ATTACHMENT_D.3_SAMPLE_TASK_TWO.docx

SAMPLE TASK TWO:

The Impact of Long-Term Care on Retirement and Workforce Participation

1. BACKGROUND

The need for long-term care has far reaching economic implications on the patients and their caregivers. The implications will be felt across the U.S. as the baby boom generation grows older and a large fraction of them will likely need long-term care. According to the Census Bureau, 25% of those aged 65 to 69 have severe disabilities and that probability increases with age with over 30% of seniors aged 70 to 74 having severe disabilities.[footnoteRef:1] According to the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey, 64.7% of all chronically disabled elders (age 65+) relied exclusively on unpaid help provided primarily by their spouses and their adult children.[footnoteRef:2] This informal caregiving provided by the next of kin can affect labor market activities of caregivers, can affect financial planning for retirement or other life events, and may consume some or all of the retirement savings of the workers and their caregivers. [1: Americans with Disabilities: 2010. U.S. Census Bureau. Household Economic Studies. July 2012. ] [2: Long-Term Care Insurance, ASPE Brief June 2012, Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).]

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

EBSA is proposing using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Long-Term Care Survey (LTCS) and/or other pre-existing relevant surveys and data sources (secondary data analysis) to explore the following research questions. EBSA also encourages the contractor to propose additional related research questions.

(a) How does informal caregiving impact labor market participation of relatives (spouses or children) of patients who need long-term care? Some questions of interest include:

· Examining the workforce experience of family caregivers compared to others who are not caregivers;

· Examining employment status and labor market disruptions of family caregivers of long-term care patients;

· Examining the issues related to workplace protection and benefits offered to family caregivers;

· Examining the saving experience of family caregivers and the impact of caregiving activities on saving behavior and medical expenses of families involved;

· Analyzing the impact of long-term care needs on retirement security and debt level of patients; and

· Analyzing the labor market conditions, challenges, and characteristics of formal (industry provided) caregivers.

(b) What are the economic costs of providing informal care giving to elderly family members (parents or grandparents)? In particular EBSA is interested in examining the intergenerational time and money transfers that occur as a result of long-term caregiving activities of family members. Also related, EBSA is interested in exploring how long-term care needs and costs can potentially affect the bequests of patients to their family caregivers.

3. TASKS:

Task 1: Attend Initial Project Meeting

Within two weeks of the task order contract award, the contractor shall meet with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other relevant staff from EBSA to clarify the project objectives, scope of work, deliverables, requirements, and any questions the contractor may have regarding the project. The contractor shall be prepared to discuss any issues pertinent to work plan development and present possible approaches to the analysis.

Task 2: Prepare Project Work Plan

The contractor shall prepare a work plan for the project detailing the intended approach with attention to conceptual, methodological, and practical issues. The plan shall include, at a minimum: a detailed discussion of the research questions including those suggested by the contractor; the analytic methods to be used to answer each of the questions; background on data intended to use, and a detailed presentation of the timeline and specific steps to be taken to perform the study. The work plan shall be based on the research questions presented in this statement of work as well as other questions agreed upon and decisions made at the initial project meeting under Task 1.

A draft work plan shall be submitted to the COR no later than six weeks from the contract award. A final work plan shall be submitted no later than two weeks after receiving final comments on the draft work plan from the COR.

Task 3: Conduct Data Analysis

The contractor shall conduct the data analysis, as described in the Work Plan under Task 2. The data analysis shall address each of the research questions listed under Research Questions as well as additional research questions identified in the Work Plan.

Task 4: Prepare Draft Report, Briefing and Final Report

The contractor shall prepare a draft report which describes the background, methodology, findings and conclusions of the analysis performed under Task 3, depending on the contract award. The draft report shall include the following sections at a minimum:

· Abstract – a brief summary of the aim, methods, and findings of the study, no more than one-third (⅓) of a page

· Executive summary – concise summary of the report, capable of serving as a stand-alone document, that synthesizes the key findings and main themes of the study

· Introduction – background, overview

· Literature and Policy context – description of the related literature and policy issues

· Methodology – analytical methods, techniques, limitations

· Findings – comprehensive overview of what was learned through the study; conclusions to be drawn from the findings

· Discussion – what was learned as a result of the this study and the policy implications

· Appendix – additional technical information as appropriate

The contractor shall submit a draft report to the COR for review and approval by week 35. The contractor shall prepare a final report that reflects the COR’s and other reviewers’ input, including feedback provided during the briefing described below. The final report will be due two weeks after final comments on the draft report from the COR.

