19JM3726Q0012 - Mixed Method Research Project.pdf

MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH PROJECT

REQUEST FOR QUOTES

19JM3726Q0012

August 26, 2026

UNCLASSIFIED

U.S. Embassy Kingston

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1 - THE SCHEDULE

• SF-1449 cover sheet

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFQ Number 19JM3726Q0012, Prices, Block 17i

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFQ Number 19JM3726Q0012, Schedule of

Supplies/Services, Block 20 Description/Specifications/Work Statement

PART 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

• Contract Clauses

• Addendum to Contract Clauses - FAR and DOSAR Clauses not Prescribed in Part 12

PART 3 - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

• Solicitation Provisions

PART 4 - EVALUATION FACTORS

• Evaluation Factors

PART 5 - REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Offeror Representations and Certifications

• Addendum to Offeror Representations and Certifications - FAR and DOSAR

Provisions not Prescribed in Part 12

AUTORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 02/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Computer Generated Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

PR16235725

PAGE 1 OF 60 PAGES

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/ EFFECTIVE

DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

19JM3726Q0012

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE

DATE

08/26/2026

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME Kally-Ann Reynolds

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER(No collect calls) 876-702-6105

8. OFFER DUE DATE/

LOCAL TIME

09/14/2026 / 12:00

9. ISSUED BY CODE JM370 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS x UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELLIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM NAICS:

EDWOSB EMERGING SMALL BUSINESS

AMERICAN EMBASSY KINGSTON

30 Monroe Road, ATTN: GSO

KINGSTON 6

JAMAICA

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS 8 (A) SIZE STANDARD:

13b. RATING11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINAT-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

x RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

AMERICAN EMBASSY KINGSTON

30 Monroe Road, ATTN: GSO

KINGSTON 6

JAMAICA

AMERICAN EMBASSY KINGSTON

30 Monroe Road, ATTN: GSO

KINGSTON 6

JAMAICA

CODE FACILITY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/

OFFERER

TELEPHONE NO.

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

AMERICAN EMBASSY KINGSTON

30 Monroe Road, ATTN: FMC

KINGSTON 6

JAMAICA

CODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK

BELOW IS CHECKED SEE ADDENDUM

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) x 27a.SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA x ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b.CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _ __ COPIES

TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER ALL ITEMS

SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL SHEETS

SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED HEREIN.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. _ _______________ OFFER DATED

_ __________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY

ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS

TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

31c. DATE SIGNED

ITEM NO. 20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: _______________________________

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

PARTIAL FINAL COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO. 39. S/R VOUCHER NO. 40. PAID BY

41.a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT 42a. RECEIVED BY (Print) 41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41C. DATE

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC’D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

PART 1 - THE SCHEDULE

CONTINUATION TO SF-1449

RFQ NUMBER 19JM3726Q0012

PRICES, BLOCK 17i

A. PRICES AND PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The Contractor shall plan, manage, and complete an integrated mixed-methods research project consisting of: (1) one nationally representative quantitative survey; and (2) one round of eight qualitative focus group discussions conducted across eastern and western Jamaica. The Offeror may perform the work directly or use disclosed and approved subcontractors. The prime Offeror shall remain fully responsible for all subcontractor performance, data protection, quality control, schedule compliance, and deliverables. The price listed below shall include all labor, materials, overhead, and profit. In consideration of satisfactory performance of all scheduled services required under this contract, the Government will pay the Contractor a firm-fixed-price.

After contract award and submission of acceptable insurance certificates, the Contracting Officer shall issue a Notice to Proceed. The Notice to Proceed will establish a date (a minimum of ten

(10) days from start date listed in Notice to Proceed unless the Contractor agrees to an earlier date) on which performance shall start.

B. VALUE ADDED TAX

VALUE ADDED TAX. Value Added Tax (VAT) is not applicable to this contract and shall not be included in the CLIN rates or Invoices because the U.S. Embassy will provide a zero-rating approval letter from the local tax authority.

CLIN Description Qty Unit of

Measure

Estimated

Price Total

1 Project Management & Technical

Consultation – Kickoff, work planning, coordination with DOS, staffing, scheduling, risk management, technical consultation, progress reporting, and overall contract management.

Lump Sum

2 Sampling Design, Survey Programming

& Pretest – Development/documentation of the probability-based sampling plan;

technical review and programming of the

DOS-provided questionnaire; platform testing; pretest; and fieldwork-readiness activities.

