Responses_to_Questions_AHRQ_18-10004.pdf

Response to Questions AHRQ-18-10004 Publications, Media and Marketing Page 1 of 10

Publications, Media and Marketing

AHRQ-18-10004

Proposal Questions

Thank you for your interest in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Below is a key to the responses to the questions found on the following pages:

“No solicitation amendment necessary” – This response is given when 1) the requirements are clearly articulated in the solicitation to the maximum extent possible, 2) the information is not available or 3) dependent on approach.

“Please see solicitation amendment” – This response is given is the response to the question affect a revision to the RFP. Please see the amended RFP posted to Federal Business Opportunities (FBO).

A response to the question is provided – A response/answer is given is clarification is necessary, but the response does not require an amendment to the RFP.

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1. Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like, from India or Canada) No Solicitation amendment necessary.

2. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

3. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada)

4. Can we submit the proposals via email?

5. I am inquiring about Solicitation AHRQ1810004 to see if there is an incumbent currently or previously completing this requirement? Or is this a new requirement?

This is a follow-on contract currently being performed by BLH Technologies, Inc.

6. I am reaching out regarding Solicitation # AHRQ-18-10004 "Publication, Media & Marketing". We will be submitting a proposal for this opportunity, wanted to see if you already have an incumbent for this mission.

Please see answer to question #5.

7. Our company has a SBA certified 8(a)JV with another organization. Is this expectable for you? My question is are you excepting 8(a) Joint Ventures?

Please refer to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 13 Chapter 1 Part 124 Subpart A §124.513 to determine if the joint venture you have established is suitable for this effort.

8. Part 4 Technical Proposal Section L; Part C: Personnel: Will the government please clarify the required on-site personnel, roles/positions No solicitation amendment necessary.

9. Part 4 Technical Proposal Section L; Part C: Personnel: Please clarify key personnel roles defined in the solicitation.

10. Part 4 Technical Proposal Section L; Part C: Personnel: The RFP asks that the offerors submit resumes for the prime and subcontractor. Please clarify which positions the offeror must submit resumes for.

11. Part 4 Technical Proposal Section L; Part C: Personnel: Given that the key personnel evaluation is heavily weighted (40pts.) will the government please provide minimum criteria (education and years of experience) for key personnel as well as a position description.

Similar examples and criteria are available in other HHS solicitations.

12. Part 1 Description /Specification/Work Statement Section C: Part C: 1.9 Optional Task: How will the option for Healthcare Infections Program be evaluated in the overall assessment of the offerors qualifications? Will offerors that can provide staff and experience for this option

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 3 of 10 area receive higher evaluation than offerors that do not provide staff, experience or key personnel?

13. Can the Government provide a list of historical labor categories and hours worked per labor category per year?

14. How many staff does the Government require to meet the requirements in the SOW?

15. p. 92 of 108, L.7.A) (2) (a-h) It is virtually impossible to develop a meaningful strategic messaging plan without specific research and input about the topic. Such matters as priorities, target audiences, timelines, budget, and metrics would be known only to the Government and an incumbent supplier, and without specifications there is no basis upon which to propose a strategy, even as a sample. Can the Government supply much more specific direction for this sample task? For example, what is the topic? What is the Government’s intended result?

Please see solicitation amendment.

16. p. 93 of 108, L.7.C) (1) (f), requires “resumes for all proposed staff.” This proposal requirement favors the incumbent contractor and appears to give that vendor an unfair competitive advantage. It is very typical for a new contractor to hire the current incumbent staff upon contract award. Also, it is likely that by the time the Government awards the contract approximately 30-60 days from the date of proposal submission, the proposed candidates will likely not be available. It is intuitive that candidates cannot remain on standby and unemployment during the period of proposal submission to the time of award.

Can the government remove this unfair requirement?

17. C.1.3 p. 15: Is the Phase-in Period 45 calendar days or 45 business days?

18. C.1.4 p. 15: Is the contractor expected to have all necessary security clearances for onsite staff to meet the requirement that “the contractor must be ready to fully perform all elements in the SOW at the time that the period of performance begins”?

19. C.1.6.1 p. 17: The SOW indicates the Government will provide computers and other supplies. Will AHRQ be providing the software necessary to complete all the tasks, including 508 compliance testing?

