AHRQ-18-10004.pdf

Request for Proposal v. Jan-17; FAC 93 AHRQ-18-10004 Publications, Media and Marketing Page 1 of 108

Request for Proposal No. AHRQ-18-10004

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION FORM

Date Issued: April 17, 2018 Date Questions Due: April 26, 2018 Please Note: All questions and inquires will be processed on a non-attribution basis.

Date Notice of Intent Due: May 11, 2018 Date Proposals Due: May 17, 2018 11:00 AM, EST

You are invited to submit a proposal to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for Request for Proposal (RFP) No. AHRQ-18-10004 entitled “Publications, Media and Marketing”. Your proposal must be developed and submitted in accordance with the requirements and instructions of this RFP.

Please Note: Offers are solicited only from small business concerns expressly certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for participation in the SBA's 8(a) Program. Proposals received from others will not be considered. See FAR 52.219-14 and 52.219-18, herein.

Solicitation Information: Please review the table of contents and refer to the appropriate section of this RFP for requirements, proposal instructions and evaluation information. The Government intends to award this contract without negotiations, so it is imperative that all questions are addressed during the solicitation phase, and that all proposals submitted include the required information and accept the terms and conditions as stated. Failure to comply with proposal instructions or submit required information may result in the removal of a proposal from consideration for award. Please review Section L carefully.

Proposal Intent: If you intend to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation, please inform the Contracting Officer of your intent by completing the Proposal Intent Response Form (See section L.10 and Attachment A) and send it to the Contracting Officer no later than May 11, 2018.

You may mail it to the address below; fax it to 301-427-1740, Attention: Tara Bertolini, Contract Specialist or email it to tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Questions: All Questions regarding this solicitation shall be received in this office no later than the date shown above. All questions shall be submitted electronically by e-mail to Tara Bertolini, Contract Specialist, at the following email address: tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov. Subject line shall read: Proposal Questions RFP No. AHRQ-18-10004. Answers to questions and all solicitation amendments will be posted to the Federal Business Opportunities web page: www.fbo.gov. It is

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 2 of 108 your responsibility to monitor the web site.

Additional Information:

1. A time and materials cost contract is contemplated for a period of one year, with four one-year options.

2. The Government anticipates awarding one contract from this solicitation on or about December 14, 2018.

3. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must state that they are valid for a period of at least 120 days (reference FAR clause 52.215-1 in Section L of this document.)

4. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541990 with a size standard of $15M.

Proposal Submission: The proposal shall be signed by an authorized official to bind your organization and must be received by the due date specified above. The proposal must be submitted to the following address:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)* Division of Contracts Management* 5600 Fishers Lane* Mail Stop 06N34B* Rockville, Maryland 20857* Attn: Tara Bertolini, (301) 427-1705*

*All boxes must be clearly labeled with this information.

Please read this section carefully. Some mail and package delivery procedures have changed due to security controls. All mail and packages are screened at a local offsite facility before being delivered to 5600 Fishers Lane.

The U.S. Postal Service’s “Express Mail” does not deliver to our Rockville, Maryland address.

Please do not use this means of delivery for proposal submission.

Proposals delivered by commercial package delivery company (example: Fedex, UPS, DHL, etc.):

Submit and label as instructed above. These companies are familiar with the delivery procedures at 5600 Fishers Lane.

Hand carried or hand carry courier service: The 5600 Fishers Lane building security does not allow packages to be delivered directly to the building. Hand carried or courier delivered proposals should be labeled as instructed above, however they must be delivered directly to the offsite screening facility at 12225 Wilkins Avenue Rockville MD 20852. Please note that anyone who arrives at the Fishers Lane location with a delivery will be directed to the screening facility, however this will cause delay. Packages will be accepted and date/time stamped at the screening

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 3 of 108 facility. Please allow ample time as proposals cannot be date/time stamped until they have gone through security.

System for Award Management: In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation, all contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to conduct business with the government [See Section I - FAR clause 52.204-7 System for Award Management]. Access the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov.

Reminder: The Procurement Integrity Act prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of, inquiry about, or acceptance of procurement information. Communications with any other individual outside the AHRQ contracting office may result in rejection of an offeror’s proposal. All requests for any information concerning this RFP should be referred to Tara Bertolini, (301) 427-1705 or e-mail:

tara.bertolini@ahrq.hhs.gov. Please note e-mail requests should state subject as RFP AHRQ-18- 10004.

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Table of Contents

PART I ‐ THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A ‐ SOLICITATION FORM

SECTION B ‐ SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SECTION C ‐ DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D ‐ PACKAGING AND MARKING

SECTION E ‐ INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F ‐ DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G ‐ CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H ‐ SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III‐ LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J – SOLICITATION LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV– REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K ‐ REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

SECTION L ‐ INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

SECTION M‐ EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

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SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

“Publications, Media and Marketing Support”. See Section C for a complete description.

