Att F- Technical Proposal.docx

RFP 27-88018

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT F

Respondent:

INSTRUCTIONS

Request for Proposal (RFP) 27-88018 is a solicitation issued by the State of Indiana in which organizations are invited to compete for a contract amongst other respondents in a formal evaluation process. The proposal evaluation can only be based on the information provided by the Respondent in its proposal submission. Therefore, a competitive proposal will thoroughly address all components of Attachment K - Scope of Work.

Respondents should insert their text in the provided boxes below the questions/prompts. Respondents are allowed to reference appendices or exhibits not included in the boxes provided for the responses, so long as those materials are clearly referenced and described in the boxes in the template. The boxes may be expanded to fit a response. Every attempt should be made to preserve the original format of this form. A completed Technical Proposal is a requirement for proposal submission. Failure to complete and submit this form may impact your proposal’s responsiveness. Please limit your response to 40 pages or less, not including any appendices.

Respondents must ensure that responses clearly address technical, security, hosting, authentication, and data‑exchange requirements identified in Attachment K, including compliance with Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) standards, Access Indiana authentication, Managed File Transfer requirements, Cloud Tenant expectations, and the State AI Readiness Assessment process, where applicable.

Minimum Requirements

A foundational level of experience is required to perform statewide BRFSS operations successfully. Respondents should demonstrate that their past work meets or exceeds the minimum experience threshold identified in the Scope of Work.

1. Describe your organization’s experience meeting the minimum requirement: at least five (5) years conducting CDC BRFSS or comparable statewide, population-based public health surveys and provide at least one artifact or example that verifies successful performance on similar statewide survey operations. Include:

· States/areas and years served; annual completes and monthly calling cadence.

· Comparable project details (if not BRFSS): scale, dual-frame telephone operations (landline/cell), dispositional tracking, Federal/state deliverables/timelines

· Provide a concise project list (table acceptable) and 1-2 exemplar deliverables or letters of performance (sanitized)

Technical Proposal Questions

Respondents are required to structure their answers so that each response demonstrably corresponds to the requirements set forth in Attachment K – Statement of Work.

1. Vendor Qualifications, Key Personnel & Capacity

1.1. Computer‑Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Capability

Describe your CATI platform and approach for programming and operating complex BRFSS-style instruments. Include:

· Skip logic/branching, module routing, version control, and annual CDC revision change‑management.

· Role‑based access controls, audit trails, uptime/availability targets, backup/recovery.

· Ability to deliver machine‑readable CATI instrument files to IDOH.

1.2. Dual‑Frame RDD Sampling (Landline & Cellular)

Explain your experience managing random‑digit‑dialing (RDD) for both landline and cellular frames. Include: monthly sample intake/preprocessing procedures, frame mix governance, duplicate screening, dispositional coding QA, contact‑attempt management/callback rules, and the tools/dashboards used to monitor frame performance.

1.3. Administration of Complex Instruments (Skip Logic & Routing)

Describe your training and testing approach to ensure instrument fidelity and error prevention. Include: interviewer/supervisor training curriculum, guided practice/certification; pre‑launch unit/flow testing; defect logging and sign‑off criteria; correction workflows and turnaround.

1.4. Multilingual Survey Administration (English & Spanish)

Describe your Spanish‑language operations and quality assurance. Include: interviewer proficiency standards/assessments, refresher cadence; translation/adaptation workflow aligned with Spanish questionnaires; version control across centers/shifts; Spanish‑specific monitoring (percent and cadence).

1.5. Security & Privacy Compliance (Federal/State)

Provide an overview of your security and privacy compliance posture. Include: HIPAA, Indiana RAMP, IOT Security Framework, Section 508/state accessibility alignment; encryption in transit/at rest, key management, secure transfer/storage; incident response procedures; training cadence and internal audits.).

