Amendment 3 RFP 283-22-1000 SAMHSA IDIQ RFP.docx

OMB NO. 0990-0115

SOLICITATION

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM Page 1 of 104 pages

X NO

X YES Certain Domains See Part IV Section L

Division of Contracts Management Office of Financial Resources Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, Maryland 20857

6. SUBMIT OFFERS TO:

See Part III, Section J, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," ATTACHMENT 8 of this Solicitation

7. Proposals for furnishing the supplies and/or services in THE SCHEDULE will be received at the place specified in, and in the number of copies specified in Attachment 8 until 3:00 p.m. local time on January 3126, 2022.

8. This solicitation requires delivery of proposals as stated in ATTACHMENT 8 “PACKAGING AND DELIVERY OF THE PROPOSAL” and as stated in the cover letter of this RFP. The cover letter is an official part of this RFP Package. IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER OR HIS DESIGNEE AT THE PLACE AND TIME SPECIFIED, THEN IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE with FAR Clause 52.215-1, Alternate I, entitled, "INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION” located in Section L.2 of this solicitation.

9. Offeror must provide full name, address, TIN, DUNS, and, if different, the address to which payment should be mailed.

11. Table of Contents on following page.

DETAILED TABLE OF RFP CONTENTS PART I - THE SCHEDULE

RFP 283-22-1000

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

This Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) performance-based contract will be used as a means to provide services to SAMHSA officials and staff to help them achieve their individual Centers/Divisions/Offices missions in a timely manner. The contract requires quick response capability, with performance according to specifications identified in individual Task Orders that will be issued over the life of the contract. The contract will enable SAMHSA to improve its technical, management, and administrative operations by significantly reducing the amount of time and labor required to obtain critical contract services and products.

B.2. PRICING/FUNDING CONSIDERATION

This Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract will remain in effect for a five-year period. Each Task Order will specify its period of performance. Task Orders can be awarded with Options, which would allow them to exceed 12 months, but no more than 60 months if all potential options were exercised. For each successful Contractor, irrespective of the number of Domains for which the Contractor has qualified, there will be a one time “minimum guarantee” award amount of $1,000 during the life of the contract. Upon submission and approval of the Final Overall Contract Report, the Contractors that have not been awarded task orders during the IDIQ period of performance may invoice the government for the minimum guarantee at the end of the IDIQ period. The SAMHSA IDIQ Ceiling for the entire 5 years is $1,200,000,000.

Task Orders will be awarded under this contract on a cost plus award fee basis, or fixed price. Task Order prices, estimated costs will be negotiated and funded at the time of Task Order award. Labor hours and other reimbursable elements, including travel, supplies, and materials, will be proposed as appropriate and negotiated for each Task Order. The base-fee and award-fee will be negotiated on the first Task Order awarded and apply to each Task Order thereafter.

For the performance of Task Orders, the Government shall pay to the Contractor:

(1) The cost determined by the Contracting Officer to be allowable in accordance with Clause FAR 52.216-7 “Allowable Cost and Payment.”

(2) Base fee shall be payable in accordance with Clause FAR 52.216-8 “Fixed Fee.” It shall be paid in installments based on the percentage of completion of work, as determined by the Contracting Officer, and subject to the withholding provisions of the “Allowable Cost and Payment” and “Fixed Fee” clauses of this contract, and is subject to an equitable reduction in the event the requirements of Section F are not satisfactorily completed.

(3) Award fee earned shall be based upon an evaluation and determination by the Government as to the Contractor's level of performance in accordance with the following procedures:

(a) The Contractor's performance shall be evaluated on an annual basis, during the period of the contract. The award periods and maximum amounts for each are listed in Section H, Special Contract Requirements, H.2., Award Fee.

(b) An individual "Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan” will be developed for each task order and shall be used to evaluate the Contractor's performance.

(c) The Contractor further agrees that the final determination as to the amount of Award Fee earned will be made by the Contracting Officer, taking into consideration an analysis and evaluation of the Contractor's performance made by the Evaluation Group described in H.2 Award Feesce. The Contractor shall be advised in writing of the decision setting forth reasons why the Award Fee was earned, or why it was not earned, in order that the Contractor may improve its performance during the next review period, if the latter is applicable.