B.2 TIME & MATERIALS

1. All work shall be performed in accordance with the Statement of Work. No hours shall be billed for labor categories or labor rates not included as part of this contract as detailed below:

Labor Category Hourly Rate

TOTAL CEILING PRICE, (Labor) $

Type of Material Not to Exceed Amount

TOTAL CEILING PRICE, (Materials) $

TOTAL CEILING PRICE BASE PERIOD (Labor and Materials) $

B.3 OPTION PRICES

If the Government exercises its option(s) pursuant to the option article in Section H of this contract, the following applies:

Option Period 1

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TOTAL CEILING PRICE OPTION PERIOD 1 (Labor and Materials) $

Option Period 2

TOTAL CEILING PRICE OPTION PERIOD 2 (Labor and Materials) $

Option Period 3

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TOTAL CEILING PRICE OPTION PERIOD 3 (Labor and Materials) $

Option Period 4

TOTAL CEILING PRICE OPTION PERIOD 4 (Labor and Materials) $

HAI Optional Task (C.1.9) Base Period

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TOTAL CEILING PRICE HAI OPTIONAL (C.1.9) TASK BASE PERIOD

(Labor and Materials) $

HAI Optional Task (C.1.9) OY1

TOTAL CEILING PRICE HAI OPTIONAL (C.1.9) TASK OY1 (Labor and Materials) $

HAI Optional Task (C.1.9) OY2

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TOTAL CEILING PRICE HAI OPTIONAL (C.1.9) TASK OY2 (Labor and Materials) $

HAI Optional Task (C.1.9) OY3

TOTAL CEILING PRICE HAI OPTIONAL (C.1.9) TASK OY3 (Labor and Materials) $

HAI Optional Task (C.1.9) OY4

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TOTAL CEILING PRICE HAI OPTIONAL (C.1.9) TASK OY4 (Labor and Materials) $

B.4 PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

a. Items Unallowable Unless Otherwise Provided

Notwithstanding the clauses, ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT, , incorporated into this contract, unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, the costs of the following items or activities shall be unallowable as direct costs:

(1) Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property;

(2) Rearrangement or alteration of facilities;

(3) Purchase or lease of any item of general purpose-office furniture or office equipment regardless of dollar value. (General purpose equipment is defined as any items of personal property which are usable for purposes other than research, such as office equipment and furnishings, pocket calculators, etc.);

(4) Accountable Government property;

(5) Travel to attend general scientific meetings;

(6) Foreign Travel;

(7) Any costs incurred prior to the contract's effective date;

(8) Rental of meeting rooms not otherwise expressly paid for by the contract;

(9) Any formal subcontract arrangements not otherwise expressly provided for in the contract;

(10) Consultant fees;

(11) Information Technology hardware or software; and

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(12) Food and Beverages.

Note: Food and Beverages are unallowable costs. Contracting Officer Authorization for Food and Beverages will be only made as specifically authorized by statute, which is extremely rare. The contractor shall not provide food or beverages of any type. The contractor shall not accept food or beverages, even if included in, or provided ‘free’ as part of a meeting/conference ‘package’.

b. Travel Costs

This contract is subject to the provisions of Public Law (P.L.) 99-234 which amends the

Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to provide that contractor costs for travel, including lodging, other subsistence, and incidental expenses, shall be allowable only to the extent that they do not exceed the amount allowed for Federal employees. The Contractor, therefore, shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 31.205-46.

The following applies to Educational Institutions: The Contractor shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with OMB Circular A-21 - "Cost Principles for Educational Institutions."

No funding or expenditures will be authorized under this contract for travel or meeting expenses of any person that is not an employee of the contractor or approved subcontractor in accordance with the terms of the contract. See 31 USC § 1345 for appropriations restrictions.

B.5 CONTRACTING OFFICER AUTHORIZATION

Other provisions of this contract notwithstanding, approval of the following items within the limits set forth is hereby granted without further authorization from the Contracting Officer.

To Be Determined

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SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work as follows:

Statement of Work

Unless otherwise noted under a specific task, this Statement of Work applies to the base period and all options (if exercised).

C.1 GENERAL INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND

C.1.1 Background Statement

AHRQ is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care. AHRQ sponsors and conducts research that provides evidence-based information about health care outcomes, quality, cost, use, and access to care. In addition, AHRQ is committed to the writing, editing, design, dissemination, and translation of this evidence-based information to help move research into practice. By doing so, clinicians, patients, and other health care decisionmakers are able to make more informed decisions that improve the quality of health care services patients receive.

