RECOVERY - R- TASK ORDER NOTICE. 2010 Census Communications Rapid Response Program

THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. THIS OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO THE EXISTING CONTRACTOR, TRUE NORTH COMMUNICATIONS, D/B/A DRAFTFCB, INC., UNDER CONTRACT NUMBER YA1323-07-CQ-0004. Using Recovery Act funding, the U.S. Census Bureau intends to issue a task order to contract number YA1323-07-CQ-0004, a competitively awarded Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract for the 2010 Census Communications Campaign, awarded to True North Communications, D/B/A DraftFCB, Inc., 100 West 33RD Street, New York, NY, 10001-2900. This task order will be for the contractor to provide rapid response services and solutions to issues and concerns identified by the Government that may have an impact to the 2010 Census Communications Campaign. Utilizing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, the task order will require compliance with appropriate federal and state laws and regulations. Under this task, the contractor shall develop and provide rapid response and implement rapid solutions for addressing and/or mitigating unforeseen issues and concerns that occur or may occur during the 2010 Census communications campaign. Services under this task order will be provided upon request from the Government in response to issues/concerns identified by the Government or by the Contractor. It is anticipated that rapid response services required under this task may include, but not be limited to, media management, Census Bureau's public image management (as it may relate to the 2010 census), increased advertising, development of new promotional materials and ads, and/or additional earned media or public relation efforts. The Contractor shall provide and implement proactive and effective solutions to situations or concerns that may have a negative or counterproductive impact on the accomplishment of the 2010 Census Communications Campaign goals. The Government or the contractor may identify these concerns during performance of the campaign and request that a solution be provided. Examples of such situations may include, (list is not all-inclusive): Low responding areas of the census questionnaire Negative or inaccurate media, as appropriate Disruption of census operations due to unforeseen situations Terrorist attacks Disasters White powder Boycott issues Raids/deportation activities Enumeration issues Each situation would be considered a separate project, for which specific requirements would be fully defined and modified to the task order. The existing contract must be used for the following reasons: 1) The work to be performed is within the scope of the original contract technical provisions. 2) The incumbent contractor has the management, technical, and administrative skills to efficiently and effectively accomplish this work at a reasonable cost. 3) The rapid response solutions to be provided shall be integrated and coordinated with the campaign-messaging, theme and other promotional materials already developed by the existing contractor. 4) This contract enables the work to begin immediately. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains specific acquisition requirements that must be met when using funds appropriated by the Act. Acquisitions must comply with FAR, and to the maximum extent practicable, be awarded under competitive procedures as fixed-price (FP) contracts. The U.S. Census Bureau intends to use the current IDIQ contract to meet its requirements. A task order with multiple contract line items is anticipated. Contract Line Items will include fixed-price and materials type line items. This contract was awarded competitively.