U005 - Low Residency Graduate Education Program

FLC Norfolk, Philadelphia Office intends to procure, on behalf of the Naval Education Division (NED), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (OASN) Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M and RA), the provision of graduate level degree curriculums supporting the Department of the Navy’s low residency graduate education program (LGEP), third cohort.

This program provides naval officers, paygrades 0-2 to 0-5, an opportunity to pursue quality graduate education in strategy, management, and international relations through a low-residency delivery model at selected regionally accredited partner universities and colleges.

This model provides a viable substitute for in-residence education for those individuals whose careers would not allow for a full-time academic commitment, and provides a flexible option for officers with compressed career paths to earn graduate degrees that may assist in fulfilling Flag and General Officer education eligibility requirements. This is a class sole source action to be awarded to American University and University of California (UCSD).

In order to achieve the above, it is imperative that students currently participating in the original LGEP cohorts maintain enrollment at their assigned school to minimize disruption to academic performance. Students currently participating in the cohort are familiar with school policies, learning management systems, IT requirements, specific degree program requirements, and student support services at the respective school.

Any significant disruption would place academic performance and continued participation in the cohort at risk. Further, if students were required to attend courses at other institutions, the NED would incur additional administrative costs and would need to invest significant resources to establish the administrative processes and data transfer protocols, which are currently in place at the six original schools participating in the cohort.

Awarding a class of contracts is required for successful efforts to retain the students and allow the NED to continue its overall program objectives to support naval officers in achieving advanced degrees. Based on the foregoing, students must be given the opportunity to continue with their chosen educational paths, which provides the requiring activity with the necessary insight and data for adequate assessment of the program.

As such, the subject universities, to the exclusion of all other sources, are the only schools that can deliver the final courses for degree completion. This notice of intent is not a request for proposals. This is a Synopsis for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 using Simplifies Acquisition Procedures under FAR Part 13; as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The Government will not pay for information received.

The NAICS code is 611310 with a size standard of $30.5 million. It is anticipated that a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order will be procured utilizing FAR Parts 12 and 13.