(4) Payment of Award Fee under this contract will be accomplished by an Administrative Letter, executed by the Contracting Officer, when the Award Fee, if any, has been determined to be due. The Administrative Letter shall set forth the amount of fee to be awarded for the performance period evaluated. Upon receipt of the letter, the Contractor may submit a public voucher for payment of the total Award fee earned for the period evaluated. Payment of the Award fee shall be subject to the withholding provision of the clause entitled "Fixed Fee."

B.3. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

Notwithstanding the “Allowable Cost and Payment” clause incorporated in this contract, unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, the costs of the following items or activities shall be unallowable as direct costs:

1) Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property;

2) Special rearrangement or alteration of facilities;

3) Accountable Government property (defined as both real and personal property with an acquisition cost of $1,000 or more, with a life expectancy of more than two years) and "sensitive items" (defined and listed in the Contractor's Guide for Control of Government Property) regardless of acquisition value;

4) Purchase or lease of any personal computer, related item of hardware, or software, regardless of dollar value;

5) Travel to attend general professional meetings;

6) Foreign Travel - See paragraph b.2) below;

7) Any costs incurred prior to the contract's effective date;

8) Rental of meeting space not otherwise expressly authorized by the contract;

9) Any formal subcontract arrangements above the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), any cost- reimbursement subcontract regardless of cost, or not otherwise expressly provided for in the contract;

10) Consultant fees in excess of $6500/day;

11) Cost of delivery of any vouchers under the contract using other than the USPS Standard mail service;

12) Airfare in excess of $1,000; and

13) Any costs for meetings, workshops, or conferences which did not have prior Contracting Officer Approval, as detailed below.

a) Prior approval to planning, arranging or holding meetings, workshops or conferences under this project that exceed the total amount of $15,000 (this total includes labor for planning, logistics, consultant fees and any other costs associated to the meeting fully burdened) or any meeting considered an Advisory Committee meeting at any cost. – Notification in a letter or a COA will be issued with the approved amount for the activity. If during the planning of the activity the cost estimate amount increases, then the COR must be notified immediately and provided a revised cost estimate, documentation and justification for the change. This new cost estimate will need to be reviewed and approved prior to the contractor proceeding and incurring costs over the original approved amount. An amended COA will be provided once the increase is approved. The contractor should track the actual costs of the activity and maintain this information in an event log to report the actual costs incurred. The Government may request this information at any time. Once the event is approved (or amended), under no circumstances shall the costs of a given event exceed the amount approved.

b) Cost of food and/or light refreshments for meetings, conferences, workshops, etc. is always unallowable.

B.4. LABOR

The following labor classifications are anticipated to be the primary labor sources necessary to perform contract tasks orders

Other labor categories may be added if applicable and necessary to perform the scope of work under a specific Task Order. The Task Orders will reflect current rates. The rates proposed for contract award will be used as a guide by the Government to determine reasonableness.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: If qualified for the labor category, individuals can bid in more than one labor category. For the majority of the labor categories, off site indirect rates will be needed. If a NICRA is provided SAMHSA might capture all the rates. The Federal GS equivalencies ad the education requirements for all labor categories will not be provided.

