Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations

This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE is for small businesses only. The purpose of this sources sought notice is to determine the interest and feasibility of a small business set-aside for the following requirement: Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government, nor will the U.S. Government pay for information solicited. The information from this notice will help the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plan their acquisition strategy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service intends to issue a procurement for the subject research study in Fiscal Year 2016 and is seeking statements of capability from potential offerors. Preference will be given to small businesses with experience and staffing to perform the requirement as demonstrated in their capability statement. FNS is seeking a contractor to design, implement, analyze, and report on the results of the independent evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations to evaluate the impact of using Medicaid data to directly certify students for both free and reduced price meal eligibility. Research Objectives of the Requirement: Under the new demonstrations, FNS will seek to evaluate The processes and resources used by States and/or local agencies to match Medicaid data with school enrollment data and communicate the direct certification results to households, and the challenges faced to attain high matching rates; The potential of direct certification with Medicaid to enroll children who are eligible for both free and reduced price school meals but are not currently certified to receive meals; The potential of direct certification with Medicaid to directly certify eligible children who are currently enrolled for free or reduced price school meals based on a household application; and The effect of direct certification with Medicaid on Federal costs and participation in the school lunch and breakfast programs. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. The Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support & Contracts Management Division, is conducting a market survey to determine the availability and technical capability of qualified small businesses, including small disadvantaged businesses (SDB), 8(a) small businesses, woman-owned small businesses (WOSB), veteran owned small businesses (VOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB), and Historically Under-utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses capable of designing, implementing, analyzing, and reporting on the results of the independent evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations to evaluate the impact of using Medicaid data to directly certify students for both free and reduced price meal eligibility. Details of the Requests for Applications for the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/request-applications-participate-new-demonstrations-evaluate-direct-certification-medicaid. The fundamental goal of the independent evaluation of the DC-M Demonstrations is to determine if DC-M can improve student access to school meals and reduce the administrative burden for schools and local educational agencies. All responding small business firms are requested to identify their firm's size and type of business to the anticipated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code. For this acquisition, the NAICS code is 541720, and the Small Business Standard is $20.5 Million. Teaming arrangements and joint ventures will be considered for any subsequent procurement based on the Government's market research, provided the prime contract is awarded to an applicable small business and that the small business provide at least fifty percent of the support. The Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support is conducting market research to identify sources that can demonstrate their experience, skills, and qualifications with projects of similar scope and size completed within the last three (3) years, and explain in appropriate detail how they intend to demonstrate competency in each of the following points (A) through (G). Expound, utilizing specific examples, on how the firm has undertaken and/or demonstrated the prerequisites listed below: A. A dedicated project director who can deliver high quality work, adhere to project schedules, keep costs within budget, manage the work of many professionals on many tasks simultaneously, and contribute knowledge and understanding of FNS programs. The project director should also possess skilled expertise in research focused on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) and Medicaid, as evidenced by publications on the NSLP/SBP and/or Medicaid in peer-reviewed journals and/or government reports/publications. Please provide no more than five citations in your response for full consideration. B. Staff experienced with developing comprehensive national study designs to address numerous complex interrelated research questions, questionnaires for computer assisted data collection or hard-copy completion, and OMB Information Collection Packages. Please cite applicable OMB clearance numbers in your response. C. Experienced survey managers who can recruit a sufficient number of capable data collectors to provide information nationwide and over a short period of time; can train and monitor data collectors performance to collect high quality data, and minimize non-response. Please specify methods used and size of data collection sample in your response. D.Experienced data collectors and interviewers who are proficient at collecting information from a wide variety of sources (e.g., State agencies, local education agencies), using a variety of data collection techniques (e.g., CATI/CAPI data collection, record abstraction, interviews, paper and web-based surveys, etc.). Please clarify in your response proposed staff and their relevant experience and/or proposed efforts to obtain and train the data collection staff needed for this project. E. Staff experienced with and demonstrating proficiency in using analytic methods, including data matching, mathematical modeling, multivariate regression analysis; and descriptive and inferential statistics. Staff with proficiency in manipulating and merging large, complex databases, using mainstream software packages, including SPSS, SAS, and STATA, synthesizing results from multiple research sources, performing literature searches and reviews, conducting other complex analyses; statistical adjustment for complex sample design; imputation; non-response bias analysis and correction; and creating complex, large scale restricted and public use databases and comprehensive corresponding documentation allowing full replication of study procedures and findings. F. Staff who have the necessary skills and experience writing technical, high-quality, well-edited reports, which may be targeted to technical readers or to policy officials. Staff who can produce briefing materials (including PowerPoint presentations) and present study findings for technical and/or policy staff. Staff that can take highly technical information and put it into language appropriate for non-technical audiences. Citations for up to five such reports shall be included in responses. G. Staff knowledgeable of the eligibility determination processes of the NSLP, SBP, and Medicaid, including income eligibility thresholds, identifiers in various data bases available for data matching, privacy protection and data sharing policies that must be adhered to, and administrative data that could be used to address the research areas of interest. Please include up to five citations to previous publications in peer-reviewed and/or government journals/reports on the aforementioned areas in your submission. Submission Requirements: 1. Interested firms responding to this market survey must provide a capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the above in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.502-2(b). The capability statement shall be in sufficient enough detail, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of your firm to provide the requirements above. The Government technical team will then assess the experience and capabilities (A-G) above. These capability responses should be based upon the 7 capabilities (A - G) pre-requisites listed above. 2. Please specify one primary and one alternate Point of Contact (POC) within your firm, including telephone numbers and email addresses. 3. Identify if you have a GSA Schedule contract and if applicable, the contract number. 4. Identify your business size and for the referenced NAICS code. 5. Relevant experience (limit of five) shall include the following information: - Contract name - Contracting Agency or Department - Total contract value (in $$) - Period of performance - Description of work and how it relates to the requirements 6. The statement shall be 15 pages or less and formatted with 1 inch margins (top, bottom and sides) and Times New Roman font - 12 point. 7. Do not include promotional materials. Only electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and should be emailed to: Natasha.Abbington@fns.usda.gov and Thu.Vo@fns.usda.gov. The e-mail shall contain the following subject line: Response to Sources Sought Notice - AG-3198-S-16-0049: Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid (DC-M) Demonstrations. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside is within the discretion of the Government. If capability statements are not received from at least two responsible small businesses or if the Government determines that no small business concerns are capable of performing this requirement based upon an assessment of the capability statements submitted, the Government may proceed with a full and open competition. Please submit all information to Natasha Abbington at Natasha.Abbington@fns.usda.gov and Thu.Vo@fns.usda.gov no later than April 29, 2016 by 5:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.