Application_Timeliness_Source_Sought_Notice.pdf

Sources Sought Notice

Identifying Program Components and Practices That Influence SNAP Application Processing Timeliness Rates

This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE is for small businesses only. The purpose of this sources sought notice is to determine the interest and feasibility of a small business set-aside for the following requirement: Identifying Program Components and Practices that Influence SNAP Application Processing Timeliness Rates. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government, nor will the U.S.

Government pay for information solicited. The information from this notice will help the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plan their acquisition strategy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) intends to issue a procurement for the subject research study in Fiscal Year 2015 and is seeking statements of capability from potential offerors. Preference will be given to small businesses with experience and staffing to perform the requirement as demonstrated in their capability statement.

FNS is seeking a contractor to conduct a study that will examine States’ varying program and policy options, workflow, business processes, and other features to identify the program elements and practices that facilitate high APT rates. The study will include a survey of all 50 States and the District of Columbia as well as a review of program administrative data, including administrative and demonstration project waivers. In addition, the study will include a review of reports from studies done by FNS on this issue.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, NO SOLICITATION

EXISTS AT THIS TIME.

The Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support (OPS) & Contracts Management Division (CMD), is conducting a market survey to determine the availability and technical capability of qualified small businesses, including small disadvantaged businesses (SDB), 8(a) small businesses, woman-owned small businesses (WOSB), veteran owned small businesses (VOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB), and Historically Under-utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses capable of conducting a survey of the program components and practices that influence SNAP application processing timeliness rates.

The fundamental goal of this independent evaluation is to identify the program elements and practices that facilitate high APT rates. All responding small business firms are requested to identify their firm's size and type of business to the anticipated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code. For this acquisition, the NAICS code is 541720, and the Small Business Standard is $20.5 Million. Teaming arrangements and joint ventures will be considered for any subsequent procurement based on the Government's market research, provided the prime contract is awarded to an applicable small business and that small businesses provide fifty percent or more of the support.

The Food and Nutrition Service under the Office of Policy Support is conducting market research to identify sources that can demonstrate their experience, skills, and qualifications with projects of similar scope and size completed within the last three (3) years, and explain in appropriate detail how they intend to demonstrate competency in each of the following points

(A) through (H). Expound, utilizing specific examples, on how the firm has undertaken and/or demonstrated the prerequisites listed below:

A. Detailed knowledge and understanding of the regulations and operations of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

B. Coordinating with FNS National and Regional Offices and State Agencies to collect administrative data from the study States.

C. Conducting policy analyses, including locating and reviewing appropriate information on legislative and regulatory authorities from program operations.

D. Analyzing quantitative data from multiples sources and qualitative data to address the research objectives described below in an integrated way.

E. Collecting data within limited time windows.

F. Writing reports of technical information in language appropriate to non-technical audiences.

G. Providing briefings of technical findings appropriate for non-technical audiences.

H. Managing projects of a similar size and scope, including meeting government objectives, ensuring the quality and timeliness of deliverables, and coordinating with the government funding agency.

Below Are The Research Study Objectives Of The Requirement:

The primary purpose of this study is to determine best practices for facilitating high APT rates.

The study will evaluate the program components and practices of all 50 States and the District of Columbia to identify specific practices, such as waivers or options implemented that are associated with better timeliness outcomes. The study objectives and research questions are provided below. The list of questions is not exhaustive. The offeror may choose to provide additional questions.

Objective 1: Describe each State’s SNAP policy and operational procedures. At a minimum, address each State’s business process, technology improvements, and workflow analysis and process management.

What waivers, if any, do the States have in place? When were they implemented?

What demonstrations, if any, are the States operating? When were they implemented?

What is the “business as usual” approach to receiving and certifying SNAP applications?

Describe in detail how the application process flows across units within the local service offices, call centers, and (if appropriate) online application centers or other units.

o How and when are interviews scheduled with the worker and applicant? How and when are households notified?

o Does the interview process differ for online and paper applications? For regular and expedited cases? If yes, describe how they differ.

o Does the certification process differ for online and paper applications? For regular and expedited cases? If yes, describe how they differ.

o Are the principles of “first contact”1 or “same day service”2 built into the application process? If so, explain how.

o Describe the process and timing of obtaining verification.

o Determine if and when any changes were made to the “business as usual” approach in the past three years?

How are SNAP cases assigned? Are cases shared by units of workers (case banking)? If yes, explain how SNAP caseloads are organized.

