12444724Q0016 Questions_Answers.pdf

Solicitation Q&A: 12444724Q0016 Enchanted Circle Survey Data Collection

1. Minimum qualifications. Our team has over 20 years of data collection experience.

a. If we don’t have 5 years of experience with Hispanic and/or indigenous communities, would it eliminate it us from being awarded this work.

Answer: Minimum qualifications for the Key Personnel (Survey Administrator) include this requirement. As such, vendors proposing Key Personnel without that experience would be determined technically unacceptable and not considered for award.

b. If we don’t have experience specific to northern New Mexico communications would that eliminate us from being awarded this work even if we have experience in other Southwestern markets with indigenous communities?

Answer: This requirement refers to “demonstrated understanding” and not “experience. There may be ways in which demonstrated understanding is adequately expressed in a resume without specific hand-on experience.

Minimum qualifications for the Key Personnel (Survey Administrator) include this requirement. As such, vendors proposing Key Personnel without that demonstrated understanding would be determined technically unacceptable and not considered for award.

2. Can you further define the markets? More specifically, could you further clarify if respondents should be recruited by county – Taos County and Colfax County – or by zip codes? If it is by zip code, can you provide the list of zip codes?

Answer: We would like to obtain a stratified, random sample from Taos and Colfax Counties, including the Taos Pueblo in Taos County. It seems reasonable that the sample should be stratified based on the population or households in towns/communities listed in the Statement of Work: Taos County—Taos (city), Taos Pueblo, Cañoncito, Arroyo Seco, Arroyo Hondo, El Prado, Valdez, San Cristobal, and Questa. Colfax County—Angel Fire, Cimarron, and Eagle Nest. We are open to suggestions about whether to stratify based on population or occupied households

3. Will USDA be able to provide household addresses and/or phone numbers for those households in Taos and the Cañoncito Fire shed?

Answer: The USDA cannot provide contact information. Parcel data should contain addresses and is typically available from county tax assessor or maybe GIS offices.

4. Is this a follow-up to a survey that has conducted before?

Answer: No o If so, can you share the previous survey instrument?

Answer: No

5. Is there a number of questions that the USDA is expecting to ask in the survey instrument?

Answer: Roughly 25 questions

6. Is there a time limit around the commitment for respondents to answer the questions (e.g., 7 min, 10 min, 15 min)?

Answer: 12-15 minutes

7. The Milestones and Deliverables table suggests the USDA is writing the survey instrument and the Contractor will be providing feedback. Could you confirm the process with how many rounds of revisions are expected?

Answer: 2 rounds of revisions seem reasonable

8. Re: an online survey, what is the secure platform that will be required for returning responses? Unable to determine at this time.

Answer: We will have to consult with the Forest Service Chief Information Officer for this. That information may not be available until after contract award

9. What is the secure data management system for entering data from the survey, when needed?

Answer: We will have to consult with the Forest Service Chief Information Officer for this. That information may not be available until after contract award.

10. Is there an expectation to provide anything beyond the data collected? For example, is there a requirement to complete a data analysis report or a summary write up, such as the study’s data collection methodology or report findings?

Answer: No, this will be done by the research team.

11. Could you confirm that the Notice to Proceed is planned for issuance by Dec 1, 2025, which is approximately 15 months from now? What is the target date for when the work would be awarded to the contractor?

Answer: Please note that the survey cannot be administered until after it has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget. Unfortunately, we do not know when that date is. The Dec 1, 2025, date is an expected date only and is likely subject to change

The goal is to have the contract awarded by Sep 30th.

12. In regard to invoices, are you the point of contact for submitting invoices? Also, would electronic invoices acceptable?

Answer: I think it’s the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). But please check with the contracting officer or your contact on this to be sure. Invoices are submitted electronically through www.ipp.gov

13. If we were to consider using subcontractors is there any need to gain approval?

Subcontractors are permissible. No special approval or consent is required.

Answer: Subcontractors are permissible. No special approval or consent is required.

14. 1.Can you tell me if the key personnel resume is counted against the three-page limit in the technical proposal?

Answer: There is an overall 5-page limitation for the technical submission. Per the Instructions to Offerors (addenda to FAR 52.212-1), the required Survey Approach can be no longer than 2 pages and the required Key Personnel qualifications (including resume information), can be no longer than 3 pages

15. We would like to know if this is a brand-new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services?

Answer: No

16. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

Answer: This is a new requirement

17. Is the contractor responsible for acquiring the household address file from which to draw the stratified random sample

Answer: Yes

18. Do you have an approximate question count for the survey?

Answer: About 25

19. Can you confirm that our submission for this opportunity will be a proposal, which will include a technical proposal with a 2-page Survey Approach and 3 pages on Key Personnel, a Price Proposal meeting the requirements mentioned on page 3 of the solicitation, and our company's Representations and Certifications also mentioned on page 3 of the Solicitation? Are there any additional requirements you'll need to see in our submission?

Answer: This will be a quote, which will include an overall 5-page limitation for the technical submission. Per the Instructions to Offerors (addenda to FAR 52.212-1), the required Survey Approach can be no longer than 2 pages and the required Key Personnel qualifications (including resume information), can be no longer than 3 pages http://www.ipp.gov/

20. Has this survey ever been done before? If so, who was responsible for conducting the survey and when was this work completed?

Answer: No

21. What is the percentage of expected completion method for the survey [mail/ online/ phone]? Could we start with online and phone and mail surveys as a no-response strategy??

Answer: It is difficult to say what the response rate will be. I would estimate that it would not be higher than ten percent. You can start with online and phone, but we need responses from a stratified, random sample.

22. Should we include in our costs purchasing a sample list for these 2 counties?

Answer: Yes

23. Is there an expected budget?

Answer: Budget information is not disclosed at this time

24. Is there an incentive offered to participants?

Answer: No

25. What is the length of the survey?

Answer: About 25 questions

26. Are respondent post-incentives (in the form of gift cards) allowed under this engagement?

Answer: No