CLIN Description Qty Unit of

Measure

Estimated

Price Total

3 Nationwide Quantitative Survey

Fieldwork – Enumerator recruitment, training and supervision;

implementation of a nationally representative survey of 1,000

Jamaican adults; nationwide travel/transportation; field supervision; callbacks; monitoring;

and associated operational costs.

4 Survey Participant Incentives – Estimated provision and administration of approved respondent incentives for survey participants, if required.

5 Survey QA/QC, Data Processing &

Dataset Preparation – Back-checks, fraud detection, data validation, cleaning, coding, weighting, interim datasets, final dataset, codebook, processing documentation, and marginal frequencies.

6 Eight Qualitative Focus Groups –

Participant recruitment and screening;

moderator(s); venues; participant incentives/show-up payments;

refreshments; transportation support where required; recording/streaming; field coordination; and debriefs for eight focus groups across eastern and western Jamaica.

Groups

007 Transcription, Coding & Qualitative

Data Processing – Verbatim transcripts, participant profiles, coding framework, qualitative files, translation if required, and quality review.

CLIN Description Qty Unit of

Measure

Estimated

Price Total

008 Data Security, Software & Technical

Platforms – Survey platform/device costs, secure data storage and transfer, software, hosting, data-security measures, and other technical requirements.

009 Analysis, Documentation & Final

Deliverables – Technical analysis and integration support, methodological documentation, tables/graphics, final datasets and supporting files, final package preparation, and closeout.

010 Contingency / Unforeseen Fieldwork

Costs – Allowance for reasonable operational contingencies, including weather, transportation disruptions, additional recruitment, replacement interviews, or other field conditions.

TOTAL CONTRACT SUM

CONTINUATION TO SF1449

RFQ 19JM3726Q0012

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES / SERVICE BLOCK 20

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

1. BACKGROUND

The Public Diplomacy Section of U.S. Embassy Kingston intends to commission a multimodal public sentiment research effort to understand Jamaican adults’ attitudes, motivations, knowledge gaps, and information-consumption patterns related to migration, including legal pathways and the risks and consequences associated with irregular migration. Findings will inform a data-driven, metric-oriented public diplomacy messaging strategy targeting priority demographic and geographic audiences in Jamaica. The research will support message development, audience segmentation, channel selection, and future performance measurement.

The research shall be designed and implemented in a manner that protects respondent confidentiality, maintains sponsor anonymity during fieldwork where directed by DOS, and produces reliable evidence suitable for strategic communications planning.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The successful Offeror shall plan, manage, and complete an integrated mixed-methods research project consisting of: (1) one nationally representative quantitative survey; and (2) one round of eight qualitative focus group discussions conducted across eastern and western Jamaica. The

Offeror may perform the work directly or use disclosed and approved subcontractors. The prime

Offeror shall remain fully responsible for all subcontractor performance, data protection, quality control, schedule compliance, and deliverables.

The Offeror shall identify in its proposal all proposed subcontractors, the portion of work assigned to each, their qualifications, and the controls the prime Offeror will use to manage performance and protect information. Substitutions after award require prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

3. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIRED OUTCOMES

The primary objectives are to: Generate nationally representative quantitative evidence on migration-related attitudes, motivations, perceived benefits and risks, knowledge of legal pathways, exposure to misinformation, and trusted information sources;

• Generate qualitative evidence that explains the beliefs, emotions, experiences, social influences, and information environments underlying survey findings;

• Identify priority audience segments by demographic characteristics, geography, migration intention, media consumption, and other relevant attributes;

• Identify credible messengers, channels, themes, and message frames that may improve awareness of legal pathways and the risks of irregular migration;

• Provide actionable recommendations for public diplomacy messaging, content development, audience targeting, and future measurement; and

• Produce complete, well-documented datasets and methodological records that permit independent review and replication.

4. MINIMUM VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Offeror shall demonstrate the following minimum qualifications in its technical proposal:

At least five years of organizational experience conducting public opinion, social research, market research, or closely related studies. Offerors with fewer than five years may demonstrate equivalent depth through the documented experience of key personnel and completed projects;

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing nationally representative probability-based surveys in Jamaica or a comparable Caribbean context;

• Demonstrated experience conducting and analyzing qualitative research, including participant recruitment, moderation, transcription, coding, and thematic analysis;

• Demonstrated experience managing projects of similar magnitude, including a survey sample of at least 1,000 respondents or comparable complexity;

• Experience serving diplomatic missions, international organizations, donor agencies, government entities, or other clients requiring sensitive and confidential research. Prior diplomatic polling is desirable but not mandatory if comparable sensitive public policy research is demonstrated;

• Capacity to conduct fieldwork across all fourteen parishes, including urban, rural, and hard-to-reach areas, using trained field personnel or established partners;

• Qualified personnel with expertise in sampling, statistics, quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, project management, field supervision, data security, and reporting;

• Demonstrated experience in both data collection and data analysis. Offerors shall provide separate examples for each capability;

• Demonstrated quality assurance procedures, including interviewer training, supervision, back checks, fraud detection, data validation, and nonresponse monitoring; and

• Active registration in SAM.gov at the time required by the solicitation and award. The

Offeror shall provide its Unique Entity Identifier and confirm that its registration is active and accurate.

5. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND KEY PERSONNEL

The Offeror shall submit an organizational and staffing plan identifying the personnel assigned to the project, their responsibilities, level of effort, and employment status. At minimum, the proposed team should include or provide access to:

• Project Director or Project Manager;

• Sampling specialist;

• Statistician or quantitative research lead;

• Qualitative research lead and experienced moderator(s);

• Fieldwork manager and field supervisors;

• Trained interviewers/enumerators;

• Data manager/programmer;

• Quality assurance lead; and

• Report writer or strategic communications analyst capable of translating findings into actionable recommendations.

The Offeror shall state the number of full-time research staff, the estimated number of enumerators and supervisors available for this project, and how additional personnel will be mobilized if field conditions or schedule requirements demand expanded capacity.

6. RESEARCH DESIGN AND MIXED-METHODS INTEGRATION

The Offeror shall propose an integrated mixed-methods design showing how the quantitative and qualitative components will answer the research objectives and inform one another. The technical approach shall explain sequencing, sampling logic, recruitment, analytical integration, and how divergent or complementary findings will be interpreted.

Quantitative research shall generate statistically valid estimates for the national adult population and agreed subgroups. Qualitative research shall explore motivations, beliefs, language, lived experiences, social influences, and message reactions in greater depth. Qualitative findings shall not be presented as statistically representative.

7. QUANTITATIVE SURVEY RESEARCH

7.1. Survey Specifications

One nationally representative survey of adults age 18 and older residing in Jamaica shall be conducted using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) or another proposed mode or mixed-mode design approved by DOS. The Offeror shall justify the recommended mode based on coverage, representativeness, respondent access, data quality, security, cost, and schedule.

DOS will provide the initial English-language questionnaire. The Offeror shall provide technical consultation, program the approved instrument, and recommend any Jamaica-specific wording, translation, or comprehension adjustments.

Required completed sample: n=1,000 eligible adults, excluding pretest interviews. Target questionnaire length: approximately 15 minutes, including two open-ended questions. The Offeror shall identify any expected design effect, subgroup limitations, or operational implications associated with the proposed sample design

7.2. Sample Design

The Offeror shall design and document a probability-based sample plan capable of producing nationally representative estimates for Jamaican adults age 18 and older. The plan shall identify the sampling frame, selection stages, stratification, clustering, respondent-selection method, allocation by region and urbanicity, expected design effect, target response rate, treatment of inaccessible areas, replacement rules, and weighting approach.

The final sample should reflect the adult population by region, parish or approved regional grouping, urban/rural residence, age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, religion, and other relevant characteristics supported by reliable population benchmarks. Final strata, quotas if any, and reporting domains shall be approved by DOS before fieldwork.

7.3. Questionnaire Development and Pretest

DOS will provide an initial English-language questionnaire focused on migration-related attitudes, motivations, knowledge, risks, legal pathways, misinformation, media consumption, and trusted messengers. The Offeror shall review the instrument for flow, cultural relevance, respondent burden, sensitivity, and suitability for the proposed data-collection mode. No substantive change may be made without written DOS approval.

The Offeror shall conduct a pretest of the complete programmed questionnaire with at least 10 eligible participants drawn from relevant segments and locations. Pretest cases shall not be included in the final sample. Within two business days after the pretest, the Offeror shall submit a pretest memorandum summarizing interview duration, comprehension issues, sensitive items, programming issues, item nonresponse, recommended revisions, and any implications for the sampling or fieldwork plan. DOS must approve the final questionnaire before full fieldwork begins.

7.4. Fieldwork and Participant Incentives

Fieldwork shall use the approved CAPI or alternative methodology and shall adhere strictly to the approved sampling plan, consent procedures, questionnaire, and quality-control plan.

