Online Assessment Tool

The Peace Corps intends to award a new delivery order on a sole source basis under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program to IBM Corporation, 6710 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817, in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) - Only one source is capable of providing the supplies/services required at the level of quality required because the supplies/services are unique and highly specialized. The Peace Corps competitively awarded a firm fixed price contract to Kenexa Government Solutions Inc. on August 4, 2010 to provide an online volunteer recruitment software solution. Kenexa Government Solutions originally created the existing system however the company was purchased by IBM Corporation in February 2014. Therefore IBM is the sole entity which has current and historical knowledge of the design, development and execution of the baseline code, which established the set of software. In addition, IBM is the only entity which has trained staff with the requisite skill sets to make the engineering changes to the software and has the ongoing ability to support it in the required production environment. The assessment tool needs to integrated seamlessly with the existing application. IBM is the only vendor that has access to Peace Corps' current application as it is the proprietary owner of the software. IBM is also the only vendor with the knowledge to reconfigure the software required to ensure the application and the assessment appear as one tool to the applicant and to make sure the score that is generated from the assessment feeds to the current set of forms that is used to track the applicant's progress through the application process. Based on IBM's unique qualifications presented above and on the nature of the acquisition, it is the only vendor capable of implementing, developing and supporting the assessment solution without substantial duplication of cost and unacceptable delays. Using a different vendor to source the assessment solution would greatly delay the acquisition of this much needed technology and would delay Peace Corps' ability to meet its aggressive Agency goal of processing significantly more applications.