Evaluation of Building Support for Seat Belt and Impaired Driving Enforcement

Solicitation: DTNH22-14-R-000XX/PR-14-01259 Agency/Office: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Location: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HQ NAICS Code: 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, $19 Million. Point of Contract: Vincent Lynch, Contracting Officer, ph(202) 366-9568 Title: Evaluation of Building Support for Seat Belt and Impaired Driving Enforcement Description(s): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice to identify potential qualified Small Business concerns that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein to assess whether the use of a more direct approach to engaging local communities will increase support for seat belt and impaired driving enforcement and increase law enforcement activities for seat belt and impaired driving laws. If possible, the evaluation will also assess outcome and impact of the program with regard to belt use and crash data. NHTSA welcomes all qualified Small Business concerns, and any other firms with the appropriate NAICS Code and past experience to submit their Corporate Capability Statements that demonstrate their ability to successfully accomplish the goals of the project as listed below. NHTSA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses to this notice or otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will be made; however, no formal evaluation of the information received will be conducted by NHTSA. NHTSA may; however later on issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). However, should such a requirement fail to materialize, no basis for claims against NHTSA shall arise as a result of a response to this notice. BACKGROUND: Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Occupant Protection Survey (NOPUS) indicate that the percent of unrestrained vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes remains alarmingly high, near 50 percent, despite a national seat belt use rate over 86 percent. The discrepancy between the estimated day-time belt use rates and known unrestrained fatalities suggests the need for continued efforts to increase seat belt use nationwide. In addition, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities remain a major highway safety concern. Over the past 10 years, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities declined by 23 percent from 13,472 in 2002 to 10,322 in 2012. However, that trend is creeping upward, with an increase in alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities by 4.6 percent in 2012, compared to 9,865 in 2011, accounting for 31 percent of overall fatalities. The majority of those crashes involved drivers with a BAC of .15 or higher, nearly double the legal BAC limit. The US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (USDOT/NHTSA) Office of Behavioral Safety Research (OBSR) conducts research and evaluation projects related to behaviors and attitudes in highway safety issues. The OBSR is interested in conducting an evaluation of a seat belt/impaired driving demonstration project. The program to be implemented will be developed by law enforcement in coordination with community partners using known law enforcement problem identification and community policing models. The evaluation will assess whether the use of a more direct approach to engaging local communities will increase support for seat belt and impaired driving enforcement and increase law enforcement activities for seat belt and impaired driving laws. If possible, the evaluation will also assess outcome and impact of the program with regard to belt use and crash data. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this evaluation are to: 1. Conduct process, outcome and impact evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of community developed and driven seat belt and impaired driving enforcement projects modeled after proven crime prevention models (COPS & POPS). 2. Work collaboratively with the participant law enforcement agencies to conduct a comprehensive study of the projects; 3. Develop data collection models and surveys to measure the efficacy and overall outcome, and impact of the Community Oriented Policing approach used to develop a stronger buy in from the community for seat belt and impaired driving enforcement. a. Collect and analyze community perception, support for and changes in community attitudes and beliefs toward enforcement of seat belts and impaired driving; and b. Collect and analyze the impact of communications and education plans. 4. Develop a data collection and analysis plan to address the following: a. Baseline data collection for no less than three years of seat belt and impaired driving crash and citation data, relevant enforcement initiative data , and seat belt use rate data; b. Mid and post seat belt crash and citation data, new enforcement initiative data , and use rate data; c. Injury and fatality crash data related to restrained and unrestrained vehicle occupants; d. Decreased unrestrained vehicle occupant and impaired driving fatalities; e. Decreased unrestrained vehicle occupant and impaired driving injuries. f. Decreased impaired driving crashes; g. Decreased impaired driving arrests. 5. Monitor, document, collect and analyze any earned media/communications related activity results and provide an impact analysis throughout the duration of the project. The types of data to be collected include but are not limited to medium types (print media, web based approaches such as social media, and traditional mediums such as TV, radio, etc.), reach, frequency, and number of impressions. The results shall be used assess the impact of communications activities in tandem with enforcement efforts. 6. Provide regular progress reports, as well as preliminary, interim and final reports relevant to the data and findings for the purpose of learning from and recommending replicable strategies in other communities. The Contractor shall work collaboratively with the two selected enforcement sites to collect seat belt use data, as well as enforcement data (for alcohol and seat belts), to include but not limited to enforcement, crash, and earned or paid media data, in addition to conducting, analyzing and reporting community perception surveys. The Contractor shall provide analysis findings to the law enforcement agencies for use in their enforcement strategies. A continuous data collection process shall be developed and monthly reports and findings submitted to the NHTSA. A final findings report shall be submitted at the end of the project period. The report will include an overview of the evaluation project, the work plan, data collection methodologies, trends, findings, and recommendations for replicability of the enforcement strategies. Of critical importance in the project is experience in working with law enforcement agencies and in evaluating complex, multi-state law enforcement initiatives. Capabilities: The corporate capability statement must address the capabilities necessary to accomplish the scope outlined above as well as the additional tasks and characteristics given below: - Experience and expertise in conducting program evaluation including process, outcome, and impact evaluations. - Experience and expertise in sampling and recruitment of participants as well as coordinating with law enforcement agencies and community partners. - Experience and expertise developing survey instruments and conducting appropriate testing prior to implementation of the survey. - Experience and expertise performing qualitative analysis including interviews. - Experience and expertise performing quantitative analysis including the use of statistical software packages, working with raw data, organizing data, and developing data manuals. - Knowledge of traffic safety data sources. - Experience writing technical and non-technical reports. - Experience and knowledge related to preparing and submitting the documents necessary for OMB clearance and Institutional Review Board approval. Format of Corporate Capabilities Statement: Any interested qualified 8(a) SDB firms should submit their Corporate Capability Statement, which demonstrates the firm's ability and past experience in no more than 10 pages to perform the key requirements described above to the identified NHTSA point of contact listed herein. Any proprietary information should be marked as such. All respondents are asked to certify the type and size of their business organization is in-line with the requirements of this Sources Sought Notice, and must be received no later than 15 calendar days from the date of publication of this notice. References to Background Information Provided Alcohol-impaired fatalities are those where any driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher. NHTSA (November, 2013). 2012 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview. Traffic Safety Facts. U.S. Department of Transportation National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Washington, DC NHTSA (November, 2013). 2012 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview. Traffic Safety Facts. U.S. Department of Transportation National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Washington, DC