The Contractor must propose labor rates for all categories that they determine are applicable to the Domains that they are proposing for. Those Labor Categories marked with * are “Key Personnel” and must be proposed if specific to the regardless of the Domain. Further, for those positions, a resume and an actual labor rate (with supporting payroll documentation) must be proposed. Payroll documentation should be provided for all personnel. These labor classifications are examples of the primary labor sources anticipated as necessary to perform contract tasks. If the Task Order Offeror intends to use more than one individual for a labor category, each proposed individual should be listed separately at his/her proposed rate and the evaluated hours divided among the individuals, as appropriate. Task Order Offerors should indicate which classes of labor and/or which labor titles they intend to use. If a Task Order Offeror proposes labor categories, which are different from the title or class provided in the RFP, it should provide a brief description of the duties for such titles. Any labor categories not fixed at the time of the contract award may be added during performance applicable to the scope of work under the specific Task Order. Junior positions are considered to be under three years of experience. Senior positions are considered to be over ten years of experience.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: Given that both Cost-Plus-Award-Fee Task Orders and Firm-Fixed-Price Task Orders are anticipated offerors do not need to propose a different set of labor rates for each contract type for evaluation purposes. If an offer has indirect rates we can load those hourly rates.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: Prime Contractors and Subcontractors may use their own GSA Rates, or others established rates, such as CIOSP3, etc. Offerors who submit GSA rates and their GSA schedule information do not need to complete Attachment 13, but instead may submit an excel sheet with labor category, name, title, and rate for five years for all proposed staff. If an offeror chooses to uses their GSA rate then they need to provide documentation to support that these rates have been approved by GSA. That could be their schedule with GSA or other documentation to show rates. If prime offerors and/or subcontractors submit GSA rates in lieu of providing a cost build up, the backup documentation will be the GSA schedule rather than NICRAs and payroll information and the excel file will not contain the indirect rate information. GSA schedules could be used as supporting payroll documentation. GSA schedules will support the rates and can be used in lieu of payroll documentation. If using GSA rates the Industrial Funding Fee is not required. A PRIME can have unburdened rates and an indirect rate agreement while the subcontractor proposes fully-burdened rates (which are supported by their GSA rates). GSA rates are only used to help establish the reasonableness of the rates proposed by the Prime or Sub. So if a Prime or Sub proposes rates for labor categories which are not on its GSA schedule, then the offeror must provide supporting documentation to support those proposed rates. The rates established will be limits the offeror is still permitted to provide discounts under the RFTOPS. While a Prime or Sub can propose its “GSA rates,” those rates will become SAMHSA IDIQ contract rates if/when an award is made. Contracting Teaming Agreements (CTA) in which all parties are equal will not be accepted. For SAMHSA one organization in the CTA needs to be the PRIME contractor and the others are considered subcontractors.

B.5. GUARANTEED MINIMUM AND CONTRACT MAXIMUMS

The guaranteed minimum for each Contractor is a one time award amount of $1,000 during the life of the contract which includes all option years, if exercised. The SAMHSA IDIQ Ceiling is for the entire 5 years is $1,200,000,000. The minimum amount can only be claimed at the end of the contract period, if the Contractor has not been awarded task orders during the IDIQ period of performance and has submitted an approved Final Overall Contract Report.

B.6. IT EQUIPMENT

The Contractor is required to provide its own IT hardware/computer equipment adequate to fully satisfy all operational requirements of the Task Orders awarded under this contract. (This should be considered in developing the cost proposal as no reimbursement is authorized for such items relative to this solicitation or the resulting task orders).

B.7. TRAVEL AND EXPENSES

Travel expenses will be paid on a cost reimbursable basis. For the purpose of evaluation, travel expenses will be considered equal for all Offerors and will not be calculated in evaluating pricing proposals for contract award. Travel expenses incurred by the Contractor in performance of Task Orders under this contract shall not exceed:

a. Cost of air travel by most direct route, using "air coach" or "air tourist" (less than first class) unless it is clearly unreasonable or impracticable (e.g., not available for reasons other than avoidable delay in making reservations, would require circuitous routing or entail additional expenses offsetting the savings on fare, or would not make necessary connections); or

b. Cost of coach rail travel by most direct route; or

c. Cost of travel by privately owned automobile. However, reimbursement for transportation by this means shall not exceed the cost of a. or b. above, whichever is less.

d. The cost of travel by privately owned automobiles, and subsistence costs shall be reimbursed at rates not to exceed the Government travel policy in effect at the time such costs are incurred. The Contractor shall cite in any claim for reimbursement of travel costs the source of the rates used.

e. All travel arrangements shall be made by the Contractor utilizing Government rates when that rate is the lowest available. Should the Government's rate not be the best price, in such cases as discount and/or super saver airfare, then the lowest price will dictate. Any refunds, rebates, or other benefits provided by airlines, hotels, etc., as a result of travel arrangements made under this contract shall be applied to the contract and shall not revert to the Contractor or the Contractor's affiliates. The Contractor shall cite in any claim for reimbursement of travel costs the source of the rate used.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: Travel, materials and ODCs are not required at this time, and that the only cost elements required are at the labor rate build-up level for both the prime and the sub(s).

This contract is subject to the provisions of Public Law 99-234 which amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to provide that Contractor costs for travel, including lodging, other subsistence, and incidental expenses, shall be allowable only to the extent that they do not exceed the amount allowed for Federal employees. The Contractor, therefore, shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with FAR 31.205-46.