• Select, vet, train, certify, assign, and supervise interviewers;

• Program and test the questionnaire on the proposed survey platform;

• Develop interviewer manuals, consent scripts, escalation procedures, and fieldwork protocols;

• Provide and administer participant incentives, if approved and appropriate;

• Conduct interviews, callbacks, supervisor reviews, and back checks;

• Monitor daily production, sample balance, interview duration, nonresponse, item nonresponse, and quality indicators;

• Detect and investigate duplicate, fabricated, rushed, geospatially inconsistent, or otherwise questionable interviews;

• Enter, validate, clean, code, and securely store data; and

• Provide written progress updates at the agreed frequency, including risks, corrective actions, and cumulative completes.

7.5. Survey Quality Assurance

Before fieldwork, the Offeror shall submit a Quality Assurance and Quality Control Plan describing:

Interviewer recruitment, training, testing, and certification;

• Field supervision ratios and escalation procedures;

• Minimum back-check or validation rates;

• GPS, timestamp, duration, audio, paradata, or other verification methods, where lawful and appropriate;

• Fraud-detection rules and procedures for removing or replacing invalid interviews;

• Controls for sample adherence and respondent selection;

• Daily data review and issue-resolution procedures;

• Protection against duplicate participation;

• Monitoring of nonresponse and corrective actions; and

• Documentation of all excluded, corrected, or replaced records.

7.6. Survey Data Management and Required Variables

The Offeror shall process, clean, label, and code all survey data in English; document all transformations; detect and resolve data-quality problems; and produce a reproducible analysis-ready dataset. Closed-ended items shall use the codes in the approved questionnaire. Open-ended responses shall be coded using an approved coding frame. When necessary, the Offeror is responsible for developing a weight value for each respondent, including a separate designated set of columns in the final data and clearly documented in the technical report.

The Offeror will provide interim datasets during fieldwork once 100 and 500 responses are submitted for Jamaica.

The final dataset shall include, as applicable: respondent demographics, including but not limited to sex, exact age, education, occupation, household income, number of adults in household eligible for the survey, city, region, urban/rural, political party support, religion, district, sub-prefectures, and ethnicity; sampling strata and primary sampling unit; parish/region and urbanicity; interview date, start time, end time, duration, interviewer and supervisor identifiers;

contact attempts; monitoring or validation status; disposition code; variables used for stratification; weight variables; and indicators of respondent comprehension and candor.

Personally identifiable information shall be stored separately and shall not be included in the analysis dataset unless expressly authorized.

8. QUALITATIVE FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

8.1. Focus Group Specifications

Eight focus group discussions shall be conducted across eastern and western Jamaica. The initial planning assumption is four groups in the Kingston/eastern region and four groups in the Montego Bay/western region, with final locations and audience composition approved by DOS.

Each group shall include at least eight seated participants and last approximately 120 minutes.

The Offeror will consult on the design of key research documents, including the discussion guide, recruitment screening questionnaire, and pre-group participant information forms;

8.2. Recruitment and Screening

Recruitment shall begin only after DOS approves the discussion guide, screening instrument, recruitment plan, consent language, participant incentive, and composition matrix. The Offeror shall use a documented and defensible recruitment method and shall prevent inappropriate clustering of participants from the same household, workplace/school, family, neighborhood, or activist organization. Persons employed by market research firms, government agencies, and media/journalism companies, and persons who participated in a focus group within the previous 12 months shall be excluded unless DOS approves an exception.

The Offeror shall recruit at least 10-12 eligible participants per session to achieve eight seated participants, while minimizing over-recruitment and protecting confidentiality. Recruitment grids shall be submitted at least seven calendar days before the first group and updated promptly when material changes occur.

All participant incentives, show-up payments, recruitment expenses, venues, refreshments, transportation support, and accessibility accommodations shall be included in the Offeror's price unless otherwise stated by DOS.

8.3. Moderation, Observation, Recording, and Debrief

The Offeror shall provide trained, experienced moderator(s) with demonstrated ability to manage sensitive public policy discussions, protect participants, probe neutrally, and maintain consistency across groups. DOS shall have the opportunity to review moderator qualifications and participate in a moderator briefing before fieldwork.

The Offeror shall provide safe, accessible, private venues with suitable observation facilities for up to two DOS observers and, when requested, secure live-streaming access. Any streaming platform shall meet approved confidentiality and data-security requirements. Each session shall be audio recorded and, only if approved, video recorded. Following each group, the moderator and project manager shall participate in a 30-60 minute debrief with DOS staff.

9. ETHICS, APPROVALS, SAFETY, AND SPONSOR ANONYMITY

The Offeror shall identify all ethical, institutional, legal, and operational approvals required for the proposed research and shall obtain them before recruitment or data collection begins. Where an Institutional Review Board review is required, the Offeror shall manage submission, revisions, and approval and provide DOS with documentation. The Offeror shall use informed-consent procedures appropriate to the research mode and level of sensitivity.

