Sources_Sought_Notice__AG-3198-S-16-0052.pdf

Sources Sought Notice

Evaluation of Alternatives to Improve Elderly Access

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: Evaluation of Alternatives to Improve Elderly Access. This sources sought notice 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 2016 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 research study that will explore whether policy options designed to improve access for the elderly are effective. The Contractor shall conduct a literature review, interviews with stakeholders and elderly participants, and examine extant data to better understand the barriers to serving elderly populations in SNAP and address the research objectives of the study.

This will include the following activities:

• Conducting a review of policy memos, guidance, regulations, demonstration projects, or rules related to serving elderly populations in SNAP, including a literature review focusing on any documented challenges in serving elderly populations in SNAP or other federal programs.

• Developing and pretesting data collection instruments and obtaining OMB clearance.

• Training data collectors.

• Selecting, recommending, and recruiting States for participation in the study.

• Collecting primary data through telephone and/or in person interviews or focus groups with elderly SNAP participants.

• Conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis of all primary and secondary data sources, including extant data and interviews with stakeholders and elderly SNAP participants.

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 research study that will explore whether policy options designed to improve access for the elderly are effective. 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, 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. General familiarity with the operation and administration of SNAP.

B. Expert knowledge, demonstrated through publications or extensive work experience, directly related to SNAP program eligibility rules, policies and guidelines related to serving the elderly.

C. Coordinating with FNS National and Regional Offices and/or State Agencies to collect administrative data, program operations data, and other program materials.

D. Conducting interviews via telephone or in person, including recruiting and training staff to conduct data collection, developing interview protocols, drafting information collection request packages for submission to the White House Office of Management and Budget, and recording, coding, analyzing, and reporting on findings.

E. Using multiple sources of data, including administrative data, survey data, and program materials, to conduct policy analyses and to address research objectives in an integrated way.

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 Objectives of the Requirement:

1. Construct a historical time series of relevant measures of elderly participation in SNAP using existing data sources. This may include, but is not limited to:

a) Number of Elderly Participants in SNAP

b) Number of Households with an Elderly Participant in SNAP

c) Characteristics of the Elderly in SNAP (age groupings, income, income sources, disability status, spell length, etc.)

d) SNAP Participation Rates among the Elderly

e) Variations in Characteristics, Participation, and Participation Rates at both the State and U.S. levels

2. Conduct a basic literature review focused on challenges to serving elderly participants through SNAP or other assistance programs including:

a) What are the specific elements of SNAP outreach, the application and intake process, reporting requirements, benefit access and utilization, notification, or any other aspect of program operations that serve as barriers to elderly participation in SNAP?

b) What are common perceptions of barriers to participation among the elderly?

c) How do these barriers, either real or perceived, vary between different elderly groups (age groups, geographic, household types, etc.)?

d) What are some of the documented challenges other federal programs have faced in serving elderly clients?

e) What are some of the partnerships in place that aim to better serve elderly clients (either through federal or community stakeholder partnerships)?

3. Provide a comprehensive overview of demonstration projects and other SNAP policy options targeted to improve program access for the elderly to answer the following objectives:

a) What is the purpose of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration project, and how is it meant to address specific challenges identified under Objective 2?

b) What are the elements of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration design?

c) Which States have implemented each policy option, waiver, or demonstration?

d) What, if any, reporting requirements are associated with each policy option, waiver or demonstration?

e) To what extent are multiple policy options, waivers, or demonstrations implemented within a State?

4. Measure the impact of each demonstration project on the participation and program access of the elderly on SNAP.

a) Did implementation of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration project increase the number of participating elderly or their participation rates in SNAP?

b) Did implementation of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration project reduce any real or perceived barriers to program access?

c) Did implementation of the policy option, waiver or demonstration project affect the rate of churning among the target population?

d) Did implementation of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration project result in any unanticipated costs or consequences, including for participants and States?

e) Did implementation of the policy option, waiver, or demonstration successfully address other goals; for example, do SMDs increase the use of the medical deduction among eligible households?

f) Are there any interaction effects when States participate in multiple options, waivers, or demonstrations?

g) Are there any confounding or effect modifiers that impact the association of elderly participation and policy option, waiver, or demonstration project participation? For example, are participants served through these policy options, waivers, or demonstrations new participants, or have they previously participated in SNAP?

5. Highlight successfully implemented alternative and/or modified service delivery options that have been shown to improve the participation and circumstances of elderly participants in SNAP or otherwise achieve demonstration goals, including:

a) Improving the intake and application process

b) Reducing churning

c) Changing program perception

d) Ensuring benefit accuracy (appropriate deductions)

e) Ensuring that benefit access is maximized

f) Recommendations to further improve any of the design elements or operationalization of the policy options, waivers, and demonstrations reviewed, with a focus on actionable items that could be replicated in other States.

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 (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 (20) 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 & capabilities (A-G 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:

Courtney.Rogers@fns.usda.gov. The e-mail shall contain the following subject line: Response to Sources Sought Notice – AG-3198-S-16-0052 Alternatives to Elderly Access Requirement. 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 Courtney Rogers at Courtney.Rogers@fns.usda.gov by May 11, 2016 by 4:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE

ACCEPTED.

mailto:Courtney.Rogers@fns.usda.gov mailto:Courtney.Rogers@fns.usda.gov