Questions and Answers Final.docx

Questions and Answers

1. To provide an accurate pricing for your request, we wanted to understand the scope specifically. You give details about the initial MVP and the need for an agile development process but the request becomes vague within an 8-month period. We understand that with ADP, the product can vastly change with user feedback and input and wanted to see how you expect to see pricing from bidders?

The specific scope of this project is to deliver an APP that will familiarize pediatric patients and their parents with the NIH Clinical Center and a sample of the tests that they may encounter. This is to be accomplished through a bi-weekly playtest to make sure that things are on track, and that potential issues can be addressed.

2. Is the scope of the project to deliver the beta-tested MVP at the end of the 8 months? Or.. is the scope of the project to deliver a fully test, market ready fully scalable app with the full scope of:

a. 10 rooms and specific activities in each room?

b. Customizable avatar builder?

c. Hospital layout experience with information about what to expect at different locations?

d. Experiences and content about how to get from one room to another room, e.g., based on selecting the starting room and the next room and learning the directions, things of importance on the way, etc.?

e. Various games and puzzles that can be played during waiting time or at home?

f. Points reward solution with ability to redeem prizes?

The scope of the project to deliver a fully tested, market ready, fully scalable app with the above functionality at the end of the 8 months with point C as is probably the most prominent component.

3. Is the core age target group 6-18? If so, are parents/family members who can also gain value from learning about the hospital layout users of the same application? How would you prioritize the older patients and family members?

While the age of the primary target group is 6-18, parents and guardians are an important audience as pediatric medical treatment is also a family experience.

4. Is there only one hospital location for the scope of this project?

Yes, the only hospital location is the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

5. Is the expectation to be able to expand the game to service multiple geographical locations (different hospitals or institutions) in the future?

No, the only hospital location is the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

6. Platforms: We would like clarification regarding all of the platforms that NIH CC would like to support (iOS, Android, web, PC, tablet) for its pediatric onboarding app.

The platforms that will be supported by the App are iOS, Android, PC, and tablet.

7. PII and COPPA: Although the RFQ contains some contradictory language about the inclusion of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), we are proceeding under the assumption that PII should be included in the app in order to obtain parental consent and for the NIH’s records. Please advise as to whether this is the desired approach, and if so, NIH’s preferred format (name and email address?).

An operator must make reasonable efforts to obtain verifiable parental consent, taking into consideration available technology. Any method to obtain verifiable parental consent must be reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that the person providing consent is the child's parent.

8. I wanted to check with you if my organization can also participate in this RFP and what is the eligibility criteria for an organization to bid on this.

Vendor must be eligible for Federal Government awards and registered in SAM prior to award. Additionally, the vendor must be a Small Business as this is a Small Business set-aside.

9. Might you share a rough number of annual expected app patient/family users?

In 2019, approximately 3,157 children (under 18 years old) were treated on 335 research protocols at the NIH Clinical Center.

10. Are patients from the US only or are some from other countries?

Patients at the NIH Clinical Center are from the U.S. and 3% est. from countries worldwide.

11. Confirming that no PII will be included? Rather, the app’s main goal is a simple way to become familiar with the NIH.

The specific scope of this project is to deliver an APP that will familiarize pediatric patients and their parents with the NIH Clinical Center and a sample of the tests that they may encounter. This is to be accomplished using avatar characters, environmental exploration and adventure, and rewards. As an avatar or name provided by the user may be considered PII an operator must make reasonable efforts to obtain verifiable parental consent, taking into consideration available technology. Any method to obtain verifiable parental consent must be reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that the person providing consent is the child's parent.

12. With respect to the personalized avatar, is this a vantage point, or do you envision an immersive experience: For example, the patient’s avatar can be seen inside a NIH clinic or room, while exploring the space The end goal of the APP is to familiarize pediatric patients and their parents with the NIH Clinical Center and a sample of the tests that they may encounter. The vendor can recommend vantage point and or immersive based on their App development experiences.

13. How do you see patients discovering the app? What sort of introductory experience do you envision?

Parents will be offered the App by a website or email from the study teams and admissions after they are accepted into a pediatric clinical study at the NIH Clinical Center.

14. Is it essential to use common (www) tools for iOS, Android and the other platforms? There are always tradeoffs in approaches. Performance, reliability and maintenance will be optimal if we create the best product for that platform. We did that (and continue to update) with amuz.

It doesn’t really matter which dev tools you use, as long as it can run on the devices mentioned.

15. In the agreement, there is a mention of supporting PCs. I assume that it would be acceptable to use a progressive web app for PC and Mac usage?

If it is secure.

16. The period of performance is 8 months, after 8 months, is the expectation that maintenance is offered or is it preferred to have internal NIH staff trained?

The Contractor is responsible for the maintenance, patching, and vulnerability assessment of the APP.

