91990022R0067 SF30 Amendment 0001.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended. is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NUMBER

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

The purpose of this Solicitation Amendment 0001 is to provide responses to clarification questions, provide revised documents based on question responses, and extend the due date for offeror response to October 14, 2022 at 3:00PM EST.

1 46

91990022R00670001 SEP 26, 2022

CAMPCP

US Dept of ED-550 12th Street SW - Room 7169 Washington DC 20065

91990022R0067

SEP 02, 2022

See Schedule

Table of Contents

SECTION C DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1 Questions and Responses

SECTION L INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 Instructions to Offerors

SECTION M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 Evaluation Criteria

PAGE 2 OF 46 91990022R00670001

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1 Questions and Responses

PAGE 3 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Question No. Reference

Page Number Question

Office Response

1 Appendix I-1 100-101 Can the Government please provide versions of Figure E1 and E2 that aren't cut off? Figures E1 and E2 have been included as a PDF file attachment on Sam.gov

Evaluation Criteria

87; 104;

On Page 105 the RFP states “The proposed Task 2 Lead and at least two other key or named staff are certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design standards and Regression Discontinuity Design standards.” However, on page 87 and 104 requirements for the task 2 lead are stated and RDD certification is not mentioned in either place. Does the Task 2 lead need to be RDD certified?

The Task 2 Lead must be certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standards and Regression Discontinuity Design standards. The RFP has been updated to clarify this.

Evaluation Criteria

87; 104;

When must the stated WWC certification requirements for key personnel (4.1 and RDD) be completed by?

The Task 2 Lead and Task 6 lead must be certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standards at the time the proposal is submitted. All other required WWC certifications should be completed within 6 weeks after the contract is awarded.

Evaluation Criteria 109 On page 109, there is mention of an Excel small business calculation tool being posted on the sam.gov page, but it is not currently available. Please provide.

The Excel version of the Small Business Calculation Tool has been uploaded as an attachment on Sam.gov

5 Instructions 83 Can bulleted lists in the technical proposal be single-spaced? Bulleted lists in the technical proposal can be single-spaced.

Instructions 86

Can an offeror propose additional key personnel roles beyond the 6 listed in the RFP if it believes these additional roles would benefit the project? Would this be permissible if some proposed key staff will perform multiple roles, so the number of key personnel would still be no more than six?

Offerors may not propose additional Key Personnel roles beyond those listed in the RFP (Director, Deputy Director, and Task Leads for Tasks 2, 3, 5, and 6). However, offerors may propose additional staff roles that are not classified as Key Personnel. Individual staff may perform may perform multiple roles, including multiple Key Personnel roles.

Instructions 86

To ensure that bidders can form project teams that meet IES’s needs, can ED confirm that bidders can include staff in the personnel chapter who are neither key personnel nor reviewers and include their resumes in the appendix? If so, will ED include these additional staff in the evaluation of qualifications of proposed staff?

In addition to providing the names and resumes for Key Personnel and up to 25 reviewers, offerors may (but are not required to) also name and provide resumes for up to three additional staff. That information will be evaluated under the "Qualifications of Proposed Staff (Other than Project Director and Deputy Project Director)" criterion. The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

Instructions 89 Can ED clarify what should be included in the Security Clearance Risk Level by Positions section of the proposal?

Offerors do not need to include anything in their proposals related to Security Clearance Risk Level by Positions. After award, the contractor will be required to submit the required documentation within two weeks of the contract start date.

Instructions 89

Can ED please confirm that Table B (Key Personnel allocation and percentage of time by subtask and year) should only contain key personnel and not additional roles? Non-key personnel may have substantial amounts of time on the project.

Table B (Key Personnel Hour Allocations and Percentage of Time by Subtask and Year) should only include Key Personnel and not additional staff.

Instructions 90

Can ED please provide the QASP (Appendix I-3)? The instructions ask offerors to copy the QASP into the Management and Timelines section. Can offerors include the QASP in an appendix outside of page limits?

The QASP is provided in Appendix I-3 which has been added to the Instructions to Offerors. Offerors may include the QASP in an appendix which would not count toward the page limits.

11 Instructions 97 Can ED please provide the questionnaire for past performance references? The Past Performance Evaulation Form has been uploaded as an Attachment to Sam.gov

Instructions 82, 97 Page 82 states that the past performance should be a separate file. Page 97 includes it as a subsection of the business proposal. Can ED please confirm that past performance information should be separate from the business proposal and submitted as Volume III?

Past performance information should be submitted in a separate file as Volume IV.

Offerors shall include summaries of three contracts that include work similar to that of the REL Peer Review contract, as well as provide references for each contract. The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

Instructions 87, 105

The instructions to offerors and the evaluation criteria note that the Task 5 lead needs to have WWC certification in group design and RDD. However, only the last bullet on page 105 suggests that the Task 2 lead needs RDD certification. Can ED please confirm that the reference to Task 2 in the following sentence should be replaced with Task 5? “The proposed Task 2 Lead and at least two other key or named staff are certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design standards and Regression Discontinuity Design standards”?

