USAID's knowledge management contract with Bridgeborn, Inc. awarded for $26.7M over 11 years, merging two key information services

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $26,726,591 ($26.7M)

Contractor: Bridgeborn, Inc.

Awarding Agency: Agency for International Development

Start Date: 2008-09-01

End Date: 2019-09-09

Contract Duration: 4,025 days

Daily Burn Rate: $6.6K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Number of Offers Received: 7

Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE

Sector: Other

Official Description: TAS::72 1000::TAS THIS SCOPE OF WORK MERGES THE WORK OF THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER (KSC) WITH THE WORK OF THE USAID DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE CLEARINGHOUSE (DEC). THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER SERVES TO INTEGRATE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE USAID, LIBRARY, LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER, ANALYTICAL RESEARCH SERVICES AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. THE DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE CLEARINGHOUSE SERVES AS THE AGENCY S INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY RESPONSIBLE FOR ACQUIRING, CATALOGING, PRESERVING AND DISSEMINATING USAID-FUNDED DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS FROM ITS STAFF, CONTRACTORS AND GRANTEES. THE GOAL OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO PULL TOGETHER VARIED RESEARCH AND INFORMATION ACTIVITIES, CURRENTLY EXISTING IN BOTH CONTRACTS, INTO A SINGLE CORPORATE INFORMATION RESOURCE THAT WILL PROVIDE SERVICES TO USAID WASHINGTON AND USAID OVERSEAS MISSIONS.

Place of Performance

Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20523

State: District of Columbia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Agency for International Development obligated $26.7 million to BRIDGEBORN, INC. for work described as: TAS::72 1000::TAS THIS SCOPE OF WORK MERGES THE WORK OF THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER (KSC) WITH THE WORK OF THE USAID DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE CLEARINGHOUSE (DEC). THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER SERVES TO INTEGRATE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE USAID, LIBRARY, LEARNING RESOUR… Key points: 1. The contract consolidates USAID's knowledge services and development experience clearinghouse, aiming for a unified information resource. 2. Performance spans over a decade, indicating a long-term need for integrated knowledge management within the agency. 3. The contract type, Cost Plus Fixed Fee, suggests potential for cost overruns if not carefully managed. 4. The scope merges library, research, and document dissemination functions, impacting how USAID accesses and utilizes development information. 5. This consolidation could lead to improved efficiency and accessibility of agency-generated knowledge for internal and external stakeholders. 6. The duration of the contract (over 11 years) suggests a stable, ongoing requirement for these services.

Value Assessment

Rating: fair

The contract's total value of $26.7 million over more than 11 years averages to approximately $2.4 million annually. This figure needs to be benchmarked against similar large-scale knowledge management and library services contracts within federal agencies. Without specific comparable data, assessing value-for-money is challenging. The Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract type can sometimes lead to higher costs than fixed-price contracts if the scope is not precisely defined or if costs escalate unexpectedly. However, CPFF can be appropriate for complex services where costs are difficult to estimate upfront.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

The contract was awarded under full and open competition, indicating that multiple bidders had the opportunity to submit proposals. This process is generally expected to yield competitive pricing and innovative solutions. The presence of 7 bidders suggests a reasonably competitive environment for this type of specialized service.

Taxpayer Impact: Full and open competition is beneficial for taxpayers as it drives down costs through market forces and encourages a wider pool of contractors to vie for government work, leading to better value.

Public Impact

USAID staff and contractors benefit from integrated access to research, analytical services, and development documents. The contract supports the dissemination of USAID-funded development documents, making knowledge accessible to a broader audience. Geographic impact is likely global, as USAID operates internationally and the knowledge disseminated pertains to development activities worldwide. The contract supports the agency's mission by ensuring efficient knowledge management and information accessibility.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Cost Plus Fixed Fee structure may lead to less predictable final costs compared to fixed-price contracts.
Long contract duration (over 11 years) could indicate a lack of agile adaptation to evolving information management technologies.
The consolidation of services might create a single point of failure if not managed with robust redundancy and contingency plans.

Positive Signals

Full and open competition suggests a robust procurement process that likely yielded a qualified contractor.
The contract merges two distinct but related functions, potentially leading to greater operational efficiencies.
The long duration implies a stable and consistent need for these critical knowledge management services within USAID.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls within the professional services sector, specifically focusing on information management, library services, and knowledge dissemination. The market for such services within the federal government is substantial, encompassing agencies that manage large volumes of research, data, and programmatic information. Comparable spending benchmarks would involve looking at other agencies' contracts for large-scale library operations, archival services, and knowledge management systems, which can range from millions to tens of millions annually depending on scope and scale.

Small Business Impact

The data indicates this contract was not set aside for small businesses (ss: false, sb: false). Bridgeborn, Inc. is likely a large business. There is no explicit information on subcontracting plans for small businesses within the provided data. Without this, it's difficult to assess the direct impact on the small business ecosystem, though large prime contracts often include subcontracting goals.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract would typically be managed by the contracting officer and program officials within USAID's relevant bureau. The Cost Plus Fixed Fee structure necessitates close monitoring of costs and performance to ensure the fixed fee remains justified and that the government receives value. Transparency is generally facilitated through contract award databases and reporting requirements, though specific oversight mechanisms like regular audits or Inspector General reviews would depend on USAID's internal policies and risk assessments.

