Amendment_0001.pdf

VENDOR QUESTIONS & GOVERNMENT ANSWERS – Sodium Study

1. Per Special Requirements section of the RFP, page 3, please advise on the following:

a) What is the FIPS 199 security categorization level for this system?

b) Will the contractor be required to submit a Privacy Impact Assessment?

c) Will the contractor be expected to participate in a certification and accreditation (C&A) effort? If so, what is the expected level of involvement from the contractor? Are there any ongoing C&A activities that should be included in the proposed budget?

Answer: The security language on page 3 of the RFP does not apply to this procurement and it will be removed. This is a study and vendors will not be accessing the FNS system.

2. Does FNS require national estimates with a specified level of precision for some or all answers to the research questions under Objective 2? If so, which questions are subject to the precision requirement, and what is the requirement (e.g., 90 percent confidence interval of plus or minus X percentage points)?

Answer: FNS does not require national estimates with a specified level of precision for the research questions under Objective 2. Instead, FNS anticipates in-depth case studies of School Food Authorities and schools to answer the research questions under Objective 2.

3. For purposes of the study, does the vendor assume responsibility for the recruitment of school and industry professionals to participate?

Answer: Yes, the vendor is responsible for recruiting study respondents.

4. For purposes of the budget should the vendor include any fees associated with compensating study participants?

Answer: The vendor can propose methods to ensure adequate response rates to meet study objectives.

5. In section C.7.1 it states that the primary data collection is to take place in FY 2016, is there any guidance on how long the study is anticipated to last?

Answer: Per page 2 of the RFP, the period of performance is 36 months from contract award.

6. In section C.7.2 in the third bullet there is a discussion about the length of time needed for data collectors to review the OMB data collection package, is the vendor to wait the 6-9 months (as stated) prior to commencing the study? Also how does this affect the project timeline?

Answer: The offeror cannot start data collection until OMB approval is received. The project timeline should reflect the time needed for OMB approval.

7. The study appears to be a national study, is there any special considerations to what parts of the country the study needs to be focused on?

Answer: Please see answer to question #2.

8. Additionally is there a target sample size that vendors should reach?

Answer: The offeror shall propose an adequate sample size to successfully answer the research questions under Objectives 1 and 2.