Unless otherwise directed in writing by DOS, field interviewers, recruiters, moderators, participants, and members of the public shall not be informed that the research sponsor is the United States Government or Department of State. The Offeror shall propose neutral and truthful sponsor language suitable for consent and recruitment materials. Sponsor anonymity shall not be used to make false statements or compromise ethical obligations.

The Offeror shall submit a Safety, Security, and Field Risk Management Plan covering required authorizations, known areas of insecurity, sensitive topics, emergency communications, travel protocols, incident reporting, staff welfare, participant safety, data-device security, and mitigation measures for weather, elections, civil disturbance, crime, transportation disruptions, and other foreseeable risks.

10. DATA SECURITY, CONFIDENTIALITY, OWNERSHIP, AND RECORDS

The Offeror and all subcontractors shall protect all project information using administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. Access shall be limited to authorized personnel with a need to know. Staff and subcontractors shall execute confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements before accessing project information

The Offeror shall describe data storage locations, access controls, encryption, device management, backup, transfer methods, retention periods, breach-response procedures, and secure deletion or return of data at project closeout. Any actual or suspected unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or breach shall be reported immediately through the channels specified by the Contracting Officer.

All datasets, sampling files, questionnaires, discussion guides, screeners, codebooks, transcripts, recordings, analytical files, tables, graphics, reports, presentations, and other materials first produced under the contract shall be delivered to and owned by the U.S. Government, subject to applicable law and any specifically identified pre-existing proprietary tools. The Offeror shall not publish, reuse, disclose, license, sell, train models on, or otherwise exploit project data or findings without prior written Government authorization.

The Offeror shall identify in its proposal any pre-existing proprietary methodology, platform, software, model, or intellectual property it proposes to use. Government ownership of contract deliverables shall not transfer ownership of properly disclosed pre-existing tools; however, the Government shall receive the rights necessary to access, use, reproduce, and maintain all final deliverables.

11. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AUTOMATED TOOLS

The Offeror shall disclose whether artificial intelligence, machine learning, automated transcription, automated coding, synthetic data, or other algorithmic tools will be used at any stage of questionnaire development, recruitment, data collection, transcription, translation, coding, analysis, visualization, or reporting.

• The specific tool or model and the task for which it will be used;

• Whether project data will be transmitted to or stored by a third party;

• The location and retention of data;

• Whether submitted data may be used to train or improve external models;

• Human-review and validation procedures;

• Bias, accuracy, confidentiality, and security controls; and

• Any proprietary restrictions affecting Government access to outputs or methods.

No project data, recordings, transcripts, personally identifiable information, unpublished findings, or Government-furnished information may be entered into a publicly available generative AI service or an unapproved external AI platform without prior written authorization from the Contracting Officer. AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs shall be subject to qualified human review, and the Offeror remains fully responsible for accuracy, confidentiality, originality, and contract compliance.

12. REQUIRED DELIVERABLES, FORMATS, AND ACCEPTANCE

All deliverables shall be submitted electronically through an approved secure method. Drafts shall be clearly marked. Unless otherwise approved, narrative deliverables shall be provided in editable Microsoft Word and searchable PDF; tabulations in Microsoft Excel; and datasets in CSV plus an agreed statistical format such as SPSS (.sav), Stata (.dta), or R-compatible files.

Audio shall be provided in a common nonproprietary format. All files shall use clear naming conventions and version control.

Deliverable Minimum Content Due Date / Trigger Acceptance Standard

1. Kickoff package Final work plan, staffing plan, communications

Within 5 business days after award.

Complete, internally consistent, and approved by DOS.

protocol, risk register, data-security plan, AI disclosure, and detailed schedule.

2. Research design package

Integrated mixed-methods design, sampling plan, focus group composition matrix, recruitment plan, incentive plan, QA/QC plan, and required approvals schedule.

Within 10 business days after kickoff.

Methodologically sound; addresses all objectives;

incorporates DOS comments.

3. Review draft survey and programming specifications.

Survey questionnaire, screener, discussion guide, consent language, moderator guide, interviewer manual, and programming specifications.

Within 5 business days after receipt of survey from DOS.

Clear and reasonable feedback, along with a plan for programming.

4. Pretest memorandum

Pretest results, timing, comprehension issues, data-quality findings, and recommended revisions.

Within 2 business days after pretest.

Evidence-based recommendations and final revised instruments.

5. Fieldwork readiness package

Final instruments, programmed test link/device build, training materials, field roster, and approval evidence.