Related Government Programs

USAID Library Services
USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse
Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK)
Knowledge Management Services
Archival and Records Management

Risk Flags

Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type requires diligent oversight to manage potential cost escalations.
Long contract duration may not fully align with rapidly evolving information technology and management practices.
Consolidation of critical services into a single contract increases risk associated with potential service disruptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Agency for International Development awarded $26.7 million to BRIDGEBORN, INC.. TAS::72 1000::TAS THIS SCOPE OF WORK MERGES THE WORK OF THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER (KSC) WITH THE WORK OF THE USAID DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE CLEARINGHOUSE (DEC). THE USAID KNOWLEDGE SERVICES CENTER SERVES TO INTEGRATE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE USAID, LIBRARY, LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER, ANALYTICAL RESEARCH SERVICES AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. THE DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE CLEARINGHOUSE SERVES AS THE AGENCY S INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY RESPONSIBLE FOR ACQUIRING, CATALOGING, PRESERVING A

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is BRIDGEBORN, INC..

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Agency for International Development (Agency for International Development).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $26.7 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2008-09-01. End: 2019-09-09.

What is the track record of Bridgeborn, Inc. in performing similar large-scale federal information management contracts?

Information regarding Bridgeborn, Inc.'s specific track record on similar large-scale federal information management contracts is not detailed in the provided data. A comprehensive assessment would require reviewing past performance evaluations, contract history, and any reported issues or successes on previous government engagements. Federal procurement systems often contain past performance information, which would be crucial for evaluating their capability to manage a complex, long-term contract merging diverse knowledge services. Without this external data, we rely solely on the fact that they were awarded this contract under full and open competition, suggesting they met initial qualification criteria.

How does the annual cost of this contract compare to similar knowledge management initiatives in other federal agencies?

The contract's total value of $26.7 million over approximately 11 years equates to an average annual cost of roughly $2.4 million. Benchmarking this against similar contracts requires access to a database of federal procurements for knowledge management, library services, and archival functions across various agencies. Factors such as the scope of services (e.g., digital repository management, research support, cataloging, dissemination), the number of users served, and the complexity of the information handled significantly influence costs. Without specific comparable contract data, it is difficult to definitively state whether $2.4 million annually represents a high, low, or average cost for this type of service.

What are the primary risks associated with consolidating USAID's knowledge services and development experience clearinghouse under one contract?

Key risks associated with this consolidation include potential disruption during the transition phase, where service quality might temporarily decline as systems and processes are merged. There's also a risk of creating a single point of failure if the integrated system experiences outages or data loss. Furthermore, managing a contract that spans diverse functions like library services, research support, and document archiving requires a contractor with broad expertise; a lack of proficiency in any one area could impact overall service delivery. The Cost Plus Fixed Fee structure introduces financial risk if costs escalate beyond initial projections without a corresponding increase in value or scope.

How effective has the merger of these two information services been in improving USAID's knowledge accessibility and utilization?

The provided data focuses on the contract award and its basic parameters, not on its performance or effectiveness post-award. Assessing the effectiveness of the merger would require analyzing USAID's internal reports, user satisfaction surveys, metrics on information retrieval times, document accessibility rates, and the overall impact on program delivery and decision-making. Without such performance data, it's impossible to determine how successful the consolidation has been in achieving its goal of creating a unified, efficient corporate information resource.

What has been the historical spending trend for USAID's knowledge management and information dissemination functions prior to this consolidated contract?

The data indicates that this contract merges the work previously performed under two separate contracts (USAID Knowledge Services Center and USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse). To understand historical spending trends, one would need to examine the individual contract values and durations for these two prior efforts. Analyzing their spending patterns over several years would reveal whether the consolidated contract represents an increase, decrease, or stable level of investment in these functions. This historical context is essential for evaluating the financial implications of the merger and whether it has led to cost savings or increased expenditures.

What are the implications of the Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract type for budget predictability and contractor incentive?

The CPFF structure means the contractor is reimbursed for allowable costs plus a negotiated fixed fee representing profit. This provides less budget certainty for the government compared to a firm-fixed-price contract, as the final cost depends on the actual incurred costs. While the fixed fee provides a profit incentive, the primary incentive for the contractor is to manage costs effectively to ensure the project remains within budget and the fee is realized. However, it can also incentivize cost-reimbursement if not tightly controlled, potentially leading to higher overall spending than anticipated. Robust oversight is critical to manage costs under a CPFF arrangement.

Industry Classification

NAICS: Information › Other Information Services › Libraries and Archives

Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE

Solicitation ID: SOL-OAA-08-000001

Offers Received: 7

Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE (U)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Address: 596 LYNNHAVEN PKWY STE 100, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 23452

Business Categories: Category Business, Small Business, Special Designations, Subchapter S Corporation, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $27,585,932

Exercised Options: $27,585,932

Current Obligation: $26,726,591

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL ITEM PROCEDURES NOT USED

Timeline