The Office of Communications (OC) manages and coordinates the Agency's print and electronic publishing; media relations, communications planning and monitoring; and stakeholder outreach, including formative research, partnership development, and creation of audiovisual materials. OC maintains a database to track AHRQ-supported articles that appear in peer-reviewed journals and to determine the level of outreach needed to promote key findings. OC is the organizational unit within AHRQ that is responsible for ensuring that Agency products and sponsored research are available to a wide array of customers in a variety of formats.

OC writes, edits, designs, and publishes print and Web-based information products; produces visual information products; and exhibits AHRQ publications at professional meetings for the purpose of translating research into practice. OC also conducts media, social media, and marketing outreach to ensure that AHRQ’s messages and tools reach key audiences. AHRQ’s customers may include any organization, public or private, that develops health care policies, administers health services, or pays for health care. Specifically, AHRQ's customers include, but are not limited to: Federal and State policymakers; health program administrators; Medicare and Medicaid officials, beneficiaries, and enrollees; integrated delivery services; hospitals, health plans and health systems; group medical practices; home health service agencies; emergency medical services; long-term care facilities; quality improvement organizations; medical, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professional societies; health care trade associations;

pharmaceutical and other health product firms; employers; business and health coalitions;

medical and other health care practitioners; clinicians; providers; patients; and consumers.

This scope of work shall specify the requirement for the base year of the contract and will be repeated for each option year (if exercised).

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C.1.1.2 How AHRQ Prioritizes Research, Products, and Tools: Framework for Dissemination

OC maintains a database to track AHRQ-supported articles that appear in peer-reviewed journals and manages a team to determine the level of outreach needed to promote key findings. OC works closely with staff and contractors in the program offices to assist in the development and promotion of new tools and reports. OC is also the organizational unit within AHRQ that is responsible for ensuring that Agency products and sponsored research are available to a wide array of customers in a variety of formats.

AHRQ's focus areas are:

Patient safety and quality improvement. AHRQ funds and disseminates research that identifies the root causes of threats to patient safety, provides information on the scope and impact of medical errors, and examines effective ways to make system-level changes to help prevent errors. AHRQ initiatives include:

Preventing health care-associated infections in a wide variety of health care settings through the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) and other tools.

Patient safety culture assessment tools that hospitals, nursing homes, and medical offices use to assess their patient safety culture, track changes in patient safety over time, and evaluate the impact of specific patient safety interventions.

TeamSTEPPS® (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), an evidence-based teamwork system designed to improve communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals.

Patient Safety Organizations: collect and analyze patient safety events to enable health care providers to report and provide feedback to help clinicians and health care organizations improve health care quality.

Health information technology. AHRQ's health information technology (health IT) research is part of the Nation's strategy to put technology to work in health care. AHRQ provides support to promote access to and encourage the adoption of health IT. The Agency has focused its health IT activities on the following three goals:

demonstrate how health IT improves the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care;

anticipate the future needs of the health care system and support development of innovative health IT solutions; and identify and fill current gaps in knowledge about health IT.

Patient-centered outcomes research dissemination and implementation. AHRQ's patient-centered outcomes research dissemination and implementation activities improve health care quality by providing patients and physicians with state-of-the-science information on which medical treatments work best for a given condition. Comparisons of drugs, medical devices, tests, surgeries, and ways to deliver health care can help patients and their families understand what treatments work best and how their risks and side effects compare. AHRQ creates evidence syntheses from PCOR findings and develops tools and trainings to ensure that PCOR

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 14 of 108 evidence is more easily understood. Next, AHRQ disseminates the evidence and supports health systems and health care professionals in using the evidence to improve practice.

Prevention and care management. AHRQ translates evidence-based knowledge into recommendations for clinical preventive services to improve the health of all Americans. AHRQ also provides administrative support for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of nationally renowned, non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that assesses the benefits and harms of preventive services and makes recommendations about which preventive services should be incorporated routinely into primary care practice. AHRQ conducts research and develops tools on health literacy, the patient-centered medical home and primary care practice improvement.

Health care data and measures. AHRQ finds ways to achieve greater value in health care by producing the measures, data, tools, evidence, and strategies that health care organizations, systems, insurers, purchasers, and policymakers need to improve the value and affordability of health care. AHRQ initiatives include:

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a family of surveys that gather information about families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States. MEPS is the only national source of annual data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently services are used, the cost of services, and the methods of paying for services.

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), the Nation’s most comprehensive source of hospital data --including all-payer information on inpatient, ambulatory, and emergency department visits--collected through data use agreements with States.

The Quality Indicators that highlight potential quality concerns; identify areas that need further study; and track changes over time in prevention, inpatient care, patient safety, and pediatric care.

The National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, which measures trends in effectiveness of care, patient safety, timeliness of care, patient centeredness, and efficiency of care.