Before full fieldwork begins.

All prerequisites complete and approved.

6. Survey interim datasets

Cleaned interim datasets and field status report at 100 and 500 completed interviews.

Within 5 business days of reaching each threshold.

Usable data, required variables present, anomalies explained.

7. Weekly progress reports

Completes, sample balance, quality metrics, incidents, risks, corrective

Weekly during active performance; more frequently if requested.

Accurate, timely, and decision-useful.

actions, and next steps.

8. Final survey dataset package

Raw and cleaned datasets, labels, codebook, syntax or processing log, weighting variables, disposition data, and marginal frequencies.

Within 10 business days after survey fieldwork ends.

Reproducible, internally consistent, fully documented.

9. Focus group fieldwork package

Review of DOS-provided screener and discussion guide, final recruitment grids, attendance, debrief notes, recordings, and incident log.

Recruitment grids 7 days before groups;

debriefs immediately after each group;

recordings within 3 business days.

Complete, secure, and consistent with approved design.

10. Transcripts and qualitative files

Verbatim transcripts, speaker labels, translations if required, coded participant profile table, screener tabulations, and coding framework.

Within 15 business days after each group, unless otherwise approved.

Accurate, complete, quality checked, and de-identified as required.

13. Final package

All datasets, codebooks, transcripts, recordings, tables, graphics, methodological report, final risk/incident log, and archive index.

Within 7 business days after receipt of consolidated DOS comments.

All comments resolved; files complete, editable, secure, and usable without vendor dependency.

DOS may request reasonable supporting documentation needed to understand or validate the design and conduct of the research, including interviewer demographic summaries, audio-validation files where collected and lawful, GPS or geographic audit data, interviewer training records, back-check records, and data-processing documentation.

13. REPORTING AND ANALYSIS REQUIREMENTS

The final integrated report shall include:

• Research objectives and limitations;

• Complete quantitative and qualitative methodology;

• Sampling design, response rate, weighting, sampling error, and fieldwork performance;

• Weighted frequencies for all survey items and agreed subgroup cross-tabulations;

• A description of unusual events or conditions that may have affected the research; and

• Appendices containing instruments, detailed tables, sampling documentation, coding frameworks, and technical notes.

14. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Offeror shall designate one Project Manager as the primary point of contact. The Project Manager shall maintain regular communication with DOS, coordinate all subcontractors, manage approvals, document decisions, and escalate risks promptly. A kickoff meeting, regular status meetings, milestone review meetings, and fieldwork debriefs shall be included in the price.

No material change to the approved methodology, sample, instruments, staffing, subcontractors, schedule, data-security approach, AI use, or deliverables may be made without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer or authorized representative.

15. INDICATIVE MILESTONE SCHEDULE

Offerors shall propose a detailed schedule consistent with the following indicative sequence.

Final dates will be established at award and may be adjusted by written agreement, provided the final completion date is not exceeded.

Milestone Indicative Timing Approval / Dependency

Award and kickoff Week 1 Contract award

Research design and work-plan approval

Weeks 1-2 DOS approval

Draft instruments and sampling plan

Weeks 2-3 DOS review

Pretest and final instrument approval

Weeks 3-4 Required before full fieldwork

Enumerator training and field readiness

Week 4 DOS observation if requested

Survey fieldwork Approximately Weeks 5-15 Approved sample and instrument

Focus group recruitment and fieldwork

Approximately Weeks 20-22 Approved screener, guide, and grids

Data cleaning, transcription, and analysis

Approximately Weeks 5-15 Rolling during fieldwork

Final deliverables and closeout No later than June 30, 2027 DOS acceptance

16. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The anticipated period of performance will begin on the effective date of the notice to proceed and end no later than June 30, 2027. The Offeror shall propose a detailed milestone schedule that allows sufficient time for approvals, ethical review, instrument development, pretesting, fieldwork, data cleaning, integrated analysis, DOS review, revisions, and final acceptance. Any schedule acceleration shall not reduce required quality controls or DOS review periods.

17. PAYMENT AND INVOICING

Payment shall be tied to accepted deliverables and authorized in accordance with the resulting contract. For pricing and planning purposes, the solicitation may establish milestone payments, such as: (1) acceptance of the research design, sampling plan, instruments, and fieldwork readiness package; (2) acceptance of completed fieldwork and complete data/transcript packages; and (3) acceptance of all final reports, briefings, datasets, and closeout materials.

The final payment structure will be stated in the solicitation or award.

No payment will be authorized solely upon commissioning, award, or mobilization. Invoices shall reference the applicable accepted deliverable or milestone and include any supporting documentation required by the contract.

