Understanding the Experiences of Families Living in Poverty JOFOC 3.18.21 POST.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Understanding the Experiences of Families Living in Poverty

GCS

Other - HHS

Administration for Children and Families, Office of Government Contracting Services

Acquisition Title:

Agency:

Divisions:

Other Divisions:

Acquisition Year (FY):

Author and Title: Amelia Popham, Senior Social Science Research Analyst; Lauren Deutsch, Social Science Research Analyst

2. Description of Action:

Nature: New Requirement Follow-on Requirement

Modification to Existing Purchase Order/Contract Number:

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price Time & Materials Cost

Other:

Funds: OMA Other Funds:

Name of Proposed Contractor(s): MEF Associates

Street Address: 1330 Braddock Place, Suite 220

City, State, Zip: Alexandria, VA 22314

3. Description of Services or Supplies:

Basis for Approval (FAR 6.303-1(d)): Individual Basis Class Basis

The total estimated value of the proposed action, including all options is $ 245,000.00

The Understanding Poverty: Childhood and Family Experiences and TANF Office Culture study (Contract N. HHSP233201500077I/ HHSP23337002T) examines the experiences of families and children living in poverty and interacting with TANF offices. The first part of the research project explores how organizational culture, office design, and office procedures contribute to shaping clients’ experiences with TANF, the services provided to them, and potentially their outcomes. The second part examines the experiences and perspectives of children and families living in poverty, including the experiences of parents who apply for and access TANF and other safety net benefits. This project has published two literature reviews, conducted expert consultations, obtained OMB clearance, conducted site visits that included in-depth interviews and focus groups, analyzed the data, and published an infographic on Practicing Positive Organizational Culture in TANF Offices. The purpose of this proposed contract is to support reporting and dissemination activities for the data collected to date. This contract includes one nonseverable services component:

Services Component 1 has a period of performance of 12 months (May 2021 to May 2022). This contract is a sole source to the contractor of Contract No. HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T.

4. Authority and Rationale: Identify the statutory authority, FAR title and FAR citation permitting other than full and open competition. It may be one of the following most commonly used citations by the operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but other exceptions may apply per FAR Subpart 6.3.

Actions other than simplified acquisition procedures (select only one and provide an explanation):

FAR 6.302-1: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, 41 U.S.C.

3304(a)(1)

This contract is a sole source because the work can only be done by MEF Associates due to this work being a complimentary study to Contract No. HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T. To date this project has published two literature reviews, conducted expert consultations, obtained OMB clearance, conducted site visits that included in-depth interviews and focus groups, analyzed the data, and published an infographic on Practicing Positive Organizational Culture in TANF Offices at a cost of approximately $1.4 million to the government. The intended contractor will need to rely on two key aspects of the existing contract for the proposed contract:

(1) their in-depth knowledge of the field developed through the expert consultations and literature reviews to inform the development of a series of reports; and (2) their in-depth knowledge of and ability to use the data they collected to write deliverables that integrate all the findings and meet the government’s objectives. There is no other contractor that can adequately do the work because the vendor is the only organization that has the necessary information. The government has already spent substantial resources building knowledge and relationships and conducting data collection for this project and it would take an alternative contractor a significant lever of effort and resources to get to the same place. In addition, it may be inappropriate for the existing contractor to share the names and contact information of the interview and focus group respondents with another contractor. The government proposes that the base services component (Services Component 1) be for 12 months. This period of performance is needed to complete all the activities involved in obtaining the government's designated end product of value: a series of reports on topics related to the study findings. Steps involved in producing the end project of value include proposing report topics, conducting additional data analyses, and drafting reports, accounting for time for the government's review and publication process for all published reports. Services Component 1 also includes tasks for project communication and management, ongoing privacy and data security activities, and dissemination.

FAR 6.302-2: Unusual and compelling urgency, 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(2)

FAR 6.302-5: Authorized or Required by Statute, 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(5)

Other (See FAR Subpart 6.3 for additional authority)

Provide a full explanation to justify use of the exception.

5. Agency Actions to Take or Remove Barriers That Led to Other Than Full and Open Competition (If applicable):

Describe the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration prior to any subsequent acquisition for the supplies of services is made. If no such actions have been taken, explain why.

No actions have been taken to remove barriers that led to fair opportunity exception. The current solicitation is a sole source because the work will be done in tandem with Contract No. HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T. The original contract was awarded on the Program Support Center IDIQ, and all potential bidders were given a fair opportunity to be considered. The purpose of the current solicitation is to fund additional data analyses and a series of reports that directly builds on the work completed to date. This is a sole source to the current Contractor because they have collected knowledge and data integral to successfully completing the activities included in the proposed contract, such that fair opportunity would not provide a benefit to the government. The Government will consider a competitive contract action in the future when procuring similar services in this topical area with a different group of programs and participants.

