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JUSTIFICATION FOR SOLE SOURCE IAW FAR 13.501(a)(ii) ________________________________________ 1. REQUIRING AGENCY: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development & Research (PD&R) 451 7th Street, SW, Room 8120 Washington, DC 20140 2. NATURE/DESCRIPTION OF ACTION BEING APPROVED: Request approval of a sole source award to Moody's Analytics Services, for providing economic, demographic and housing data subscriptions. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET AGENCY'S NEEDS (INCLUDING ESTIMATED VALUE): The service required is to provide economic, demographic and housing data subscriptions to a database that contains the most complete data and tools for analyzing the multi-family housing market nationwide. These data and research products will be used by HUD's field economists in the Economic and Market Analysis Division (EMAD) in their ongoing studies of local housing market conditions. The local market analysis is of particular benefit to HUD's field economists, who are responsible for providing evaluations of local housing and community development related proposals. The Government estimates the value of this acquisition to be $196,100 for a base and 1 option. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii): under the authority of the test program for commercial items (section 4202 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996) or the authority of the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 (41 U.S.C. 428a) - Sole Source (including brand name) Acquisitions. 5. DEMONSTRATION THAT PROPOSED CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF AUTHORITY CITED: Moody Analytics Services at Economy.com provides data and analysis at the metropolitan, regional and state levels, which is extremely valuable to field economists. In addition, Economy.com updates their information and databases on a monthly basis which provides timely and real time information to HUD's field economists. The Housing Market Monitor and Précis reports will provide demographic, economic and housing data as well as analyses that are unique to Economy.com. The Précis reports combine all necessary data that HUD's field economists need to analyze a housing market into one easy to access report. Other providers of multi-family data do not update information on a monthly basis, hence cannot provide access to real time up to date information to HUD field economists when they need it. Moody's Analytics Services at Economy.com is the sole provider of a subscription to a database that contains the most complete data and tools for analyzing the multi-family housing market nationwide. Moody's Analytics Services is exclusively a United States firm and other than a small business. 6. DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS PRACTICABLE, INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE PUBLICIZED AS REQUIRED BY SUBPART 5.2 AND, IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTION UNDER 5.202 APPLIES: Notice of intent to sole source was posted to the GPE on August 28, 2014. See paragraph 8 for results of the Notice of Intent. 7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE: It is expected the annual price will be not be higher than that available commercially or afforded to other Moody's Analytics customers. 8. DESCRIPTION OF MARKET RESEARCH EFFORTS CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASON MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED: This requirement is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted on FedBizOpps on August 28, 2014 with a response required by September 8, 2014. The purpose for the notice was to determine if there were any other businesses with the capability to provide economic, demographic and housing data subscriptions to a database that contains the most complete data and tools for analyzing the multi-family housing market nationwide, and to determine whether this acquisition could be set-aside for small businesses. There were no responses to the posted notice. It has subsequently been determined that no contractor other than Moody's Analytics Services is capable of providing these services without unacceptable program delays and diminished program effectiveness. The market research conducted by EMAD economists and technical experts, and the procurement office indicates that no other providers were found who offered the same amount of data covering all the variables provided by Economy.com, or unique analysis in the same format as Economy.com. In addition, Economy.com updates their information and databases on a monthly basis which provides real time information to HUD's field economists. The Housing Market Monitor and Précis reports will provide economic, demographic and housing data that are unique to Economy.com. 9. OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. WHEN 6.302-1 IS CITED FOR FOLLOW-ON ACQUISITIONS AS DESCRIBED IN 6.302-1(A)(2)(ii), AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD BE DUPLICATED AND HOW THE COST WAS DERIVED: N/A 10. LISTING OF THE SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED, IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION: None 11. STATEMENT OF ACTIONS TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITIONS. The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) will work closely with PD&R to monitor the commercial market for new sources that become available to provide economic, demographic and housing data subscription database that contains the most complete data and tools for analyzing the multi-family housing market nationwide. 12. CONTRACTING OFFICERS CERTIFICATION: I certify that the facts contained in this justification are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. Prepared/Approved By: Cornel (Dave) Codner Contracting Officer