Capability Questions_ACF OPRE Project SUPPORTT.pdf

Supporting Pilot Program Outcomes, Research, and Technical Assistance in TANF (Project

SUPPORTT)

Brief description of services: Within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF), the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) administers federal grant programs that foster family economic security and stability, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) studies ACF programs (including TANF) and the children and families they serve through rigorous research and evaluation projects. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) requires HHS to carry out a pilot program under which it may select up to five states to negotiate TANF performance benchmarks for work and family outcomes instead of the Work Participation Rate (WPR). The objective of this acquisition is to support the selected FRA TANF pilot program states and other non-pilot states with research, evaluation, and technical assistance activities. This effort may ultimately demonstrate there are different ways to achieve better outcomes for children and their families that participate in the TANF program. The scope of the work includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

design and carry out implementation and outcome studies of the pilot programs; provide tailored research- and data-related technical assistance (TA) to each pilot state and potentially other states or TANF jurisdictions, coordinating closely with any relevant programmatic TA efforts;

establish peer learning communities; draft and disseminate study findings; facilitate active engagement with program practitioners, decision makers, and TANF participants, and potentially other interested parties, to inform tasks at all key stages of the project; and develop universal research- and data-related tools and resources to support TANF pilot program states and other non-pilot states.

Capability questions for potential vendors:

1. Describe your company’s and current staff’s experience, qualifications, and/or expertise in providing research, evaluation, and data related technical assistance (TA) to TANF agencies, including assessing TA needs and providing TA responsive to those needs within the last five years.

2. Describe your current staff’s experience, qualifications, and/or expertise related to identifying and measuring work and family outcomes in TANF and related programs within the last five years.

3. Describe your company’s experience designing and conducting implementation and outcomes studies in TANF or similar context within the last five years.

4. Describe your company’s experience disseminating and communicating research findings and other technical information to a non-technical audience within the last five years.

5. Describe your company’s experience conducting active engagement activities in the context of TANF or human services related research and evaluation within the last five years. (ACF defines active engagement as the intentional involvement in all phases of the inquiry process of groups and individuals who are invested in the outcomes of the research or evaluation – including academic experts, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, program participants, and others.)

6. Describe your company’s experience designing and leading research, evaluation, and/or data related peer learning initiatives, including communities of learning among TANF and other human services agencies within the last five years. Please describe the types of activities supported and resources and tools developed as part of these initiatives.

7. Describe your company’s experience conducting work for the federal government relevant to this description of services within the last five years, if not covered in a response above.

8. In your estimation, how much of the expertise required for this requirement would your company need to subcontract to other companies?

9. What information, details, or items would your company need in a RFQ in order to provide a quote?

10. What, if any, risks or other factors does your company foresee that may deter your company from submitting a quote on this requirement?

11. Does your company offer these services commercially or non-commercially?

12. Does your company have an approved accounting system to perform cost reimbursable type contracts?