As a result of market research, "Publications, Education Analysis, and Reporting for Sample Surveys, Assessments, and Administrative Data Collections" (PEARSS) will be procured utilizing the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Professional Service Schedule under the Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS) Category 874 -1 Integrated Consulting Services. Attachments: 1) Pre-Solicitation Conference Powerpoint Silde Presentation 2) Pre-Solicitation Conference Audio Recording ____________________________________________________________ Request for Information & Pre-Solicitation Conference (in-Person or via WEBINAR) for "Publications, Education Analysis, and Reporting for Sample Surveys, Assessments, and Administrative Data Collections" (PEARSS) The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is conducting market research to support a requirement for conducting statistical analyses and writing publications titled "Publications, Education Analysis, and Reporting for Sample Surveys, Assessments, and Administrative Data Collections" (PEARSS). The proposed contract will support the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences. This requirement includes three activities: (1) Data Analysis and Reporting (for the Department's own use or for posting to the Department's website, blogs, or social media), (2) Publication Development (including the planning, developing, and revising of publications for NCES), and (3) Statistical Support (provide data users support on using NCES datasets for research or analysis). The proposed procurement is tentatively slated for a small-business set-aside and the Department intends to make awards to multiple small businesses. The Department anticipates that a pool of small businesses will address the diversity of expertise required for the program areas (Branches) within NCES, as addressed in the Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Department has not finalized the procurement method or type of contract/agreement and seeks information to determine the optimal procurement method. Request for Information (RFI) In response to the attached PWS, the Department hereby solicits answers to the following questions. Potential offerors may respond to one or all the questions depending on the information they are willing to provide. Responses shall be no longer than three pages, single-spaced with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12 point font and provided to the Department in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formats: 1. The Draft PWS was originally drafted for the Sample Surveys Division at NCES. The Department anticipates that the final PWS will be opened up to all divisions/units in the Center. The proposed procurement is for a multiple-award Blanket Purchase Agreement under FAR 13. Given the expanded scope, the work will likely exceed the thresholds set forth in FAR 13. Do offerors have suggestions for another type of contract/procurement method that could accommodate multiple awards for cost-reimbursement or hybrid task orders? 2. The Department presumes that a single small business will not have expertise in all content areas required, so the PWS is structured so that an offeror with limited areas of expertise could be successful in a potential competition. Should the Department consider restructuring other areas of the PWS so that more small businesses could be eligible? Should the Department consider removing requirements to create 508 compliant deliverables, for example? Should the Department consider removing other tasks from the PWS? 3. Do you have expertise in any of the content area groups as listed in the PWS? If so, which groups do you feel you have staffing available to contribute to? Which content area groups in the PWS would be especially difficult for a small business? 4. Would your firm be better positioned to compete if the Department were to break this into two procurements - one for publications and a second for data analysis/user support? Describe your organization's quality assurance procedures for the review of tables, reports, data files, or data tools. How do these procedures evaluate the completeness, accuracy, and ease of use of these products? Should the Department add more detail to the PWS? 5. Any additional feedback. Interested parties should respond to the request by Monday, February 22, 2016 at 11:00am to Barakat.Shakir@ed.gov. This is not an invitation for bid, request for proposal or other solicitation and in no way obligates the Department to award a contract. This notice's sole intent is to obtain information for a proposed procurement. Pre-solicitation Conference The Department is hosting a Pre-solicitation Conference that is open to all responsible offerors. The purpose of this conference is to: (1) identify potential offerors; (2) provide information to better understand the Department's requirements; and (3) maximize competition. The Pre-solicitation Conference will be held as follows: Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016 Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Location: 550 12th Street, SW 6th Floor Conference Rooms 6082, 6083, 6158 Washington, DC 20024 RSVP is required to attend in-Person or via WEBINAR Vendors unable to attend in-person will be able to participate live through a WEBINAR. Instructions to access the WEBINAR will be emailed to all vendors that RSVP. Please RSVP for the Pre-Solicitation Conference (in-Person or WEBINAR) to Barakat.Shakir@ed.gov with a copy (cc) to: Deila.Johnson@ed.gov by February 8, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. including a list of attendees and whether they will attend in-person or via WEBINAR. Contractors attending the in-person meeting should bring state (compliant with the RealID Act [http://www.dhs.gov/current-status-states-territories]) or federal issued identification and business cards to check in at the security desk. Space is limited at the in-person meeting and seats will be reserved on a first-come first served basis. Vendors not able to attend in-person will be able to participate in the WEBINAR. A recording of the WEBINAR will be posted at a date after the conference.
