P03- RMCDS- Sole Source Justification Data Quality Control final mk_Redacted.pdf

Simplified Acquisition Single Source Circumstances

Based on the information provided herein and in accordance with FAR 13.106- 1(b)(i)(Soliciting from a Single Source), I hereby determine the proposed source is the only source reasonably available.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA), National Oncology Program Office (NOP), requires Data Quality Control Support Services to assist the National Oncology Program Office continued data quality control for the VA’s central cancer registry.

The VA proposes to award a contract to the University of Utah (UoU), Department of Rocky Mountain Cancer Data Systems (RMCDS), for data quality control support services to assist the National Oncology Program Office continued data quality control of the VA’s central cancer registry. The Contractor requirements include removal of duplicate cancer records, correction of original records with relevant information, and perform quality control of all records linked to duplicates.

A Request for Information (RFI) notice was issued on December 20th, 2021 through SAM.gov under announcement number 36C10X22R0008. All interested parties were requested to identify their capability in performing the required services by responding to the notice by December 31, 2021.

The responses to the RFI were reviewed based on the following criteria:

1. Does the vendor have scripting experience with RMCDS?

2. Does the vendor have experience as a cancer registrar and knowledge specific to cancer data?

3. Can the vendor provide perform the quality control effort without placing an undue burden on the government? Examples of undue burdens include, but are not limited to:

a. Requiring additional IT infrastructure

b. Adding new software or technologies

c. Requiring the government to learn or re-educate its workforce

d. Using the government as subject matter experts

e. Creating an additional risk of exposure of sensitive PII or PHI by transmitting a copy of data outside the VA’s network

f. Additional security reviews of new software, infrastructure or processes

g. Requirements that cause the government to seek exemptions from VA policy or law

There was a total of 11 responses and 10 vendors were deemed not capable because they did describe how they could satisfy the above three criteria. Additionally, UoU has the in-house central cancer registry subject matter experts available to manually reconcile any anomalies in the data. Given their specialized knowledge and based on the 11 RFI responses UoU is the only vendor who can successfully complete the work at a reasonable cost and with minimal disruption to the VA. University of Utah (UoU) is the vendor for the RMCDS software. As the vendor they possess the unique knowledge to script programmatic solutions within their software to minimize the workload and cost to the government.

Based on the information included here, there are no known sources that are capable of providing the required services other than University of Utah (UoU), the original manufacturer of the system software. Given their specialized knowledge and responses UoU is the only vendor who can successfully complete the work at a reasonable cost and with minimal disruption to the Government.

arey Kauzlarich 1058862 09:38 -05'00'