Sole Source Justification SWCA - PRINT_Redacted_1.pdf

A. Description

B. Justification

a. Circumstances

United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

Sole Source Justification

The Science Applications program is requesting support to continue spatial analysis. This support will continue to develop and manage geospatial data, databases, and information resource in support of landscape conservation design, ecological assessment, and strategy assessment program requirements.

This work will be in support of the Cascades to Coast Landscape Collaborative, an effort led by the USFWS through the Science Applications Program. The targeted geography for the spatial assessment synthesis will be within the boundaries of the CCLC (www.ctoclc.org).

For the past three years, SWCA has played an integral role in developing core pieces of the Pacific Northwest Coast Landscape Conservation Design project. SWCA has produced data products and analyses that are complex, difficult to learn and re-do, represent a significant intellectual investment, and have built trust with a variety of state, federal, private and NGO stakeholders. Finding a new contractor to further this work would be a significant project set back

The proposed SOW builds from a complex body of work with a variety of partners. We have worked with the same contractor, SWCA during this time for GIS support. The original contract was solicited under open market procedures and awarded to SWCA in 2018, 140F0118F0254. A follow on was awarded in 2019 under 140F0119P0046 as a sole source.

Success for this particular SOW builds from this body of previous work and is dependent upon knowledge, skills and relationships with partners that have been fostered over this time.

The knowledge in data analysis, methods and approaches are very unique to this particular project.

There are few contractors that could continue with this work without at least several months of training.

The co-production of the science outlined in the SOW with internal and external partners is dependent upon shared knowledge about a complex variety of species, habitats and data sources. It would be extremely time consuming and difficult to replicate this.

b. Other Capable Sources

None without significant cost to the government.

C. Recommendation and Certification by Program Office

Based on the above justification, I recommend this acquisition to be conducted using sole source acquisition procedures as specified in FAR Part 13. I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Program / Project Officer Date

D. Contracting Officer Certification and Approval

Based on the above justification, I hereby certify that the circumstances of this contract action deem only one source reasonably available and approve the use of sole source acquisition procedures for this purchase.

Contracting Officer Date

. Concurrence by (only required for awards exceeding $ K)

I hereby concur that the circumstances of this contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

Date

E. Concurrence by Chief of Contracting Office (only required for awards exceeding $25K)

I hereby concur that the circumstances of this contract action deem only one source reasonably available.

Date

c. Barriers to Competition

The main barrier to competition in this case is the ongoing nature of the work, the development of novel technologies and acquisition of complex biological data sets that would require significant investments in time to understand how to use.

The piecemeal nature of funding for this effort has made it necessary to develop small contracts.