The Task 2 Lead and the Task 5 Lead must be certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standards and Regression Discontinuity Design standards. The RFP has been updated to clarify this.

14 Instructions 83 Do references count toward the page limit?

References to sources that are cited in the proposal narrative do not count toward the page limit.

Instructions 83 Page 83 indicates that resumes should be included for key and named personnel. Can we provide resumes for personnel in addition to the 6 key personnel and 25 reviewers?

In addition to providing the names and resumes for Key Personnel and up to 25 reviewers, offerors may (but are not required to) also name and provide resumes for up to three additional staff. That information will be evaluated under the "Qualifications of Proposed Staff (Other than Project Director and Deputy Project Director)" criterion. The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

16 Instructions 84 On page 84 of the RFP instructions referencing the cover page included “stating the region they are bidding” can you confirm that is not needed?

The sentence "The offeror shall explicitly state the region they are bidding for on the cover page" has been deleted from the instructions for cover pages in the RFP.

Instructions 86 In the Key and Named Personnel section on page 86, the RFP states that Task Leads should be designated for Tasks 2, 3, 5, and 6. Will Task 4 lead be considered key personnel? If not, can we still include their resume?

In addition to providing the names and resumes for Key Personnel and up to 25 reviewers, offerors may (but are not required to) also name and provide resumes for up to three additional staff. This can include the Task 4 Lead. That information will be evaluated under the "Qualifications of Proposed Staff (Other than Project Director and Deputy Project Director)" criterion. The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

Instructions 89 Please provide guidance for Security Clearance referenced on page 89. The RFP does not have Appendix I-2.

Offerors do not need to include anything in their proposals related to Security Clearance Risk Level by Positions. After award, the contractor will be required to submit the required documentation within two weeks of the contract start date. Appendix I-2 has been added to the RFP.

19 Instructions 97 Can you please include/send Contractor Performance Information form mentioned on page 97 of the RFP under Past Performance? The Past Performance Evaulation Form has been uploaded as an Attachment to Sam.gov

Instructions 83-84; 86

Does ED need letters of commitment from subcontractor staff, or is listing the roles in the letter is sufficient? If letters of commitment from staff—are these necessary only for Key Personnel, or for all subcontractor staff (e.g. including reviewers)? If just listing roles in the subcontractor letter-- should key staff need to be named in the subcontractor letter (or just roles listed)?

Letters of commitment are required from each subcontractor company, not from each subcontractor staff. If Key Personnel are employed by a subcontractor, the subcontractor letter should name them and describe their roles and responsibilities. Key Personnel who not employed by the prime contractor or subcontractors shall submit individual letters.

N/A Is subcontracting with an organization incorporated in Canada permissible? Can they count towards the small business goals?

It is permissible, however, the Canadian business needs to have a US presence and be registered in SAM in order to count toward small business goals (prime or sub or otherwise). If the Canadian business does not have a US presence, it does not count.

22 N/A Since this is a cost reimbursable contract can ED confirm that if the six month extension is authorized the contractor would be able to charge current rates?

Yes, the current rates would be used for a 6 month extension, if exercised.

PWS 17 How many report templates are currently in use? About how many will need to be created and/or updated?

The REL Program currently has one template for published reports and one template for published tools. The report template includes separate files for the main report, the appencices, and a short summary. The tool template is much less structured than the report template and mainly provides examples of how various potential tool elements should be designed (e.g., text headers, body, lists; boxes; tables; charts; icons). NCEE does not anticipate that new templates will need to be created, however updates to the existing templates may be required.

Clarification Questions for 91990022R0067 Peer Review for Regional Educational Laboratories

PAGE 4 OF 46 91990022R00670001

PWS 17

Section 3.2 notes the contractor will receive about 150 products for editing and production. To provide an accurate estimation of editorial services, can the Government please provide an estimated page range for these 150 products?

Reports, which make up the majority of the products, average approximately 40 total pages including the main report, the appencices, and the summary. Tools average approximately 80 total pages, although tools have a much wider range than reports; tools often range between 30-190 pages. The WWC Toolkits are each anticipated to be approximately 200 pages.

PWS 17

Regarding the 150 products for editing and production, can the Government please provide an estimate for the number of figures, tables, and other graphic elements that may appear in a given product?

Products each have an average of approximately 20 tables/figures/graphics.

PWS 20 Can ED confirm the number of TWG meetings that bidders should budget for Task 5.2?

Offerors should budget for one Technical Working Group meeting for each project conducted under Subtask 5.1. Offerors may anticipate up to two projects, and therefore two TWG meetings, will be done over the course of the contract. The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

Solicitation schedule 3 Since Task 5 is optional, should its cost and fixed fee be listed separately in the cost schedule or should those be included in the base and optional periods?

The business proposal Excel file should indicate which costs are for Task 5 versus the other Tasks, so that it is easy to identify and separate out the specific costs for the optional Task 5. It is permissible to entirely separate the Task 5 costs from the rest of the budget and not tie the Task 5 costs to any particular contract period(s) (base period or option periods). The RFP has been updated to reflect this.

