C04a_Statement of Work_1232SA26Q1147.pdf

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Statement of Work

Project ERS Digital Agriculture Data Purchase and Specialty Crops Survey

General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

The Economic Research Service (ERS) seeks to (a) purchase historical data on the adoption of digital technologies and related outcomes in U.S. field crops for the years 2019–2021, and (b) develop, pre-test, and administer an online/phone survey of approximately 1,000 U.S. specialty crop producers. The acquired historical dataset and the commissioned survey data will be used exclusively for research and statistical purposes. The contractor will deliver complete datasets, codebooks, and methodological documentation aligned to ERS needs.

2.0 Background

ERS requires current, representative microdata to assess the adoption and impacts of digital agriculture technologies across U.S. field and specialty crops. Following ERS’s development of the survey instrument, the contractor will conduct pre-testing and subsequent administration using stratified sampling and methodologically sound design principles to ensure representativeness by geography, farm size, and acreage.

Anonymized farm microdata will be obtained under a standard data-sharing agreement.

Data will be collected and stored on a FedRAMP-certified server, preferably Qualtrics XM, with research outputs following standard disclosure and confidentiality safeguards.

The specialty crops survey requires OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA); the contractor will provide the methodological detail needed for the Information Collection Request (Supporting Statements A and B).

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

The contractor shall perform the following tasks:

• Historical Data Acquisition (Field Crops, 2019–2021): Acquire and deliver a dataset covering digital technology adoption in U.S. field crops (canola, corn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans, spring wheat, sugar beets, sunflower, winter wheat) and potatoes, with a sample of ~1,500 producers.

• Historical Data Content: Ensure variables include (at minimum) platform adoption;

technologies used by year and next-season intentions; reasons for adoption; perceived yield impacts; annual prices and mean savings per acre by technology/platform;

farmer assessment criteria; and technology use by crop-production phase (preparation, planting, growing, harvesting).

• Documentation (Historical Data): Provide methodological documentation, including respondent universe, sampling sources, estimated response rates, pre-testing methods (if any), stratification procedures, weight construction, and average response times.

• Survey Development (Specialty Crops): Collaborate with ERS to refine the survey instrument featuring five blocks—(1) digital technology inventory, (2) AI use and intentions, (3) farm labor use, (4) pest management technologies and practices, and

(5) demographics and operation information—collecting a three-year history for 2024–2026.

• Survey Pre-testing: Conduct pre-testing, including qualitative interviews, with up to nine respondents to improve question wording and placement, reduce burden, and minimize confusion; iterate the instrument as appropriate.

• Survey Administration: Administer the survey via CAWI web interface and/or CATI phone interviews; contact producers’ crop consultants where needed; maintain an approximate respondent burden of 30 minutes; apply stratified sampling and produce statistical weights.

• Representativeness & Linkages: Ensure the data support representativeness by geography, farm size, and acreage; enable linkage to public geospatial layers (soils, weather, nearby land use).

• Data Management & Security: Collect/store data on a FedRAMP-certified server, preferably Qualtrics XM given past ERS experience with this platform, which could entail purchase of one or more licenses associated with the FedRAMP-certified server; deliver anonymized microdata; adhere to standard disclosure and confidentiality safeguards.

• Documentation (Field Crops Dataset): Provide detailed data documentation (codebook and survey provenance) in MS Word or PDF and methodological documentation covering sampling frames, stratification, respondent universe, response rates, average response times, and sampling weights construction.

• Documentation (Specialty Crops Survey): Provide methodological documentation sufficient for OMB PRA approval (Supporting Statements A and B), including respondent universe, sampling sources, estimated response rates, pre-testing methods, stratification procedures, and weight construction.

• Technical Assistance: Provide post-transfer technical assistance on data-related questions.

4.0 Government Furnished

ERS will furnish: (a) the initial draft specialty crops survey instrument for contractor pre-testing and administration; (b) subject-matter guidance and COR/COTR review of deliverables; (c) data-sharing agreement templates; and (d) access to publicly available geospatial layers for linkage and analysis. If facility access is required, locations and times will be coordinated by the COR/COTR.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. The following key deliverables and dates apply to this SOW. Period of Performance: 1 year.

Item No. Deliverable Objective / Description Due

1 Field Crops Historical Dataset (CSV, 2019–2021)

Complete dataset covering specified crops and variables.

Within one month of contract award

2 Field Crops Data Codebook (Word/PDF)

Variable-level documentation and survey provenance.

With Item 1

3 Field Crops Methodological Documentation (Word/PDF)

Sampling frames, stratification, respondent universe, response rates, average response times, and weights.

With Item 1

4 Specialty Crops Survey Pre-testing Regimen

Procedures, respondent feedback, and interview recordings (for qualitative methods component).

By October 30, 5 Specialty Crops Pre-testing Assessment Report (Word/PDF)

Assessment of instrument sufficiency and recommendations to improve comprehension and data quality.

By October 30, 6 Specialty Crops Methodological Documentation

Supporting Statements A and B content: respondent universe, sampling sources, estimated

By November 13, which is prior to survey administration for OMB PRA (Word/PDF) response rates, pre-testing methods, stratification, weighting.

7 Shared directory on FedRAMP-certified server

Active license(s) for shared directory to store specialty crops dataset

By February 1, 2027, or prior to survey administration, whichever is earlier

8 Final Specialty Crops Dataset

(CSV)

Responses from ~1,000 producers across several dozen crops.

By February 26, 2027, or upon successful completion of survey administration, whichever is earlier

9 Specialty Crops Data Codebook (Word/PDF)

Mapping of variables to survey questions/items.

With Item 8

10 Specialty Crops Methodological Documentation (Word/PDF)

Response rates, analysis of item nonresponse, average response times, With Item 8

6.0 Travel

Most work is expected to be performed remotely. Telephone follow-up may be required to reach certain respondents during survey administration. Any contractor travel will be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer (CO) or COR and reimbursed in accordance with applicable Federal travel regulations.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

Offerors shall designate key personnel and provide resumes demonstrating qualifications relevant to this SOW. At minimum, key roles include: Project Manager; Survey Methodologist; Statistician/Sampling Lead; Data Engineer; and Quality Assurance Specialist. Resumes should document experience with stratified survey design, CAWI/CATI administration, agricultural producer surveys, PRA/OMB documentation, and secure data management on FedRAMP-certified environments (e.g., Qualtrics).

8.0 Security Requirements

All data will be anonymized prior to transfer to ERS. Collection and storage shall occur on FedRAMP-certified infrastructure, with preference given to use of Qualtrics XM in light of ERS expertise with this software, for which ERS and the contractor will have active access. The contractor shall implement standard disclosure controls and confidentiality safeguards, and provide post-transfer technical assistance for data-related questions.

9.0 Data Rights

The purchase shall include a license granting ERS unlimited access to both datasets (field crops and specialty crops) for research and statistical purposes. Upon transfer to ERS, the data and any resulting/derivative products will be owned by ERS. ERS-authored research products are in the public domain. At ERS and vendor discretion, additional data licenses for research/statistical use may be permitted case by case.

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards All information technology deliverables (including the CAWI web interface, electronic documents, and data files) shall comply with Section 508 requirements. Electronic documents must be accessible (e.g., tagged PDFs or properly styled Word documents), and data files must include accessible metadata. Offerors shall describe their approach to ensuring accessibility in the Technical Proposal.