FedBizOps_J A_for_J_Street_Group_UNGA_71.pdf

M/MECS UNGA 2016

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND

OPEN COMPETITION (Unusual and Compelling Urgency)

1. Identification of the agency and the Contracting Activity

The U.S. Department of State, Office of Acquisitions Management is conducting this acquisition to acquire a production company to build out space at the request of the Undersecretary for

Management, Office of Major Events and Conference Staff (M/MECS) in support of President

Barack Obama’s Leaders Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis scheduled to take place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 71) set to convene on September

2016. The production company is to build out space in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the

United Nations Headquarters.

The estimated approximate cost is $500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars).

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved

President Barack Obama will host a Leaders’ Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis on the margins of UNGA 71 in September 2016 to galvanize significant new global commitments to:

1) Increase funding to humanitarian appeals and international organizations

2) Admit more refugees through resettlement or other legal pathways, and

3) Increase refugees’ self-reliance and inclusion through opportunities for education and legal work.

Speaking to press following a UN Security Council meeting on 21 December 2015, US

Permanent Representative Samantha Powers said that in the coming months, the US and others will seek to secure new commitments towards: increased and sustained support for UN humanitarian appeals; greater opportunities for resettlement; and expanded opportunities for refugee self-reliance through access to education, legal employment, and other measures. Power served as Security Council President in December 2015.

Recently at the World Economic Forum, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the

United States is calling for new international commitments to strengthen the global response to refugee crises worldwide. The President’s Summit this fall will convene those member states that have made particularly significant commitments toward achieving the Summit’s core goals during the course of 2016. As a leader in humanitarian assistance and refugee protection, the

United States will also make significant new commitments throughout the year and will continue to work to create more long-term, durable opportunities for refugees.

These commitments will augment and complement the extraordinary efforts that are already under way to strengthen the international humanitarian response system and will help some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services Required Meeting Agency’s Needs

The summit described above in Section Two (2) will be hosted in the Trusteeship Council

Chamber, at United Nations Headquarters on the margins of the 71 st United Nations General

Assembly meeting in New York, N.Y. This J&A is for all necessary technical production, installation and strike for staging, signage, rigging, backdrop, lighting (if any), and media press risers (if any), interpreter work booths, and audio-visual considerations apart from what is already available in the room.

4. Identification of the Statutory Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition

The proposed procurement is to be made under the statutory authority of 41 USC 253(c)(2), FAR

6.302-2, Unusual and Compelling Urgency.

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or the Nature of the

Acquisition Requires Use of the Authority Cited.

The United Nations recently decided to proceed with convening a high-level plenary meeting, hosted by President Obama, during the 71 st UNGA session. Work is now proceeding on an accelerated pace to finalize organizational arrangements. The requirement to secure a production and staging contract for the event, therefore, is now immediate in order to initiate the creative design process along with audio/visual and related construction details within the assigned plenary room that will be located in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at the United Nations

Headquarters.

Therefore, we are recommending that the J Street Group, of Washington DC, a woman owned, small business, full-service special event firm specializing in strategic planning, implementation, production and staging be selected for this project. The J Street Group is nationally known focused on personalized service, extraordinary creativity and a commitment to providing space conducive to successful deliberations. Their list of clients is over 100 strong and includes the

Department of State.

J Street Group has a sister company, J Street Productions, to provide audio/visual elements and oversee any and all design and technological elements to the event overall production requirement. They specialize in technical production and design for the entertainment industry and theatre. Services include: production, management, technical direction, lighting, scenic, and audio design, drafting and rendering services, labor coordination and management, stage management, venue and permanent installation consulting and coordination.

The company has extensive domestic and international experience with technical productions to include large scale events for the White House to include international Embassies, foreign and domestic corporations, non-profits and international organizations. The J Street Group has managed events on four continents, including Austria, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Rwanda, and the

Caribbean. Some recent projects include: The Halifax International Security Forum, The Susan

G. Komen All China Women’s Federation, and US-China Investment Week with former

President George W. Bush.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Ensure that Offers Were Solicited from as many

Potential Sources as Was Practicable.

None. The statutory authority for unusual and compelling urgency requires FedBizOps notice be publicized in accordance with the exception under FAR 6.305(b): this J&A for unusual and compelling urgency will be published on FedBizOps within 30 days after contract award.

7. Determination of the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the

Government Will be Fair and Reasonable

The Contracting Officer will determine that anticipated costs to the Government are fair and reasonable by comparing rates for comparable services from previous awards and comparing rates between contractors’ proposals.

8. A Description of the Market Survey Conducted and the Results or a Statement of the Reasons A Market Survey was not Conducted

Based upon industry research, J Street Group, was identified as having the expertise and qualifications necessary to meet this requirement.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other Than Full and Open Competition

See paragraphs 5, 7, and 8.

10. A Listing of Sources if Any, that Expressed, in Writing an Interest in the

Acquisition

None.

11. A Statement of the Actions, If Any, The Agency May Take to Remove or overcome Any Barriers to Competition Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for the

Supplies or Services Required

The Global Refugee Summit occurring on the margins of the 2016 United Nations General

Assembly is unprecedented. The Department was notified of the decision to go forward with this event in July, thus there is now little time for advance planning. Special funding has been requested to support the event. An open competition would require considerable advance lead time due to the nature of the event and their location at the United Nations Headquarters facility.

This J&A for other than full and open competition will be published on FedBizOpps in accordance with FAR Section 6.305 within 30 days of award.

The Office of Acquisition Management is currently working in parallel with this event to competitively award an IDIQ contract to cover all future major summit and conference events.

We anticipate award of the IDIQ in late calendar year (September 2016).