B.8. CONTRACT TASK ORDERS

Individual Task Orders will be issued as requirements occur. Task Orders will specify work to be performed and will reflect the labor rates of the proposed staff in effect when the task order is issued. The terms and conditions set forth in the contract will always apply. SAMHSA expects the majority of the Task Orders will be Cost-Plus-Award-Fee, but may also award Task Orders on a Fixed-Price or Time and Material (T&M) basis. The pricing arrangement, the cost or price, and the period of performance will be established for each Task Order. The period of performance of a Task Order may extend past the IDIQ contract’s expiration date. Outstanding Task Orders will be performed at the rates/pricing which correlates to applicable contract period(s) in effect for their duration. It will be the determination of SAMHSA on how to issue the Request for Task Order Proposals (RFTOPs) and for which Domain. For those Domains with Large and Small Business areas, the decision will be made depending on the project to issue the Task Order under the Large Business area, or issue the Task Order under the Small Business area or issue the Task Order under both the Large and Small Business area.

SAMHSA expects the majority of the task orders issued under the IDIQ contracts will be cost-plus-award-fee types. Therefore, the provisions and clauses in this RFP are applicable to cost-plus-award-fee type contracts. Task orders awarded will contain clauses applicable and appropriate for its type. Additional provisions and clauses required by Public Law, Executive Order, or procurement regulations in effect at the time of execution of the proposed task order will be included.

B.9. ADVANCE UNDERSTANDINGS

Specific elements of cost, which normally require prior written approval of the Contracting Officer before incurrence of the cost (e.g., foreign travel, consultant fees, subcontracts) will be included in this SECTION if the Contracting Officer has granted his/her approval in the pre-award negotiation process. This Section may read as follows:

a. Other provisions of this contract notwithstanding, approval of the following items within the limits set forth is hereby granted without further authorization from the Contracting Officer:

To Be Decided at the time of award under each Task Order

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Performance Work Statement, below.

C.1. TASK DESCRIPTION

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) requires program and analytical support services, short term analyses, technical assistance, and support for its information and related programs. The Government will award more than one IDIQ contract as a result of this solicitation. To the maximum extent possible, each awardee will be given a fair opportunity to be considered for each Task Order for which it is eligible to compete. The Government will determine which Contractor will perform individual Task Orders based on the evaluation criteria contained in the Request for Task Order Proposal. These criteria will include technical (including past performance) and cost factors. Task Orders will be issued by the Contracting Officer, SAMHSA. The Contractor(s) shall perform some Task Orders under critical time constraints.

C.2. TASK ORDERS

a. Initiation.

As requirements arise, the Contracting Officer shall issue Request for Task Order Proposals (RFTOP) to Contractors who have been awarded a contract with eligibility in the specific domain(s) applicable to the task. Each Contractor shall have the opportunity to respond with a Task Order Proposal in accordance with the instructions provided. The Request for Task Order Proposal shall include a Performance Work Statement, schedule of deliverables, quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP), technical evaluation criteria and additional instructions as needed for each individual Task Order to be issued under this contract. Each Request for Task Order will be subject to Privacy Act, Publications, IT, and Evaluation clearances. All these clearances are obtained by the Contracting Officer Representative prior to the issuance of the RFTOP and execution of the Task Order. OMB Clearance will be obtained after task order award, if applicable.

Each eligible Contractor will be provided a fair opportunity to be considered for each Task Order. However, the Government may issue a sole source Request for Task Order Proposal, if one or more of the following conditions exist:

1. when the dollar value of the order is less than $3,500; or

2. when the need for the service is of such urgency that providing all Contractors an opportunity would not be in the best interest of the Government; or

3. when only one Contractor is capable of providing the service required at the level of quality required because the service is unique or highly specialized; or

4. when the Task Order is a logical follow-on to an Order already issued.; or

5. when required to fulfill a minimum order.

For each Task Order, the Contracting Officer will make a determination about the scope of competition, using the guidelines provided above.

Requests for Task Order Proposals will be issued by the Contracting Office primarily electronically through the Electronic Mail or Internet systems but they can also be issued by facsimile or mail. Contractors are required to have Internet or external electronic mail capabilities. Each Request for Task Order Proposal prepared by the Government will specify the project services being ordered from the IDIQ contract and the criteria for evaluating the Contractor's proposal, which shall contain both technical and cost/price information. The Contractor shall provide a Proposal containing both Technical and a Cost/Price information for performing the required services. SAMHSA’s policy is to use performance-based task order contracts whenever possible. Task Orders will be either a cost plus award fee type, or fixed price type. All Task Orders will be performed at a negotiated cost/price, except when the Government executes unilateral Task Orders for predetermined levels of services.

