Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program Services

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE PROGRAM SUPPORT CENTER (PSC) TO AWARD A CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of large and small businesses (e.g., 8(a), service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, veteran-owned small business, and women-owned small business) under NAICS code, 541690, that have the capability, experience, and expert knowledge of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program and the community-based Injury Prevention Programs of Federal Tribes funded through that program. The Office of Indian Health Service (IHS) has a requirement for a follow-on contract of two years. IHS seeks a qualified provider (university, corporation, organization'etc) that can monitor, liaison, and is approved to work with the 22 Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreements located throughout the United States. These Cooperative Agreements are for community-base Injury Prevention Programs and do not address occupational injuries. The monitoring contractor will provide professional oversight and technical expertise in the best practices in community-based injury prevention program planning, development, implementation, evaluation, training, and resource development to ensure high quality performance in sustaining capacity of the Tribal Injury Prevention programs. The Cooperative Agreements have just completed the third year of a five-year funding cycle. The monitoring services will require extensive knowledge of the agreements and the IHS Injury Prevention Program in order to be effective. Also, the monitoring services will require extensive involvement in culturally sensitive communication, coordination and cooperation in technical oversight. The objective of the IHS Injury Prevention Infrastructure Cooperative Agreement (CA) funding is to build and sustain Tribal community-based Injury Prevention program capacity. The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement that anticipates substantial involvement (Injury Prevention Application Kit, 2005 CFDA no. 93.284, page 3): * Between the agency and the recipient * During performance of the contemplated activity This differs from a grant that has no involvement from the Federal agency. PURPOSE: The mission of the IHS, in partnership with American Indian and Alaskan Native people, is to raise their physical, mental, social and spiritual health to the highest level; to ensure that comprehensive culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to all American Indian and Alaskan Native people; and to uphold the Federal Government's obligation to promote healthy American Indian and Alaskan Native people, communities and cultures and to honor and protect the inherent sovereign rights of Tribes. In Sept 2005, Indian Health Service Injury Prevention Tribal Infrastructure Cooperative Agreement Program awarded 22 Tribal groups funding for five-years. This monitoring contract will provide oversight and technical assistance to the 22 Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement grantees during the final two years of these funding agreements. Indian Health Service Project Officers - A local project officer (PO) is assigned to each Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement grantee. The project officers (PO) are Indian Health Service Injury Prevention Specialists or Environmental Health Officers working with the local Indian Health Service area. They are responsible for assisting grantees with scientific, technical and programmatic questions from the grantee. Consultation with IHS Staff The monitor contractor will consult with the project officer through conference calls, site visits, training and at the annual meetings. The monitor contractor serves to provide technical assistance, advice, or guidance to the IHS project officer to ensure the optimal performance of the Tribal Cooperative Agreement Programs. Consultation with IHS Injury Prevention Manager - The contractor will schedule monthly conference calls with IHS Injury Prevention Manager in consultation on activities, accomplishments, challenges, and recommended solutions of the IHS IP Cooperative Agreement (CA) programs. Consultation will also include: participation at annual IHS Injury Prevention Program meeting report on monitoring activities, i.e., conference calls, site visits, training Cooperative Agreement program needs, barriers, and successes provide assistance in meeting planning and facilitation national presentations and publications pertaining to the IP CA programs newsletter articles DELIVERABLES I Cooperative Agreement grantee quarterly Newsletter Contractor will develop and distribute an electronic quarterly Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program newsletter. The newsletter will be distributed to all program Cooperative Agreement grantees as well as other community-based injury prevention practitioners working with American Indian/Alaskan Native groups. II Cooperative Agreement Program Conference Calls The contractor will conduct conference calls with Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Coordinators and designated IHS Project Officers and IHS Injury Prevention staff. Conference call will: include a method of assessing each grantee's progress, development, progress, barriers and challenges in meeting grantee's project objectives, identification of needs , establish a protocol to address assistance in needs of the grantee, and provide technical assistance in program planning, development, implementation, training and evaluation. III Ongoing Training in community-based Injury Prevention The contractor will use their existing training tools and resources to assist Cooperative Agreement Programs in completing the objectives established by the grantee. Tools should include, but not be limited to worksheets designed to assist Cooperative Agreement Program grantees in identifying action steps, responsible parties, resources and timelines. The worksheets will serve as the contractor's mechanism to track progress, barriers and identify training needs. The contractor will evaluate the worksheets quarterly and annually. The contractor will be available to respond to technical assistance requests as needed from all Cooperative Agreement Programs. Technical assistance may take the form of referrals to recommended resources, research into community-based injury prevention (promising, best and evidence-based practices) and resources, mailing of select articles and excerpts and information in project newsletters. The contractor will also provide the IHS Injury Prevention Manager feedback on the Cooperative Agreement Program reports and provide advice to resolve barriers relating to the Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program. IV Injury Prevention Annual Cooperative Agreement Workshop The contractor will coordinate the planning and participate in a 2-day annual training workshop for the Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program Coordinators and IHS project officers. The training course will be planned in partnership with the IHS Injury Prevention Program Manager. The training course will be conducted by the third quarter of the contract period. The contractor is not responsible for travel and per diem expenses