) Provide 10 quality gate keeper trainings in suicide prevention, supporting suicide safer agricultural areas in the state.

9) Ensure 200 rural to highly rural residents are trained in quality gate keeper trainings in suicide prevention, supporting suicide safer agricultural areas in the state.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition: The authority for applying the Simplified

Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. 1901 and is implemented by for restricting competition on this procurement via FAR 13.106‐1(b)(2), only one source reasonably available.

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority VA Puget Sound Health Care System was approved for funding by the Office of Rural Health (ORH) through a grant application submitted in response to the Agricultural Training/Behavioral Healthcare Services Request for Applications (RFA). The approved pilot program grant identified the WDVA as the provider of the training services in agricultural vocations, and behavioral and mental health services to Veterans.

No other vendor has been approved to perform these services.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: None. The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs is the sole entity named in the grant to perform the required services. Additionally, no responses were received in response to notice of intent to sole source posted to https://beta.sam.gov/ on 9/6/2020.

PM Part 813.5 SAP for Certain Commercial Items Page 3 of 4 Original Date: 08/30/17 Revision 02 Date: 08/04/2020

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: The pricing proposed by WDVA has been evaluated and approved by the Office of Rural Health (ORH). The pricing is in accordance with industry standards for these types of services.

A formal evaluation will be included in the contract file.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: Extensive market research was conducted in accordance with FAR 10 including searches of the Veterans Information Page (VIP), GSA and the internet as a whole. No other providers were identified that offer the mix of services and capabilities sought for the current requirement. Only the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs was identified as the source offering the necessary experience, partners and programs to provide both classroom and hands‐on training curricula and development of programs specifically focused on training veterans in agricultural pursuits and mental health in this region for this Agriculture Pilot Program.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: None.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

Washington Department of Veterans Affairs PO Box 41155

Olympia, WA 98504‐11545

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: The Government will continue to conduct market research to determine if there are future changes in the marketplace that would enable competition in future actions.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Christine Perry

Date

Strategic Planner Puget Sound Health Care System

9/21/2020

PM Part 813.5 SAP for Certain Commercial Items Page 4 of 4

Revision 02 Date: 08/04/2020

13. Approvals in accordance with the VHAPM Part 806.3 OFOC SOP:

a. Contracting Officer or Designee’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Bethany Ireton Date Chief, Ancillary Patient Care Network Contracting Office 20 (NCO 20)

b. One Level Above the Contracting Officer (Required over SAT but not exceeding $700K): I certify the justification meets requirements for other than full and open competition.

Peggy Bowen Date Chief, Division 1 Network Contracting Office 20 (NCO 20) RPOW JOFOC Tracker: 2020‐09‐18T10:56:33