CommunicationsRFP62807.doc

Health Care Quality and Cost Council

RFP for Web Design and Communications Consultant

I.

Introduction and Overview As part of the recently enacted Health Care Reform law, An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care (Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006), the Health Care Quality and Cost Council was established to focus on improving access to quality and making price and cost information more broadly available in order to bring more efficiency to the health care delivery system. The Council develops and coordinates the implementation of health care quality improvement goals that are intended to lower or contain the growth in health care costs while improving the quality of care, including reductions in racial and ethnic health disparities.

II.

Purpose of Request for Proposals An integral part of the Council’s duties is to make information on the quality and cost of health care available and useful to the general public. Our audience will be consumers, providers, payers, employers, agents and policymakers. The Council therefore seeks communications assistance from experienced individuals or firms for the purpose of developing and implementing a comprehensive communications plan targeted to several constituencies including health care consumers, media outlets, providers, policy makers and agent/brokers of the Commonwealth, all of whom will stand to benefit by the information the Council produces.

The communications plan will include presentation of complex health care quality and cost information in the most understandable and useful way, based on input from consumers; dissemination of the information via a website and other media; steps to inform people about the availability of information on cost and quality; and a means to solicit ongoing feedback from consumers to inform adjustments to the approach.

III.

Issuing Officer The Health Care Quality and Cost Council is issuing this RFP. The Issuing Officer and the individuals listed below are the sole points of contact regarding this RFP. No contact with any other Council member, employee, vendor or consultant with respect to the RFP is permitted, from the date of release of this RFP until a contract is awarded, unless otherwise directed by the Issuing Officer.

The Issuing Officer for this RFP is:

Katharine London, Executive Director Health Care Quality & Cost Council 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor

Boston, MA 02116

Tel: 617-988-3196; Fax: 617-727-7662

Email: Katharine.london@state.ma.us IV. Submission Deadline and Bidders Conference The Council will hold a conference for interested bidders.

Date:

Monday, July 16, 2007, 2-4 PM.

Place:

Division of Health Care Finance and Policy

2 Boylston Street, 5th floor, Daley Room

Boston, MA 02116

617-988-3100

Proposals are due no later than Friday, July 27, 2007 at 4:00 PM to:

Katharine London, Executive Director Health Care Quality & Cost Council 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor

Boston, MA 02116

Proposals must be clearly labeled: “Communications Consultant Response.”

Submitting organizations will be notified of the Council’s decision no later than August 31, 2007.

V.

Term of Contract The initial term of the contract shall be for the period September 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. The Council may, at its sole discretion, seek to extend the contract for up to two one-year periods.

VI.

Scope of Services

· Techniques for presenting quality and cost information in a manner that is comprehensible and useful to the average target user. This task will consider issues of literacy and cultural competence, and will take into account existing research findings, to be provided by the Health Care Quality and Cost Council, on the public’s use of quality and cost data. The first task is to communicate quality information developed by a number of other entities (see, for example, data available at www.mass.gov/healthcareqc and at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov) in one comprehensive and easily understood format.

In addition, the Council’s internet site is mandated to include comparative cost information by facility and, as applicable, by clinician or physician group practice for obstetrical services, physician office visits, high-volume elective surgical procedures, high-volume diagnostic tests and high-volume therapeutic procedures by March 1, 2008.

· Message development & branding to establish the availability of the information the Council will be disseminating, determine the intended uses of the information, identify target audiences for information and how to site Council as the source for that information. This task will include methods to test best approaches, such as focus groups with targeted audiences.

· Design of the Council’s website as one means of making the Council’s information available to the public. The website design should have as its priorities ease of navigation, accessibility of information, and easy availability of supporting explanations of information. The strengths and weaknesses of existing websites that transmit complex information to the public should be considered, as should issues of literacy and cultural competence. The Council’s website is mandated by Massachusetts General Law (MGL) chapter 6A, section 16L, and by chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, section 136.

· Strategy for disseminating quality and cost information through printed media, Public Service Announcements, interviews etc. so that the Council’s information can reach a maximum number of people, particularly those with limited access to the Internet. The strategy will consider the form the information should take, as well as the marketing of the information.

· Development of printed materials containing quality and cost information, to be disseminated employing the strategy developed in the previous task.

· Development and implementation of a means to systematically receive feedback from target users so that the Council can learn whether and how information is being used, and what additional information users consider valuable. This feedback method may be continuous or periodic, but it should be a permanent and ongoing component of the Council’s information dissemination role.

VII. Proposal Format Submit a non-price proposal including the information listed in VII. A., B. and C. below. Submit 8 hard copies of the non-price proposal and an electronic copy on CD.

Submit the price proposal described in VII.D. below in a separate sealed envelope labeled “Sealed Price Proposal – Do Not Open.”

Submit one signed original of all required forms listed in VII.E. below.

A. Basic information:

1. Name & address of organization

2. Responsible Parties to receive notices related to this RFP

3. Date business established

4. Total number of employees

5. Number of employees to be working on this account B. Plan of Services

Describe your plan for providing the Scope of Services. Your plan should include:

1. Your firm’s approach for developing and implementing communications plans, including account management, market research and development of communications strategy.

2. How you will phase in the work and the timing for each phase, such as market research, strategy development, implementation planning and execution.

