Attachment 1 - PWS Digital Incentives.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau: Demographic Programs Directorate Digital Incentives

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

C.1 Background

The United States Census Bureau (USCB) serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. Census data are used for apportionment, distribution of federal funding, monitoring of important programs, enforcement of federal law, official social/demographic/economic measurement, and many other activities throughout the nation.

The Census Bureau’s major programs include the Decennial and economic censuses, demographic and economic surveys, and a wide range of reimbursable survey work conducted for other agencies.

The USCB Demographic Programs Directorate conducts more than twenty household- or school-based surveys annually. Surveys range in size from 10,000 to over 350,000 households. Many of these surveys offer incentives to foster high participant response rates to maintain overall survey data quality.

Survey incentives are generally provided under three approaches: 1) as part of the initial invitation to motivate participation in the survey, but without conditions to complete it; 2) as an appreciation upon completion of a survey; or 3) both.

The USCB is authorized by Federal law to collect data under Title 13 United States Code (U.S.C.) 8(b); and all protocols for collecting data, including those that incorporate incentives, are subject to review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The USCB is required by Federal law (Title 13 U.S.C., Section 9) to protect the confidentiality of all data collected. The agency is prohibited from releasing any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to external individuals or entities.

C.2 Purpose/Scope of Work

The USCB has established and launched a digital incentives program that will provide incentives to USCB survey participants via a digital payment platform. The overall goal is for digital incentives be delivered instantly via an electronic method eliminating postage, printing, and delivery costs. This program will be available at the enterprise level, with the Associate Directorate for Demographic Programs (ADDP) being the primary directorate to use it.

The USCB recognizes some survey populations may not be comfortable with or have access to digital incentives. In those situations, the contractor shall provide physical incentive cards as an alternative.

The USCB cannot disclose any PII to the Contractor during all phases of the survey incentive process. PII is information that can identify an individual, household or school -- including but not limited to name, address, zip code, date of birth, email address, or phone number. The current incentives system that was developed meets the strict requirements by law that the UCSB operates under to not disclose any PII.

The Contractor shall work with the USCB to continue to establish a baseline incentives delivery service for specific survey programs that are identified through each order.

Incentive amounts and volume vary (ranging from about $1,000 to $2,000,000). Incentive denominations will vary per order and at a minimum, may include any combination of $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $60, $75, $100, and $200 denominations. The incentive specifications provided through the orders shall define the required tasks, schedules, and expected outcomes.

The Contractor shall provide comprehensive digital incentives and physical card incentives to the USCB, including the following payment options:

• Online Rewards Center where the respondent can choose between multiple options for digital or physical incentives, depending on which type is requested by the survey.

Included in the reward options should be the following:

o Open system digital payment options for either VISA or Mastercard that can be utilized anywhere VISA or Mastercard is accepted.

o Open system physical gift cards for either VISA or Mastercard that can be utilized anywhere VISA or Mastercard is accepted.

o Closed system digital payment options tied to specific retailers, shops, or services such as Amazon or Target.

C.3 SPECIFIC TASKS

The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, and services to perform the following tasks through each issued order.

C.3.1 Incentive Delivery Management

The Contractor shall establish an incentive delivery management process for every step, including when the incentive is issued through the final redemption, return, or otherwise. An expiration date determined by the USCB shall accompany each digital reward code or physical card provided to survey participants.

The Contractor has the responsibility to manage the overall “Incentive Delivery” service program. This includes the following activities:

• Develop and deliver a project plan, including schedule, management approach, and provisions for security and quality assurance.

• Develop a risk register and appropriate mitigation plans.

• Develop and deliver monthly status reports. Status will address progress against the project plan and include status on significant activities and status of any issues/risks and mitigation plans.

• Conduct Status (Program Management) Review for the Census Bureau and designees as required by the COR.

C.3.2 Digital Incentive Delivery Tasks The Contractor shall perform the following tasks related to digital incentives management:

• Securely deliver digital incentives to the USCB.

• Deliver both:

o Secure delivery of an electronic excel file of the unique tokens to the USCB by the requested launch date.

o Subsequent delivery of a URL via email to pair with the tokens to create an active digital incentive.

• Complete delivery of tokens and URL within established timeline between the contractor and USCB.

• Provide an online redemption portal where survey participants will be directed (via a link or QR code) to select their digital incentive from the total open and closed source vendors agreed to by the USCB, including but not limited to Visa and Mastercard.

• The online redemption portal shall offer both English and Spanish language options and shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Provide detailed redemption and troubleshooting instructions in an FAQ that the USCB can communicate to survey participants both in online and physical format.

• Enable an expiration on the unique tokens as specified in the order.

C.3.3 Physical Gift Card Incentive Delivery Tasks

The Contractor shall perform the following tasks related to physical card incentives management:

• Deliver physical gift cards and inventory spreadsheet including debit card numbers to the

USCB.

• Provide detailed redemption and troubleshooting instructions that the USCB can communicate to survey participants. These instructions shall be sent along with the physical card in the form of a letter, card holder, or other acceptable method.

• Provide online dashboard for USCB to be able to view and create reports on balances, redemption dates, etc.

• Enable an expiration on the physical gift cards as specified in each order.

• Enable tracking of redemption status and/or burn down amounts for each card.

C.3.4 Closeout Procedures for Expired Tokens and Physical Cards

To Be Determined.

C.3.5 Customer Service/Troubleshooting

The Contractor shall provide troubleshooting support for USCB survey participants who have difficulty redeeming their digital incentive as follows:

• If the survey participant has access to their digital incentive, the Contractor’s customer support solution shall include online self-service troubleshooting options (in both English and Spanish) to resolve issues without requiring the disclosure of the participant’s PII.

This information shall be included with every incentive issued.

• Provide a replacement digital incentive to the UCSB for redistribution when troubleshooting was unsuccessful at the discretion of the USCB.

• When the survey participant does not have access to their digital incentive for any reason, the Contractor’s customer support solution shall redirect the participant to contact the USCB directly for further troubleshooting.

• The Contractor shall provide the troubleshooting contact information with every digital incentive issued.

The Contractor shall provide troubleshooting support for USCB survey participants who have difficulty redeeming their physical gift card as follows:

• If the survey participant has access to their physical gift card, the Contractor’s customer support solution shall include online self-service troubleshooting options (in both English and Spanish) to resolve issues without requiring the disclosure of the participant’s PII.

• The Contractor shall provide a method for a replacement physical card to the UCSB for redistribution when troubleshooting was unsuccessful at the discretion of the USCB.

• When the survey participant does not have access to their physical card for any reason, the Contractor shall redirect the participant to contact the USCB directly for further assistance.

• This Contractor shall provide the troubleshooting contact information with every incentive issued.