2020 Panel Access IPSOS Ltd Sources Justification.pdf

LSJ Number: 1333LB-20-LSJ-0000 - 0005

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULE

PROGRAM

Upon the basis of the following justification, prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) FAR Part 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) I, as a contracting officer for the Acquisition Division within the US Census Bureau, hereby approve the use of sources limited to fewer than those required in FAR 8.405-1, FAR 8.405-2, and FAR 8.405-3 pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 251 as implemented by FAR Part FAR8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C)

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program (41 U.S.C. 251, et seq. and 40 U.S.C. 501).

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

Bureau of Census, Acquisition Division Washington, DC 20746

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

On 16 December 2019, the US Census Bureau Acquisition Division issued a competitively awarded task order No. 1333LB20F00000029 to IPSOS Public Affairs, LLC for $256,406.31.

Two offerors responded to the RFQ and IPSOS emerged as the awardee to provide survey panel access and support for Decennial operations related requirements. This requirement is the follow-on to this previously competed awarded task order. The U.S. Census Bureau seeks Contractor support to facilitate a survey and necessary supporting activities, to allow Census to evaluate the effectiveness of the national advertising campaign at changing mindsets towards the 2020 Census. In December and January, the Census Bureau obtained, under contract with Ipsos, survey data allowing us to construct “mindsets” of the U.S. population with regard to the upcoming 2020 Census. Given this successful data collection, the Census Bureau wishes to examine whether or not the 2020 Census advertising campaign will change the sampled participant’s attitudes towards the 2020 Census. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize the same vendor and access the same previously sampled participants. The value of the new requirement is $380,945.83. This effort is more costly because it includes data collection from both the original sample and a new, unbiased sample.

3. A complete description of the supplies and/or services required to meet the agency’s needs.

Description of Services required:

-Invite, incentivize and facilitate access for the 7500 participants from the December/January study to complete the survey again in April-May 2020, meeting a completion of 5625 (75%) valid responses by May 15, 2020.

For the control sample, the contractor shall ensure outcomes based on:

-Selection of sample reflecting the national distribution of gender, age, race, Hispanic, home ownership, education and income according to Census Bureau benchmarks -Facilitate access to survey for participants to complete online. All surveys must be complete online only.

-Participants shall be randomly selected from U.S. households with known, non-zero probability of selection from an address-based sample and then contacted with an invitation to complete the survey -Participants must include those who did not have online access prior to joining the existing online panel -Meeting a completion (i.e., 5625 valid responses) deadline of May 15, 2020.

4. An identification of the LSJ rationale, and if applicable, a demonstration of the contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

• FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) – The new work is a logical follow on to an original FSS order or BPA, and the order or BPA was placed in accordance with FSS procedures and must not have been issued under sole source or limited sources procedures.

On 06 December 2019, the USCB Acquisition Division released RFQ No: 1333LB-20-Q-0000 - 0005 for Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling Under NAICS Code 541910. IPSOS responded to a competitively awarded RFQ and executed Public Opinion Polling Services by granting access to a survey panel that is unique to their firm. IPSOS collected information from a nationally representative survey of mindsets towards the 2020 Census prior to the beginning of the advertising campaign. This initial effort was successful and leads Census Bureau management to request that the study be repeated, with the same participants, at the height of advertising, to see if and how advertising changed the mindsets of the population. To control for and measure possible bias, a new sample will also be surveyed.

It is in the best interest of economy and efficiency to award this contract as a logical follow on given this contract requires the contractor to re-contact the same 7500 participants. We must use the original source, IPSOS, because the participants are members of the IPSOS owned panel and the Census Bureau has no way to contact them otherwise. Economy and efficiency are directly impacted should the Census use a new vendor; because, there would be no ability to measure change in opinions using a repeated measures design, like that described here. A repeated measure design allows more statistical power, lower cost and comparisons over time compared to a between subjects design.