PAGE 5 OF 46 91990022R00670001

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 Instructions to Offerors

PAGE 6 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Instruc t ions to Offerors

PEER REVIEW FOR REGIO NAL EDUCATIO NAL LABORATORIE S

Introd u c t i o n

All proposals received in response to this Reques t for Proposals (RFP) will become a par t of the official contrac t file. The RFP does not commit the U.S.

Depar t m e n t of Education (Depar t m e n t ) to pay any cost for the prepar a t ion and submission of a proposal. In addition, the Contrac t ing Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Governm e n t to the expendi tu r e of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisi tion. The Depar tm e n t will not be obligated to provide any equipme n t or a work site.

Offerors shall prepa re separa t e technical and business /cos t proposals in response to this RFP. The technical proposals shall not contain reference to specific costs, although resource information may be included so that the offeror’s unders t a n ding of the scope of the work may be evalua ted . Cost informa tion is rest ricted to the business proposal, with the limited exception of contrac t value data that offerors may include in the past performa nc e volume explained in grea te r detail below. Each proposal shall be separa t e and complet e so that evaluat ion of one may be accomplished independe n t ly of the other . The proposed costs shall also be commens u r a t e with the proposed technical solution set forth in the technical proposal.

Vendor Ques t io n s

The Depar tm e n t will accept solicita tion questions.

Offerors must sub mit all que s t i o n s to Kat i e Op p e r ka t i e . o p p e r @ e d . g o v a n d Josep h Gibbs Josep h .Gibb s@ e d . g o v no later than 3 PM Easter n on Septe m b e r 16, 202 2 .

The Depar tm e n t will not accep t or respond to questions submit ted via mail, facsimile, or telephone . The Depar t m e n t cannot guaran t e e responses to questions submit ted after the stated deadline.

Propos a l Sub mi s s i o n

The offeror shall submit their proposals as four separa t e digital files:

1. Technical Proposal, including appendices and résum és

PAGE 7 OF 46 91990022R00670001

2. Business Proposal, including nar ra t ive volume and cost information

3. Excel workbook of cost information contained in the nar ra t ive volume

4. Past Performa nc e Volume

Offerors must submit files elect ronically as PDFs and unlocked Excel spreads h e e t s . Offerors must submit PDF versions of the Technical and Business Proposals and Past Performa nc e Report s . Cost should also be submitt ed as a Microsoft Excel file (additional information is provided below).

The Depar t m e n t will only accept elect ronic proposals submit ted in accordanc e with these instruc t ions . The Depar t m e n t will not accept or review proposals submit ted by mail (public or private) or facsimile.

Electro n i c copie s of propo s a l s shal l be email e d to Kat i e Op p e r ka t i e . o p p e r @ e d . g o v a n d Josep h Gibbs Josep h .Gibb s@ e d . g o v n o later than 3 PM Easter n on Octob er 14, 202 2 .

The Depart m e n t ’ s emai l servers cann o t guaran t e e delivery of emai l s larger than 25M B . This size rest ric tion accoun ts for possible expansion of file size due to certain Microsoft Cloud prope r t i es . If attach m e n t s are too large for one individual email then offerors may submit more than one email as long as the email subject line clearly indicates that multiple emails will follow (e.g., “REL Peer Review Proposal: One of Four”).

If a subcont r a c to r is not willing to share its proprie ta ry information with the prime contrac to r , the subcon t r a c to r may submit subcont r a c to r package s direc tly to the ED contac t s listed above by the deadline listed above. The subcon t r ac to r shall include the prime contrac to r’s name on the cover page and in the cover letter .

Volu m e I: Tech n ic a l Propos a l

Genera l Instru c t i o n s

The offeror must complet ely address all of the tasks described in the Performa nc e Work Statem e n t (PWS) unless specifically instruc t ed to the contra ry and provide sufficient detail on the proposed approach for each task to allow a Technical Evaluat ion Panel (TEP) to adequa te ly evaluat e that approach. All information necessa ry to evaluate the technical soundnes s and manage m e n t capabili ties of the offeror will be contained in the technical proposal. The TEP will not make assumptions or guesses .

While the intent of each task is stated in the PWS, it is the offeror’s responsibili ty

PAGE 8 OF 46 91990022R00670001

to propose the most effective method for carrying out these tasks in their region.

The task specifica tions contained in this PWS are a star ting point; the proposal is expected to build on them by providing specific examples, where appropria t e , rathe r than simply repea t ing the languag e contained in the PWS. Repea ting the languag e of the PWS does not demons t r a t e an unders t a n d ing of the require m e n t .

The technical proposal must not exceed 85 double- spaced pages (8 ½ x 11) with a 12- point font size and margins of at least 1 inch. The page limit includ e s the nar ra t ive and corresponding tables/gr a p hics . Tables and graphics may be single spaced and use a 10- point font size. The page limit does not includ e the appendices . ED is not responsible for reviewing any proposal that exceeds the maximum page limit.

