Attachment 3 Evaluation Factors.docx

330 Independence Avenue SW | Washington, DC 20237 | usagm.gov

USAGM RFP Number: 951700-23-R-00016 Technical Evaluation Factors USAGM plans to award a contract for an online panel survey and relevant statistical methods in order to estimate the size of its radio, television, and online audience inside China.

The winning proposal will conform to the requirements outlined in this Statement of Work (SOW) and is most advantageous to the Government based on the best value determination. The Contracting Officer will determine best value to the Government based on evaluation of price with non-price factors considered. The combined weight of the non-price factors is more important than price. The evaluation factors below are listed in descending order of importance.

Factor 1: Technical Approach Factor 2: Management Approach Factor 3: Organizational Experience Factor 4: Past Performance Factor 5: Price

Factor 1: Technical Approach The Contractor will be evaluated on the methodology they will use to estimate USAGM’s radio, television, and digital audiences in China. The agency seeks the highest level of integrity in national population estimates or representative research, while balancing efficiency and cost for all tasks outlined in the SOW requirements.

· The Contractor shall describe the composition, maintenance, and representativeness of the online panel.

· The Contractor shall describe the practices employed to ensure that research instruments effectively measure media use, media brand recognition, and opinions of media brands, including but not limited to local market research, translation controls, recommended survey languages, etc.

· The Contractor shall describe the quality control procedures they employ to ensure that data is valid.

· The Contractor shall describe the statistical methods they plan to employ to achieve representativeness of the national population; population of adults using digital media in China; or population of USAGM users in China

· Contractors shall submit examples of deliverables(with permission from other clients) that are reflective of the type of project on which they intend to bid.

Factor 2: Management Approach Contractors will be evaluated on the effectiveness of their management approach. Contractors shall state their capacity to perform the following research activities in-house using their own staff and teams, as opposed to sub-contracting the work to external contractors:

· Establishing and maintaining online survey panel participants

· Translating English-language research instruments into local languages

· Panel sample design

· Survey instruction design and translation

· Survey scripting

· Research team training

· Post-field QC, including survey response backchecks if necessary

· Data weighting, missing data computation, and other statistical analyses relevant to USAGM audience estimation

· Survey data analysis and writing a report in professional English

Factor 3: Organizational Experience The Contractor will be evaluated on the extent to which there is evidence the organization has current capabilities for assuring performance of this requirement. Contractors shall provide evidence of relevant supporting subcontractors, consultants and business partners and evidence that the organization has an appropriate mix and balance of team members qualified to carry out the research activities in accordance with this SOW.

Factors 4: Past Performance The Contractor will be evaluated on the relevance and quality of past performance. Contractors shall detail their experience performing similar work in media research, nationally representative research, and/or research in specific countries/regions for the agency or other clients. The Contractor shall list the last survey with similar specifications, the county or regional where survey was implemented, and where possible, the client for whom work was conducted.

Past Performance is defined as a measure of how well the Contractor has performed under previous efforts of similar size, scope and complexity. USAGM’s evaluation of past performance will be a subjective assessment based on information provided by the Contractor and information obtained independently from a variety of public and private sources including the references provided in the proposal.

The evaluation will consider:

a) Quality of Service and Technical Expertise – Compliance with contract requirements; customer satisfaction; etc.

b) Timeliness of Performance – Reliable; responsive to technical direction; adhered to contract schedule; tasks completed/provided on-time; no history of significant performance penalties.

c) Business Relations – Effective and efficient management; businesslike correspondence; responsive to contract requirements; prompt notification of problems; flexible; pro-active; responsive to inquiries, prompt notification of problems and problem resolution, customer satisfaction, effective and efficient contractor recommended solutions.

d) Personnel Management – Work force properly trained and given proper direction to ensure that required tasks are successfully performed.

NOTE: The Contractors shall only include the information required above in the Past Performance Proposal. The USAGM will not evaluate or consider other information or Past Performance information in other Sections of their response.

Contractors lacking relevant past performance history will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably, but will receive a neutral rating. However, the proposal of a Contractor with no relevant past performance history may not represent the most advantageous proposal to the USAGM. The Past Performance assessment will be used as a means to determine USAGM’s confidence in the Contractor meeting the requirements of the SOW.

The Contractor shall provide past performance information for three (3) of the most relevant contracts performed for Federal agencies, state/local governments and/or commercial customers within the last three (3) years from the issue date of this solicitation. Relevant contracts include contracts similar or greater in scope, magnitude, and complexity than the effort described in this solicitation. The Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) shall be submitted by the customer reference (see the attached PPQ to this solicitation) directly to the Contracting Officer. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure PPQs are submitted.

The summaries of three relevant projects performed in the last three (3) years (from the date the solicitation is issued) shall include:

1) Project name, contract and/or task order number;

2) Contract dollar value;

3) Period of performance;

4) Customer point of contact (including name, work number, cell number, and email address);

5) Detailed description of work performed;

6) Roles and responsibilities;

7) Results achieved; and

8) A narrative that addresses how the work performed is similar in scope and complexity. Customers may be Federal, State, or Local Government, corporations, universities, associations and/or other commercial customers

Factor 5: Price The Contractor will be evaluated on pricing. In determining which proposal provides the best value to the Government, non-price (technical) evaluation factors are more important than evaluated price. Based upon the results of the integrated assessment of the technical and cost/price proposals, the Government may make an award to other than the lowest-priced offeror or the offeror with the highest technical score if the source selection official determines that to do so would result in the best value to the Government.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

There are five (5) evaluation factors: three (3) technical, one (1) past performance, and one (1) price.

The USAGM will evaluate the three (3) technical evaluation factors using the three confidence rating definitions: High Confidence, Some Confidence, and Low Confidence. If two or more technical factors is rated Low Confidence, it will result in an overall rating of Low Confidence.

Technical Proposal Rating:

The Past Performance evaluation factor will be evaluated using four confidence level ratings: High Level of Confidence, Moderate Level of Confidence, Low Level of Confidence, No Confidence, and Neutral. Past Performance assessments will help the USAGM predict how a Contractor will perform based on contract performance on requirements of similar type, size, and complexity. A Contractor without any past performance will receive a neutral rating.

Past Performance Rating

DETERMINATION OF BEST VALUE:

USAGM will award a contract to the Contractor that is rated, by an integrated assessment of all the evaluation factors, to be the “best value” to the Government.

The USAGM will use the following evaluation factors to evaluate offers. They are listed in descending order of importance:

1. Technical Approach

2. Management Approach

3. Organizational Experience

4. Past Performance on same or similar projects

5. Price

Factors 1, 2 and 3 are more important than Factor 4. However, Factor 4 is more important that Factor 5. When all the non-price factors (1 – 4) are combined, they are significantly more important than price (Factor 5).

USAGM reserves the right to make one award or no award, depending upon the quality of the proposals submitted and the availability of funds.

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with Contractors. Therefore, the Contractor’s initial proposal should contain the Contractor’s best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint.

USAGM will not, in any case, make award to a Contractor it considers to have substandard capabilities or unreasonable prices.

If the Contractor’s proposal is determined low confidence in either of the technical evaluation factors, the proposal may not be considered for award.

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