Respondents must explicitly describe how their proposed solution complies with all technology, security, hosting, and authentication requirements in Attachment K, including Statewide IT standards, Access Indiana authentication, data exchange methods (MuleSoft/API and GoAnywhere MFT), State cloud tenant expectations, and the State AI Policy/Readiness Assessment.

1.6. CDC BRFSS Operational & Reporting Requirements

Describe how you meet CDC BRFSS operational and reporting requirements. Include: use of CDC‑specified edit/clean utilities (e.g., OneEdits), consistency checks; monthly dataset preparation; CDC submission workflow and deadline controls; brief performance history meeting CDC timelines.

1.7. Innovative Survey Methodologies & Respondent Engagement

Describe the innovations you have implemented to improve productivity, quality, or representativeness. Include: optimized calling windows, enhanced introductions, tailored refusal conversion; measured impacts (response/cooperation gains, partial‑breakoff reduction, average‑length optimization).

1.8. Oversampling & Targeted Recruitment

Explain your approach to oversampling strata and targeted recruitment. Include: strata definitions, sample allocation, execution controls; weighting/variance implications and how integrity is preserved.

1.9. Complex or Multi‑Year Weighted Datasets

Describe your methodology for producing weighted and multi‑year (longitudinal) datasets. Include: weighting methods (e.g., raking) and variables; cross‑year compatibility checks; metadata continuity; codebooks/data dictionaries for analysts.

1.10. Small‑Area Estimation (SAE) Support

Describe your SAE capabilities and constraints. Include: methods/tools, sample‑size considerations, error estimation, example outputs (sanitized).

1.11. Key Personnel & Organizational Capacity

Provide details on leadership capacity and interviewer coverage. Include: resumes/summaries for Project Director, Project Manager, Survey Ops Manager, Data Manager, Lead Statistician/Methodologist, QA Manager; organizational chart with reporting lines/escalations; supervisor‑to‑interviewer ratios; weekday/weeknight/weekend shift coverage; surge staffing for peak months.

2. Survey Operations & Sample Management

A clearly defined and mature operational framework is essential for conducting BRFSS interviews, managing sample workflows, and ensuring representative, high‑quality data. Responses should outline the methods and tools used to carry out these responsibilities effectively.

2.1. Survey Administration

Describe how you will administer the CDC Core, IDOH‑selected optional modules, and state‑added questions (no changes without prior approval). Include: interviewer training for CDC protocol/script fidelity (coaching cadence, certification thresholds); random adult selection in landline households and checks to minimize selection bias; multilingual operations (English/Spanish) with proficiency validation and translation/version control.

2.2. Scheduling, Callbacks & Refusal Conversion

Explain your end‑to‑end contact management approach. Include: systems/workflows for scheduling, callbacks/appointments, honoring requested times, auditable case histories; refusal‑conversion strategy (scripts, escalation criteria, retraining) with historical metrics (conversion and callback completion rates); respondent support (FAQs, escalations, accessibility accommodations).

2.3. Monthly Sample Intake, Dispositions & Contact Attempts

Describe your monthly sample controls. Include: secure intake/preprocessing; integrity checks; reconciliation with CDC drop files; disposition assignment QA (miscoding controls, supervisor audits); contact‑attempt tracking rules; callback routing/preservation; complete case histories for rate calculations.

2.4. Duplicate Prevention, Representativeness & Nonresponse Bias

Explain how you protect sample integrity and equity. Include: duplicate detection/prevention across frames; reconciliation steps and reporting to IDOH; representativeness monitoring (geographic/demographic thresholds; corrective‑action triggers); nonresponse‑bias mitigation (targeted call windows, tailored conversion consistent with policy); one prior‑project example (sanitized) showing checks and mitigations.

3. Survey Programming & Instrument Management

Accurate programming and rigorous testing of the CDC BRFSS instrument are critical to reliable field operations. Respondents should detail how survey instruments are built, validated, maintained, and delivered for IDOH review and approval.