20. C.1.7.1 p. 17: Please confirm that all the fact sheets, brochures, booklets, flyers and publications to be produced for web-posting will also require the contractor to format these products to be printer-ready files for hard copies.

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21. C.1.7.1 p. 20: Apart from the minimal printing of materials as itemized in this section, please confirm that AHRQ will cover the costs of mass printing of products that are produced under this contract.

Yes, AHRQ will cover these costs.

22. C.1.7.2 p. 21: Is the contractor responsible for the costs associated with having products such as the scientific meetings posters, banners, and exhibit displays printed?

No.

23. C.1.7.3 p. 21: Is the contractor responsible for paying the exhibitor fees (if applicable) for the six annual AHRQ exhibits?

24. C.1.7.3 p. 21: For each of the three out of town exhibits that are to be staffed, how many days of travel should be estimated by the contractor?

25. C.1.8.2 p. 22: Is it correct to assume the annual audience outreach to stakeholders and the field to help identify communication needs can be done by fielding a survey (with OMB approval)?

26. C.1.8.2 p. 22-23: Does AHRQ prefer to have focus groups held in specialized facilities (with observation rooms, etc.), or is that not necessary?

27. C.1.8.3 p. 26: In preparing the Impact Case Studies, how much primary evaluation work, in terms of qualitative analysis, will be expected of contractor staff?

Please refer to the following: https://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsroom/case-studies/index.html.

28. C.1.9 p. 26; L.7 p. 94: What is the potential overlap in staffing assignments between the contractor staff supporting the Office of Communication (OC) and the contractor staff supporting the optional task activities that are focused on Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)? Besides bidding personnel with HAI knowledge, should bidders propose additional staff dedicated to the optional task?

29. H.5 p. 45: Please confirm that the Executive Level II Salaries limitations may be escalated in the option years proposed.

Executive Level II Salaries cannot exceed the hourly rate for the current year.

30. L.7 p. 90: Please confirm that each resume for each proposed staff member can be up to 5 pages and the entire appendix of resumes is not limited to 5 pages.

There is no limit to the number of resumes submitted.

31. L.7 p. 92: Is it acceptable to create a sample messaging plan based on the optional HAI task?

https://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsroom/case-studies/index.html

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32. L.7 p. 93: How many FTEs does AHRQ estimate are necessary to be on-site for the described scope of work?

33. L.9 p. 96: Is there a page limit for the business proposal?

34. L.9 p. 98: If the proposed staff member does not currently work for the offeror, is the offeror still required to submit a copy of the staff member's most recent payroll register?

35. L.9 p. 99: Are subcontractors submitting sealed business proposals required to provide supporting information outlined in Section C. Other Administrative Data?

36. L.9 P. 99: Can you please clarify how royalties would be applied to this contract?

The use of royalties is dependent on offeror approach.

37. L.9 P. 99: In terms of commitments, is AHRQ expecting the offeror to list all other current similar contracts with the Government (Federal and State)?

No solicitation Amendment necessary.

38. L.9 P. 99: AHRQ provides a few examples of documents that could be provided to indicate the offeror’s financial capacity. Does AHRQ have a preference for which type of document is provided?

No solicitation Amendment necessary.

39. Att. C p 106: The budget table provided for Option 2 omits Fringe Benefits, a key cost component. Please confirm that offerors can use a format that accounts comprehensively for all relevant expenses.

40. C.1.7.2 Design: Contractor shall make color copies of 30 marketing flyers annually using

AHRQ printers” How many copies of each flyer? Does AHRQ printers mean GPO?

41. C.1.7.2 Design: “Design 10 brochures and booklets” What is the approximate page count of these brochures and booklets?

42. C.1.7.2 Design: “Design 10 posters from staff-submitted slides for scientific meetings” Are these for scientific poster sessions? What is the intended size? Will copy-edited text be provided?

43. C.1.7.2 Design: “Design two banners, exhibit displays, and backdrops for conferences, printout and trim on poster printer” What is the print quantity and size of these?

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44. C.1.7.2 Design: “Draw 20 technical drawings and illustrations” What is the general subject matter of these technical drawings and illustrations?

45. C.1.7.2 Design: “Prepare 10 designed publications for printing” Does this include design work, or is the design previously approved? What is the approximate page count of these publications?