When urgencies occur, the Government will unilaterally issue Task Orders on a not-to-exceed cost/price basis, and the Contractor is required to proceed immediately with performing all such work. The issuance of Task Orders for urgencies is exempt from the ordering limitations specified in Section F of this contract. For urgent Task Orders, pricing will be established through subsequent discussions and modification of the Task Order.

b. Technical Proposal/Task Order Performance Team.

To the greatest extent possible, a Request for Task Order Proposal will be issued to each Contractor that has the applicable domain(s) approved in its contract. The Contractor is required to submit a proposal intent for each Request for Task Order Proposal.

Contractors shall prepare a technical proposal in accordance with the requirements of the RFTOP which will, at a minimum, include a brief narrative which demonstrates the Contractor's understanding of the Performance Work Statement, an itemized list of sub tasks to be performed, a delivery schedule, and a Task Order Team to perform the Performance Work Statement. There will be page limits for the technical proposal and appendices. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of pages submitted exceed the limits the pages that exceed the limits will not be evaluated.

All technical proposals relative to any task orders will be prepared by the contractor and submitted to the Division of Contracts Management within twenty-one (21) days after receipt of the task order request, unless otherwise specified in the RFTOP. Task order responses can be submitted via email and shall be followed up in paper form, only if requested. The Task Order Proposal shall include labor hours for each person proposed. Some Requests will contain quick turn-around due dates. Upon final agreement, after negotiations, agreement of estimated cost or price, and finalization of the task technical proposal, including delivery schedule, the Contracting Officer will award the Task Order, and work shall commence in accordance with the Task Order requirements. Task Order Proposal preparation costs are not reimbursable.

Assignment of designated personnel to the team, as well as assignment of labor hours per individual is the basis for pricing each Task Order. The team's responsibilities and duties include the various requirements as specified in each Task Order. The required team for each task order will usually include one or more staff for each of the following three general categories:

Project Manager/Director Program Specialist/Analyst/Statistician/Evaluator/Other Technical Staff Administrative Support Staff

The Government may, if appropriate, streamline the task order proposal process so that only new information is solicited from the Contractor. Information submitted for the IDIQ award and any subsequent updates will be linked to each specific task order proposal submitted by the IDIQ Contractor.

c. Cost/Price Proposal.

Cost/Price Proposals for Task Orders will be prepared by the Contractor and submitted to the Contracting Officer within the time specified in the Request for Task Order Proposal along with the technical proposal. Revisions to the initial Cost/Price Proposal resulting from negotiations, if the Government determines discussions are needed, will be submitted by the Contractor and received by the Contracting Officer within two (2) working days after the date on which discussions were held with the Contracting Officer, unless a longer period is specified in the Request.

Proposals for performing the required services will be submitted on a Contract Pricing Proposal Cover Sheet, with detailed cost data attached. Task Orders will be either a cost plus award fee type or fixed price type depending on the nature of the work to be performed.

(1) The Contractor’s proposed Project Manager/Director or designated alternate shall participate in all technical discussions/negotiations concerning Task Order requirements. Discussions typically will cover areas of concern for which mutual understandings are necessary.

(2) When a negotiated Task Order agreement is reached in a timely manner on the services to be performed, a finalized Task Order will be executed. The price or estimated cost for Task Orders will be based on the negotiated levels of effort for each discipline, and all other terms agreed upon.

(3) If agreements cannot be reached, neither party will be under any obligation to the other concerning the services covered by the particular draft Task Order.

(4) Individual Task Orders are finalized when signed by the Contracting Officer. No work shall be performed on Task Orders until they are signed by the Contracting Officer. The signed Task Order will serve as the Contractor's "Notice to Proceed.”

d. Task Order Award

The Government envisions that a typical Task Order process, from initial request to award, will take between 45-90 days.

Unless otherwise stated in an individual Request for Task Order Proposal, the Task Orders will be awarded based on two evaluation factors: 1) technical and 2) estimated cost or price.