5. A determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d) and FAR 8.405-2(d).

Based on the IGCE, the labor categories and the respective hours associated with the labor are consistent with the effort that was previously competed and successfully awarded. A price determination will be conducted prior to issuance of an award determination. The contracting officer will make a comparative determination and reach a fair and reasonableness conclusion prior to award.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders, and the results of the research, or a statement why market research was not conducted. A statement must be made that the supplies and services are available from the FSS.

Although the original requirement was for a simplified acquisition, market research was conducted for an award that occurred in December of 2019. Nothing in the industry has occurred to suspect the outcome of the market research would have changed within this three to four month window. Per FAR Part 10.002(b)(1), the contracting officer may use market research conducted within the last 18 months; therefore, both the program and acquisition offices are able to utilize the same applicable market research. Further, the requirement is for access to the same panel which is exclusive to IPSOS. In compliance with the market research conducted within the 18 months prior issuance of this task order, the US Census Bureau’s desire is to examine whether or not the 2020 Census advertising campaign will change the original sampled participant’s attitudes towards the 2020 Census.

7. Any other facts supporting the limited source justification.

N/A

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency will take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for supplies and services is made.

The uniqueness of this requirement, given its relationship to the 2020 decennial Census, and the criteria for pre-existing panels, barriers to competition depend almost entirely on any required follow-on work that necessitate re-contact with original participants taking part in any survey work. In the original competition solicited under RFQ No: 1333LB- 20-Q-0000 – 0005, all vendors were notified that future research will measure mindsets again at the height of the campaign. Thusly, the goal is to measure whether (and how) mindsets may have shifted over the course of the campaign. As with other surveys that CBSM will conduct in the future, market research will be done to identify any sources able to successfully performance at a reasonable price and on schedule.

The following language was included in the original RFQ and executed task order: GS-

00F-123DA/1333LB20F00000029:

4.1 Background

In Spring 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted (USCB) the 2020 Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study (CBAMS) Survey. The 2020 CBAPMS Survey was designed to understand attitudes and behaviors that related to Census participation across demographic characteristics. Results from this survey produced six “Census mindsets” – psychographic profiles of the U.S. public which, in turn, were used to develop targeted messages for the 2020 Census Communications campaign. One way to measure the success of the 2020 Census Communications campaign is to gauge whether the portion of the population with mindsets less inclined to participate in the Census shrank over the course of the campaign while the portion of the population with mindsets more inclined to participate grew larger. This type of analysis was suggested as a way to evaluate the 2020 Campaign at the 2019 Spring Census Scientific Advisory Committee meetings.

USCB’s evaluation will administer the CBAMS survey before the paid advertising campaign begins by mid-January 2020. Future research will measure mindsets again at the height of the campaign. The goal is to measure whether (and how) mindsets may have shifted over the course of the campaign.

4.2 Description of Services

The U.S. Census Bureau seeks Contractor support to facilitate an online survey, and necessary supporting activities (i.e. invitations and reminders to complete the survey), to allow Census to evaluate the effectiveness of the national advertising campaign at changing mindsets towards the 2020 Census. The US Census Bureau intends to use the results of this polling initiative to decide the necessity of future work.

9. The ordering activity Contracting Officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the Contracting Officer’s knowledge and belief and evidence that the supporting data that form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by technical/program personnel.

Certification

Contracting Officer:

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

<Signature> ________________________________ ___________________ <Insert Name> Date

Reviews and Approvals

Program Senior Official (or designee):

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this LSJ and which form a basis for it, are complete and accurate.

<Signature> ________________________________ ___________________ <Insert Name> Date

ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS LSJ ARE TO BE REFERRED TO:

Kip Ryan Contractor Contract Specialist ERIMAX, Inc.

Acquisition Support Acquisitions Division U.S. Census Bureau kipchoge.k.ryan@census.gov 301.763.5786 https://collab.ecm.census.gov/div/acq/intranet/Pages/default.aspx