Communications, Outreach and Dissemination Services

BACKGROUND The National Assessment Governing Board (hereafter the Governing Board), U.S. Department of Education, is conducting market research to identify potential sources that can meet requirements for comprehensive communications, outreach, and dissemination services for our work related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Information on the Governing Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov and information on NAEP can be found at www.nationsreportcard.gov. This announcement is issued for market research and planning purposes only, and shall not be considered as an obligation by the Government to acquire any products or services. This is not a Request for Proposals, Request for Quotations or Invitation to Bid. The sole purpose of this notice is to determine the availability of potential businesses with capability and expertise to provide required services as detailed below. This announcement is issued in accordance with the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulations, Subpart 10. REQUIREMENTS One of the Governing Board's mandated congressional responsibility is to improve the reporting and dissemination of NAEP data to a variety of audiences, including (but not limited to) educators, policymakers, researchers, media, parents, and business leaders. Public Law107-279 specifies the Governing Board's legislative responsibilities and includes the following: (1) Develop guidelines for reporting and disseminating NAEP results; (2) Take appropriate actions needed to improve the form, content, use, and reporting of NAEP results; and (3) Plan and execute the initial public release of NAEP reports. In November 2016, the Governing Board approved a Strategic Vision to provide NAEP information about how our students are doing in the most innovative, informative, and impactful ways and to increase understanding and use of NAEP to improve student achievement. See https://nagb.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/release-20161202.html. Implementation of this vision will involve a significant expansion and improvement of the current communications efforts, and shall include a variety of strategies to include extensive integration of social media strategies, development of targeted multimedia content, and fostering partnerships with key education and policy groups to promote improved understanding and greater awareness of NAEP data and resources. The Governing Board's planned procurement for social media services (Announcement Number EDNAGB16SOCIALMEDIA) is now integrated in a planned procurement in FY 2017 in order to achieve a streamlined and integrated dissemination and outreach strategy. Services required include the following key areas: - Capability and experience in planning and executing national release events, legislative briefings, seminars and other gatherings that incorporate multimedia and webcast content to reach national and local audiences; - Comprehensive social media expertise with design and implementation strategies to exponentially increase the Board's presence on a variety of platforms to include social media platforms and strategically place the Board and NAEP in online conversations to raise awareness, visibility, and impact; - Experience in developing materials such as press releases, media advisories and electronic communications for national release events and other dissemination and outreach activities of similar scope and complexity; - Multimedia communications strategies and production capabilities that are integrated with social media content; - Expertise in developing website content with enhancements to the current website at www.nagb.gov deploying effective techniques in social media and multimedia integration; - Staff knowledge and expertise in statistical areas to support work for the Board's NAEP preparedness research initiative, see https://www.nagb.gov/what-we-do/preparedness-research.html; - Coordination and hosting of focus groups with targeted groups in order to achieve the goal of seeking input to implement strategic initiatives. Interested parties must have in-house staff with expertise and familiarity with education data, issues and policies to include: - Staff expertise in using education data with experience in analyzing and interpreting data such as NAEP for use in materials that are targeted to lay audiences; - Knowledge of the education marketplace, specifically knowledge of assessment, curriculum, instruction and policy and ability to apply this expertise to take findings and data to develop infographics, scripts for videos, press releases, summary reports, and other materials targeted toward multiple audiences, particularly lay and educator audiences; and - Expertise in the use of social media tools to engage stakeholders for targeted communications with measurable impact. - Creation of stakeholder databases and media contacts that are national in scope; and - Skills in preparing summaries of events and meetings with quick turnaround requirements. DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSION Interested parties with the requisite capabilities and experience shall submit capability statements and complete the attached vendor survey via EMAIL ONLY to NAGBProcurements@ed.gov with the subject line "Sources Sought-Communications" by February 13, 2017, 10 a.m. ET. The information you provide will not be returned, receipt of your submission will be electronically acknowledged upon submission. Responses submitted after the due date and time will not be accepted. DISCLAIMER The sole purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to conduct market research for procurement planning purposes. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract nor does the Government intend to directly pay for any costs associated with or resulting from responses submitted for this notice.