Unless otherwise stated in an individual Request for Task Order Proposal, technical will receive paramount consideration in the selection of a Contractor for a specific Task Order. Following evaluation and negotiations, if two or more Offerors are determined to be approximately technically equal, cost will become a significant factor in selecting the Task Order Awardee. In any event, the Government reserves the right to make an award to the best advantage of the Government, cost and other factors considered.

Unless otherwise stated in an individual Request for Task Order Proposal, past performance will not be evaluated at the task order level as past performance will have been evaluated at the IDIQ contract level. Nevertheless, SAMHSA reserves the right to include Past Performance as an evaluation factor when determined needed. The Government may decide not to exercise option years to Contractors who have received an unacceptable performance evaluation during the contract period.

C.3. PERSONNEL/STAFFING

The numbers, types, and functional involvement of the Contractor's personnel and/or teams may vary from Task Order to Task Order; however, Contractor staff commitment is required throughout the task as accepted in its proposal and as mutually arranged with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). No key personnel may be substituted at any time during the life of the Task Order, without the express advance approval of the Contracting Officer. It is anticipated that the labor categories in Section B.4 of this contract are the primary labor sources for completion of contract Task Orders. Labor categories may be added by mutual agreement during performance applicable to the scope of work under the specific Task Order. The required team may include various combinations of the labor categories listed at Section B.4.

The Contractor agrees to provide administrative, technical, and professional personnel as required herein and as negotiated and agreed upon for performing work specified during all individual Task Orders. The Contractor shall provide a dedicated, stable, and technically qualified team to maintain continuity in the level of services.

The labor-hours per individual for the staff designated to perform the task is the basis for pricing each Task Order. The team's responsibilities and duties include the various requirements as specified and detailed in each Task Order.

C.4. USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS

In the response to each specific RFTOP, the IDIQ Contractor shall propose those subcontractors accepted through negotiations, as part of their original IDIQ proposal submission for that Domain. At any time during the period of performance of the IDIQ contract, an awardee may submit a formal request to add a new subcontractor or to delete an already accepted subcontractor. The request must include the rationale for the change being requested. Where a subcontractor is being added, the Contractor shall include a delineation of the specific qualifications of that subcontractor in the specific domain. Such requests may be submitted as part of a response to a particular task order RFP, or as an independent request.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: At the Task Order level, an IDIQ contract holder can request to add a new subcontractor in a response to a RFTOP, provided all the documentation for the subcontractor is provided during the RFTOP.

C.5. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Activities conducted under this contract will include tasks that fall into one or more of the six domains. Contractor’s eligibility is stated in the contract and will have been determined based on the evaluation of Offerors’ proposals by the ad hoc technical review committee.

C.6. GENERAL LANGUAGE (WILL BE INSERTED and REQUIRED in ALL Task Order Awards) A. SAMHSA Division of Technology (DTM) REQUIREMENTS. See Attachment 1b General Requirements.

C.7. SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

(a) Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, and supplies (except as otherwise specified herein) and perform the work set forth below, as applicable to individual Task Orders issued under this contract.

(b) Task Orders under this contract will be monitored by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) whose position is defined in Section G of this contract.

(c) Unless otherwise requested by the Contracting Officer Representative, the Contractor shall follow a uniform process for each awarded Task Order. This process is as follows:

1. Meet with the Contracting Officer Representative and other principals to discuss the Task Order goals and objectives, relevant policy, program coordination, or other issues, task sub parts, delivery schedule, and related task questions.

2. Identify and explore the types and sources of information available to perform the Task Order, and assess, through limited review, the potential relevance and value of each.

3. Conduct preliminary discussions with appropriate officials and experts to refine the task and identify additional data sources, reports, models, etc., for inclusion in the design.

4 Define the task with sub parts and related task questions and specify the data sources, analyses, or information collection strategies necessary to address the task questions. Meet with the Contracting Officer Representative and other SAMHSA and Center advisors.

5 Prepare and submit a final Task Order Plan to the Contracting Officer Representative for review and approval prior to commencing work on the task.

6. Meet with the Contracting Officer Representative in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to review progress, identify challenges or barriers (e.g., in feasibility of specific performance measures or comparisons, data gaps) and to verify/validate information obtained from other sources that relates to SAMHSA’s programs.

7. Prepare a written summary and brief the Contracting Officer Representative, an expert panel, if utilized on a task, and other government officials on the results from completing the Task Order. The briefing shall include an oral presentation of results and may require preparation of Power Point, flip charts, handouts, or other types of supporting material.

