Pursuant to the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), the Contracting Officer may solicit from one source if the Contracting Officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source is reasonably available. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Program Support Center (PSC), Acquisition Management Services (AMS), on behalf of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to sole source to: Health Research & Educational Trust - Health Services Research (HRET/HSR) 155 North Wacker, 4th Floor Chicago, IL 60606 In accordance with FAR 5.207(c), AHRQ's requirement is described as follows: (1) National Stock Number (NSN): N/A (2) Specification: AHRQ is seeking a journal supplement on the building the science of public reporting initiative for a period not to exceed 12 months. AHRQ's objective is to review, edit, and manage all aspects of editorial production for a special supplement of an accomplished scholarly journal that focuses on health services research in the area of public reporting of health care quality measures. This effort will harness collaboration among AHRQ, HRET, and AHRQ-supported researchers. The supplement will feature up to twelve manuscripts written by researchers funded under AHRQ's "Building the Science of Public Reporting" initiative, as well as commentary from leaders in the field. (3) Manufacturer: Health Research & Educational Trust (4) Functional Description: HSR is the primary publication outlet for AcademyHealth, the professional association for health services research professionals. AHRQ is proposing to acquire a special journal supplement with HSR. The research articles published in this special supplement will help support evidence-based design of public reporting programs by providing the results of rigorous studies of how to improve public reports. The contractor shall solicit authors and obtain agreements for manuscripts (e.g., content, length, deadlines), serve as point of coordination for submitted manuscripts and commentaries, organize and conduct the peer review process for submitted manuscripts, coordinate author revisions to manuscripts based upon reviewer feedback, submit draft and final manuscripts to authors and AHRQ for review, edit, revise, typeset, and proofread final manuscripts, code papers in a format suitable for electronic uploading to AHRQ's website and other relevant mediums, and prepare a final supplement for public dissemination. (5) Predominant material of manufacture: N/A (6) Quantity: electronically and/or printed resource - page limitation TBD for manuscripts (7) Unit of issue: page limitation TBD for manuscripts (8) Destination information: AHR 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 (9) Delivery Schedule: N/A 10) Duration of the contract period: 4/15/2015 - 4/14/2016 11) Sustainable acquisition requirements: N/A 12) Description of Procedure: This is a presolicitation notice of intent to sole source. This is not a solicitation for competitive proposal. No solicitation document is available. The anticipated award date is no later than April 15, 2015. 13) Architect-Engineer Project: N/A 14) Trade Agreement Clauses: N/A 15) Sole Source Justification: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Program Support Center (PSC), Acquisition Management Services (AMS), on behalf of the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), intends to sole source to: Health Research & Educational Trust - Health Services Research (HRET/HSR) 155 North Wacker, 4th Floor Chicago, IL 60606 HSR is the primary publication outlet for AcademyHealth, the professional association for health services research professionals. AHRQ is proposing to acquire a special journal supplement with HSR. A special supplement with HSR offers the unprecedented and unique opportunity to publish research findings on public reporting research to an audience that will be able to take and build upon the published research findings. Publication in HSR will help ensure that the papers reach other important audiences, as well, such as payers and policy officials, given HSR's reach and the prominence of HSR and its readership in the these fields. HSR is also ranked among the top journals in the Institute for Scientific Information/ Thomson Scientific's "Health Care Sciences and Services" category of the Science Index, and in the "Health Policy and Services" category of the Social Sciences Index. Without a special supplement from HSR, the research findings pertaining to building the science of public reporting are less likely to be prepared in a cohesive and impactful manner that enables AHRQ to provide the most comprehensive vehicle to disseminate research findings and advance federal program activities for public use. Because of its past accomplishments, experienced peer-review process for special supplements and access to the health care community, HSR is uniquely qualified to be a sole source contractor for the publication of a special supplement. Having identified such a source already, the contractor has an established process for producing a peer-reviewed journal supplement that would provide value to the Government and support AHRQ's research and program aims. 16) This is not a solicitation for competitive proposal. No solicitation document is available. All responsible sources that have determined that they can provide the same services may submit product information and a capabilities statement. The email subject line must reference AHR149509 - Journal supplement for Public Reporting Research. All responses are due by March 16, 2015, 5:00 PM Eastern Time and can be sent to Sara Marrie at
contact@example.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract base upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government.
