Develop Recruitment Strategy and Recruit Participants for a CAT Tool Study associated with SSA's Disability Evaluation Process

The National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center is conducting a market survey/sources sought to help determine the availability and technical capability of qualified small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses and/or HUBZONE small business capable of serving the needs mentioned below. This market survey/sources sought announcement is not a request for proposals and the Government is not committed to award a contract pursuant to this announcement. The information from this market research is for planning purposes only and will assist the Government in planning its acquisition strategy. This is strictly market research and the Government will not entertain questions concerning this market research. The Government will not pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of information for responding to this market survey. The Rehabilitation Medicine Department in the Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH-RMD) in Bethesda, Maryland has agreed to assist the Social Security Administration (SSA) explore innovative methods for augmenting the disability evaluation process. This requires assessment of individuals' abilities across a variety of functional domains while considering functional workplace demands and environmental features of workplace, home, and community settings. Current efforts to develop assessments of human functioning using computer adaptive testing (CAT) tools founded upon item response theory (IRT) are underway. The use of CAT tools could potentially allow the SSA to collect more relevant and precise data, in a faster, more efficient fashion. Rapid assessment methods are needed that are compatible with SSA processes and will yield easily interpretable results that can be efficiently and meaningfully integrated to provide accurate and uniform information about an individual's ability to engage in substantial gainful employment. To meet objectives associated with the NIH-RMD collaboration with the SSA, CAT tool development will require a calibration study for each instrument. A calibration study is a field study of item content and structure conducted with samples of respondents representing the intended users of the CAT instruments. Item pool development and subsequent item calibration are unique for each CAT tool and for the target population for which they are developed. To better support the SSA's evaluation process, distinct applicant and provider CAT instruments are being developed. Participant recruitment and telephone as well as internet test administration will be needed to conduct the CAT tool calibration studies. The NIH-RMD seeks a contractor for a base period of six months, with one 6 month unilateral option available to extend the term of services, who will develop a detailed recruitment plan and implement a participant recruitment effort to achieve projected sample sizes for the calibration studies. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541512, Size Standard - $21.0 million dollars The recruitment plan must seamlessly integrate with existing work being conducted by Boston University to develop CAT tools under Contract number HHSN26920090004C. For the purposes of CAT calibration, it will be necessary to collect information from both providers and claimants about the functional abilities of claimants relative to workplace demands. It is recommended that pairs (or dyads) of claimants and providers be recruited for the CAT calibration studies. Sample sizes for most scientifically defensible CAT calibration projects are in the range of 500-700 respondents. This sample size is needed to support a series of confirmatory factor analyses and to perform statistical modeling. Inadequate sample size may lead to inaccurate and unstable statistical outcomes. Due to projected response rates for the recruitment of claimants and providers, the anticipated recruitment volume will require the contractor to provide evidence of established procedures and staffing to efficiently manage the recruitment effort. The contractor must demonstrate expertise in CAT tool development and the application of CAT technology for the purposes of disability assessment. The contractor should demonstrate prior success in the completion of calibration studies associated with CAT tool development in domains of human functioning. In order to optimize the contractor's ability to complete this requirement in the established timeframe, current SSA clearances are required. The vendor responses must demonstrate their expertise in ALL of the areas described above. Please note that failure to specifically demonstrate capability to provide the required services in your response to this market survey may affect the Government's review of industry's ability to perform these services. The vendor's response shall be in sufficient detail to allow the Government to assess the capability of your firm. The vendor response shall also include any other specific and relevant information related to the requirements of this project that will enable the Government to determine the capabilities of the company to perform the specialized requirements described in this synopsis. Interested organizations must demonstrate and document in any response submitted, to this market survey extensive experience with and the ability to perform all of the specialized requirements elsewhere described. This notice is a market survey and is for information and planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to any contractual agreement. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. The Government will not award a Purchase Order or Contract based upon Vendor responses to this announcement. The Government shall not assume any costs for preparing or submitting any information in response to the market survey or the Government's use of the information. Any proprietary information should be clearly identified as "proprietary information". Vendors must send written capability responses by May 18, 2010 to the Contract Specialist at the following e-mail address aargaman@cc.nih.gov. For any questions, please contact Ms. Ann Argaman at (301) 594-5919.