18. PRICE PROPOSAL ASSUMPTIONS

To support fair comparison, the Offeror shall provide a detailed price breakdown identifying at minimum:

Project management and professional labor;

• Sampling design and questionnaire programming;

• Enumerator recruitment, training, supervision, and fieldwork;

• Travel and transportation across Jamaica;

• Survey respondent incentives, if proposed;

• Focus group recruitment, incentives, show-up payments, venues, refreshments, and streaming;

• IRB or other approval fees;

• Transcription, translation, coding, and data processing;

• Software, platform, device, hosting, or data-security costs;

• Analysis, reporting, visualization, and presentation;

• Subcontractor costs; and

• Any optional items or assumptions that may affect price.

The Offeror shall state whether taxes, duties, fees, contingencies, and all other direct and indirect costs are included. Pricing shall not assume Government-furnished incentives, venues, equipment, branded materials, software, or transportation unless expressly identified in the solicitation.

19. PROPOSAL CONTENT FOR TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The technical proposal should include the following information in sufficient detail to permit evaluation:

• Corporate experience and separate examples of comparable data-collection and data-analysis projects completed within the past five years;

• Description of project magnitude, including sample sizes, geographic coverage, number of focus groups, complexity, client type, and value or level of effort where disclosure is permitted;

• At least three relevant past-performance references, if requested by the solicitation;

• Proposed technical approach and integrated mixed-methods design;

• Sampling, fieldwork, recruitment, quality-control, safety, data-security, and AI-use plans;

• Organizational chart, staffing levels, key-personnel resumes, and subcontractor information;

• Detailed schedule and risk-management approach;

• Description of survey platforms, statistical software, qualitative analysis tools, and reporting capabilities;

• Examples of relevant reports, presentations, dashboards, or other work products with confidential information removed; and

• SAM.gov registration status and Unique Entity Identifier.

20. GOVERNMENT REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE

DOS will review deliverables for completeness, methodological quality, accuracy, compliance with approved plans, usability, security, and responsiveness to comments. A deliverable is accepted only when DOS provides written acceptance through the authorized contracting channel. Submission alone does not constitute acceptance. The Offeror shall correct deficiencies and resubmit deliverables within the timeframe directed by the Contracting Officer at no additional cost when deficiencies result from failure to meet contract requirements.

PART 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.252-2 - CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This purchase order / contract incorporates the following clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address Acquisition.gov this address is subject to change.

CLAUSE TITLE AND DATE

52.203-17 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS (NOV 2023)

52.203-19 PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY

AGREEMENTS OR STATEMENTS (JAN 2017)

52.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

(JAN 2011)

52.204-13 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT MAINTENANCE (OCT 2018)

52.204-18 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE MAINTENANCE

(AUG 2020)

52.204-25 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING FOR CERTAIN

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR

EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021)

52.204-27 PROHIBITION ON A BYTEDANCE COVERED APPLICATION (JUN 2023)

52.232-40 PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENTS TO SMALL BUSINESS

SUBCONTRACTORS (MAR 2023)

52.244-6 SUBCONTRACTS FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL

SERVICES (JAN 2025)

52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS-COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2023) IS INCORPORATED BY

REFERENCE. (SEE SF-1449, BLOCK 27A)

https://acquisition.gov/browse/index/far

FAR 52.212-5 - Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive

Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (MAR2026)

a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or

Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or

Statements (JAN 2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services

Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab Covered Entities (DEC 2023) (Section 1634 of Pub. L.

115-91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video

Surveillance Services or Equipment. (NOV 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (NOV

2015).

(5) 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR

2023) (31 U.S.C. 3903 and 10 U.S.C. 3801).

(6) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(7) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Public Laws

108-77 and 108-78 ( 19 U.S.C. 3805 note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.]

__ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (JUN

2020), with Alternate I (NOV 2021) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 4655).

__ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (NOV

2021) (41 U.S.C. 3509)).

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (JUN 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub. L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-19#FAR_52_203_19 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-23#FAR_52_204_23 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-25#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.209-10#FAR_52_209_10 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.232-40#FAR_52_232_40 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section3903&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section3801&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.233-3#FAR_52_233_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.233-4#FAR_52_233_4 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-6#FAR_52_203_6 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4655&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-13#FAR_52_203_13 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-15#FAR_52_203_15

__ (4) 52.203-17, Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (NOV 2023) (41 U.S.C.

4712); this clause does not apply to contracts of DoD, NASA, the Coast Guard, or applicable elements of the intelligence community—see FAR 3.900(a).

