Clinical Staff Education, Assessment, and Validation and Training module - VISN

OFOC SOP Revision 08
Original Date: 03/22/11 Revision 08 Date: 04/18/2018
Page 1 of 4
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Justification and Approval (J & A) For
Other Than Full and Open Competition (>SAT)
Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C259-18-AP-2716
Contracting Activity: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 19 (NCO 19), Contracting for the Rocky Mountain Acquisition Center, located at 6162 S. Willow Drive, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 on behalf of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 located at 4100 E. Mississippi Ave, Glendale, Colorado 80246.
Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: NCO 19 proposes to award a firm fixed price contract for software licenses for the Amplifire , a cognitive e-learning platform. It will include a comprehensive education, assessment, and validation of employees knowledge to achieve clinical improvements.
The prospective contractor is Knowledge Factor, Inc., 4775 Walnut Street, Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301.
FAR13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items: This procurement is for VISN 19 software licenses for the Amplifire , a cognitive e-learning platform in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR 13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303-2.
Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency s Needs: VISN 19 is going to do a pilot program for a comprehensive software e-learning platform that integrates neurobiology and cognitive psychology with multidimensional big-data analytics to deliver learning outcomes and improve patient care. This service is web-based and has the ability to
develop and deliver healthcare alliance courses and related testing, assessment, and validation. The platform provide comprehensive data collection, storage, and reporting capabilities to assist managers and leadership in strategic planning and resource management to improve clinical outcomes. Benefits to the agency are improved clinical outcomes through professional education; courses utilized in place of existing competency assessments to eliminate duplicate work; administers both initial and ongoing education to assure information retention and confidence of staff; and the ability to integrate with the Talent Management System (TMS). The pilot program will be initiated at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and then rolled out to the other seven Health Care Systems in VISN 19.
Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition:
(X) (1) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements per FAR 6.302-1;
( ) (2) Unusual and Compelling Urgency per FAR 6.302-2;
( ) (3) Industrial Mobilization, Engineering, Developmental or Research Capability or Expert Services per FAR 6.302-3;
( ) (4) International Agreement per FAR 6.302-4
( ) (5) Authorized or Required by Statute FAR 6.302-5; ( ) (6) National Security per FAR 6.302-6;
( ) (7) Public Interest per FAR 6.302-7;
FAR13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items: The authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. 1901 and is implemented by for restricting competition on this procurement via FAR 13.106- 1(b)(2).
Demonstration that the Contractor s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority): Amplifire software is a unique educational platform because it is the first scalable tool that corrects learners misinformation, uncertainty, and struggle which ultimately leads to costly errors and poor performance. The active learning platform is grounded in neurobiology and cognitive research, where a Science Board and lead researchers from around the country, apply evidence-based research and results to practical learning for knowledge absorption, retention, and improved outcomes. Amplifire has pre-built courses with the ability to have content reviewed by subject matter experts. Knowledge Factor Inc. has built in analytics software to deliver results to various levels of staff leadership, supervisors, educators, etc. These results display trends and opportunities for additional hands-on education to specific units and/or disciplines, as well as the opportunity to identify a performance improvement project within the hospital. The software is also able to display improved learning of staff over time and delivers a solution based on its patented algorithms, built from insights in the brain sciences, rapidly detect and correct the knowledge gaps, cognitive biases, and confidently held misinformation in the clinical workforce that lead directly to adverse incidents and patient harm. The platform intelligently adapts to this previously invisible knowledge variation and struggle to learn among clinicians until each achieves mastery. The platform reports on workforce proficiency in an easily understood graphical format. These
particular dashboards and analytics capabilities are powerful for leadership and education staff to make pivotal decisions and changes within the organization, beyond other standard education reporting software.
Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: Limited market research was conducted due to the Amplifier software platform being proprietatary to Knowledge Factor Inc. VISN 19 and facility leadership, as well as Education and Clinical leaders, determined that the software is a better viable solution to reduce health care errors.
Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: CO anticipates the price to be fair and reasonable by comparing similar procurements from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG).
Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons Market Research Was Not Conducted: Limited market research was conducted due to the Amplifier software platform being proprietary to Knowledge Factor Inc. VISN 19 discovered Knowledge Factor Inc. through professional networks, noting that the company is working with top scientists and top hospitals throughout the US. Knowledge Factor Inc was invited to present and demo the products to VISN 19 Leadership and Medical Center Directors, in which all parties were particularly impressed with this novel software. In order to begin the procurement process, we completed a search through the current VA licensed products through VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) and VA Enterprise Cloud Solutions (ECS), which yielded plenty of educational products being used, however, no comparable products for the particular scope and capabilities. Knowledge Factor Inc product, Amplifire, is a unique intellectual property and proprietary database.
Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: The software is proprietary to Knowledge Factor Inc.
Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition: - Knowledge Factor, Inc., 4775 Walnut Street, Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301.
A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required: The contracting office with continue to survey the market for possible other contractors that can provide this unique requirement..