Description
Order #: F11PX02995 TAS 14 1611 Enter the statement "This J&A is also available at: http://www.fws.gov/contracts/ja/ja.aspx?id=355136dc-ffa1-4f7e-9bf3-4b486007969f Class Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition And Waiver of Publication Requirements: 41 USC 253(d)(1); FAR 6.302-1 Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The purpose of this procurement is to design, prepare, and facilitate a symposium and utilize existing networks to locate bat experts from around the world. Justification and Approval DocumentFOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITIONUse for requirements not exceeding $100,000 1. Contracting Activity: Fish & Wildlife Service Division of Contracting & Grant Services Southeast Region, Atlanta, GA 2. Description of Action: Requirement: X New 0 Repeat Pricing: 1 Firm-Fixed Price 0 Time & Materials 0 Cost Name of Intended Contractor: Bat Conservation International Street Address: Post Office Box 162603City, State, Zip: Austin, Texas 78716Phone: 512-327-9721, www.batcon.org 3. Description of Services: The estimated value of the proposed action is $ 30,000. Describe the services or supplies, including make & model number, to be acquired below.This contract will pay for a variety of actions associated with the 2011 White-Nose Syndrome Symposium scheduled to take place in Little Rock, Arkansas. The contract will provide funding to Bat Conservation International (BCI) for general meeting planning coordination. The contract will also provide funding to BCI to allow them to arrange and pay travel for invited speakers and other guests confirmed to attend the symposium (to be held from May 17-19, 2011). BCI has worked in this capacity for the USFWS as recently as the July 2010 Captive Propagation Workshop held in St. Louis, MO. All BCI activities will be outlined in a final report to USFWS. 4. Authority Cited: (Identify the statutory authority, FAR title and FAR citation permitting other than full and open competition. It may be one of the following.) (a) 10 USC 2304(c)(1) or 41 USC 253(c)(1); FAR 6.302-1: Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements OR 5. Reason for Authority Cited: (State why this is the only source that can provide the required supplies or services.) (b) Award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the government that is not expected to be recovered through competition. (d) Additional Information: (i) What harm will come to the Government if desired supplies/services are not provided on time?The potential loss of large numbers of federal trust wildlife resources (bats). White-nose syndrome (WNS) is responsible for the death of an estimated 1-2 million bats in the northeastern U.S., and is spreading rapidly through the rest of the Country. This Symposium is needed to advance WNS research and management through communication, facilitated discussion, and collaboration. BCI will play a critical role in this symposium by addressing general meeting planning assistance, as well as arranging and funding the travel needed to get key experts to Little Rock, Arkansas for the meeting. (ii) What harm will come to the Government if desired contractor doesn't receive the award? We would not have time/staff resources to properly plan the symposium. We would also have to handle travel of experts and invited guests on an individual basis, something that we presently do not have time/staff resources to do. The purpose of the symposium is to gather a group of white-nose syndrome experts together to draft a WNS national plan. The experts will come from the US, Canada, and Europe. The USFWS does not know all the key stakeholders across the globe. Because BCI's mission is to conserve the world's bats and their ecosystems and because they are a leading bat conservation organization, they have the ability to locate the necessary stakeholders, biologists, and experts. Their role will be to locate and arrange travel, provide planning support, and prepare a final report outlining the symposium activities. Other event planning vendors do not have the specialize expertise to locate bat experts from around the world. If BCI was not awarded the contract, the USFWS would not have the key stakeholders present at the symposium to draft the national plan. 6. Actions to Increase Competition: (State what actions will be taken to increase competition before subsequent acquisition of the supplies or services is required.) None. After discussion within the WNS workgroup planning the symposium, we decided that BCI was uniquely qualified to perform these tasks based on their level of bat expertise, their connections with the bat conservation community at home and abroad, their demonstrated success in assisting the USFWS with workshops and symposia, and their familiarity with White-nose syndrome. 7. Market Survey: (Describe the extent of the market survey conducted to identify all qualified sources and the results thereof. "Market Survey" is defined as those attempts you made to ascertain whether other qualified sources exist. The survey of the market place may consist of written, telephonic, or world wide web inquiries.) The market survey consisted of discussing options within the WNS symposium workgroup (10 FWS biologists from 4 FWS regions). We determined that BCI was uniquely qualified to perform the combination of travel arrangement and meeting planning.