The State Snapshots that provide, via a Web site, State-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems program that develops surveys to help improve the quality of health care from the perspective of consumers and patients.

C.1.2 KEY AHRQ STAKEHOLDERS AND AUDIENCES

OC works with communications staff in approximately three dozen key AHRQ stakeholder organizations to leverage opportunities to spread the word about AHRQ’s research, products, and tools. Key stakeholder organizations include trade organizations that represent AHRQ’s priority audiences:

Clinical decisionmakers: The evidence developed through AHRQ-sponsored research and analysis helps clinicians and health care institutions make informed choices about what treatments work, for whom, when, and at what cost.

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Health care system decisionmakers: Health plan and delivery system administrators use the findings and tools developed through AHRQ-sponsored research to make choices on how to improve the health care system's ability to provide access and deliver high-quality, high-value care. Purchasers use the tools and products of AHRQ-sponsored research to improve the quality of their health care services.

Public policy decisionmakers: Public policymakers use the information produced by AHRQ to expand their capability to monitor and evaluate changes in the health care system and to devise policies designed to improve its performance. Federal, State, and local policymakers, as well as private-sector policy advisory groups such as the National Academy of Medicine, professional societies, patient advocacy groups, and health care associations, make decisions based on AHRQ information.

Patients and families: AHRQ’s research helps patients and their families play a more active role in their health care. Research shows that patients who are more involved in their own health care teams have better outcomes and are more satisfied with their care.

C.1.3 EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE OF STATEMENT OF WORK

The contractor shall design, write and edit publications; develop talking points, Qs and As and other background materials to help respond to media inquiries; develop messaging plans;

develop screener and moderator guides and conduct audience research; develop background materials and strategies for partnerships with key stakeholder organizations; create audiovisual materials, including audio, video, social media, and online applications; and conduct dissemination and outreach activities on key Agency findings and priorities.

The contractor shall comply with AHRQ’s Publishing and Communications Guidelines (see http://www.ahrq.gov/research/publications/pubcomguide/index.html).

All web, print, and audiovisual materials shall obtain appropriate clearances.

The first period of contractor responsibility shall constitute the Phase-in Period. (This is further defined and explained below and on the following pages). The Phase-in Period will begin on day 1 of the contract period of performance and last for 45 days.

Within the first 2 weeks of the Phase-in Period, the Contractor shall participate either in person or via audio conference call with AHRQ COR and other relevant AHRQ staff in a project orientation/kick off meeting (See 1.4.1). The contractor shall provide an Agenda prior to the meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the understanding of the purpose and scope of the contract; plan for phase in; clarify deliverables, review priorities; establish policy issues as they apply to the SOW. Key Government and Contractor staff will be introduced, and communication channels will be discussed.

C.1.4 PHASE-IN PERIOD (Base Period Only)

The contractor shall focus on developing any program infrastructure needed, including the recruitment of additional staff, and be prepared to assume existing OC tasks, as required.

However, the contractor must be ready to fully perform all elements in the SOW at the time that the period of performance begins.

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The purposes of the Phase-in Period are to:

Provide for an orderly transition and take over any current activities that may be ongoing.

Develop and implement a specific plan for those current activities showing status and work required to finish them.

Produce a plan showing how future activities will be tracked and monitored.

Complete the recruitment and hiring of staff to perform the broad range of publishing, media, and stakeholder outreach activities called for in the SOW.

Construct, arrange, and staff an administrative and management function for actively managing a staff for publishing, media, and stakeholder outreach professionals.

Provide senior staff or other assistance to orient new professional staff on their current and future roles.

C.1.4.1 Project Management Phase-In Tasks

During the Phase-in Period, the contractor shall prepare itself to assume full responsibility for all areas of operation in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract. The contractor shall take all actions necessary for a smooth transition as described above. During the Phase- In period, the contractor shall, at a minimum:

Establish an on-site presence at AHRQ’s 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland location.

Develop agenda for and conduct project kick-off meeting.

Provide management and supervision of contractor staff who will be on-site at AHRQ’s location.

Conduct and/or attend training, and perform orientation of new employees, including orientation and training particular to AHRQ and the Agency’s business functions.

C. 1.5 Interface with Other Contractors

Other contractors may be performing other OC services in areas associated with the requirements of this Contract. Examples may include contractors who support the AHRQ Web site, as well as contractors who perform research dissemination and implementation activities in the Agency. The contractor will also, on a regular basis, interact with contractors who perform custodial services, equipment maintenance/repair, or other Government-provided services.

The Government will facilitate initial contact between the contractor and other contractors for each project. The contractor shall provide all further required coordination with other contractor personnel for any task specified in this Contract that relates to or impacts any other contracted work.