Page limits for the remaining sections of the Technical Proposal are below:

Introduc tion – no page limit

Technical Plan – no page limit

Key and Named Personnel – no more than 15 pages

Manage m e n t Plan and Timelines – no page limit

Organizat ional Capabilities, Experience , & Resources – no more than 3 pages

All pages should be number e d consecu tively, including appendices . Offerors shall use the format and conten t require m e n t s detailed below in prepa ring their technical proposals.

Organizat ional chart s within the technical proposal may be single spaced and 10- point font size, using a landscap e orient a t ion.

Footnote s shall be no smaller than size 10 font and single spaced.

Appendices shall be numbere d as listed below. Requirem e n t s for specific appendices are as follows:

I. Resu m e s for Key and Nam e d Perso n n e l . Résumés are required for the key personnel and for up to 25 named reviewers . Offerors may (but are not required to) also name and provide resumes for up to three additional staff.

Resumes shall be no longer than three single- spaced pages and use 12- point font. References are not required . Resumes shall clearly demonst r a t e that individuals have the experience and exper tise to perform the work for which they are proposed.

II. Letter s of Com mi t m e n t from Subc o n tr a c t o r s and Key Pers o n n e l

PAGE 9 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Not Employe d by the Prime or Subc o n tr a c t or . Lette rs of Commitm en t from all subcont r ac to r s are required . If key staff are employed by a subcon t r ac to r , their roles and responsibili ties shall be described in the subcon t r ac to r letter . Key staff not employed by the prime contrac to r or subcon t r ac to r s shall submit individual lette rs . These letters do not have a page limit and shall use 12- point font and single spacing.

III. Table s of Time Com mi t m e n t s . The Tables of Time Commitme n t s of Staff shall use 10- point font and single spacing.

IV. Deliverabl e s Sch e d u l e . The Deliverables Schedule for the first two years of the contrac t shall use 12- point font. There is no page limit. The orienta t ion of this chart may be landscap e.

V. Certif ica t i o n s about Rese ar c h Activit i e s Relate d to Huma n Subjec t s (optio n a l ) . Offerors may include cer tifica tions associat ed with EDAR Clause 3452.224- 71 NOTICE ABOUT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS in an appendix to the Technical Proposal.

Proposals must include the following element s , in the order specified. Offerors can cross- referenc e between sections in the proposal:

Cover Page

The cover page must include the name and address of the entity submit ting the proposal and be signed by an officer of the entity. The cover page does not count agains t the page limit. Offerors may include a page immedia t ely following the Cover Page but before the Cover Letter that includes any res t ric ted data information in accordanc e with FAR Clause 52.215- 1 if an offeror does not wish to include this information as a disclaimer direc tly on the cover page. Font size is rest ricted to 10- point font or larger .

Cover Letter

The Cover Letter must contain a clear list of all proposed subcont r a c to r s , their small business status , and DUNS numbe r s of the prime. The Cover Letter shall use 12- point font, single- spacing, and does not count agains t the page limit.

Additionally, the Cover Lette r must include an affirmation of acceptanc e of the Depar t m e n t’s Rights in Data clause. The Depar tm e n t will include FAR Clause 52.227- 17– Rights in Data- Special Works in the final contrac t . The Institut e of Educa tion Sciences (IES) affirms its commitm en t to, and points to its unimpeach a ble record of, releasing all high- quality scientific resea rc h and resear ch- related produc ts promptly and without rega rd to the natu re of the

PAGE 10 OF 46 91990022R00670001

findings. However , IES includes this clause to ensure that only high quality, peer-reviewed work is distribu ted . The offeror must affirm that, if it is awarded the contrac t , it will accept this clause in its entire ty, without amend m e n t . The Depar t m e n t will not negotia t e this clause or its wording.

Offerors must include the following affirmation of the offeror’s acceptanc e of this clause:

[Company name], by submit ting this proposal and executing any contrac t that resul ts from this proposal, affirms that it accepts in full the Depar tm e n t’s inclusion of FAR Clause 52.227- 17– Rights in Data- Special Works in its entire ty.

We unders t a n d that the Depar tm e n t will not waive this clause or issue any contrac t that does not contain this clause.

Table of Conte n t s

The table of conten ts shall identify each section. The offeror shall write the proposal in the order shown below. The table of conten t s shall use 12- point font, single- spacing, and does not count agains t the page limit.

Introdu c t i o n

This section shall completely and concisely explain the stra tegies , opera t ions , and procedu r e s the offeror proposes to achieve the contrac t’s objectives. This section should include a discussion of any poten tial issues that might arise and the proposed means to address them. Offerors shall demons t r a t e experience and knowledge needed to accomplish the work set forth in the PWS. In addition to demonst r a t ing exper t ise , the introduc tion shall also provide rationale for why the proposed approach will meet the intent and requirem e n t s of the contrac t and should describe ways in which the approach is unique, insightful, or par ticula rly compreh e n s ive.