46. C.1.8.5 Social Media and Audiovisual Capabilities: For all the video projects listed in this section, can it be assumed that the researchers or stakeholders to be interviewed/featured on camera will be available for filming in the Washington DC metro area?

47. C.1.8.5 Social Media and Audiovisual Capabilities: How are travel costs covered?

48. C.1.8.5 Social Media and Audiovisual Capabilities: “Coordinate with AHRQ Division of IT and web team to develop a minimum of 3 online applications (apps) for AHRQ tools such as TeamSTEPPS” As part of this contract will the TeamSTEPPS application need to support new versions and updates of iOS and Android? Will the AHRQ ePSS also need to be maintained? AHRQ expect to actively add new features to either of these applications? Are there any similar applications in the AHRQ portfolio that are either in development or have been released similar to TeamSTEPPS?

No solicitation amendment necessary

49. C.1.9 Optional Task: Market Research and Dissemination of Projects Related to Research on Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI): “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.” Are there any pre-existing examples of A/V Web Tools on HAI education and prevention materials? What type of database is this? Will new features and functionality need to be added to this database?

Examples are listed on the AHRQ website HAI home page. Please refer to the following link. https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/hais/index.html.

50. Synopsize HAI research projects: “Web conferences (1-2 per year)” Is there a pre-existing conference website that used for each conference? Does each conference site continue to be maintained after each conference or is it taken down to be used for the next conference?

51. Synopsize HAI research projects: “Online tools (1-2 per year)” Are any online tools already available? If so, please provide a link. If not, would AHRQ provide an example of an online tool?

Please see answer to question number 49.

52. 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 https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/hais/index.html https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/hais/index.html

Publications, Media and Marketing Page 7 of 10 findings.” What type of database is this? Will new features and functionality need to be added to this database?

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

“Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)” How is the MEPS data stored? Assuming this is a database, please provide information on what DB solution is used. Will new features and functionality need to be added to this database?

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

“Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)” How is the MEPS data stored? Assuming this is a database, please provide information on what DB solution is used. Will new features and functionality need to be added to this database?

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

“Snapshots that provide, via a Web site, State-specific health care quality information” Which web site hosts this information? Will this contract be responsible for supporting the related web site?

56. C.1.8.3 Media Relations and Messaging: “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.” What type of database is this? Will new features and functionality need to be added to this database?

57. C.1.8.4 Stakeholder Outreach: “Develop and maintain 2-3 databases and dashboards” Are there any existing solutions to provide as an example scope? If so, what type of database are they? If so, what current solution is used for the dashboards? Are new features and functionality expected to be added to any existing systems?

We are unable to provide examples because the existing system is internal.

58. Will the day-to-day assignment of work be task order driven?

59. Will AHRQ designate the Total Ceiling Price for Labor and Materials for each contract year such that the responder should leave the Total Ceiling Prices blank or TBD since in some cases, the complexity of some deliverables is not described in enough detail in the RFP to determine task hours and/or material costs with certainty?

No solicitation amendment necessary.

60. C.1.6.1 Work Location: How many employees would contractor need to have onsite on a regular basis?

61. C.1.6.1 Work Location: Would onsite employees be largely project management and day-to-day support, or would onsite creative/specialist employees also be needed onsite?

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62. C.1.7.1 – Writing, Editing, and Production of AHRQ products: Is the contractor limited to 2 per year of the products stated (i.e. fact sheets, program briefs, etc.) or is this on an as-needed basis, with 2 per year being the minimum?

63. C.1.7.3 – Miscellaneous Publishing-Related Activities: Are the events the contractor will attend pre-determined, or are they selected on an ad hoc basis?

64. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: For the annual audience outreach with 20-25 health services researchers and health care thought leaders, will the sample be provided by AHRQ?

65. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: Has AHRQ conducted annual audience outreach in the past? And if so, would you mind sharing the methodology used in past years?

66. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: For the quantitative and qualitative testing to determine perceptions around health issues and understanding of AHRQ’s research, we would like to confirm that the 20-25 researchers and health care thought leaders sample size applies solely to the qualitative piece. Is there a desired sample size for the quantitative research for this?

67. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: Aside from the Washington, DC-Baltimore area, are there other target regions or priority markets for the focus group pre-testing?

68. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: Who are priority audiences for the focus groups for AHRQ priority products and initiatives (re: “to test customer reaction”)

69. C.1.8.2 – Audience Research: Is it possible to provide more context around “secondary research on audience needs,” and what the output of that process would be?

70. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Should the contractor expect to create messaging and outreach strategies for specific campaigns, topics, issues, etc.? Or is this purely for AHRQ’s general, overall messaging and engagement?

71. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: How frequent and robust can the contractor expect media monitoring to be?

72. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Should the messaging plans be viewed as an extension or in combination with a related strategic communications plan, and will the contractor implement all the recommended activities?

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73. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Will the 1-2 in-person press conferences be held at AHRQ Headquarters?

74. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: What types of media events will require a more comprehensive strategic plan – are these events surrounding existing agency releases or other planned announcements?

75. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Is there an existing database framework utilized by AHRQ to track articles by intramural and extramural AHRQ researchers for publication or is the vendor responsible for creating?

Please see solicitation amendment.

76. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Is there a set or target list of peer-reviewed medical and health policy journals that would be tracked? If not, are there journals that are essential to include so we can ensure that we have access to full-text articles through our media database tools?

77. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: What will be the output/deliverable be for tagging/tracking coverage of AHRQ findings? If this will take the form of an ongoing monitoring report, what will be the reporting cadence?

78. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Will tracked coverage include trade and consumer publications/media outlets?

79. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Is tracked coverage limited to U.S., English language publications or will international and/or foreign language media also be tracked?

80. C.1.8.3 – Media Relations and Messaging: Is it necessary to track broadcast coverage or only print/online news?

81. C.1.8.4 – Stakeholder Outreach: How “high-tech” and in detail will the stakeholder databases and dashboards be? Would they be interactive and multi-faceted, or a more simple tracking system?

82. C.1.8.4 – Stakeholder Outreach: What is the focus of the background materials?

83. C.1.8.7 – Development of Impact Case Studies and Grantee Profiles: What is the average or preferred length of an AHRQ Impact Case Study?

Please refer to the following:

Case Studies: https://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsroom/case-studies/index.html Grantee profiles: https://www.ahrq.gov/funding/grantee-profiles/index.html https://www.ahrq.gov/funding/grantee-profiles/index.html

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84. C.1.9 – Optional Task: Market Research and Dissemination of Projects Related to Research on Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI): For the synopses of research findings, could you describe what research has been conducted? We also would like to confirm that these synopses would all be applicable to AHRQ research conducted by the client.

85. C.1.9 – Optional Task: Market Research and Dissemination of Projects Related to Research on Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI): Could you please confirm priority audience(s) for the HAI portfolio? Do the end users described need to currently be aware of HAI?

86. How many labor categories does AHRQ foresee for this project? As I understand it, there will be one full-time employee on site to coordinate all activities and requirements for the contract. Does AHRQ anticipate the support of two additional full-time employees or just consultant hours to complete the scope of work?

87. How many people does AHRQ foresee contractor will need to staff the six events? What are the sizes of the events? Is contractor to provide logistical and event planning support for these events? What about the materials? Is contractor to produce and print materials for these events?

88. Contractor will maintain database of articles by intramural and extramural researchers? Is this database onsite? What is the name of the platform? Is contractor expected to know how to use such platform?

89. For the videos described on page 25, are there existing samples that show AHRQ's expectations for the four types of videos? Will the filming take place in the Washington, DC metro area?

See response to #46.

90. C.1.5 Interface with Other Contractors: Are there specific digital tools (ex. instant messenger, task tracking or cloud storage systems) the new team would be expected to use that would help facilitate or streamline contact and coordination with other Contractor teams?

No solicitation amendment necessary.

91. L.6 General Instructions: In the submitted proposal, may offerors use 10 point font and/or Arial Narrow font for tables and graphics?

No solicitation amendment necessary.

92. L.8 Past Performance Information: The instructions for Past Performance Information state that “Offerors shall submit the following information for both the offeror and proposed major subcontractors,” including “five (5) contracts completed during the past three years or currently in process that are similar in nature to the solicitation workscope.” Please confirm that a total of 5 contract references are expected for each submission, and that there are no requirements for how many references come from a prime offeror and how many come from a subcontractor.