While each contractor has a separate and distinct contract requirement, contractors are expected to work together in a collaborative and professional manner. Should any concerns arise regarding the roles and responsibilities of each contractor, or disputes arise regarding any contractor’s failure to work together in a collaborative manner, the COR shall be notified in writing. The contractor shall notify the COR in writing of disputes. If the contractor is not able to

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 17 of 108 resolve the dispute with another contractor, the issue shall be forwarded to the CO and COR for resolution. The contractor shall provide written notice of dispute resolution(s) to the COR no later than 2 workdays after resolution. It is expected that other AHRQ contractors may at times review work performed under this contract and provide advice and consultation to facilitate the successful implementation of a specific project.

C.1.6 WORK LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION

C.1.6.1 Work Location

Day-to-day work shall be performed on-site at AHRQ. This includes publishing, design, media, and stakeholder outreach activities described herein. The contractor may use consultants and off-site staff to supplement its workforce for individual tasks that may require specialized skills or expertise. These tasks or assignments may include, for example, original writing assignments;

audience research conducted through focus groups or 1:1 interviews; selected media, marketing audio and video activities such as those that require the use of camera equipment, film studios, audio and sound equipment; and the use of specialized talent, film editing, and associated tasks.

In the case of contractor employees performing tasks onsite, Government will provide appropriate work space and equipment, to include computer, telephone, and other supplies required for onsite tasks. Please note that the contractor shall provide ALL other general office supplies required to perform all requirements under the contract.

C.1.6.2 Hours of Operation

Work hours for on-site staff shall be consistent with the operation of the Federal Government, generally 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., except for Government holidays. The contractor's Program Manager (or alternates) shall be available during the core hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Contractor staff may be requested to provide coverage and participate in meetings and urgent product or service development activities that extend beyond the normal hours of operations.

This is an infrequent occurrence.

C.1.7 PUBLISHING-RELATED ACTIVITIES

C.1.7.1 Writing, editing, and production of AHRQ Products

OC manages the Agency’s print and electronic publishing program and works with Agency programs and other contractors to develop products on AHRQ-sponsored research as described in the Background Statement (Section C.1-C.1.2) of this scope of work. The contractor shall provide the following:

Products include scientific reports, fact sheets, marketing flyers, periodicals, journal and newsletter articles, implementation guides, and other materials. Examples of AHRQ products can be found on the AHRQ Web site at www.ahrq.gov.

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 18 of 108 o Writing Assignments: Write text for original products, such as fact sheets (2 per year), program briefs (2 per year), marketing flyers (2 per year), and report summaries (2 per year) as assigned. Writing assignments may also include summaries, such as context statements for Web pages (24 per year) and creating web topic pages (4 per year) to organize AHRQ information.

o Editorial Assignments: These include: production editing (lowest level), copy editing, and substantive editing (highest level).Note that as the levels increase, performance of lower levels of editing are also required. That is, a substantive edit will require a copy edit, a production edit, and web posting. Formatting may also be required.

o Production Editing o Production Editing. The production edit is a minimal-effort approach for a manuscript or as the final editorial review of camera-ready manuscript or Web-ready products in the production process.

Products requiring production editing will be reviewed for completeness, obvious errors in format, and conformance with AHRQ branding and compliance with GPO Style and AHRQ Publishing and Communications Guidelines. Production editing encompasses:

Preparing documents prior to final approval for printing and posting to the AHRQ Website.

Proofreading to review the document for completeness and ensure no typographical errors were introduced or have been carried through the document during the production process and conformance with GPO and AHRQ style.

Reviewing tables and figures and checking reference citations for completeness and correctness of format.

Reviewing designs to ensure that final format, layout, and branding are appropriate, Identifying the need for copyright permissions and creating permission or credit lines as needed.

o Copy Editing o Copy editing. Copy editing includes all facets of production editing, plus attention to sentence and paragraph structure, parallel construction, conciseness, clarity, and consistency in terminology. Cross-references in the text must be checked as well as the completeness, accuracy, and format of tables, charts, Publications, Media and Marketing Page 19 of 108 footnotes, and reference citations and lists. Documents must be reviewed for policy implications and political sensitivities.

o Substantive Editing o Substantive editing. Substantive editing includes all facets of production and copy editing and may include reorganization and rewriting, such as drafting transitions, writing abstracts and summaries, recasting or developing tables and figures, and reviewing source documents. Documents may require substantive editing to ensure coherent organization and understandable presentation. Substantive editing may include reorganization and rewriting, such as drafting transitions, writing abstracts and summaries, recasting or developing tables and figures, and reviewing some source documents. In addition to work required in substantive editing, all features of production and copy editing would be required for these products.