17. What is the expected monthly active user count?

In 2019, approximately 3,157 children (under 18 years old) were treated on 335 research protocols at the NIH Clinical Center.

18. Does NIHCC have accounts for iOS and Android to release applications to the store or would it be acceptable to use vendor sites for deployment?

The NIH can release APPs in the store. Present in the proposal the benefits and opportunity of using vendor sites and / or the APP store.

19. Is there a project budget for the 8-month performance period?

This should be included in the proposal submitted.

20. Do you have a current vendor that you are working with that will be responding to the RFP as well? If so, who is that vendor?

No, there is no current vendor working on this project.

21. Will you be sharing questions and answers from all submissions?

Yes, however, we are not sharing which vendor asked each question.

22. The scope of the first engagement includes deploying the mobile solution to one facility only, correct?

Yes, the only hospital location is the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

23. Is it your expectation that the application will be used throughout the length of the stay or only for a brief period of time prior to arrival/during the admission process and/or in the first several days of their admission?

The ideal time targeted time to use the APP is (in order or importance) in advance of arrival, during admission, or the early days of admission.

24. In light of the request to include a feature/features that will rely on location-specific data within NIHCC (“layout of the facility”), will NIHCC provide facility map/layout data? Will NIHCC provide the 3D rendering of the facility?

The NIHCC will provide facility map and layout data and will not provide 3D rendering.

25. Can you describe how you envision the features designed for the child to be similar/different for the parent?

The vendor should have experience with this and include the options and process in the proposal.

26. Can you describe the relationship between the app that you are asking to be built and the out-of-app rewards? For example, will the NIHCC be responsible for determining and distributing the awards, or are you looking for your implementation partner to recommend the reward approach? Are you looking to your partner to define the actions in the application that trigger corresponding awards?

Yes, the NIHCC is expecting the contractor to define the actions in the application that can trigger corresponding awards and recommend the reward approach.

27. Will the reward redemption be an offline process or are you looking for it to be integrated into the application?

Yes, award redemption is integrated into the APP.

28. How do you anticipate a user interacting with the game? Will they be able to save progress and continue later?

The user will interact with the game through the avatar and should present options to save and continue later without user PII.

29. Will content be English only or multilingual?

Content will be English language.

30. As we consider an age-specific content strategy, how many age-based persona types does NIHCC anticipate? 6-12, 13-18, 18+?

Vendor if the vender recommends age-specific content strategy based on their experience this should be included in the proposal.

31. Does the NIHCC want the selected vendor to author content or will this be authored by the NIHCC?

The vender will author the content.

32. Do you anticipate that the content will be managed in real-time and served to the application via a backend administration panel? If there is an administration panel, do you anticipate a flat or multilevel hierarchy for user permissions?

Vendor should include this in their proposal based on their experience. We do not have personnel dedicated for this purpose.

33. How long is the average length of stay of a pediatric patient?

In 2019, the average length of stay was 9.3 days.

34. Recognizing the COPPA requirements as it relates to the collecting of information, privacy policies, etc., will all participants, regardless of age, be able to register for the application?

All users will be able to register for the APP. However, verifiable parental consent is needed for minors.

35. Will users have access to the application after discharge? If yes, for how long?

The goal and value is to prepare pediatric patients and their parents in advance of their visit to the NIH Clinical Center and in advance of their tests and procedures.

36. What do you see as the lifecycle (a few months, a year, several years) of the application? Will there be a budget for ongoing updates, service, and support?

The lifecycle is more than a year. Ongoing updates, service, and support and budget is to be included in the proposal for the first year.

37. The SOW makes no mention of multi-language support. What languages do you expect to be supported in the MVP and beyond?

This will be in English language.

38. Do you have user profiles or demographic information like a specific age range, for the primary audience that will be using the application?

The NIHCC application will targeted to pediatric patients from the ages of 6 to 18 and will also be available to older patients and the family members of pediatric patients.

39. Is the application primarily meant for visitors of the NIHCC or will users make use of the application from home and/or other locations?

Users can make use of the application from home and/or other locations.

40. What are the primary organizational goals for releasing this application? What are the intended results that you would want to see to consider the application a success?

The end goals are positive APP experience and engagement and a post-survey expressing positive impact on their NIHCC visit and medical procedures.

41. The SOW mentions a preferred experience for building for Windows Mobile (a discontinued OS); Do you foresee Windows OS as a supported platform? If so would a web-accessible (browser-based) application be acceptable for this platform?

The application shall be compatible with all major operating systems to include Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. A web-accessible browser-based application would be acceptable as would mobile device solutions. Solutions that are browser-based must be Section 508 compliant for accessibility.

42. What is the NIH’s preferred communication method and frequency for agile work? We typically work in two-week sprints and schedule meetings with clients at the beginning of each sprint; is this in line for your expectations?

You may propose this approach for evaluation.