8. Briefings shall be well-organized and will require rehearsal sessions with the Contracting Officer Representative and other selected SAMHSA personnel.

(d) One or more of the following services may be required of the Contractor in performance of individual Task Orders awarded under this IDIQ contract. Individual Task Orders will not necessarily contain all services listed in the Domains specified below and may contain similar services not specifically listed below. Each Task Order will specify those services to be performed along with task-specific information required for completion of the individual Task Order, including required deliverables and their review by the Contracting Officer Representative.

Domains are specified below for the likely areas in which Task Orders may be developed. For Domains I - V competition will be full and open for Large Businesses and Small Businesses; and Domain VI will be Set-Aside only for small Businesses in the 8(a) Program, Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, and HubZone.

Even though the Performance Work Statement is divided into six domains and that task orders will be issued against those domains, the Contractor should be aware that there are certain requirements / aspects that apply across all the domains. Furthermore, each domain includes SAMHSA’s four Centers (i.e., Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Center for Mental Health Services, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) and six Offices (i.e., Office of the Assistant Secretary, Office of Communications, Office of Financial Resources, Office of Management, Technology and Operations, and National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory and Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs). The work required in the domains can be for various populations including but not limited to age–specific, racial, ethnic, tribal, sexual, and gender minority populations and/or issues including but not limited to mental and/or substance use disorders; treatment; prevention and healthy development; and recovery support.

The Contractor shall demonstrate both substantive knowledge and sensitivity with respect to consumer, family and youth, and/or provider concerns and issues. The Contractor shall employ directly or use as consultants, consult with, and/or seek advice from consumers, family and youth, and/or providers after appropriate logistical arrangements have been made. Providers shall include but are not limited to specialists from the mental health and/or substance abuse fields, as well as primary care, long-term care, housing, education, rehabilitation and/or criminal justice providers that serve individuals with behavioral health issues.

The Contractor shall be responsible and adhere to the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (the National CLAS Standards). According to the National CLAS Standards’ website, these standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and health eliminate health care disparities. It will also be the responsibility of the Contractor, if necessary and applicable depending on the project, to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Contractor shall describe how they will incorporate culturally appropriate practices such as use of preferred language and recognizing the significance of cultural or religious heritage. Furthermore, the Contractor shall identify how age–specific, racial, ethnic, tribal, sexual, and gender minority populations will be invited to participate in activities and/or partner in planning, implementing, and evaluating the activities.

The Contractor shall carry out all activities necessary to effectively and efficiently manage the contract and respond in a timely and professional manner in the development and submission of technical, management, and administrative products and services. In this regard, the Contractor shall assure the quality of products and services, anticipate, avoid, or mitigate problems, and inform the Contracting Officer of recommended solutions, monitor and control costs to assure that tasks are completed within budget, implement cost efficiencies where appropriate, provide current, accurate, and complete billings and invoices, assure that unallowable costs are not billed, meet milestones, demonstrate responsiveness to technical direction, and wrap-up contract administration as required.

The “Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan” will be an Attachment under the RFTOP and shall be used to evaluate the Contractor's performance.

BACKGROUND

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an operating division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leads public efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. SAMHSA accomplishes this mission through partnerships, policies, and programs that build resilience, improve access to quality treatment options, and facilitate recovery for people with, or at risk for, mental and/or substance use disorders.

The SAMHSA Strategic Plan FY2019 - FY2023 provides a roadmap to carry out the vision and mission of SAMHSA over the next four years. The Plan outlines core principles, five priority areas with goals and measurable objectives, and examples of key performance and measures. The five priority areas are:

1. Combating the Opioid Crisis through the Expansion of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Support Services

2. Addressing Serious Mental Illness and Serious Emotional Disturbances

3. Advancing Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Support Services for Substance Use

4. Improving Data Collection, Analysis, Dissemination, and Program and Policy Evaluation

5. Strengthening Health Practitioner Training and Education

For each priority area, an overarching goal and series of measurable objectives are described in the Strategic Plan. Following the discussion of SAMHSA’s priority areas are examples of key performance and outcome measures SAMHSA will use to track progress. Given the broad range of issues and populations that SAMHSA addresses, this Strategic Plan is not intended to be an inventory of all objectives or activities SAMHSA will pursue. Rather, the Strategic Plan presents priority goals and objectives reflecting important changes and outcomes that SAMHSA aims to achieve over the next four years. The 2022-2027 SAMHSA IDIQ contract will support SAMHSA’s strategic plan.