Estimated types and quantities of assignments are below.

o Production editing*: Estimated assignments include 75 documents, consisting of five 50-page reports, approximately 30 two- to four-page fact sheets and flyers, and 40 web-based products with average document size of 15 pages.

o Copy editing*: Estimated assignments include 150 documents: 50 reports of 50 pages, 30 two- to four-page fact sheets and flyers, and 70 web-based products with average document sizes of 15 pages.

o Substantive editing *: Estimated assignments include five scientific or technical reports of approximately 150 pages; each report containing approximately four chapters with 25 references and two to five tables, figures, or charts per chapter;

assume at least one complex table per chapter.

o Coordination of Web posting*: Estimated assignments include coordination of web posting of 70 documents, as applicable.

o Publication formatting*: Estimated assignments include formatting 55 documents:

5 reports of 150 pages and 50 reports of 50 pages. Formatting includes remediating or putting documents into a format that meets Section 508 criteria for accessibility, as noted in the AHRQ Publishing and Communications Guidelines and HHS standards for accessibility. https://www.hhs.gov/web/section- 508/making-files-accessible/index.html o Miscellaneous project meetings and tracking. Work will involve the requirement to meet with AHRQ program staff to discuss details regarding editorial substance

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 20 of 108 and to resolve editorial issues on twice monthly basis. In addition, contractors will track work in the OC publications tracking data base to assign publication numbers for products and to update work status of products as they move through the editorial process.

*All estimates for work are annual estimates. Upon assignment of a task, a schedule will be due within 2 business days in accordance with the delivery schedule.

Standards/Editorial Style: Editorial work must conform to U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO)( https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016/pdf/GPO- STYLEMANUAL-2016.pdf) and AHRQ style guides.

(http://www.ahrq.gov/research/publications/pubcomguide/index.html). For products such as press releases, editors use Associated Press style. Documents for publication must also meet HHS criteria for Section 508 accessibility. https://www.hhs.gov/web/section- 508/making-files-accessible/index.html

C.1.7.2 Design

The contractor shall:

Provide desktop publishing and graphic design upon request from members of OC’s Division of Print and Electronic Publishing for print and web publications using currently accepted industry software. Designs must follow AHRQ design specifications or create new designs and specifications when requested from members of OC’s Division of Print and Electronic Publishing. Contractor shall:

o Design and format publications.

o Revise desktop published and graphic design documents following editorial review of designs.

o Prepare documents for printers and web posting per instructions and specifications.

o Ensure documents created comply with HHS Section 508 accessibility standards https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/index.html

Provide photography support. Contractor shall take candid photographs of AHRQ staff at three events and take 15 portraits of AHRQ staff using AHRQ cameras, lights, and backdrop annually.

Provide reprographic support. Contractor shall make color copies of 30 marketing flyers annually using AHRQ printers.

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Prepare materials such as posters, photographs, graphics, and presentation slides.

Estimates for annual design work:

Design three large (50-pages or more) publications using Adobe In Design;

Design 10 brochures and booklets, which may include die cuts;

Design three posters and mount on foam core or attach easel backing for table-top display;

Design 10 posters from staff-submitted slides for scientific meetings;

Design five one-page flyers;

Design two banners, exhibit displays, and backdrops for conferences, printout and trim on poster printer;

Create 100 charts and graphs for publications in Adobe Illustrator;

Optimize 10 Web photos and create png files to upload for Web;

Scan five photos, manipulate, and color correct;

Draw 20 technical drawings and illustrations using Adobe illustrator;

Prepare 10 designed publications for printing and create optimized pdf files for the Web.

C.1.7.3 Miscellaneous Publishing-Related Activities

Exhibits

The contractor shall:

Staff approximately 6 AHRQ exhibits (3 local and 3 out of town) at scientific and professional meetings annually, as assigned, to provide attendees Agency publications and information about the mission and activities of AHRQ.

C.1.8 MEDIA AND STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

OC manages and coordinates the Agency's media outreach, including messaging through a variety of communications vehicles; and stakeholder outreach, including formative research, strategy development and creation of audiovisual materials. OC is the organizational unit within AHRQ that is responsible for ensuring that Agency products and sponsored research are available to a wide array of customers.

The contractor shall provide the following services:

Strategic Communications Planning Audience Research Media Relations and Messaging Stakeholder Outreach Social Media and Audiovisual Capabilities Speech Writing and Logistics Support Development of Impact Case Studies and Grantee Profiles

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C.1.8.1 Strategic Communications Planning

Strategic communications planning (SCP) will form the basis for making key decisions about goals and tactics and serve to inform efforts described throughout C.1.8. The plan will feature a clearly defined, common core message that reflects AHRQ’s overall strategy, values, purpose, and mission, and how that will be conveyed to key stakeholder audiences. SCP helps to establish organizational clarity regarding overall direction and purpose.