Tech ni c a l Plan

The offeror shall provide details explaining the strat egies , opera t ions , and procedu r e s it proposes , by task and subtask. The offeror shall add details and propose specific solutions to demonst r a t e an unders t an d ing of the purpose , require m e n t s , complexities, and difficulties of this contrac t and how the offeror proposes to respond to them. Offerors shall not re- state the PWS but shall instead use their exper tise and unders t a n ding to propose a compreh e n s ive approach and scope of work across tasks and subtasks that builds upon the require m e n t s stated in the PWS.

For Task 6, in addition to providing the required informa tion for each task and subtask noted above, the offerors shall propose a preliminary list of exper t resear ch e r s on the Use of Research Evidence in the proposal.

PAGE 11 OF 46 91990022R00670001

In order to provide offerors with backgroun d informat ion on some of the tasks in the PWS, the RFP includes the following resource s:

NCEE Guidance for REL Study Proposals , Report s , and Other Products – relevan t for Task 2

REL Research Proposal Templates – relevant for Task 2

REL Progra m Writers Guide and Style Guide – relevan t for Task 3

REL Stakeholde r Feedback Survey – relevan t for Task 6

Key and Nam e d Perso n n e l

The offeror shall propose a list of up to 6 Key Personnel and up to 25 additional people who will serve as reviewers . The Key Personnel are Director , Deputy Directo r , and Task Leads for Tasks 2, 3, 5, and 6. Key Personnel shall be responsible for large portions of technical direction and oversigh t and are conside red essen tial to the performa nc e of the work. Any changes in the Key Personnel require the approval of the Depar t m e n t and will be memorialized through a contrac t modifica tion.

For each individual listed as Key Personnel, the offeror shall include their expected roles and a descrip t ion of the experience and exper t ise that qualifies them to successfully complete the work. These descrip tions shall be no more than one parag ra p h for each person that points towards the most relevant experience and qualifica tions that are applicable to their par ticula r assigned task(s).

In a separa t e appendix, the offeror shall include résum és for the Key Personnel .

These résumé s should not exceed three pages (single space and size 12- point font) and should include professional backgroun d, including degrees held and specializa tions , along with relevan t experience and related accomplishm e n t s . In addition, this appendix shall contain letter s of commitme n t from all proposed Key Personnel not curren tly employed by the offeror. Each letter must also delinea t e the natur e of the agreem e n t (i.e., the position and responsibilities that person will have under the contrac t should it be awarded to the offeror) and affirm their commitme n t to the project if the offeror is awarded the contrac t . If the Key Personnel are employed by a subcon t r ac to r , their role may be described in the letter of commitm en t from the subcon t r ac to r .

Offerors shall also submit the names and résumé s for up to 25 additional people who will serve as reviewer s .

In addition to providing the names and resum es for Key Personnel and up to 25 reviewer s , offerors may (but are not required to) also name and provide resumes for up to three additional staff.

PAGE 12 OF 46 91990022R00670001

The offeror shall ensure that the Key Personnel and revie w e r s meet the specified criteria listed below. Note that it is not required that each task be led by differen t people; proposed staff may lead multiple tasks.

Proje c t Direc t o r and Depu t y Direc t o r: Togethe r , the Project Directo r and Deputy Director shall repres en t a combina tion of expert ise in the areas of resea r ch and project manage m e n t . Both must be cer tified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standa rd s . Have experienc e providing review and evaluat ion of educa tion resear ch , providing technical assistanc e and feedback about resea r ch project s and product s , and developing mate rials for use by education policymake r s and practi tione rs . Professional publications in applied educa tion resea rc h and a project manage m e n t cer tifica tion are recomm e n d e d , but not required . The Project Directo r and Deputy Director shall each commit at least 0.5 full- time equivalent (FTE) to the contrac t in that role throughou t the dura tion of the contrac t . The Director and Deputy Directo r shall be employees of the prime contrac to r ; the Director shall be an employee of the prime contrac to r at the time the proposal is submitt ed . Must have experienc e managing a contrac t that is similar in scope and scale to the curren t require m e n t .

Tas k 2 Lead: Must have extensive training and experience in conduc ting and reviewing causal resea rc h and high- quality descrip tive resear ch (such as descrip tive and correla tional data analyses , causal impact studies, efficacy studies , and system a t ic litera tu r e reviews and meta-analyses). Must be certified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standa rd s and Regression Discontinui ty Design standa rd s . Must have manage d tasks similar in scale and complexity as task 2.

Tas k 3 Lead: Must have extensive experience in editing resear ch and evaluat ion repor t s . Must have manage d tasks similar in scale and complexity as task 3.

Tas k 5 Lead: Must have training and experience in developing or refining new research and evaluation methods and analyses, as well as e xtensive background in statis tics and resea rc h design and in conduc ting causal studies and high- quality descrip tive studies . Must be cer tified in WWC

4.1 Group Design Standa r ds and Regression Discontinuity Design standa r ds .

Must have manage d tasks that are similar in scale and complexity as task 5 .

