Neuro-QOL: Interim Sustainability and Training

This is a Research and Development (R&D) Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential R&D requirement. PURPOSE: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is interested in identifying sources with the requisite capabilities and qualifications to develop an interim platform for providing access and functionality to the Neuro-QOL, which is an instrument for assessing quality of life outcomes in neurological disorders. The Neuro-QOL instrument was developed under a contract that ended on September 30, 2010 with delivery to the government of all instruments, programs, algorithms, and related documentation. In order to make the instrument available for researchers to use, a platform needs to be developed to support access, implementation, and maintenance. In the near future NINDS expects to release a solicitation for long-term maintenance of the Neuro-QOL. Thus, in order to make the instruments and documentation available to researchers to begin testing and using Neuro-QOL, as well as to potential offerors to aid in their proposals for a future solicitation, we need to have an interim platform that will be publicly available. The NINDS anticipates initiating a contract to design and develop a web-based platform that will allow researchers or clinicians to create study-specific web-based data collection pages; will include all Neuro-QOL instruments that include Computer Adaptive Testing for administration to research participants; will provide for scoring and exporting of data; and will provide technical support and consultation to researchers on the use of Neuro-QOL instruments, including data collection and data export functions. In addition, the contractor will be required to conduct up to three training sessions/workshops to introduce researchers to the development and methodology of Neuro-QOL, provide education on IRT, CAT, and item bank construction, and train investigators in the use of the web-based Neuro-QOL platform in their research. We anticipate that this will be a one-year undertaking to complete all requirements. BACKGROUND: On September 30, 2004, NINDS awarded a contract to develop a psychometrically robust health-related quality of life (HRQL) measurement tool that is accepted by the neurology clinical trials and clinical research communities. The contractor developed, tested, and completed validation of the required instruments and has provided all required deliverables. As of September 30, 2010, 13 adult and 9 pediatric item banks or scales, totaling more than 700 questions, were delivered to NINDS, along with supporting reports, a comprehensive user manual, and a plan for sustainability of Neuro-QOL. The feasibility of the sustainability plan and subsequent deliberations and decisions by NINDS will determine the best way to manage the distribution and delivery of Neuro-QOL so that it is freely available to the NIH-sponsored clinical research community. To some degree, sustainability is enabled through posting print-ready instruments on the Neuro-QOL website for download; however, this does not provide the user with a system for administering a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) or collecting other Neuro-QOL short-form instruments online. Simply posting the instruments also does not provide for the substantial need for expert consulting in their use and interpretation and the technical support required by clinical researchers who wish to use Neuro-QOL but may lack expertise in patient reported outcomes measurement. INFORMATION REQUESTED: With consideration to the above, the NINDS is requesting the following specific information as part of our market research efforts in support of this potential requirement. Your organizational technical abilities and related scientific and managerial experience/capabilities in a requirement-specific Capability Statement to: 1) establish a web-based platform to make available for public access the Neuro-QOL instruments, CAT, and scoring algorithms; 2) provide technical support and consultation to researchers in the use of the Neuro-QOL materials, including data collection and data export functions; 3) provide ongoing technical support and consultation with respect to research design, instrument selection, analysis and interpretation; 4) host the Neuro-QOL website, refining and upgrading the website's quality and functionality, and improving Neuro-QOL's visibility targeting appropriate components of the research community; 5) conduct training sessions and/or workshops to introduce researchers to the development and methodology of Neuro-QOL, provide education on IRT, CAT, and item bank construction, and train investigators in the use of the web-based Neuro-QOL platform in their research. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. Once a determination is made regarding the suitability of this future requirement for a small business set-aside or an open competition to include both large and small business, a separate Pre-Solicitation Announcement will be issued in advance of the release of a Request for Proposals. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541711. Therefore, the small business size standard for this announcement is 500 or fewer employees. Please note that in order to qualify as an eligible small business for purposes of a small business set-aside, at least 50% of the direct labor cost must be in-house. Specifically, FAR 52-219-14 - Limitations on Subcontracting states that at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern. Submitted Capability Statements must address how the business meets the applicable size standard designated for this project. All respondents are asked to indicate the type and size of your business organization, e.g., Large Business, Educational Institution, Small Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned Business, 8(a). If submitting hard copies, please send to: Laurie A. Leonard, Contracting Officer, National Institutes of Health, NINDS R&D CMB, 6001 Executive Blvd., Suite 3287, Bethesda, MD 20892-9531 or via courier to Rockville, MD 20852. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.