Elements of a strategic communications plan may include the following:

Definition of goal(s);

Identification of audience(s);

Development of messages;

Selection of communication channels;

Choosing activities and materials;

Establishing partnerships;

Implementation of the plan; and, Evaluation of efforts and obtaining feedback.

The contractor shall advise OC on these and other elements to be included in the plan and how to use the plan to guide AHRQ’s media and stakeholder outreach activities.

C.1.8.2 Audience Research

Conduct annual audience outreach with 20-25 health services researchers and health care thought leaders (including CEOs, CMOs, etc.) to help identify the health communication needs of AHRQ stakeholder audiences. Conduct quantitative and qualitative testing to determine their perceptions around health issues and their understanding of AHRQ’s research.

Advise OC on the best methods and tools for providing consistent messages across content areas and programs, including trend analysis, assessment of media coverage, and other elements.

Write and implement plans to ensure adequate pre-testing of 8-10 AHRQ priority products or initiatives per year, including environmental scans, secondary research on audience needs, how audiences secure and use information, and other related factors.

Conduct 4-5 focus groups for each product to test customer reaction to new AHRQ materials. Tasks include writing the screener's guide, the facilitator's or moderator’s script, and the final report.

For focus groups, recruit focus group or individual interview participants and implement data collection activities and instruments recommended in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for 8-10 market research projects per year.

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 23 of 108 o Groups shall be held at geographically diverse locations, perhaps including the Washington, DC-Baltimore region, to support appropriate collection of feedback and input to achieve research goals. It is not expected that focus groups will be held at AHRQ.

o Whenever possible, projects shall be designed to use OMB fast-track approval for customer feedback surveys and related information gathering activities, per OMB Memo M-11-26, dated June 15, 2011, https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/#memoranda-2011 o Agency will coordinate directly with OMB, as needed.

C.1.8.3 Media Relations and Messaging

The contractor shall prepare materials and messages for media outreach, response and monitoring. These materials and messages may also be used in AHRQ’s primary communications vehicles, including AHRQ News Now, the Agency’s weekly e-newsletter;

various AHRQ listservs; and AHRQ Views, the Agency’s blog.

In particular, the contractor shall:

Maintain and update database to track articles by intramural and extramural AHRQ researchers for publication in peer-reviewed medical and health policy journals. On average, there are 25 articles per month.

Assess newsworthiness of article findings and make recommendations to OC about level of promotion the articles should receive, including possible media outreach or blogs.

Write 5-7 press releases or blogs per year on key topics as determined in conjunction with OC’s Director of Media Relations.

Write 6-8 messaging plans, 1-3 pages in length, per month about AHRQ-funded research findings and tools, with an emphasis on the most effective dissemination techniques. Blogs, social media tactics, data visualization (ie infographics), and AV (see section 1.8.4 below) should be included for enhanced messaging activities.

Track findings from AHRQ data analyses (including but not limited to stat briefs from the MEPS and HCUP programs) and develop and clear data summaries for use in AHRQ’s weekly electronic newsletter.

Tag and track coverage of AHRQ findings using Google or other appropriate analytics.

Arrange 1 to 2 in-person press conferences per year, including logistics, invitations, and onsite support based on average attendance of 10-20 participants; coordinate any post-event follow-up required.

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Arrange 1 to 2 telephone briefings, Twitter chats, or other social media events (Thunderclap, etc) per year, including logistics, invitations, day-of event support, and any post-event follow-up required.

Conduct 1 to 2 media training for spokespersons per year.

Write 2-3 strategies, 5-10 pages in length, per year for media events and educational tutorials for use by AHRQ officials and researchers. These strategies are to include talking points, Q & As, and background information for interviews; planning and organizing press events; and planning and writing blogs and other materials for press kits.

C.1.8.4 Stakeholder Outreach

Develop and maintain 2-3 databases and dashboards to track stakeholder outreach contacts and major stakeholder-related initiatives to leverage opportunities for collaboration. Provide regular updates and revisions of technical capabilities as needed.

Conduct research, development of background materials, logistics, and contacts with 20- 30 key AHRQ stakeholder organizations per year. Provide research and recommendations on an additional 5-10 stakeholder organizations to contact per year.

Participate in monthly strategy meetings with OC’s Division of Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement to brainstorm and plan activities and ensure responsiveness to stakeholders’ needs.

Maintain monthly outreach and facilitation of ongoing relationships with communications staff at 20-30 key stakeholder groups, as assigned. Outreach should include telephone conferences; in-person meetings; preparation of agendas, minutes, and other meeting materials; and follow up.

Provide logistical support for 10-12 meetings with AHRQ director and other senior leaders and key stakeholder organization leaders per year.