The contractor’s project director, and other key staff as appropriate, shall brief EBSA officials, in Washington, DC, on the study’s approach and findings by week 38. Materials and hand-outs to be used for the briefings shall be submitted to the COR for approval three business days prior to the briefing. Upon incorporating comments from the COR and approval by the COR, the contractor shall make copies of the materials and handouts for the briefing.

Task 5: Monthly Progress Reports and Ongoing Communication

The contractor shall prepare brief monthly memoranda, to be conveyed to the COR via e-mail, documenting the progress of the project. These progress reports shall summarize for each month the specific work done to accomplish tasks, problems encountered, work anticipated in the coming month, and any budgetary or substantive issues requiring the COR’s action. The cost data in the monthly progress reports shall include expenditures for the reporting period and to date by task and project total, and the proportion of funds and labor hours expended in relation to project totals.

In addition to these written monthly reports, the contractor shall communicate by phone and e-mail with the COR as needed and in accordance with agreements made at the initial meeting for the project.

4. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

EBSA proposes a firm-fixed price, non-severable 12-month study, with progress payments and a period of performance that starts at award of task order.

5. CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED PERSONNEL

Except for those items or services specifically stated as government furnished, the contractor must furnish all supplies, equipment and personnel needed to perform this contract according to all its terms.

6. KEY PERSONNEL

The contractor must provide the necessary personnel to accomplish each task listed in the statement of work. Required time commitments and qualifications for two key personnel positions are identified below. Other staff, their roles, experience, and time commitments should be identified as well. Two individuals may combine to meet the time commitment of the specific key personnel position.

Project Director (PD)-10 percent minimum time commitment. The PD must have a minimum of five (5) years experience in performing social science research and a minimum of five (5) years experience serving as a project director or in an equivalent position in project management and a minimum of a master’s degree.

Senior Analyst- 30 percent minimum time commitment. The Senior Analyst must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in performing social science research, a minimum of five (5) years of experience serving as a senior analyst or in an equivalent position and a minimum of a Ph.D. degree. The senior analyst must have subject matter expertise in labor economics and long-term care issues.

EBSA anticipates that the successful completion of this project will require the services of people who will provide, individually or in combination, the following expertise and specialties.

1. Experience in long-term care issues and research.

2. Experience in labor economics research.

3. Experience in analyzing labor or health data from national surveys.

4. Experience in statistical analysis, preparing statistical reports, and generating documentation of underlying statistics.

5. Experience with SAS data sets and the SAS programming language or other statistical software.

7 DELIVERABLES

7.1 Products, Tasks, Services and the Standards for Success

The contractor must provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform the data analyses described in Task 3 and/or Task 4. The contractor must provide the deliverables and perform the services listed below to the standards that are included below:

Monthly Progress Reports

a. Must include:

(1) specific work done to accomplish tasks during the previous month,

(2) specific milestones and deliverables due in the past month (specifying whether they were met and, if not, the revised completion date),

(3) problems encountered during the previous month,

(4) work anticipated in the coming month,

(5) a list of deliverables invoiced in the previous month, and

(6) any budgetary or substantive issues requiring the COR’s action

b. The monthly reports shall be submitted in MS Word.

c. The first such report will be due on November 15, 2013 and subsequent reports will be due on the 15th of each month for the duration of the performance period.

Work Plan, including Timeline

a. Must include:

· Detailed study design plan

· Timeline linking tasks and deliverables to specific dates

· Strategies for accomplishing research goals

· Detailed list of information or assistance needed from DOL

· A listing of research questions to be addressed and a mapping of each research questions to the deliverable that will address the question

b. Draft must be provided within 6 weeks of the performance period start date in MS Word.

c. Must set forth a realistic timetable of tasks leading to implementation of the study.

d. Must be agreed to by the COR for work to continue.