for the Cooperative Agreement grantees or IHS staff participating in the annual meeting. The annual workshop is held by March or April of each year. The contractor will assist IHS HQE with grantee meeting facilitation and planning. The workshop will include but not be limited to: effective strategies in community-based injury prevention strategies in capacity building and sustainability resource development network and outreach The contractor will be responsible for recording notes during the meetings and producing a report of recommendations or follow up action items. This report and an evaluative summary of participant's evaluations will be emailed to the IHS Injury Prevention Program Manager within 30 days of the conclusion of the annual training workshop. V Monitoring Activities The contractor will ensure on-going training and technical assistance for the IP Cooperative Agreement Coordinators proficiency in accomplishing program objectives. The contractor will encourage all the IP Cooperative Agreement Coordinators to document the success or impact of their programs and to present at national conferences to report successes and to showcase their work. The contractor will provide guidance for those grantees that have injury data and to apply for presentations at conferences and submit for publication, i.e., IHS Primary Care Provider Journal. VI Site Visit to Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Grantee The contractor will make at least one site visit per year to each of the 22 Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program sites to meet face-to-face with the Program Coordinator, IHS project office and other key staff or tribal officials. Two site visits may be required in the first year if deemed necessary by the IHS to introduce the contractor to the CA grantees. The purpose of the site visit will involve: reporting in accomplishments of program goals, internal and external collaboration, address any special conditions, new resources secured, barriers identified, identification of needs assistance and a method to address the needs, and forecasting future needs for program sustainability Contractor must abide by all regulations regarding use of tribal information, data and records. Contractor will return all records to the Indian Health Service within 90 days of the end of contract period. Contractor should encourage all grantees to document the success or impact of their programs. Grantees should be mentored to present at tribal, state, regional or national conferences of their program results, i.e., presentations, posters. Contractor should provide technical assistance especially to the Part I Advanced with injury data and results for formal presentations (poster) and submit for publication, i.e., IHS Primary Care Provider journal. Contractor shall submit to the IHS IP Program Manager an annual summary of activities, accomplishments, challenges, and recommended solutions within 90 days of the end of contract funding period. REQUIRED DEMONSTRATED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Any potential offeror must demonstrate the following: Demonstrated experience, knowledge and understanding of Indian Health Service (IHS) Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program and the community-based Injury Prevention Programs of Federal Tribes funded through that program. Community-Based Injury Prevention Programs are targeted to address community injuries and do not involve occupational injuries or Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) concerns. Applications concentrating on occupational injuries will not be considered. Demonstrated experience, knowledge and understanding of working with various Native American and Alaska Native cultures. Demonstrated knowledge and experience coordinating community-based injury prevention workshops. Demonstrated experience coordinating and writing newsletters which are culturally sensitive to Native American and Alaska native culture. Experience with literature research regarding and the development of evidenced- and community- based injury prevention intervention programs. Experience with developing tools and data to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs. Demonstrated ability to conduct conference calls to assess each grantee's progress, determine the development, progress, barriers and challenges in meeting grantee's project objectives, identify grantees and community needs ,to establish a protocol to address assistance in needs of the grantee , and provide technical assistance in program planning, development, implementation, training and evaluation. Demonstrate their existing tools and resources that will be used to assist Cooperative Agreement programs in identifying action steps, responsible parties, resources and timelines. The tools should track progress and identify barriers and capture training needs. Demonstrate knowledge of training materials and courses available to facilitate Cooperative Agreement success. Demonstrate the ability to write concise reports. Demonstrate the ability to conduct the annual workshop within two months after signing the contract Demonstrate extensive knowledge of potential networking sources within the Injury Invention profession. Ability to respond to grantees questions regarding planning, development, implementation, training, and evaluation within a timely manner. Demonstrate knowledge of regulations regarding the use of tribal information, data and records. Along with the above, the following specific information is requested: (a) company descriptive literature; (b) specific related corporate experience; (c) experience with the type of performance expectations mentioned above; and (d) references (to include a point of contact and phone number) with first hand knowledge of the experience cited in (b), and (c) above; (e) Business information outlined below. Business information: a. DUNS b. Company Name c. Company Address (Company Point of Contact, phone number and email address) e. Type/Size of company, NAICS code, and Social Economic status, as validated via the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). All offerors must register on the CCR located at http://www.ccr.gov/index.asp. Additional information on NAICS codes can be found at www.sba.gov. f. Current GSA Schedule, Contract No., if applicable, appropriate to this Sources Sought g. Point of Contact, phone number and email address of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses. The synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation announcement for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. All information submitted in response to this announcement must arrive on or before the closing date. All capability statements can be submitted via e-mail, facsimile, or regular mail to the point of contact listed below. Responses must be submitted not later than January 5, 2009. Responses shall be limited to 20 pages. Resumes of key people are limited to 2 pages and may be submitted as an attachment, which will not count towards the page limit. Documentation should be sent to: Program Support Center Attn: William N. Li, Contracting Officer 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 5-101 Rockville, MD 20857 Point of Contact: Name: William Li, Contract Officer Phone: 301-443-2475 Email: William.Li@psc.hhs.gov