What modernization features (i.e. SNAP office lobby and technology improvement, work flow/caseload assignment model) have the States added in the past three years?

Have the States implemented any business process reengineering initiatives over the past three years? If so, describe.

What is the role of State and SNAP leadership in establishing APT as a priority goal, providing resources to help meet APT acceptable threshold, and support BPR?

Do States provide any performance based incentives or penalties for APT? What, if any, performance based incentives or penalties are in place?

What, if any, changes have been made to the States’ SNAP policy and operational procedures over the past three years?

Objective 2: Identify the policy and operational procedures that may impede or facilitate SNAP application processing timeliness for certifying new applications. At a minimum, address the States’ policies, business processes, technology improvements, waiver options, and workflow analysis and process management.

What policy features, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high APT rates3, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What BPR initiatives, if any, are more commonly implemented by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What office processes, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

What technology improvements, if any, are more commonly employed by States with high

APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

1 First Contact is a term used to describe the State’s approach to verify as much information as possible when an applicant first contacts the State to minimize the number of times a customer must return or mail information.

2 Same Day Service is a term used to describe the State’s approach of attempting to start and finish a household’s application process in a matter of hours instead of days.

3 The list of States that fall under these three categories will be made available to the contractor after award.

What recent workflow analysis and ongoing process management, if any, is more commonly employed by States with high APT rates, by States with low APT rates, and by States with borderline acceptable APT rates?

For States that moved from being untimely to being timely in the past two years, what BPR initiatives, office processes, technology improvements, or workflow analysis and process management changes took place in those States within that time period?

Objective 3: Describe the associations between State policy and operational procedures and APT rates.

If States implemented any changes to policy or operational procedures, what were the impacts of the changes? Which, if any policy or operational changes were associated with changes in APT rate?

Is the States’ APT status4 associated with any specific modernization initiatives? Describe the modernization initiatives.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific BPR initiatives? Describe the BPR initiatives.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific office processes? Describe the office processes.

Is the States’ APT status associated with any specific waiver, demonstration, and/or option implemented? Describe accordingly.

Is the States’ APT status associated with a particular work flow/caseload assignment model?

Describe the work flow/caseload assignment model.

How, if at all, does the States’ APT status vary by the use of technology? By the implementation of BPR initiatives? By the work flow/caseload assignment model used? By the modernization initiatives in place?

Submission requirements:

1. Limit the length of the packages to 20 pages. Note: Packages over 20 pages will not be evaluated.

2. 1 inch margins (top, bottom and sides)

3. Times New Roman font - 12 point

4. Page limitation does not include appendices, 1 cover page or 1 letter of introduction page

5. Do not include promotional materials

Interested firms responding to this market survey must provide a capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the above in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.502-2(b). The capability statement shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not exceed twenty (50) pages TOTAL, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of your firm to provide the requirements above. The Government technical team will then assess the experience and

4 APT status could be acceptable (timeliness rate of 95% or higher), unacceptable (timeliness rate below 90%), or borderline (timeliness rate between 90 and 94.99%) capabilities (A-H above) based on: 1) technical expertise relevant to the requirement; 2) technical approach relevant to the requirement, 3) management approach relevant to the requirement, 4) corporate experience relevant to the requirement, and 5) relevant past performance. These capability responses should be based upon the 8 capabilities (A – H) pre-requisites listed above. Please specify one primary and one alternate Point of Contact (POC) within your firm, including telephone numbers and email addresses

Your capability statement needs to include a list of three customers (Government/non- Government) within the past 3-years highlighting similar work in nature, scope, complexity, and difficulty and a brief description of the scope of work.

Only electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and should be emailed to:

Ashley.Owens@fns.usda.gov. The e-mail shall contain the following subject line: Response to Sources Sought Notice – AG-3198-S-15-0042: Identifying Program Components and Practices That Influence Snap Application Processing Timeliness Rates. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside is within the discretion of the Government. If capability statements are not received from at least two responsible small businesses or if the Government determines that no small business concerns are capable of performing this requirement based upon an assessment of the capability statements submitted, the Government may proceed with a full and open competition.

Please submit all information to Ashley Owens at Ashley.Owens@fns.usda.gov no later than May 15, 2015 by 2:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE

ACCEPTED.

mailto:Ashley.Owens@fns.usda.gov mailto:Ashley.Owens@fns.usda.gov