_x_ (5) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract

Awards (JUN 2020) (Pub. L. 109-282) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (6) [Reserved].

__ (7) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (OCT 2016) (Pub. L. 111-

117, section 743 of Div. C).

__ (8) 52.204-15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery

Contracts (OCT 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

_x_ (9) 52.204-27, Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (JUN 2023) (Section

102 of Division R of Pub. L. 117-328).

__ (10) 52.204-28, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—Federal

Supply Schedules, Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts, and Multi-Agency Contracts. (DEC

2023) (Pub. L. 115–390, title II).

_x_ (11)

(i) 52.204-30, Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—

Prohibition. (DEC 2023) (Pub. L. 115–390, title II).

__ (ii) Alternate I (DEC 2023) of 52.204-30.

_x_ (12) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting With

Contractors Debarred, Suspended, Proposed for Debarment, or Voluntarily Excluded. (JAN 2025)

(31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (13) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility

Matters (OCT 2018) (41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (14) [Reserved].

__ (15) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (OCT 2022)

(15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (16) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business

Concerns (OCT 2022) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer)

(15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (17) [Reserved] https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.203-17#FAR_52_203_17 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section4712&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section4712&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/3.900#FAR_3_900 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-10#FAR_52_204_10 http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section6101&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-14#FAR_52_204_14 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-15#FAR_52_204_15 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-27#FAR_52_204_27 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-28#FAR_52_204_28 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/115/public/390 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-30#FAR_52_204_30 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/115/public/390 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-30#FAR_52_204_30 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.209-6#FAR_52_209_6 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/31/6101 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.209-9#FAR_52_209_9 http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-3#FAR_52_219_3 http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section637a&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-4#FAR_52_219_4

__ (18)

(i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) (15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAR 2020) of 52.219-6.

__ (19)

(i) 52.219-7, Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) (15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAR 2020) of 52.219-7.

__ (20) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (JAN

2025)(15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

__ (21)

(i) 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (JAN 2025) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (NOV 2016) of 52.219-9.

__ (iii) Alternate II (NOV 2016) of 52.219-9.

__ (iv) Alternate III (JUN 2020) of 52.219-9.

__ (v) Alternate IV (JAN 2025) of 52.219-9.

__ (22)

(i) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (MAR 2020) (15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAR 2020) of 52.219-13.

__ (23) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022) (15 U.S.C. 657s).

__ (24) 52.219-16, Liquidated Damages—Subcontracting Plan (SEP

2021) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)(F)(i)).

__ (25) 52.219-27, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Concerns Eligible Under the SDVOSB Program

(FEB 2024) (15 U.S.C. 657f).

__ (26)

(i) 52.219-28, Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation (JAN 2025)

(15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)).

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-6#FAR_52_219_6 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-6#FAR_52_219_6 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-7#FAR_52_219_7 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-7#FAR_52_219_7 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-8#FAR_52_219_8 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section637&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-9#FAR_52_219_9 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section637&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-9#FAR_52_219_9 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-9#FAR_52_219_9 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-9#FAR_52_219_9 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-9#FAR_52_219_9 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-13#FAR_52_219_13 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-13#FAR_52_219_13 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-14#FAR_52_219_14 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-16#FAR_52_219_16 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-27#FAR_52_219_27 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-28#FAR_52_219_28

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAR 2020) of 52.219-28.

__ (27) 52.219-29, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Economically

Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business Concerns (OCT 2022) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (28) 52.219-30, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Women-Owned

Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small Business Program (OCT

2022) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (29) 52.219-32, Orders Issued Directly Under Small Business Reserves (MAR

2020) (15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (30) 52.219-33, Nonmanufacturer Rule (SEP 2021) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(17)).

__ (31) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUN 2003) (E.O. 11755).

_x_ (32) 52.222-19, Child Labor—Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (MAR

2026)(E.O. 13126).

__ (33) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015).

__ (34)

(i) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016) (E.O. 11246).

__ (ii) Alternate I (FEB 1999) of 52.222-26.

__ (35)

(i) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUN 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

__ (ii) Alternate I (JUL 2014) of 52.222-35.

__ (36)

(i) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN

2020) (29 U.S.C. 793).

__ (ii) Alternate I (JUL 2014) of 52.222-36.

__ (37) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (JUN 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

__ (38) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations

Act (DEC 2010) (E.O. 13496).

_x_ (39) https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-28#FAR_52_219_28 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-29#FAR_52_219_29 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-30#FAR_52_219_30 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-32#FAR_52_219_32 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section644&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.219-33#FAR_52_219_33…