NOTE TO ALL OFFERORS: OFFERORS WILL PROPOSE ON THE SCENARIOS FOR THE DOMAINS, WHICH ARE IN ATTACHMENT 1a.

Domain I. FEASIBILITY, PILOT, AND EVALUATION PROJECTS

Feasibility

A feasibility study is usually done to determine whether an organizational activity, a treatment service, strategy, intervention, survey, or a statistical operation will work as intended. Feasibility studies are usually done on a small scale over a relatively brief period of time.

The Contractor shall design a feasibility study. The Contractor shall identify the key components of the feasibility study, the units that will participate in the study, a procedure by which units might be sampled, and invite units to participate in the study. The Contractor shall execute the feasibility study. The Contractor shall collect both qualitative and quantitative information on unit performance in the study. The Contractor shall provide support to the units as the study is executed, convening the sampled units. The Contractor shall report results of the feasibility study by prepare a summary report on the outcome(s) of the study with recommendations for next steps including any recommended changes.

Pilot

Pilot studies are usually done to determine whether the results of a feasibility study can be successfully scaled under a broader set of circumstances reflective of the intended range of applicability.

The Contractor shall design a pilot study. The Contractor shall identify the key components of pilot study, the units that will participate in the study, a procedure by which units might be sampled, and invite units to participate in the study. The Contractor shall execute the pilot study. The Contractor shall collect both qualitative and quantitative information on unit performance in the study. The Contractor shall provide support to the units as the study is executed, convening the sampled units. The Contractor shall report results of the pilot study by prepare a summary report on the outcome(s) of the study with recommendations for next steps (including any recommended changes). The Contractor shall develop technical assistance (TA) resources to promote increased fidelity in the application of identified models.

Evaluation

Evaluation studies can be done at the project or program level; can be experimental, quasi-experimental or non- experimental in design; and can include a range of qualitative and quantitative data and information for numerous subject areas. Projects may include a focus on comparative effectiveness, an evaluation of the sustainability of the program, and/or an evaluation of the scalability of the program being evaluated.

The Contractor shall develop a preliminary evaluation design (including mixed methods evaluations), which will measure relevant aspects of program performance. The Contractor shall meet with the COR and program staff to obtain background information on the program to be evaluated (e.g., a program theory/logic model, policy or evaluation questions); review program materials; conduct interviews with program staff; review existing data on program operations; assess current research on the program to be evaluated, which may require conducting environmental scans or literature reviews; and develop and conduct performance (process and outcome) measures and assessments (e.g., effectiveness) of programs.

Together with the COR and program staff, the Contractor shall revise, identify or develop evaluation instruments, data collection plan data dictionary, and data analysis plan; identify the questions to be addressed by the evaluation study; design an evaluation study capable of successfully answering the evaluation questions; prepare and submit Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance package; develop professionally-validated data linking algorithms to support program evaluation; develop a system for data collection tools that shall include data validation and cleaning; and invite participation in the study.

The Contractor shall execute the evaluation study. The Contractor shall provide technical assistance on the evaluation; and collect both qualitative and quantitative data and/or information as appropriate. The Contractor shall analyze resulting data and/or information; prepare a report that details the evaluation questions, design, results, and discussion; and brief the COR and program staff on the evaluation.

Domain II. DATA ANALYSIS AND STATISTICAL PROJECTS

Sampling Designs and Statistical Methods

The Contractor shall provide expertise and consultation on the design of complex survey design, sampling procedures, variance estimation, compound weights, simulation studies, and statistical methods for analyses of sample survey data with a range of complex designs. Note: Some designs may need to be suitable for generating data required by the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA). The Contractor shall provide expertise in evaluating data quality from censuses and sample surveys in the domains of sampling and measurement error, nonresponse and coverage bias, and the effect of data processing and statistical disclosure methods on data quality.

Acquisition and Development of Data

The Contractor shall identify and acquire federal and/or non-federal databases that can provide answers to questions posed by the government (e.g., household surveys, facility surveys, employer surveys, census data, health claims databases, etc.). Such databases may be required to respond to GPRAMA reporting requirements.