C. Background information

1. Briefly describe the history of your firm and its ownership structure.

2. Describe the organizational structure of your firm, including the biographies of key principals.

3. Provide the resumes of staff who will be assigned to the Council account.

4. Describe your firm’s experience in communicating complex information to consumers. Provide examples.

5. Describe your firm’s experience working with health care quality and cost measures and provide examples of the results of this work.

6. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of your firm. What differentiates you from your key competitors?

7. What type of client is best served by your firm?

8. List a sample of your current & past accounts.

9. List all references of similar scoped projects that have included the six bulleted items in Section V. whom we may contact regarding the quality of your work. Include information including company name, contact person and telephone number on the attached Business Reference Form.

D. Price Submit a separate, sealed price proposal for the entire Scope of Services labeled “Sealed Price Proposal – Do Not Open.”

Include a budget for the assignment, specifying a breakdown by task, including the staff person assigned to each task.

Describe your preferred compensation structure.

Include your firm’s average blended rate.

E. Forms

Complete the forms attached to this RFP:

1. Commonwealth Terms and Conditions

2. W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

3. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standard Contract Form

4. Prompt Pay Discount Form (optional)

5. Additional Environmentally Preferable Products/Practices (optional)

6. EO481 Contractor Certification Prohibiting the Use of Undocumented Workers on State Contracts

7. Certificate of Tax Compliance Proposers may apply for a Certificate of Tax Compliance from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue online at: https://wfb.dor.state.ma.us/webfile/Certificate/Public/WebForms/Welcome.aspx or by submitting the attached form

Request for a Certificate of Good Standing and/or Tax Compliance

8. Certificate of Non-Collusion

9. Electronic Funds Transfer Form

Sign up online at: https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/eftRegisterfrm.asp

10. Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing F. Oral Presentation The Council will evaluate the written proposals, and invite one or more finalists to make an oral presentation of the proposal to the evaluation committee. At that time, the evaluation committee may ask proposers questions about the proposal.

VIII. Evaluation Criteria The Council will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria.

A. Quality Requirements

1. Proposers must provide all of the services described in Section V: Scope of Services and comply with all proposal submission requirements listed in Section VI.

2. The proposed Project Manager must have completed at least two (2) projects of similar size and scope to this project.

B. Comparative Evaluation Criteria

1. Evaluation of the proposed plan:

Highly Advantageous: The proposal contains a clear and comprehensive plan that addresses the entire scope of services stated in the RFP.

Advantageous: The proposal contains a clear plan that addresses most of the scope of services stated in the RFP.

Not Advantageous: The proposal does not contain a clear plan for addressing most of the scope of services stated in the RFP.

2. Staffing plan and methodology:

Highly Advantageous: The plan of services proposes a detailed, logical, and highly efficient scheme for producing a complete product that addresses all of the required issues.

Advantageous: The plan of services proposes a credible scheme for producing a complete product that addresses all of the required issues.

Not Advantageous: The plan of services is not sufficiently detailed to fully evaluate, or the plan does not contain all the components necessary to produce a complete product that addresses all of the required issues.

3. Communications Expertise:

Highly Advantageous: The proposer has extensive, demonstrated expertise in communicating complex information to consumers, through the internet and other media, in a comprehensive and easily understood format.

Advantageous: The proposer has direct experience implementing at least one but no more than three plans to communicate complex information, through the internet and other media, to consumers in a comprehensive and easily understood format.

Not Advantageous: The proposer does not have direct experience implementing a plan to communicate complex information, through the internet and other media, to consumers in a comprehensive and easily understood format.

4. Health Care Quality and Cost Information Expertise:

Highly Advantageous: The proposer has direct and extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of health care quality and cost measures.

Advantageous: The proposer has experience working with health care quality and cost measures.

Not Advantageous: The proposer has no experience working with health care quality and cost measures.

5. Relevant experience of proposer:

Highly Advantageous: The proposer has at least five (5) years of experience developing projects of similar size and scope to this project.

Advantageous: The proposer has at least three (3) years of experience developing projects of similar size and scope to this project.

Not Advantageous: The proposer has less than three (3) years of experience developing projects of similar size and scope to this project.

6. Proposer's demonstrated ability to successfully complete projects, and complete projects on a timely basis:

Highly Advantageous: All of the proposer's references indicate that the projects were completed successfully and on schedule or with minimal, insignificant delays.

Advantageous: All of the proposer's references indicate that the projects were completed successfully; only one of the proposer's references indicates that the project was completed with substantial delays attributable to the proposer; and no current project or project completed in the last three years experienced substantial delays attributable to the proposer.

Not Advantageous: One of the proposer’s references indicates that the project was not completed successfully or two of the proposer's references indicate that the project was completed with substantial delays attributable to the proposer, and no current project or project completed in the last year experienced substantial delays attributable to the proposer.

Unacceptable: More than two of the proposer's references indicate that the project was not completed successfully or was completed with substantial delays attributable to the proposer.

7. Oral presentation:

Advantageous: The proposer's oral presentation was clear and well organized and demonstrated the proposer's ability to communicate effectively.

Not Advantageous: The proposer's oral presentation was unclear and disorganized and did not demonstrate the proposer's ability to communicate effectively.

IX. Rule for Award

The Council will select the responsive and responsible firm submitting the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration firm’s experience, expertise, staff capacity, references, and plan of services, as well as the proposed price.

Attachments:

Health Care Quality and Cost Council statute Standard Forms

6/28/2007