Memorandum/Reports:

a. Must include the following (detailed in Section D2 Tasks)

· Abstract

· Executive Summary

· Introduction

· Literature and Policy Context

· Methodology

· Findings

· Discussion

· Appendix

b. Must be written in proper “business English” without grammatical or typographical errors and be sufficiently descriptive for the analysis to be understood by a non-technical audience.

c. Must accurately describe the statistical significance of estimates.

d. Must accurately describe the applicable regulatory conditions, if relevant.

e. Statements and conclusions must be supported by evidence well-founded and unbiased.

f. Report must be accompanied by an appendix (attached or separate) detailing the methodology and detailed steps taken to arrive to the estimates or results.

e. Tables and charts must be sufficiently labeled (with titles and notes) to be interpreted correctly by the readers.

g. Deliverables must provide an overview of the research questions or the subject of the analysis conducted.

h. Must provide a thorough survey of existing research related to the subject and their findings.

i. Must be submitted to COR electronically in MS Word and according to schedule above.

Develop a Work Plan

Work Plan is agreed upon by COR.

This task supports the submission of a Work Plan and schedule

b. Analysis must be free of errors.

c. Report uses appropriate statistical techniques to identify confidence intervals and/or conduct hypothesis testing for the main estimates.

Project Development Meeting

a. Occurs within 3 weeks of each performance period start date

b. Led by the Contractor’s project director, and other key staff as appropriate

Briefings:

a. Occur according to the schedule of deliverables.

b. Led by the Contractor’s project director, and other key staff as appropriate.

c. Materials and hand-outs are submitted to the COR for approval three business days prior to briefing

d. Hard copies of the briefing slides and other materials are provided by the Contractor at the briefing.

Ad-Hoc Briefings

Occurs as needed, based on questions or concerns that arise during contract implementation.

This project does not require OMB Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance for data collections.

1.2 Summary Memo

2 weeks after award 1 week after Initial Meeting

2.2 Final work plan

6 weeks after award 2 weeks after final comments from the COR

3.2 Briefing

3.3 Final Report

35 weeks after award 38 weeks after award 2 weeks after final comments from the COR

* All deliverables will be formatted in Word or the format determined by EBSA, submitted electronically to the COR as attachments to e-mail, and subject to approval by the COR. The contractor shall provide hard copies of briefing slides and other materials for the briefing. The due dates above may be adjusted in the Work Plan upon mutual agreement between EBSA and the Contractor.

8. DOL DATA RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRACTOR’S USE OF DATA

Except for particular Task Orders issued under the contract, which may specify different DOL license requirements, the FAR 52.227-17 Rights in Data – Special Works will govern DOL’s rights of use in deliverables, including data sets, under this contract. Essentially, the Contractor grants to DOL, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to copy, distribute, prepare derivative works, and perform and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government, all deliverables, including those first-produced and those not first-produced by the contractor under the contract, except as otherwise agreed upon between the Contractor and Contracting Officer, or as otherwise provided for by this FAR clause.

This Sample Task Orders will fall into the category of Type A studies. The following specific restrictions will apply to the Contractor’s use of certain deliverables and related data/information:

· For Type A studies, such as academic research, the Contractor will not release, distribute, or publish such deliverable/s, nor authorize others to do so, until expiration or termination of the applicable Task Order, unless prior written permission of the Contracting Officer is given to do so during the period of performance. In addition, the Contractor agrees to notify the Contracting Officer at least two weeks before releasing, distributing or publishing such deliverables.

During the period of performance, the Contractor agrees to notify the Contracting Officer of publications it creates for public access (e.g. articles in academic journals, news release, website articles) that are based on the work it performs under this contract.

Some information and data provided by DOL to the Contractor for its performance of the contract may contain confidential information that, due to requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974 and/or other federal laws, will be prohibited from being disclosed or used by the Contractor outside the terms of the contract. DOL shall clearly mark such information and/or data prior to providing it to the Contractor and may require that Contractor execute a Nondisclosure Agreement in connection with such information.

The FAR 52.227-16 Additional Data Requirements shall govern situations in which DOL may require the delivery of additional data produced or used in performance of this contract. Essentially, the Contracting Officer may, at any time during contract performance or within a period of 3 years after acceptance of all items to be delivered under this contract, order any data first produced or specifically used in the performance of this contract. DOL’s rights in such data shall be governed by the Rights in Data – Special Works, as discussed in the first paragraph, above.