AMENDMENT #1

Questions and Answers for 2024-UWMSN-00354-RFB

Q1: Section 6.1 mentions “Contractor personnel shall be available to attend a kickoff meeting to facilitate onboarding/training of tool/process to WSB staff.” Does this refer to training on research best practices? If not, what type of training/onboarding does UWMSN have in mind?

A1: It does not refer to research best practices. The kick-off will be focused on processes and best practices for our organizations to work together effectively. For example, what is the timing between project request and ready to field? How far in advance to we need to give notice of an upcoming project? How do you like to review surveys, Word or Qualtrics? Who will be our account contact(s) on your team?

Q2: Does WSB have available opt-in contact lists (including email addresses) for any of the target audiences described in the RFP, including: prospective undergraduate students, graduate business students (full-time, part-time, executive, and masters), and employer contacts? If so, what is the size of each respective list?

A2: We do not have any available lists of prospective students to use for research. Sometimes we can use alumni as prospective students or employers, but for the purposes of this RFB, assume we have no available lists for research.

Q3: Can WSB share more detail on the employer audience (e.g., particular geos, industries, etc.)?

A3: We are not asking for any costs for research with this audience. Recruiting parameters would be set on a project-by-project basis, but in general they would likely be people who work in particular functions or industries who have hiring responsibilities.

Q4: Can WSB provide further context for the desire to conduct a survey/study once every 6-8 weeks? Do the line items on page 16 reflect the maximum number of studies (qualitative and quantitative) that WSB envisions within the scope of this bid?

A4: The 6-8 week time estimate is based on our historical research needs. It was included as an estimate to give you a sense of the quantity of research conducted. In reality, we go longer between studies or even, at times, run a couple studies simultaneously.

The studies on page 16 are examples of past studies we have conducted or future study needs. They are meant to serve as an example the type of studies we conduct. They are not an indication of the number of studies we will run in a given year.

Q5: How does WSB intend to use the findings from these repeat studies?

A5: The studies included in the RFP are examples of studies we have run in the past or studies we plan to run in the future. They will not be repeated annually. Our research pipeline is continuously evolving and is based on the needs of partners across the school. Research is used to support new program development, existing program optimization, or promotion of our degree portfolio.

Q6: Who at WSB will be the primary users of this research?

A6: We have a research team and they will be your main contacts for research execution. The findings/insights from research projects will be used more broadly across the school. Common partners include the marketing and communications team, program leaders and administrators, faculty, and school leadership (e.g., the Dean).

Q7: Is WSB looking to retarget participants for each wave of research or recruit different participants each time?

A7: We are open to both approaches, depending on individual project scope. Most of our studies are not longitudinal and each project might require different participant demographics, so for the purposes of this RFB, you can assume we will recruit different participants each time. We might for example run a study for the marketing MBA program one year, and then do a very similar study for the finance MBA the next. In that case, the participants will be different even if the research questions are similar.

Q8: For the quantitative studies, how does WSB envision integrating with a firm to use Qualtrics? For example, would the partner or WSB be responsible for programming, testing, tabulation, etc.?

A8: WSB would be responsible for programming, testing, and tabulations. However, we would like our agency partners to help us review survey drafts and provide feedback, and test/troubleshooting each survey before launch.

Regarding how we integrate, I hope we could cover that in a kick-off meeting. For example, would the firm prefer to review surveys in Word or Qualtrics?

The RFB does include a section for firms to include their capabilities and prices should a project arise where WSB does not have the capabilities for programming, testing, or tabulation. But in most instances, WSB will be responsible for those activities.

Q9: For the quantitative studies, would the firm be responsible for survey writing, response analysis, and report creation?

A9: No, WSB would be responsible for survey writing, response analysis, and report creation.

The RFB does include a section for firms to include their capabilities and prices should a project arise where WSB does not have the capabilities for survey writing, analysis and reporting. But in most instances, WSB will be responsible for those activities.

Q10: For the qualitative studies, how does WSB envision the division of responsibilities between WSB and a firm (e.g., discussion guide development, analysis, report creation, etc.)?

A10: WSB will be responsible for discussion guide development, analysis, and report creation.

The RFB does include a section for firms to include their capabilities and prices should a project arise where WSB does not have the capabilities for discussion guide creation, analysis and reporting. But in most instances, WSB will be responsible for those activities.

Q11: Are there specific milestones/timing considerations we should be aware of for the market research?

A11: Our timing needs will be set on an individual project basis as part of the scoping process. It would be helpful for you to include timing estimates regarding the time needed to field a survey/recruit participants. Also, as part of a kick-off, WSB and the firm can share timing considerations, processes for initiating a project, and set timelines for completing the project. (e.g., how far in advance do we need to give notice of an upcoming project?).

Q12: What does WSB envision for the final deliverable for each study?

A12: The firm will provide sample/field the study for each project. WSB will create the final research deliverable, typically a PowerPoint report.