3.1. Annual Programming & CDC Revisions

Describe your programming and validation lifecycle. Include: programming for annual CDC questionnaire and state‑added content; validation of skip logic, disposition routing, module integration, and CDC revision updates; test plans/matrix and sign‑off criteria; defect logging and resolution SLAs.

3.2. Documentation, Version Control & Preview Deliverables

Explain how you ensure instrument transparency and control. Include: documentation standards (program specs, variable maps, routing diagrams), change logs shared with IDOH; version‑control policies and controls to prevent version drift across shifts/sites; preview deliverables (annotated, user‑friendly interview schedule and machine‑readable CATI file by agreed dates).

3.3. State‑Added Questions — Estimates & Deployment\

Describe your process for estimating and deploying new/state‑added questions. Include: a no‑cost cost‑estimate workflow; typical turnaround time once approved; post‑change validation to preserve instrument integrity and stable skip paths.

4. Data Management & Reporting

Strong data‑management practices underpin the integrity, usability, and timely submission of BRFSS datasets. Respondents should provide a thorough description of their data‑processing pipeline, validation procedures, documentation standards, and reporting capabilities.

4.1. Processing, Validation & Anomaly Resolution

Describe your full pipeline and QC cadence. Include: nightly→monthly pipeline overview (roles/systems); validation cadence (daily/weekly), automated vs. manual checks (range, logic, cross‑field); error‑rate reporting and trend monitoring; how two‑week correction windows are met when issues arise (acknowledgement, root‑cause analysis, corrected files) at no cost to IDOH.

4.2. Editing & CDC Submission Files

Explain your CDC‑aligned editing and submission approach. Include: use of CDC‑specified edit/clean utilities and consistency checks; monthly datasets to IDOH; CDC submission files; rejection‑prevention checks; historical CDC rejection rate (if any) and mitigation steps; resubmission procedures; secure transmission methods.

4.3. Documentation, Metadata & Retention

Describe how you ensure data are analyzable and auditable. Include: data dictionaries, codebooks (including state‑added items), machine‑readable layouts; metadata version control; archival/retention for datasets, call logs, QA documentation; controls to keep CATI instrument and data dictionary aligned.

4.4. Required Reports & Cadence

Provide your approach to producing required reports and ensuring their quality. Include:

· Monthly Operational Reports (production, sample utilization, response/cooperation rates, staffing updates, risks/issues/mitigation, progress vs. annual targets) and your internal review workflow prior to submission.

· Quarterly Performance Reports (KPI progress, representativeness assessments, QA summary, CI recommendations, trend analysis).

· Annual Summary Reports (final dataset, annual production results, performance vs. contract, QA outcomes, response‑rate trends, summary of activities).

5. Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

Quality assurance is central to producing valid, reliable BRFSS data and ensuring sustained operational performance. Respondents should explain how quality controls are embedded throughout the interviewing, data‑collection, and reporting lifecycle.

5.1. QA/QC Program

Describe your ongoing QA controls and documentation. Include: monitoring percent by interviewer and cadence (daily/weekly/monthly); tools used; sampling logic; validation callback percent and methodology; expected callback success rates; discrepancy resolution process; supervisor review workflows; QA forms/rubrics; coaching/remediation procedures; quality audits and corrective‑action processes; how QA records are maintained and shared with IDOH.

5.2. KPI Tracking & Corrective Action Plans (CAPs)

Explain your performance governance and course‑correction approach. Include: KPI tracking/reporting in Monthly/Quarterly reports (e.g., survey completion target, timeliness, data submission accuracy, QA compliance); CAP management (milestones, tracking tools, integration into operations, preemptive triggers before KPIs are missed); status reporting to IDOH.

6. Project Management, Coordination, Compliance & Cost Model

Effective project oversight, clear communication, and strong compliance practices support seamless coordination with IDOH and CDC. Respondents should show how they structure, manage, and monitor the contract to ensure all requirements are met throughout the engagement.

