CLEAR Database Subscription

This BPA has been awarded based on limited sources justification below. 1 NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED: Investigative and Enforcement Service (IES) is the investigative and enforcement arm for the programs under the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Investigators are responsible for investigation related to the enforcement of the rules and regulation under the purview of APHIS in all 50 states and the US territories. The primary purpose of the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Workers' Compensation Program (WCP) is to facilitate wage replacement, payment for medical care, and return to work efforts for employees who sustain compensable work injuries. The WCP staff works with the Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Workers' Compensation Program (OWCP) who administers the federal program according to the Federal Employees' Compensation Act. Additionally, our staff works with supervisors and employees to ensure accountability and the timely processing of OWCP claims, and provides guidance in navigating regulation and policy. The Security Branch (SB) is the entity within USDA-APHIS responsible for investigating, assessing, and mitigating threats to agency facilities and personnel. All programs within the agency report internal and external threats, as well as other security incidents, to the Security Branch. Once the Security Branch receives an initial report, a Security Specialist conducts a threat assessment to determine the nature, severity, and potential mitigation of the incident. Accurate and timely information is paramount to the three programs. To that end, access to third party databases is required for information gathering and validation. Accurate and timely access to this important information is vital in carrying out each programs missions and goals. 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICE/SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED TO MEET AGERNCY NEED: CLEAR Investigator Database The CLEAR public records data will provide information on locating persons, assets, verifying identities, identifying businesses and business affiliations, and identifying adverse information. Real-time gateways and locator data is provided at no additional cost. The gateway provides real-time access to ensure information obtained is up-to-date. This includes access to credit header data, vehicle registration data, and phone data-including cell phones. Live gateways also provides locator data to obtain the most current address available. These records are searchable and users are able to save customized searches and reports. The ability for users to order reports and customizing those reports is a necessity. Users have the ability to save report in an Adobe pdf and Microsoft Word format. We require the ability to run all four report types: contact report, basic report, national comprehensive report, and business comprehensive report. The sections of each report should provide the ability to customize prior to saving. User is able to export results to IBM i2 Analyst Notebook for further analysis. Users have access to query history, session summary, and the ability to export search results to Microsoft Excel. The user is able to create alerts for subjects of a Person Search. The Public Record Data Sets allows searches to be bundled into broad search types: - Person - Business - Asset - Phone - License - Court Premium Content Users will also require access to the following premium content for specialized searching: - Web Analytics - This service provides access to multiple resources including social networking sites, news services, and blog entries. Web Analytics provides information not normally found in public records including photos and email addresses, and business affiliations. - Real-Time Incarceration and Arrest Records - provides access to booking records and photo images. This includes 36 states and the District of Columbia. - Healthcare Fraud Content - Provides access to healthcare provider content, including NPI numbers, state and federal sanctions, and expanded professional licenses - across all states. The total amount for unlimited subscription of CLEAR database and premium contents is approximately $185,000 for a total of 5 years. 3. IDENTIFICATION OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING NONCOMPETITIVE ACQUISITIONS: FAR 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(B) Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized. 4. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE PROPOSED CONTRACTOR'S UNIQUE SERVICE/SUBSCRIPTION AND THE NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED: The refresh rates and diversity of data sources is paramount to providing actionable information. We rely heavily on our information validation protocol to that end. CLEAR provides different information sources than Lexis.com, Lexis Investigative Portal, Accurint, and PeopleMap. Their refresh rate is better for some information and their cell phone, employer data, Secretary of States data, social media and Canadian telephone information is more comprehensive than that provided by its competitors. Even though all the subscription may provide people information or business information the source that they get that information from and the refresh rate makes the difference. If we are looking for cell phone information CLEAR is one of the best sources for that, if it is address information than CLEAR will pick that information up first because of its use of credit reporting data. These are only a few of the difference. Here are some of the data areas that CLEAR provides that other databases did not offer: - Web Analytics- This service provides access to multiple resources including social networking sites, news services, and blog entries. Web Analytics provides information not normally found in public records including photos and email addresses, and business affiliations. - Real-Time Incarceration and Arrest Records - provides access to booking records and photo images. This includes 36 states and the District of Columbia. - Telephone information for Canadian residence and businesses. - Employment data - Ability to export results to Microsoft Excel - Ability to set alert to notify analyst when information changes for a specified entity. CLEAR is an important tool in our toolbox and necessary to providing actionable information to or investigators and enforcement staff. Based on CLEAR's unique nature, we have determined that West Publishing Corp. is the only capable source that can provide services required at the level of quality required. 5.A DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MAKE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTIABLE, INCLUDING WHETHER A NOTICE WAS OR WILL BE PUBLIZED AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS (FAR) SUBPART 5.2 AND IF NOT, WHICH EXCEPTIONS UNDER FAR 5.202 APPLIES: We elevated 5 different data subscriptions and as their data availability changes we must reevaluate the merit of the data provided. 6.A DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICIER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE, AND THE BASIS FOR THAT DETERMINATION. Determination of fair and reasonable pricing will be based on historical pricing and price comparisons to other data subscriptions contractors. In the previous contract with West Publishing Corporation for CLEAR services, the USDA paid approximately $158 per user monthly with an annual increase of approximately $8 for a total of 11 users. This new requirement is for 17 users with additional service requirements. With that being said each program (WCP, SB, and IES) is paying around $158 to $268 per user monthly - depending on the user content access - with an annual increase of approximately $6 to $9 per user. As mentioned in Part 6, we evaluated 5 different data subscriptions and West Publishing Corp. has the best value. By bundling the requirements of these three programs the government is saving money on services and on long term administrative cost. Furthermore, GSA has already determined the prices of supplies and fixed-price services under schedule contracts to be fair and reasonable (FAR 8.404).