Tas k 6 Lead: Must have training and extensive experienc e in developing and piloting surveys and measu re s of responde n t s’ percep t ions and behaviors; in survey resea rc h , statis tics, and resea r ch design; and in conduc ting descrip tive studies, correla tional studies , and experimen t a l

PAGE 13 OF 46 91990022R00670001

evaluat ions . Must be cer tified in WWC 4.1 Group Design Standa rd s . Must have manage d tasks that are similar in scale and complexity as task 6.

Experience conduc ting resea rch on how and when educato r s and/or policymake r s use evidence is desirable but is not required .

Addi t i o n a l Revi e w e r s : Proposed reviewer s should have exper tise in a range of conten t topics and analytic methodologies in which RELs commonly work. Staff proposed to review the “relevance” of REL proposals and produc ts repres en t the audience likely to use REL produc ts (such as curren t and former school district leaders , policymake r s and progra m directo r s , classroom teache r s , leaders in the educa tion indus t ry, and leaders of not- for- profit organiza t ions focused on educa tion). Multiple proposed reviewers also have experience implemen t ing or suppor t ing others in implemen t ing evidence- based practices .

Tim e Com m i t m e n t s

In Table A (see below), the technical proposal must indicate the time commitme n t s for the entire contrac t period to both federal and non- federal contrac t ual obligations (as well as outside consulting commitme n t s ) for Key Personnel . Key Personnel must be identified by name along with the percen t a g e of their time allocated to those contrac tu al obligations .

In Table B, the offeror must indicate the numbe r of proposed hours of Key Personnel by subtask (including any subtasks that are optional) by year for all five years. In addition, the offeror must indicate their numbe r of hours and propor t ion of time commit ted by year.

The offeror shall also provide the denomina to r for the percen t a g e- of-staff- time calculation; that is, the offeror shall provide the total number of hours a full- time equivalent works at the offeror’s company during a year (how many hours make up 1 FTE).

The Tables of Time Commitme n t (Tables A and B) shall be included in an Appendix and may be presen t ed in landscap e. The contrac to r shall use the tables below. Table B shall include five tables, one for each year of the contrac t . Note that Table B spans multiple landscap e pages but has been consolidat ed onto one page here for readability purposes . Offerors may caption the additional portions of the char t as “Table B. Key Personnel Hour Allocations and Percen ta g e of Time by Subtask and Year, Continued” or any other method that the offeror wishes to utilize to ensure that the informa tion is clearly presen t e d .

Table s of Time Com mi t m e n t s

Table A. Key Perso n n e l Perc e n t a g e of Time

PAGE 14 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

RPR

Other Project s

RPR

Other Project s

RPR

Other Projec ts

RPR

Other Project s

RPR

Other Project s

RPR

Other Project s

FTE

Name

Table B. Key Perso n n e l Hour Alloca t i o n s and Perce n t a g e of Time by Subt ask and Year

Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2

Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr %

Name

Task 5 Task 6 Annual Total5.1 5.2 6.1 6.2

Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr % Hr %

Name

Securi ty Clearan c e Risk Levels by Posi t io n

All personnel performing more than 60 hours of work on the contrac t over the entire contrac t period – regardles s of whethe r they are employed by the prime contrac to r or a subcont r ac to r – must be assigned a position with a corresponding securi ty risk level. Contrac t personnel in a low or modera t e risk level position who do not have a curren t clearanc e through the Depar tm e n t are required to be initiated into the securi ty clearance process before they may begin work on the contrac t . Offerors are expected to prioritize this work at the star t of the contrac t and incorpora t e the time needed to initiate the securi ty clearanc e process into project timelines and budge t s as needed. As noted in the PWS, the contrac to r will be required to submit the required docume n t a t ion for all staff assigned a low or modera t e risk to the IES securi ty team within two weeks of the contrac t star t date . See Appendix I-2 for Guidance on Securi ty Clearances Needed by Contrac to r s .

Mana g e m e n t Plan and Timel in e s

PAGE 15 OF 46 91990022R00670001

The offeror shall provide a summary descrip tion of the manage m e n t control system that will be used internally for planning, scheduling, budge ting, manage m e n t , and repor t ing accomplishme n t s . The offeror must describe how the internal manage m e n t control system will be applied to the work of this proposal as specified in the PWS and the evalua tion criteria . The proposed manage m e n t system should include procedu r es for the following: (1) effective manage m e n t of project resources ; (2) procedu r es for controlling the quality of produc ts /se rvices;

and (3) procedu r e s for early identifica tion and remedy of potential problems in carrying out task activities. In summary, the manage m e n t approach should provide a clear indication that all tasks can be complet ed on time and with a high level of quality. For example, each offeror shall propose a plan for regula rly assessing that the quality of the peer reviews of REL proposals and deliverables are compreh e n s ive , of high technical quality, useful and clear, as well as a plan for evaluating the quality of the reviews conduc ted by each peer reviewer.

In addition to describing the manage m e n t system, the offeror shall presen t the following information:

An organizat ional chart for the project showing responsible par ties and lines of authori ty for each task, including subcont r ac to r assignme n t s .