Work with 5-7 key stakeholders organizations to collaborate on priority activities. For example, work with key patient safety organizations to promote activities related to the annual Patient Safety Awareness Week observance in March, which typically involves member, media, and social media outreach.

Write and place 3-5 journal commentaries of between 600-800 words for professional journals of key stakeholder organizations per year.

C. 1.8.5 Social Media and Audiovisual Capabilities

The contractor shall conduct the following activities, which do not involve the management or operation of Agency AV equipment or resources:

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Develop 1-2 page social media tool/material plans for assignments.

Develop strategy to promote key AHRQ social media properties, including AHRQ

Facebook and Linked In pages, as well as Linked In pages for AHRQ director and senior leaders.

Develop 8-10 posts per month to co-promote AHRQ Views blog and Linked In and other social media platforms.

Develop 5-7social media campaigns associated with major health observances per year.

Produce and market 3-5 video sound bites per year to be promoted with press releases or blogs on AHRQ tools and resources. Ensure that format is compatible with social media outreach.

Produce 10 minutes of b roll per year for use on AHRQ Web site.

Prepare five 5-minute topic-specific videos outlining the key results of AHRQ research and tools reports for clinicians annually.

Prepare scripts and produce a minimum of seven 2-minute videos per year in collaboration with key stakeholder groups. Venues for such videos could include stakeholder Web sites or conferences, clinics, hospital waiting rooms, patient channels, in-office programming or other venues.

Coordinate with AHRQ Division of IT and web team to develop a minimum of 3 online applications (apps) for AHRQ tools such as TeamSTEPPS (https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps/instructor/essentials/pocketguideapp.html)

C. 1.8.6 Speech Writing and Logistics Support

The contractor shall interface with staff from AHRQ’s Office of the Director (OD) and AHRQ speech team, which is comprised of OD staff members and staff from OC. Attend speech team meetings as requested.

The contractor shall:

Attend speech team meetings.

Prepare summaries of the speech requests/invitations received each week. Respond to requests/invitations, as required, once Speech Team has reviewed.

Based on the needs of the AHRQ director, develop 5-6 full-text speeches or PowerPoint presentations (average of 30-45 minutes in length) per month on general Agency topics for the AHRQ Director and other senior staff. Coordinate with Agency experts for input and review in cases when speeches or presentations are more technical in nature.

Work with appropriate Agency staff when speeches or presentations require embedded audio or video files or other features based on audience and venue.

C. 1.8.7 Development of Impact Case Studies and Grantee Profiles

One mechanism that AHRQ uses to evaluate the success of particular projects is the number and quality of the AHRQ Impact Case Studies showing actual use of AHRQ products, tools, or research findings. The contractor shall:

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Follow up on Impact Case Study leads that are provided by program staff or by attendees at AHRQ exhibits to determine whether actual impact exists.

Write, edit, research, and clear a minimum of 25 Impact Case Studies per year. Such Impact Case Studies must illustrate the actual use of AHRQ-funded research and its impact on health care and the health care system.

AHRQ grantees are the face of the Agency’s investments in health services research. To help audiences understand the value of AHRQ’s work and the return on the Agency’s investments, AHRQ grantee profiles tell the stories of individual grantees and how their work has helped to improve patient safety and health care quality. The contractor shall:

Identify 25-30 potential candidates for AHRQ grantee profiles, in conjunction with OC’s Director of Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement, per year.

Interview, write, and clear 1-2 AHRQ grantee profiles per month.

C. 1.9 Optional Task: Market Research and Dissemination of Projects Related to Research on Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)

This optional task will have a 12-month period of performance, to be exercised in conjunction with the core effort up to five times (base year and four one-year option periods).

The contractor shall produce communications products and targeted marketing tools based on the results of existing formative marketing research findings from the HAI program, as well as research described below:

Develop and disseminate 3-5 clinician-focused AV/Web tools per year on HAI education and prevention materials, including tools to engage clinicians through social media, Web videos, podcasts, or webinars as dictated by formative market research findings.

Synopsize HAI research projects underway and disseminate individual key findings and develop audience-appropriate resources, specifically:

o Develop and disseminate:

- Synopsis of research findings (5-8 per year)

- Stakeholder outreach plans and materials (5-8 per year)

- Press releases, blogs, and other media tools (3-5 per year)

- Web conferences (1-2 per year)

- Online tools (1-2 per year)

- Peer reviewed journal commentaries (3-5 per year)

- Exhibit materials (3-5 per year)

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Conduct Market Research o Conduct annual audience analysis to identify and prioritize the end users of AHRQ’s HAI portfolio and their current and anticipated communications needs.

o Monitor and report on communications activities of HAI stakeholders (weekly) o Identify and prioritize HAI stakeholders and partners for dissemination (annually)

Establish and maintain dissemination partnerships with…