Vernier-JA-14 Dec 20 REDACTED.pdf

FAR Part 13.501(a) Determination for Single Source or Brand Name Solicitation -

- FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

with a total estimated value of $581,981.21 funds are available in the estimated amount of $125,709.00 for

Interactive Online Resources and Virtual Professional Learning to Support

The Use of Vernier Probeware in Middle & High School Science Classrooms

DETERMINATION For

SINGLE SOURCE OR BRAND NAME SOURCE SOLICITATION - FAR 13.501(a)

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), 4800 Mark

Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350-1400

2. Description of Action: A five year (base year and four option years), firm fixed price IDIQ contract is planned with award made to Vernier Software and Technology, LLC (Vernier). The period of performance/estimated delivery date is for a 12-month base period and four 12-month option years (21 Jan 2021 – 20 Jan 2026). FY21 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) the proposed contract’s base year.

3. Description of Supplies and Services: DoDEA requires professional learning, coaching on demand, and the provision of related online resources for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science to improve science instruction and thereby student learning and achievement in secondary level science classrooms through hands-on science experiments using Vernier probeware. Vernier probeware are data collection devices that allow students to collect authentic, real time data during experiments and explorations. Students can measure air pressure and temperature and use the data to create the concept of humidity, measure momentum and calculate acceleration. DoDEA has acquired over $4.3 million worth of Vernier probeware for hands-on science laboratory instruction with purchases made from

2006 through 2015. Thousands of pieces of probeware are used throughout DoDEA science classes.

Probeware are an essential part of the DoDEA science curriculum and are regularly used by students to meet the CCRS standards and ready them for college and science related careers. Eighty-five percent

(85%) of the probes brought by DoDEA over more than a decade are fully functional and both teachers and students would tremendously benefit and improve their learning and meeting and exceeding of standards, if they had access to Vernier’s online learning resources.

Regarding professional learning, DoDEA requires synchronous webinars each year to better train teachers in the use of this critical science equipment. Each professional learning topic will be presented three times for the Americas, Europe, and Pacific.

In addition, Vernier’s PIVOT is an online resource that is a new product that will benefit both teachers and students. PIVOT interactive allows teachers and students to use active lab learning any time with all science subjects. PIVOT is a great add-on period, but in remote environments it is truly the only way for students to authentically perform labs with the equipment.

Regarding Vernier coaching on demand, DoDEA requires sessions that are 15-30 minutes in length in real-time for all three regions. The estimated total number of webinar presentations and coaching sessions by contract year are shown below:

Categories Base

Year

Option

Year 1

Option

Year 2

Option

Year 3

Option

Year 4

Webinar Presentations* 45 45 45 30 30

Coaching Sessions 656 574 492 410 328

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

Vernier Software and Technology, LLC; Beaverton, OR. Jake Hopkins, Director, of Technical

Support, 503-430-6032, jhopkins@vernier.com –Small business, per the Dynamic Small Business

Search. CAGE code 0HEE0. NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing).

Vernier PIVOT subscriptions are proprietary—only Vernier Software and Technology, LLC creates and markets them. The requested professional learning and coaching on-demand is based on Vernier resources, which are also marketed solely through this company.

Using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) for

NAICS code 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) and the keywords, Vernier probes and Vernier probeware yielded the following results:

* Each webinar is presented three times, so in the Base Year, e.g., there are 15 webinars, which equal 45 presentations.

4. Authority: FAR 13.501(a), only one responsible entity can meet DoDEA’s requirements, and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency’s requirements.

5. Demonstration of Contractor’s Unique Qualification

Only one source, Vernier Software and Technology, LLC, is capable of providing the resources and services required at the level of quality required because they are highly specialized and based on the proprietary Vernier probeware, which is only sold by Vernier. No other vendor provides or can provide online resources and training for Vernier proprietary system.

DoDEA has acquired over $4.3 million worth of Vernier probeware for hands-on science laboratory instruction. However, DoDEA has not acquired the recently developed Vernier PIVOT subscriptions that provide high school students and teachers resources to use them more effectively or the online professional learning and coaching resources. Vernier continues to upgrade its product, but many products purchased decades ago continue to be used in schools and all new items and Vernier’s online resources are compatible with previous equipment- so the functionality does not become obsolete.

Recent internal monitoring determined that the Vernier probeware was being underutilized because teachers lacked the necessary professional learning and students could not access Vernier probeware online learning. At the middle school level, the professional learning and coaching will focus on helping science teachers demonstrate the use of the probeware more effectively in the classroom. At the high school level, the professional learning and coaching will focus on helping teachers facilitate their students’ hands-on laboratory work using the Vernier probeware in biology, physics, and chemistry experiments/data collection.

Only Vernier Software and Technology, LLC has rights to sell Vernier probeware and Vernier PIVOT subscriptions. Their proprietary knowledge also makes them the sole entity that can provide professional learning and coaching using Vernier probeware and the related PIVOT resources.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: As stated above, DoDEA has done extensive market research.

DoDEA will also publish a notice as required by FAR Subpart 5.2.

7. Fair and Reasonable Determination: In accordance with FAR 13.106-3(b)(3)(i), The contracting officer has determined the anticipated costs will be fair and reasonable based on the current market research. Market research shows there is no reason to believe that re-soliciting this requirement would provide any savings

8. Market Research mailto:jhopkins@vernier.com

DSBS: Under both keywords were no results.

FPDS: Under both keywords the only results were references to DoDEA contracts with Vernier Software and Technology, LLC.

9. Other Supporting Facts: No

10. Interested Sources: Vernier Software and Technology, LLC

11. Effort to remove barriers to/increase competition: DoDEA subject-matter experts continually monitor developments in student information system software. DoDEA will perform market research prior to each option exercise to determine whether new sources may result in competition. If similar probeware and related professional learning tools that meets DoDEA’s requirements comes on the market, DoDEA will ensure that full and open competition occurs.

Susan Brady-Ramsey, Science Instructional System Specialist

John Cho, Legal Advisor, Office of General Counsel

Digital Signature: _____34633 __________ Date: 2020.12.14 09:09:13 -05'00'

Signature: __________________________________________________

Interactive Online Resources and Virtual Professional Learning to Support

The Use of Vernier Probeware in Middle & High School Science Classrooms

CERTIFICATION

Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance and which forms a basis for this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Digital

COORDINATION

Legal Review: (required > $250K/SAT): Based on the foregoing, this Justification is legally sufficient.

APPROVAL

Approval is granted subject to the availability of funds and provided that the products/ services described herein have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Contracting Officer: I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and hereby determine the anticipated costs to the Government for this requirement will be fair and reasonable.

KOROMA.ALIM.A.

1397998254

Digitally signed by

KOROMA.ALIM.A.1397998254

Date: 2020.12.14 08:25:52 -05'00'

Digital Signature:

Alim Koroma, Contracting Officer, Procurement