USSS Sole Source Justification REDACTED (002).pdf

Sole Source Justification (SSJ) For Simplified Acquisitions (over the micro-purchase threshold and up to the Simplified

Acquisition Threshold (SAT)) pursuant to FAR 13.106, including Brand Name

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Sole Source Justification

1. Agency and Contracting Activity.

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Procurement Division, proposes to enter into a contract on behalf of the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC).

2. Nature and/or description of the item/service being procured and anticipated cost.

The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has a requirement to sole source a contract with the University of Connecticut (UConn) to develop guidance for K-12 schools regarding measurement of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) implementation capacity and fidelity. The period of performance is for a Base Year of 12-months.

Proposed Awardee:

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

438 WHITNEY RD EXTENSION UNIT 1133

STORRS, CT 062699018

UEI: WNTPS995QBM7

3. Identification of the authority and rationale.

The proposed procurement will utilize simplified acquisition procedures and will be awarded on a sole source basis in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and as specified below.

Other. Only one source is capable.

Rationale:

In the two and a half decades since the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) developed the study and implementation of behavioral threat assessment, the field has grown exponentially. Behavioral threat assessment has transformed from a practice primarily used for the agency’s own protective mission to one that is now commonplace in federal, state, and local agencies and other entities. One setting where the application of threat assessment has grown very quickly is our nation’s elementary and secondary schools. In accordance with FAR Part 10.001, thorough market research was conducted from May 2025- August 2025 to determine contractors capable of providing support to the USSS’s NTAC’s ongoing research and efforts to develop guidance for K-12 schools regarding measurement of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) implementation capacity and fidelity.

The determination was made that The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team at the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) is the only source who provides the breadth and depth of knowledge required for NTAC’s mission set.

Acquisition Threshold (SAT)) pursuant to FAR 13.106, including Brand Name

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The PBIS team at the UConn Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) co-directs the National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, which is funded by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Over the past 26 years, the Center on PBIS, at the University of Connecticut, has established itself as a leader in the field of education, working together with state and local agencies to improve social, emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes for all students. The work aligns with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) and its focus on prevention, equitable outcomes, and collaborative partnerships with students, families, educators, and their extended communities. As a leader of the Center on PBIS, UConn supports state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools to establish, scale-up, and sustain the PBIS framework, as well as positively enhance school climate.

UConn’s leadership efforts enhance the ability of the Center on PBIS which supports more than 27,000 schools to use PBIS frameworks for all students and provide additional support to those with disabilities or who are at a higher risk for behavioral problems. Over the past four years, UConn partners have led the work on redesigning validated measures of PBIS implementation fidelity and capacity to better integrate concepts and methods for addressing equity, mental health and wellness integration, and classroom supports.

The experience, skills, and abilities of the PBIS team at UConn in designing fidelity and capacity measures for schools and local education agencies are integral for NTAC’s development of guidance and considerations for K-12 behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) teams in assessing their capacity to implement BTAM pest practices and assessing their fidelity of implementation. The PBIS team at UConn will draw upon methods and findings of PBIS and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and the field of implementation science to inform framing of NTAC’s guidance and the development of metrics for implementation of BTAM, targeted violence prevention, evaluation rubrics, and other resources for self-assessment and action planning to enhance local capacity for implementation and implementation fidelity.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) efforts vary widely state to state, and even from school to school. Market research identified the PBIS team at the UConn CBER as the only one responsible source and no other supplies or service that will satisfy agency requirements. No other known PBIS programs to date can be considered a suitable substitute, as they do not have the research experience and expertise in addition to breadth of knowledge, necessary to support the proposed initiative. The PBIS team at the UConn CBER is the only known team to date that established itself as experts in field of positive behavioral interventions and supports, as well as leaders in the field of education, working with both state and local agencies to improve social, emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes for all students. NTAC will continue to conduct market research annually to determine if there are any other sources capable of providing services in accordance with the requirement.

4. The anticipated price will be determined fair and reasonable based on one or more of the price analysis techniques described below in accordance with FAR Part 13.106- 3(a)(2).

Acquisition Threshold (SAT)) pursuant to FAR 13.106, including Brand Name

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Market Research;

Comparison of the proposed price with prices found reasonable on previous purchases;

5. Other Information.

The application of threat assessment has grown rapidly in our nation’s elementary and secondary schools. The support and innovation of the proposed contract is critical to the dissemination of protective information and training to law enforcement entities and school districts that rely on NTAC’s resources to improve protection of property, persons, and children against future targeted violence.

APPROVAL:

________________________________ 8/20/2025 Contracting Officer Date

YUKIM Digitally signed by YUKIM Date: 2025.08.20 08:40:22 -04'00'