An internal quality control plan that address e s accoun ta bili ty in each task and subtask area must be provided. This shall include the review process for deliverables before they are submit ted to the COR and shall include which individuals are responsible for assuring that all work is complete , accura t e , and free of errors and omissions .

Any sub- contrac t ua l arrang e m e n t s including the work to be perform ed , responsibilities for tasks, repor t ing arrang e m e n t s , and any other terms of the agree m e n t . This information shall be included in a lette r of commitme n t from the proposed subcon t r a c to r (s) delineat ing the natu re of the agree m e n t . Letter s of commitme n t should be included in an Appendix.

The offeror shall assure that proposed subcont r ac to r s /cons ul t an t s are free of conflicts of interes t that might bias their approach to this work.

A Quality Assuranc e Surveillance Plan (QASP) that outlines how the perform anc e of tasks outlined in the submit ted Technical Proposal will be assess ed during the life of the contrac t . IES has developed a QASP for the contrac t (see Appendix I-3). Offerors need only copy this QASP into the Manage m e n t and Timelines section. Offerors may not revise this QASP.

In an appendix, provide a Deliverables Schedule of task activities and the delivery of produc t s for the first two years of the project.

PAGE 16 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Deliverables shall be organized by task, subtask, and date of delivery. The “draft due date” is the date the contrac to r plans to submit the first draft of the deliverable. After the submission of a draft deliverable – other than those under Subtasks 2.2 and 3.2 – the contrac to r should anticipat e that IES needs 10 business days to review a deliverable. For additional informa tion about IES review timelines for produc t s under Subtasks 2.2 and 3.2, see Appendix I-1. The “final due date” is the date the contrac to r anticipat e s submit ting a deliverable that no longer requires revisions and is ready for IES to accept .

Use the following table format:

Task /Subtask Deliverable Name Draft Due Date

Final Due date

Organiza t i o n a l Capabil i t i e s , Experie n c e , & Resour c e s

This section must describe pertinen t corpora t e experience and qualifications in conduc ting the tasks/sub ta sks outlined in the PWS. This section must also briefly identify the organiza tion’s track record of recrui ting and maintaining well-qualified resea rch e r s and staff, resources (other than personnel), such as facilities and equipmen t , that are available for use in carrying out the activities of this project. Applicable prior corpora t e experience must include evidence of successful experienc e with projects that are similar to the curren t project in terms of the specific tasks to be performe d and the level of effort required .

Volu m e II: Bus in e s s Propo s a l (No Page Limit ) and Volu m e III: Excel Workbo o k of Cost Informa t i o n

The Depar t m e n t anticipa te s awarding a Cost Plus Fixed Fee Type (CPFF) contrac t . All travel shall be proposed on a cost reimbur s e m e n t (CR) basis.

The Depar t m e n t anticipa te s fully funding Year 1 of the base period at time of award, Year 2 prior to star t date, and subseque n t ly anticipa t e s fully funding each option year at the time of exercise (if exercised at the Governme n t’s discre t ion).

Genera l Instru c t i o n s

Each Offeror’s business proposal must contain enough information for a cost realism determina t ion to be made. Offerors are expected to use their best business judgmen t in submit ting the necessa ry informat ion. The Source Selection

PAGE 17 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Official (Contrac t ing Officer) can reject an Offeror’s proposal if a negative cost realism determina t ion is made. Federal Acquisition Regula tion (FAR) 15.404- 1 states , “Cost realism means the costs in an Offeror’s proposal are (a) realistic for the work to be performe d; (b) reflect a clear unders t an d ing of the requirem e n t s ;

and (c) are consis ten t with the various elemen t s of the Offeror’s technical proposal .” As such, Offerors proposals must contain identifica tion of cost or pricing data (i.e., data that are verifiable and factual) and an explana tion of the estimating process. When applicable, include the requirem e n t s in FAR 15.408, Table 15- 2 I.C., which provides instruct ions for prepa ring a contrac t pricing proposal when cer tified cost or pricing data are required .

When prepa r ing the technical and budge t proposals, offerors shall follow the approxima te guidelines in the table below in order to appor tion costs for Subtasks

2.2 and 3.2. Offerors may assume an average of 2.5 rounds of peer review per REL proposal/p roduc t .

Contra ct Year

Proposals Beginning

Review (Subtask 2.2)

Products Beginning

Review (Subtask 2.2)

Products Beginning

Editing (Subtask 3.2)

1 30% 7% 0% 2 30% 25% 20% 3 10% 40% 40% 4 10% 20% 35% 5 20% 7% 5%

Offerors should budge t for one Technical Working Group meeting for each project conduc ted under Subtask 5.1. Offerors may anticipat e up to two 5.1 projects will be done over the course of the contrac t .

The offeror shall submit proposed costs for each task and subtask (including optional tasks/sub ta sks) to encompas s the entire period of perform a nce . The proposed budge t for each task and subtask must include the number of hours each staff person is expected to commit . The costs shall be inclusive.

