R -- CLINICAL CENTER ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has initiated a Streamlined Competition under OMB Circular A-76 to evaluate and potentially outsource Clinical Center Administrative Support Services. This competition involves assessing a range of administrative functions currently performed by 52 federal employees, including reception, hospitality, family lodge front desk, communications, language interpretation, records management, human resources, meeting logistics, budget support, travel coordination, medical and nursing programs support, training logistics, timekeeping, data entry, report generation, and shipping and receiving. The goal is to conduct a cost comparison to determine the most efficient and cost-effective way to provide these services. Mr. Joe Ellis, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the Department of Health and Human Services, serves as the Competitive Sourcing Official, while Mr. Larry Manning is the designated Contracting Officer. The competition was publicly announced on September 28, 2006, with a projected conclusion date of February 9, 2007. NIH intends to issue a follow-up notice around February 14, 2007, to communicate the outcome of the cost comparison. At this stage, no solicitation has been released, and interested parties should monitor for updates. The services in question fall under NAICS code 561990, and the points of contact include Larry Manning, a Contract Specialist, and Zetherine Gore, a Contracting Officer, both of whom can provide further information as needed.