6.1. Project Management Plan (PMP)

Provide your project governance and schedule. Include: project workplan (tasks, milestones, resourcing) with timeline/Gantt demonstrating how project requirements align to planned milestones and deliverables; Communications Management Plan (cadence, participants, channels/tools, agendas, minutes/action tracking); project organization & staffing plan (tie to Section 1.11); Risk & Issue Management (risk categories—technical, staffing, timeline, quality; vendor‑internal escalation before IDOH escalation; mitigation/resolution).

6.2. Cost Model, Pricing Methodology & Scalability Assumptions

Describe your approach for determining costs associated with BRFSS operations. Your response should clearly explain the internal methods, assumptions, and operational drivers behind the pricing structures submitted in Attachment D. Include:

· The assumptions and operational factors used to establish the base cost for BRFSS data collection (e.g., interviewer labor, productivity rates, call‑attempt patterns, QA requirements, supervision ratios, CATI platform considerations).

· How pricing is developed for adding or removing optional modules or state‑added questions (SAQs), including expected impacts on interview length and instrument complexity.

· How costs scale when target completes increase or decrease, including operational thresholds or minimum capacity assumptions that influence pricing.

· How costs are calculated when interviews exceed the contractual average interview length, including per‑minute adders or related thresholds.

· Any internal budgeting or forecasting approach used to anticipate year‑to‑year cost changes in response to variable federal BRFSS funding.

· How the overall pricing methodology supports long‑term sustainability, flexibility, and operational stability for the full contract period.

6.3. Subcontractor Use, Roles, Oversight & Compliance

Describe your approach to using subcontractors (if applicable) during the BRFSS engagement. Include:

· Identification of any subcontractors proposed for this contract and the specific scope of work each will perform.

· The estimated percentage of total contract work assigned to subcontractors, including anticipated staffing levels.

· Whether subcontractors will be limited to interviewer‑level activities or if they will perform any additional responsibilities (e.g., project management, CATI programming, QA oversight, data processing, reporting).

· Oversight and governance practices for subcontractors, including training requirements, supervisory structure, monitoring, quality assurance, and compliance checks.

· How subcontractors will comply with all applicable State and federal requirements, including HIPAA, RAMP, the IOT Security Framework, Section 508 accessibility, and any other obligations relevant to BRFSS operations.

· How subcontractor performance will be evaluated, documented, and escalated if issues arise.

· How subcontractor involvement will be communicated to IDOH throughout the contract period and incorporated into staffing plans, status reports, and operational updates.

6.4. Stakeholder Coordination & Audit/Review Support

Describe your day‑to‑day coordination and formal review support. Include: tools/systems used for communications (e.g., Teams/email/PM platform); standard meeting formats (agenda, minutes, follow‑up tracking); participation in CDC BRFSS meetings (as requested); audit/review support; technical consultation.

6.5. Compliance Requirements

Explain your readiness to comply with all State and federal requirements. Include: HIPAA, Indiana RAMP, IOT Security Framework, State accessibility/Section 508, and Indiana AI Readiness Assessment (if AI tools will be used); training cadence and internal audits of compliance documentation; storage and retrieval for audit.

6.6. End‑of‑Contract Transition & Knowledge Transfer

Describe your close‑out approach and asset return. Include: knowledge‑transfer strategy, artifact inventory delivered at close, timeline; final archival/return of data, code, instruments, and work products

6.7. Data Ownership & Use Restrictions

Provide an acknowledgement of IDOH’s ownership of all BRFSS data and work products developed under this contract and describe how your organization ensures compliance with all usage restrictions. Please address:

· Confirmation that IDOH retains full ownership of all raw, processed, and non‑public BRFSS data and related work products.

· A commitment that no BRFSS data will be used, disclosed, retained, analyzed, or repurposed outside the scope of the contract without written permission from IDOH.

· Controls used to restrict internal and subcontractor access, prevent unauthorized use, and ensure data segregation.

· Your process for authorized destruction or return of data when directed by IDOH.