SAM SSJ Interviewing Training WMDD.pdf

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FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

JUSTIFICATION FOR LIMITED

COMPETITION/SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

ACQUISITIONS UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine that the Specialized Core Interview and Interrogation Skills Course listed on DJF-22-2300-PR- 0001206 is available from only one source, and competition is precluded as there are no substitutes available.

1. This acquisition is restricted to the following manufacturer:

Company: Pyxis Academy, LLC)

Company Address: 99 Murphy Rd, Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458

Company Point of Contact and Phone Number: Colton, Seale, 907-854-3916

2. The Specialized Core Interview and Interrogation Skills Course is estimated to cost xxx and is required to be delivered by 9/3/2023.

The Specialized Core Interview and Interrogation Skills Course requirement to develop and deliver a 3-day course focused on methods to select and approach scientists for technical and R&D collaboration efforts. This course will serve as the first part of a two-part course, during which participants will apply what they have learned in an intensive hands-on workshop.

The training will take place at a government facility in the Washington DC Metropolitan area for a one-year period of performance. The course must accommodate 20-30 students and cover, at a minimum, the following elements:

• Subject selection;

• Models of non-defensive communication;

• Characteristics and motivations of members of the scientific and technical sectors;

• Motivational interview models;

• Adaptive behavior;

• Issues in cross-expertise communication;

• Integration and alignment of course materials with advanced courses taught by the HIG; and

• Inclusion and construct of presentations and interactive content.

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This contract will allow the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD) Chemical Biological Countermeasures Unit (CBCU) and the WMDD Investigative Unit (IU) to accomplish the mission of preparing FBI agents and technical/scientific subject matter experts to master knowledge of the psychological and behavioral skillsets needed to gain the trust and partnership of the scientific community.

3. [Insert one of the paragraphs listed below, depending on the justification]

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C.

3304 (a)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1entitled, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

Pyxis Academy is uniquely qualified to provide these services to the FBI because the company was founded by, and is operated by, one of the developers of the advanced Human Intelligence (HUMINT) techniques used by the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG), an interagency entity led by the FBI and Intelligence Community partners. The WMDD will use a model consistent with methods that are already in place and expand instruction beyond the HIG. The Pyxis team of psychologists, researchers and instructors are perfectly placed to maintain the needed consistency in approach and methods.

4. Check and fill in all that are applicable for an Open Market Buy:

The material or service must be compatible in all aspects (form, fit, and function) with existing systems presently installed.

A patent, copyright, proprietary data, or licensing agreement limits competition. The proprietary data are described as follows:

<Insert description>

These are "direct replacement" parts/components for existing equipment.

Other information to support a sole source buy:

Pyxis Academy is not the only company in the marketplace that offers HUMINT training courses. Most cover basic, introductory HUMINT training. However, Pyxis Academy is the only company we have found that has built a platform mandated by Executive Order to research and implement the most current and effective behavioral psychology theories to develop cutting edge non-coercive interview methods The WMDD will work with Pyxis Academy to tailor the 3-day “Core Interview & Interrogation Skills Course” for FBI SAs, Analysts, and Scientists who work with the scientific community in

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IF GSA FAR Part 8, complete items 6-7

5. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

The contracting officer will determine, after considering the level of effort and the mix of skills available for the tasks needed, that the proposed order or BPA represents a reasonable total price and will be the best value for the FBI.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders, and the results of the research. A statement must be made that the supplies and services are available from the FSS.

WMDD CBCU and WMDD IU consulted the Counterintelligence Division (CD) and other intelligence agencies to determine whether they had a workshop specifically focused on the choice of scientific liaisons and subsequent initiation of contact and long-term maintenance of the relationship. None of the agencies contacted have training on developing relationships with the scientific sector. The CD suggested we speak with current FBI HUMINT trainers, who joined the WMDD HUMINT program in recommending that we remain within the methods and procedures developed for the HIG, which are used to train agents in advanced HUMINT techniques.

7. Any other facts supporting the limited source justification.

Pyxis Academy was selected for this acquisition in order to maintain consistency in methods used by FBI personnel for approaching and interviewing subjects.

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency will take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for supplies and services is made.

The WMDD CBCU and IU will remain in contact with the HIG to ensure intra-agency continuity in training methods and suppliers of that training. The WMDD will also continue to survey the commercial market in order to identify potential sources that might improve on the requirement on subsequent acquisitions.