Sole Source JA - PARTS II.pdf

U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary

Office of the Senior Procurement Executive Acquisition Services Division

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

Office of the Secretary (OST) Acquisitions Services Division 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED

Justification and approval to use other than full and open competition procedures to award a sole-source contract to The MITRE Corporation. This 24-month award is specifically for safety performance research on motor vehicle advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) technologies through the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS). This award will allow work to continue with the implementation of Phase II, and will build on the initial findings and products of Phase I by expanding and maturing the breadth and depth of the prototype analysis, incorporating additional Federal, State, and industry data sources, increasing PARTS membership of collaborating automotive manufacturers, and formulating a research roadmap for potential future research. PARTS Phase II will support motor vehicle safety by assessing the performance of onboard ADAS technologies through analysis. It also supports the Office of the Secretary’s innovation and safety agendas for automated vehicles. The result will be non-regulatory, collaborative research between USDOT and automotive manufacturers that can be used to better understand and quantify the safety performance of innovative technologies that support the safety integration of automated vehicles on our roadways.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), OST/S3/P requires assistance in executing the PARTS collaborative research in several areas, broken up into nine (9) tasks:

• Task 1: Kick-Off and Work Plan. Deliverables are a kick-off meeting and work plan.

• Task 2: Progress Briefings, Communications, and Performance. Communications and performance documentation, including monthly invoices, bi-weekly teleconferences, quarterly in-person meetings, briefings to USDOT, developing external communications, and tracking success criteria for both the contract and Contractor performance.

• Task 3: Information Technology (IT) Architecture. Involves an IT plan and a data management plan, quarterly IT reviews, and the annotated code at the end of the contract.

• Task 4: Analysis of Motor Vehicle Technology Safety Performance. Quantifies the performance of motor vehicle safety technologies in the real-world using crash data from NHTSA and vehicle platform information.

• Task 5: Incorporate, Process, and Maintain Data. These are data ingest, management, and processing functions to execute Task 4, and also include data quality assessments.

• Task 6: Expand Participating Partners. PARTS is a collaborative research effort, and involves adding new members to the partnership.

• Task 7: Maintain and Mature PARTS Governance. The collaborative research has a governance structure, which needs to be maintained and matured over time.

• Task 8: Research Roadmap and Summary Report. To provide strategic direction a research roadmap will be developed. A summary report at the end will also be done.

• Optional Task 9: Transition Support. Optional transition support if future follow-on contracts use a different provider.

4. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER

THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

The statutory authority for the proposed contract with the MITRE Corporation is 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a), which states that an executive agency may use procedures other than competitive procedures only --- (2) “When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source…and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.” In particular, the “follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment when it is likely that award to a source other than the original source would result in (i) substantial duplication of cost to the Government which is not expected to be recovered through competition” applies to PARTS Phase II as stated in 41 U.S.C. 253 (d)(1)(B).

5. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR’S UNIQUE

QUALIFICATIONS OR THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF

THE AUTHORITYCITED

The work covered under this sole source contract to obtain services to execute Phase II will build on the initial findings and products of Phase I by expanding and maturing the breadth and depth of the prototype analysis, incorporating additional Federal, State, and industry data sources, increasing PARTS membership of collaborating automotive manufacturers, and formulating a research roadmap for potential future research. PARTS Phase II will support motor vehicle safety by assessing the performance of onboard ADAS technologies through analysis. PARTS Phase II will support motor vehicle safety by assessing the performance of onboard ADAS technologies through analysis. It is also supports the Office of the Secretary’s innovation and safety agendas for automated vehicles. The result will be non-regulatory, collaborative research between USDOT and automotive manufacturers that can be used to better understand and quantify the safety performance of innovative technologies that support the safety integration of automated vehicles on our roadways.

MITRE performed the work under PARTS Phase I. A follow-on contract for PARTS Phase II, for the continued development of the PARTS collaborative research effort from a source that did not execute Phase I would result in substantial duplication of effort performed in Phase I, particularly related to data management, data analysis, and the establishment of legal agreements. The duplication of efforts and cost that would result from award to any other source are not expected to be recovered through competition. Therefore, The MITRE Corporation is the only source that can satisfy the Agency’s need for continuation of the research and implementation of PARTS Phase II.

6. EFFORTS MADE TO OBTAIN COMPETITION, AND WHETHER A NOTICE WAS

OR WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY FAR SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT,

WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER FAR 5.202 APPLIES

Notice will be published under FAR Subpart 5.2.

7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE

ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND

REASONABLE:

The contracting officer has determined that the cost to the government will be fair and reasonable.

8. A DESCRIPTION OF MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS

OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASON THAT MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT

CONDUCTED:

No market research was conducted because the contract action is to implement the continuation of an ongoing specialized project for which the existing contractor has specialized knowledge and experience, and no other contractor will be able to meet the agency’s needs without substantial duplication of cost.

9. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND

OPEN COMPETITION:

None at this time.

10. A LIST OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST

IN THE ACQUISITION

None at this time.

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 THESE SERVICES:

The contract for PARTS Phase II is structured to enable competition for a subsequent, longer-term Phase III in PARTS, if it is deemed appropriate to continue the effort.

12. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION THAT THE JUSTIFICATION IS

ACCURATE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF THE CONTRACTING

OFFICER’S KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF:

As confirmed by the signature below, the Contracting Officer hereby certifies that the facts and representations included in this justification are accurate and complete to the best of her knowledge and belief.

RECOMMENDATION BY:

In accordance with FAR 6.303-2(c), the supporting data which form the basis for this justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical personnel:

4/15/2020

April 15th, 2020 Paul Teicher Date Contracting Officer’s Representative

REVIEWED BY:

Gregory Cate Date Contracting Officer Acquisition Services Division

APPROVAL:

Based on the foregoing justification, the use of Other than Full and Open Competition procedures is hereby approved for the proposed contract to the MITRE Corporation pursuant to the authority of FAR 6.302-1 (a) (2)(ii).