There is no page limita tion for the business proposal. Please verify that the conten ts of the business proposal are mathem a t ically accura t e , and the suppor t ing data reconcile in the proposal. All text in a nar ra t ive volume shall be in 12- point font and double spaced. All char t s in the business proposal shall not be smaller than 10- point font. There are no spacing or size rest ric tions for Excel volumes.

Offerors must submit the following information with their business proposal:

PAGE 18 OF 46 91990022R00670001

Cover She e t

The Depar t m e n t reques t s that offerors provide the following information on the cover shee t of the business proposal:

Solicita tion Number (91990022R0067)

The name and DUNS of offeror and the sub- contrac to r s

The percen t a g e of the total proposed budge t that will be given to each subcon t r ac to r

An indication of the small business status of each subcont r a c to r

The cover sheet shall list the names and telephone number s of persons authorized to conduc t negotia tions and a statem e n t that your offer is firm for a period of at leas t 270 calenda r days from the date of receipt of offers specified by the Governm e n t . The cover sheet shall be double- spaced.

Cost Accou n t i n g , Estim at i n g , and Purch a s i n g Syst e m Infor ma t i o n

The offeror must include informat ion on the status of its accoun ting system, estimating system, purchasing system. If these systems have been reviewed and approved by a Governm e n t Agency, include a copy of the approval letter . If they have not, offerors must state so and provide a justifica tion for all proposed costs.

Cost Inform at i o n

The business proposal shall include a separa t e cost estimate for each task and subtask for all five years of perform anc e , including optional tasks and subtasks .

Business proposals that do not provide separa t e breakou t s for each task and subtask are unaccep t a ble , and the Depar tm e n t will not conside r your proposal for award.

The business proposal Excel file should indicate which costs are for Task 5 versus the other Tasks, so that it is easy to identify and separa t e out the specific costs for the optional Task 5. It is permissible to entirely separa t e the Task 5 costs from the rest of the budge t and not tie the Task 5 costs to any particula r contrac t period(s) (base period or option periods).

The business proposal shall include detailed cost breakdow ns for staff, consultan t s , subcon t r ac to r s , travel, supplies, compute r costs, etc., for each task (separa t e ly). The offeror should provide informa tion on the assumptions underlying estimat es of direct costs. The offeror should also provide information on all indirec t costs, such as overhe ad, fee, and G&A, including the categories on which overhea d, fees, and G&A will be calcula ted . Similar business informat ion shall also be submit ted for subcont r ac to r s .

PAGE 19 OF 46 91990022R00670001

The offeror shall submit suppor t ing informat ion docume n ting their cost build up by year. The offerors shall submit adequa t e data to allow complete analysis and evaluat ion of proposed costs. If necessa ry, the Depar t m e n t will reques t other than cost data to dete rmine that costs are conside red fair and reasona ble.

Food costs (other than per diem) are not allowable under any circums ta nc e s , and offerors shall not include food costs in their proposals.

Breakd o w n s for Other Direc t Costs and Other Reso ur c e s

Offerors must submit proposed costs itemized for each task/sub t a sk , as well as a total proposed cost for all work to be perform e d. The proposed budge t for each task and subtask must indicate the numbe r of hours being proposed for each staff person and breakdow ns of direc t charges for mate rials , supplies, consultan t s , equipmen t , telephone, copying, travel, and any other major budge t items, as well as indirec t cost rates used in prepar ing the cost estimate . Indirec t cost rates shall be proposed in accordanc e with an offeror’s curren t provisional billing rate agreem e n t . A copy of curren t indirec t rate agreem e n t s shall be provided in the business proposal.

The business proposal must also include costs itemized by project year.

Subc o n tr a c t or Cost( s )

Offerors must submit its cost analyses of all subcont r ac to r s proposed whose costs exceed the threshold for cer tified cost or pricing data, as applicable.

In accorda nce with FAR 52.215- 22 Limitations on Pass- through Charges – Identification of Subcon trac t Effort if applicable, if the Offeror intends to subcon t r ac t more than 70% of the total cost of work to be performe d, the proposal must identify (i) the amount of the offeror’s indirec t costs and profit applicable to the work to be performe d by the subcon t r ac to r (s) and (ii) a descrip tion of the added value provided by the offeror as related to the work to be perform ed by the subcont r a c to r ( s) .

Labor Rates

Offerors are permit ted to propose discounted rates to improve the competi t ivenes s of their proposal and are not required to use their General Services Administ ra t ion (GSA) rates. The labor mix and labor categories proposed must be consisten t with the personnel proposed in the technical proposal .

Labor hours and cost shall be proposed for the developme n t of costs , in the event that it becomes necessa ry to extend the period of perform anc e for up to 6 months beyond the stated period of performa nc e , in accordanc e with FAR 52.217- 8 Option to Extend Services. Offerors are to price out/pres e n t the budge t for the 6-

PAGE 20 OF 46 91990022R00670001

month extension the same as the 5-year contrac t period providing labor hours and using Year 5 labor rates in accordanc e with FAR 52.217- 8.