Amendment 0002 is issued to identify a detailed description of the Government's intent to Sole Source. Please see below for the detailed description. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE — This is not a request for quote/proposal. Pursuant to FAR 5.203(a), Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD), on behalf of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness), intends to issue a sole source contract to John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), [3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-2608], under authority of FAR 13.501(a), Sole Source (including brand name). Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Acquisition Directorate (AD) intends to award a contract for Strategic Thinkers Program (STP) for Academic Year 2022-2023 to support the Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness). The Program is currently in its third year and is gaining a reputation as the most academically rigorous and competitive Professional Military Education program offered in the Department of Defense. The contractor is currently performing services under contract no. HQ0034-18-C-0146 and services will conclude on July 31, 2022. The anticipated sole source will be made under FAR 13.501(a) with a period of performance of one year. Currently, these services are going through a competitive acquisition with an anticipated award date January 2023, to allow the selected offeror/vendor, to ramp up to begin full services for the new academic year 2022 to 2023. A Sole Source requirement will be awarded by March 14, 2022 to cover those services while working the competitive effort with an anticipated award date in January 2023. Currently, seventeen students for the Academic Year 2022-2023 have already been selected and the military services will need to draft their permanent change of station orders as soon as possible to ensure the students have their households established by the start of the Academic Year. The students must be admitted by the contracted university and enrolled in appropriate courses by August of 2022 in order to maintain this program. Once the students begin the Academic Year, they must complete their course work at the same university in order to be awarded a Masters Degree, which is a requirement of the contract. Accordingly, the contract is being awarded to cover the services required for the students to complete one academic year 10 months). The timing of the university admissions process requires services such as admissions screening, which usually happens in February; new student orientation, which usually happens in April; course enrollment; and curriculum development to be provided by SAIS while this contract is going through its competitive process. The contracted university must provide the students with a Masters Degree in International Public Policy or the equivalent at the conclusion of the Academic Year (10 months). Further, the university must provide 16 credit hours of instruction to each student from its core curriculum. Such instruction must be in the areas of f foreign policy, foreign language, politics, security, and intelligence. The contractually required curriculum includes approximately 12 annual guest lectures from experts in strategic thinking, two war games each year, a staff ride, and four courses (four credit hours each) taught by the STP Director or appropriate faculty that are specifically offered to students in the Strategic Thinkers Program and address the key course themes: Key Course Themes: The STP curriculum will include substantive course content in the following areas as it pertains to strategy, war fighting and a mastery of the following themes: - Nature and character of war - The political objective - Civ/Mil dialogue/Unity of effort - Strategic and military culture - Resources, sustainment, capability, and force structure - Operational environment and geography - Leadership and command - Learning and adaptation - The international security environment and emerging strategic issues. The STP Director is required to have a minimum of the following qualifications: rank and experience at the level of a full professor; 10-15-years of experience at the collegiate graduate level teaching strategic studies, military history, or a closely related field; a doctoral degree in strategic studies, history, or a closely related field; substantial research and publication in strategic studies, military history, or a closely related field; familiarity with war gaming, particularly its use within the classroom; experience with managing budgets and directing a graduate program; and experience working with Department of Defense organizations is highly preferred. The contracted university must also provide a full-time Program Administrator for the STP. Attached is the draft performance work statement for review. The primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 611310 – Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations, however interested parties may identify their interest and submit a capability statement indicating they meet the same/similar curriculum identified above by 10:00 AM, EST on February 18, 2022 to
[email protected]. A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Please refer any questions to
[email protected]. For further information on the description of services that are needed for the Strategic Thinkers Program, please refer to the draft attached Performance Work Statement (PWS).