6. Bridge Contracts:

N/A

7. Actions to Increase Competition:

No actions have been taken to increase competition. The current solicitation is a sole source to an existing contract (Contract No.

HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T). The original contract was publicized to the Program Support Center IDIQ, awarded competitively, and all potential bidders were given a fair opportunity to be considered. The purpose of the current solicitation is to fund additional data analyses and a series of reports that directly builds on the work completed to date. This is a sole source to the current Contractor because they have collected knowledge and data integral to successfully completing the activities included in the proposed contract, such that increased competition would not provide a benefit to the government. The Government will consider a competitive contract action in the future when procuring similar services in this topical area with a different group of programs and participants.

8. Market Research:

The current solicitation is a sole source to an existing contract (Contract No. HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T). For the original contract, the COR conducted a number of market research activities, which included identifying firms and staff that had completed similar research recently, identifying firms and staff with expertise in the proposed substantive and technical areas, and using knowledge based on the proposed COR’s expertise in poverty and research on vulnerable populations. The COR also consulted their colleagues’ prior experience with contracts of similar size and scope and determined that it was necessary to have prior experience in completing child and family interviews to successfully complete the requirements of this acquisition. Based on these efforts, it was determined that it would not be in the best interest of the government to do a small business set-aside. The acquisition was publicized to the Program Support Center IDIQ, awarded competitively, and all potential bidders were given a fair opportunity to be considered. For the proposed contract, the government's market research included consulting with experts in the field and federal staff who are very familiar with this study and the need for published research on the topics of family experiences with poverty and TANF office culture. The market research led us to a sole source contract to enable us to conduct the necessary data analyses and reporting to answer the questions of the government.

9. Procurement History:

Purchase order or contract number: HHSP233201500077I/HHSP23337002T

Was action competed? Yes No

If action was not competed, state the cited authority, summarize rationale, and describe the actions that were supposed to be taken to increase competition and the results thereof:

The current contract was originally competed and is in progress and expected to continue until September 2021. The scope of this work is outside the original scope of the the project and therefore it has to be awarded as a sole source since no other vendor can successfully complete the work.

10. Additional Information to support the justification:

11. Technical / Requirements Certification: By my signature below, I certify that the supporting data included in this J&A is accurate and complete.

Program Manager

Name: Amelia Popham

Position Title: Senior Social Science Research Analyst

Email address: Amelia.Popham@acf.hhs.gov

Phone: 202-401-5322

Program Manager Supervisor (or one level above Program Manager)

Name: Hilary Bruck

Position Title: Deputy Division Director, Division of Economic Independence

Email address: Hilary.Bruck@acf.hhs.gov

Signature:

Date: 3/15/2021

12. Fair and Reasonable Price/Cost Determination: As Contracting Officer, by my signature below, I hereby determine that the anticipated price/cost to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer will conduct a price analysis to ensure the cost is fair and reasonable. The vendor has GSA rates established.

A detailed review of the contractor's proposal will be performed by technical and procurement personnel to also ensure the negotiated contract price is fair and reasonable.

Name: Jonathan Gonzalez Phone: 202-381-7248

Signature: Date:

13. Contracting Officer's Approval (Required for proposed contract not to exceed $700,000 (value calculated including all options)): I hereby certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. I approve this justification subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services and supplies herin describe have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Name: Jonathan Gonzalez Phone: 202-381-7248

Signature: Date:

14. Legal Review:

15. OPDIV Competition Advocate Approval (Required for proposed contract over $700,000 but not exceeding $13.5 million value calculated including all options)):

I have reviewed this justification and find that it adequately supports other than full and open competition.

Name: Phone:

Signature: Date:

16. Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization:

I have reviewed this justification and find that it adequately supports other than full and open competition.

Name: Phone:

Signature: Date:

17. OPDIV HCA Approval (Required for proposed contract over $13.5 million but not exceeding $68 million value calculated including all options)):

Name: Phone:

Signature: Date:

Hilary C. Bruck -S Digitally signed by Hilary C. Bruck -S Date: 2021.03.15 16:37:51 -04'00'

Jonathan F.

Gonzalez -S

Digitally signed by Jonathan F.

Gonzalez -S Date: 2021.03.18 02:23:13 -04'00'

Jonathan F.

Gonzalez -S

Digitally signed by Jonathan F.

Gonzalez -S Date: 2021.03.18 02:23:32 -04'00'

18. Department Competition Advocate:

Concur: Non-Concur:

Name: Phone:

Signature: Date:

(The below approval paragraph is required if the cumulative contract value, including all options, exceeds $68 million.)

19. HHS Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) Approval:

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve other than full and open competition for the above stated procurement, subject to the availability of funds, and provided that the services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

State supplies/services being procured:

State the full statutory authority and FAR cite and title, consistent with paragraph 4, e.g. 41 U.S.C. 3304:

Name: Phone:

Signature: Date: