Draft SOW 693JJ923RQ000025 (NOPUS NSUB and SSB).pdf

DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT

OF WORK

C.1 Acronyms CO Contracting Officer COR Contracting Officer Representative DOT Department of Transportation FARS Fatality Analysis Reporting System NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NOPUS National Occupant Protection Use Survey NSUBS National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats SAS Statistical Analysis Software SOW Statement of Work SSB State Seat Belt TO Task Order TREAD Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Control

C.2 Background The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an Agency of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). NHTSA’s mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement. The Agency develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering, and enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies associated with vehicle use and highway travel.

NHTSA’s Mathematical Analysis Division (NSA-210) conducts analyses of motor vehicle traffic crashes and related data to understand the factors that relate human and vehicle characteristics to crash frequency, injury outcome, and crash injury mechanisms to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures and traffic safety efforts, and to quantify the benefits resulting from Agency rules. There are many functions performed by NSA-210, including but not limited to, providing analytical support to various areas of the traffic safety programs; planning, developing, and managing a national program to collect information and report on occupant protection use in the United States; designing, developing, and maintaining sampling and estimation methodologies and procedures; providing advice and consultation on statistical analysis; and producing technical reports and research notes.

In support of this mission, NHTSA requires contractor support to assist with conducting large-scale surveys that determine the degree to which vehicle operators and passengers use occupant protection devices. Those surveys shall include, but are not limited to:

• National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS); and

• National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS).

NHTSA also requires contractor support to assist States and United State Territories in complying with the requirement of the Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use (23 CFR Part 1340):

• State Seat Belt (SSB) Surveys Road Segments Reselection.

The NOPUS is the means through which NHTSA tracks progress in restraint use (namely, seat belt use, child restraint use, and motorcycle helmet use) and estimates driver electronic device use. In addition to providing NHTSA’s official estimates in these subject areas, the survey provides information on who is using restraints and in what circumstances, which is in turn is used to target NHTSA’s occupant protection outreach programs where they are most needed.

The NSUBS is the only probability-based nationwide child restraint use survey that observes restraint use and interviews an adult occupant to collect data such as the race and ethnicity of all occupants in the vehicle. In 2000, Congress passed the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act that directed the DOT to reduce by 25 percent the deaths and injuries among 4- to 7-year-olds caused by the failure to use booster seats. In response, NHTSA began the NSUBS survey in 2006 to provide a national estimate of booster seat use to target its outreach programs.

Since 2009, NHTSA has conducted the NSUBS survey biennially.

With the adoption of 23 CFR Part 1340 in April of 2012, the NHTSA requires each State and Territory in the United States to re-select its sample of eligible road segments not less than every five years, using a sampling frame based on the last three to five years of fatality data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

The Government reserves the right, under this task order, to conduct any or all these surveys in a given year, in addition to other occupant protection related surveys and optional tasks in the area of general traffic safety as needed.

C.3 Supplies / Services The Contractor shall furnish the necessary qualified personnel, facilities, materials, supplies, equipment, and services to provide NHTSA with technical support which are necessary to conduct the NOPUS, the NSUBS, and the SSB Surveys Road Segments Reselection. The Contractor shall fulfill the work requirements following the Statement of Work (SOW) and other terms and conditions of the task order.

All support provided to the Government shall be performed by Contractor employees or personnel otherwise retained by the Contractor. In addition, the Contractor shall provide additional survey-related services and optional tasks on an as needed basis. The Contractor shall conduct all services under task order awards.

C.4 Objectives The objectives of this Task Order are to:

1. Conduct a large-scale survey to determine the degree to which vehicle operators and passengers use occupant protection devices. Those surveys shall include, but are not limited to:

• The National Occupant Protection Survey (NOPUS); and

• The National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS).

2. Receive professional services in support of the surveys to include optional tasks such as, but not limited to:

• Survey redesigns and designing and selecting new samples of observation sites;

• Feasibility studies to investigate methods for improving survey preparation, data collection, or data analysis for the surveys; and,

• Feasibility studies to investigate incorporating changes to the surveys or conducting new related surveys wanted by NHTSA.

3. Receive professional services to support states in their compliance with the requirements of the

Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use (23 CFR Part 1340):

• State Seat Belt (SSB) Surveys Road Segments Reselection.

C.5 Specific Requirements The Contractor shall perform the relevant efforts and analyses specified below. All deliverables shall be delivered following the Milestones and Deliverables schedule (Section F). For the performance of this Task Order, the Contractor shall use the survey methods (e.g., data collection, estimation, editing, or other survey procedures) that the Contractor documents in their approved work plan.

C.5.1 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) The Contractor shall conduct the NOPUS in June of each year following the Click It or Ticket campaign (or as otherwise agreed upon between the Government and the Contractor). The sample of observation sites used shall be consistent with the content from the previous year’s survey, except as modified to replace sties with low traffic volume. The COR will provide historical content, as needed. The Contractor shall prepare data collection instruments (e.g., tablets) and materials used to train data collectors and field supervisors; hire and train data collectors and field supervisors; collect the survey data; quality check and edit the survey data; produce survey estimates; and create files of the survey microdata. The Contractor shall provide the COR with detailed descriptions of the data collection software (e.g., screenshots from the data collection tablets), table shells of estimates, training materials, tables of estimates, microdata files, and a final report and presentation, in accordance the Deliverables and Milestones Schedule specified in the Task Order.

To perform the task, the Contractor shall consider the following:

Target population All drivers and passengers of passenger vehicles and motorcyclists on the road during the survey field period in the U.S., including all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Major estimates National estimates of safety belt use, child restraint use, motorcycle helmet use, and driver electronic device use.

Number of estimates produced About 1,050-point estimates and 1,050 variance estimates.

Years conducted 1994, 1996, and annually since 1998

Related projects

An evaluation of the 2014/2015 redesign of the NHTSA Occupant Protection Surveys (NOPUS and NSUBS); an investigation into ways to improve survey preparation, data collection, or data analysis for the surveys, for example, the 2017 NSUBS Research Task.

Data collection sites Approximately 2,000 roadway sites across the United States

Means of data collection

Observation of vehicles in traffic recorded on tablets using specially designed software.

Number of observations Approximately 200,000 vehicles.

The survey data are obtained annually by sending trained data collectors to a probability sample of roadway sites, where they observe the use of restraints and driver cell phone use in actual traffic. The Contractor shall collect data from the roadside of non-expressway sites and from moving vehicles traveling on expressways. Since 2006, the Contract has collected all data on electronic devices (currently tablet computers). The Contractor is responsible for providing tablet devices for this survey.

Collected data are then downloaded to the Contractor’s central data storage computer, where statistical editing, estimation, and variance estimation procedures are applied to produce estimates and margins of error, and to test whether the year-over-year change in rates are significantly different from zero.

The Contractor shall conduct all survey preparation, data collection, and data analysis activities, and shall prepare a final written report, subject to revision according to the Government’s comments, and will make a final presentation to the Government, if requested by the Contracting Officer.

C.5.1.1 NOPUS 2024

(April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025)

C.5.1.1.1 Kick-Off Meeting Within two (2) weeks from the task start date, key members of the Contractor’s staff shall participate in a kick-off meeting with the NHTSA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Contracting Officer, and other interested NHTSA staff. The purposes of the kick-off meeting shall be to:

• Review contractual matters, including terms and conditions of the NOPUS task;

• Review the SOW, milestones, and deliverables to ensure a common understanding of the objectives;

• Discuss project objectives and the administration of the NOPUS task; and,

• Address questions from any party.

At the discretion of the Government, the kick-off meeting shall take place via teleconference. The kick-off meeting shall be no more than two (2) hours in duration. The Contractor may conduct the NOPUS and NSUBS kick-off meetings simultaneously.

C.5.1.1.2 Technical Work Plan The Contractor shall submit a technical work plan (including the Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) plan) at the kick-off meeting. The technical work plan shall explain the survey methods used in performing the work of this task, whether for data collection, estimation, editing, other survey procedures, or quality control procedures. The technical work plan may be based on the Contractor’s technical proposal submitted in response to NHTSA’s solicitation. All methodologies used shall be based on statistically sound principles and approved by the COR. The observation sites visited, data items collected, and estimates produced shall be consistent with historical NOPUS content. The COR will provide historical content, as needed. The site visitation schedules for the NOPUS shall be determined by the Contractor in a statistically sound manner that reduces the variance of the year-to-year change estimates.

Within one (1) week after the kickoff meeting, the COR will review and approve the technical work plan or provide comments, if necessary. If comments are provided, the Contractor shall provide a final technical work plan (including QA/QC plan) within one (1) week of receipt of COR comments. The final work plan shall have a complete list of project milestones and deliverables. Other than planning, the Contractor shall not perform work on subsequent requirements, prior to COR approval of the technical work plan.

C.5.1.1.3 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan The Contractor shall submit and discuss its QA/QC plan at the kick-off meeting. The QA/QC plan shall correspond to the plan submitted with the Contractor’s technical proposal. The Contractor shall have a QA/QC program in place throughout the life of the task. To ensure quality while performing work under the task, the Contractor’s QA/QC plan shall, at a minimum:

• Establish a committee or internal team for more serious problems, consisting of the Contractor’s internal management and other representatives from specific relevant groups. The committee shall work to develop solutions for identified problems, disseminating the information to users in a timely manner.

• Perform quality checks, i.e., look for extraneous or otherwise errant data, during all data collection, data editing, and data production.

• Identify in the proposal the person responsible for the QA/QC program.

C.5.1.1.4 Table Shells of Estimates The Contractor shall provide the COR with the table shells of estimates within five (5) weeks from the task start date. These table shells of estimates shall describe what estimates the Contractor will compute based on the collected data. The types of estimates to be computed will be determined at the kick-off meeting, and mutually agreed to by the Contractor and the COR. The table shells of estimates shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel format. The COR will approve the table shells of estimates or request edits within one (1) week of receipt. The Contractor shall generate the final table shells of estimates within one

(1) week of receiving the COR’s feedback.

C.5.1.1.5 Tablet Data Collection Screen Shots The Contractor shall provide the COR with screen shots of the proposed data collection software for approval within six (6) weeks from the task start date. The screenshots shall demonstrate how the data was collected. The Contractor shall also indicate what information technology (IT) support was used.

The Contractor shall ensure that all data collected remain strictly confidential and shall not respond to public inquiries regarding the data without the expressed written permission of the Contracting Officer.

All public requests for information under this Task Order shall be forwarded to the COR immediately, upon request.

C.5.1.1.6 Hiring and Training The Contractor shall hire qualified data collectors with sufficient qualifications to collect high-quality NOPUS field data. The Contractor shall also hire sufficient data collection monitors to oversee the data collectors.

The Contractor shall provide the COR with electronic copies of the training materials within eight (8) weeks from the task start date. These materials shall reflect the course of instruction given to all data collection personnel. It shall include the quality control efforts during the data collection, data monitoring, and data production. The Contractor shall specify the number of the field staff and their qualifications, including but not limited to, the approach in hiring and strategic planning.

One (1) week prior to the beginning of data collection, the Contractor shall provide training to data collectors and data collection monitors to enable them to properly identify vehicles and people in the target population at the specified data collection sites. The training shall enable data collectors with techniques and the understanding to maximize the response rate of the survey and high-quality field data.

The Contractor shall inform the COR of any changes or improvements in the training, including the logistics before, during, and after training.

C.5.1.1.7 Beginning and Conclusion of Data Collection Data collection shall begin immediately following the conclusion of the national Click It or Ticket campaign, which occurs in the last two weeks of May. The Contractor shall notify the COR when the NOPUS data collection has begun and when it has concluded. The Contractor shall also provide a complete list of any problems encountered during data collection (to include, but not limited to: how the data collection process flow worked, and how the quality control activities performed, etc.), along with the remedial action(s) taken to resolve the issue(s). The data collection shall conclude within 4 weeks after commencement of data collection.

C.5.1.1.8 Table of Estimates, SAS Microdata Files, and Analytical User’s Manual Within thirteen (13) weeks from the end of data collection, the Contractor shall use the collected data to compute Moving Traffic Study (MT) estimates based on the table shells of estimates, and deliver them to the COR.

Within twenty-six (26) weeks from the end of data collection, the Contractor shall use the collected data to compute Controlled Intersection Study (CI) estimates based on the table shells of estimates.

The Contractor shall deliver, along with the estimates, copies of internal data sets used to compute the estimates. These data sets are not expected to be as user-friendly or well documented as the final Microdata. They are intended to allow verification of the delivered estimates.

Within forty-four (44) weeks from the task start date, the Contractor shall deliver to the COR the Microdata files and Analytical User’s Manual. The contractor shall deliver SAS Microdata files that contain actual observed data sufficient for the Government and public data users to compute all estimates published in the tables of estimates as well as custom estimates. The Microdata files shall be accompanied by an Analytical User’s Manual that provides guidance in using the Microdata. This user’s manual shall describe the structure of the Microdata files including a description of the files, unique identifiers, file merging instructions, and how to concatenate multiple years. The user’s manual shall include a data dictionary that describes the variables and each of the attribute codes of the SAS Microdata. Part of the manual shall also provide instructions and sample SAS programs that show how data users can calculate the published estimates and their associated standard errors.

C.5.1.1.9 Draft and Final Report Within forty-six (46) weeks from the task start date, the Contractor shall prepare a draft final report in consultation with the COR. This report shall include but is not limited to the following topics: data items collected, survey protocols utilized, description of tablet computer software (if applicable), summary of training materials, summary of data collection activities, summary of quality control procedures, treatment of unknowns, estimates produced, major survey results, and any Contractor recommendations for the improvement of future surveys.

Within two (2) weeks after receiving the draft final report, the COR will provide feedback and comments from the Government. Within two (2) weeks of receiving the COR ’s comments, the Contractor shall generate the final report which shall contain a complete description of the process of data collection, estimation, quality control, and any other matters the COR and/or Contractor identifies.

C.5.1.1.10 Presentation The Contractor shall prepare and present a final presentation to NHTSA staff that describes the process of data collection, estimation, and any related issues. This presentation shall be given by the Contractor in electronic form to the COR. This presentation will be due within fifty-one (51) weeks from the task start date. The Contractor may present this presentation simultaneously with the NSUBS presentation.

C.5.1.1.11 Biweekly Status Report Meetings Starting two (2) weeks after the kick-off meeting, members of the Contractor’s staff shall conduct a status report meeting once every two (2) weeks with NHTSA’s COR (TO) and any other interested NHTSA staff. The purpose of the biweekly meetings is for the Contract to give a status report on:

• Accomplishments made during the reporting period;

• Plans for accomplishments in the next reporting period;

• Preliminary or interim results, conclusions, or other items of information the Contractor believes are of interest to NHTSA;

• Problems or delays the Contractor has experience in the conduct of their services and suggestions to remedy the problems;

• Specific action(s) the Contractor would like NHTSA to undertake to alleviate a problem; and

• Project data runs as they become available.

The biweekly meetings may take place via web conference. Each biweekly meeting is estimated to be no more than one (1) hour in duration. The biweekly status report meeting may be combined with the NSUBS biweekly status report meeting.

C.5.2 National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS) The Contractor shall conduct the NSUBS in July of each year (or as otherwise agreed upon between the Government and the Contractor). The sample of observation sites used shall be consistent with the content from the previous year’s survey. The COR will provide historical content, as needed. The Contractor shall prepare data collection instrument (e.g., data collection forms or tablets) and materials used to train data collectors and field supervisors; hire and train data collectors and field supervisors; collect the survey data; quality check and edit the survey data; produce survey estimates; and create files of the survey microdata. The Contractor shall provide the COR with detailed descriptions of the data collection software or data collection forms, table shells of estimates, training materials, tables of estimates, microdata files, and the final report and presentation, accordance with the Deliverables and Milestones Schedule specified in the Task Order.

To perform the task, the Contractor shall consider the following:

Target population All children of age 0-12 riding in passenger vehicles during the survey field period in the U.S.

Major estimates National estimate of booster seat use, and estimates of the extent to which children are restrained in safety seats proper for their size

Number of estimates produced About 1,100-point estimates and 1,100 variance estimates

Years conducted Annually 2006-2008 and biennially since 2009 Data collection sites

Approximately 500 fast food restaurants, gas stations, day care centers, and recreation centers across the U.S.

Means of data collection

Observation of vehicles and interviews with adult occupants recorded on paper forms or tablets

Number of observations Approximately 7,500 vehicles

The primary purpose of the NSUBS is to estimate booster seat use among 4- to 7-year-old children. In addition, the survey provides restraint use estimates for all children under 13, Race and Ethnicity breakouts of restraint use among all occupants in a vehicle and estimates of the extent to which children are “prematurely graduated” to restraint types that are inappropriate for their age as well as height and weight.

The survey data is obtained by sending annually trained data collectors to a probability sample of sites most productive for observing large numbers of children travelling in vehicles such as fast-food restaurants, gas stations, recreation centers, and day care centers. Data collectors observe use of restraints and restraint type, and obtain information on children’s ages, weights, and heights by interviewing a knowledgeable adult in the vehicle. To date, NSUBS data have been collected on paper forms, but is looking to transfer to an electronic format.

Collected data is then entered into the Contractor’s center data storage computer, where statistical editing, estimation, and variance estimation procedures are applied to produce estimates and margins of error, and to test whether the year-over-year change in rates are significantly different from zero. The Contractor shall conduct all survey preparation, data collection, and data analysis activities. The Government will prepare the survey’s publication.

C.5.3 Optional Tasks Optional tasks are exercised by a modification of this task order.

C.5.3.1 NOPUS 2023

April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024

See sections C.5.1.1.1 – C.5.1.1.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.2 NOPUS 2025

April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026

See sections C.5.1.1.1 – C.5.1.1.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.3 NOPUS 2026

April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027

See sections C.5.1.1.1 – C.5.1.1.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.4 NOPUS 2027

April 1, 2027 – March 31, 2028

See sections C.5.1.1.1 – C.5.1.1.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.5 NSUBS 2023

April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024

C.5.3.5.1 Kick-Off Meeting Within two (2) weeks from the task start date, key members of the Contractor’s staff shall participate in a kick-off meeting with the NHTSA COR, Contracting Officer, and other interested NHTSA staff. The purposes of the kick-off meeting shall be to:

• Review contractual matters, including the terms and conditions of the NSUBS task;

• Review the SOW, milestones, and deliverables to ensure a common understanding of the objectives;

• Discuss project objectives and the administration of the NSUBS task; and,

• Address questions from any party.

At the discretion of the Government, the kick-off meeting shall take place via web conference. The kick-off meeting shall be no more than two (2) hours in duration. The Contractor may conduct the NOPUS and NSUBS kick-off meetings simultaneously.

C.5.3.5.2 Technical Work Plan The Contractor shall submit a technical work plan (including the QA/QC plan) at the kick-off meeting.

The technical work plan shall explain the survey methods used in performing the work of this task, whether for data collection, estimation, editing, other survey procedures, or quality control procedures.

The technical work plan may be based on the Contractor’s technical proposal submitted in response to NHTSA’s solicitation. All methodologies used shall be based on statistically sound principles and approved by the COR. The observation sites visited, data items collected, and estimates produced shall be consistent with historical NSUBS content. The COR will provide historical content as needed. The site visitation schedules for the NSUBS shall be determined by the Contractor in a statistically sound manner that reduces the variance of the year-to-year change estimates.

Within one (1) week after the kickoff meeting, the COR will review and approve the technical work plan or provide comments, if necessary. If comments are provided, the Contractor shall provide a final technical work plan (including QA/QC plan) within one (1) week of receipt of COR comments. The final work plan shall contain a complete list of project milestones and deliverables. Other than planning, the Contractor shall not perform work on subsequent requirements, prior to COR approval of the technical work plan.

C.5.3.5.3 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall submit and discuss its QA/QC plan at the kick-off meeting. The QA/QC plan shall correspond to the plan submitted with the Contractor’s technical proposal. The Contractor shall have a QA/QC program in place throughout the life of the task. To ensure quality while performing work under the task, the Contractor’s QA/QC plan shall, at a minimum:

• Establish a committee or internal team for more serious problems, consisting of the Contractor’s internal management and other representatives from specific relevant groups. The committee shall work to develop solutions for identified problems, disseminating the information to users in a timely manner.

• Perform quality checks, i.e., look for extraneous or otherwise errant data, during all data collection, data editing, and data production.

• Identify in the proposal the person responsible for the QA/QC program.

C.5.3.5.4 Table Shells of Estimates The Contractor shall provide the COR with the table shells of estimates within five (5) weeks from the Task start date. These table shells of estimates shall describe what estimates the Contractor will compute based on the collected data. The types of estimates to be computed will be determined at the kick-off meeting, and mutually agreed to by the Contractor and the COR. The table shells of estimates shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel format. The COR will approve the table shells of estimates or request edits within one (1) week of receipt. The Contractor shall generate the final table shells of estimates within one

(1) week of receiving the COR’s feedback.

C.5.3.5.5 Data Collection Forms or Tablet Data Collection Screen Shots If the Contractor is using paper forms:

The Contractor shall provide the COR with draft electronic copies of the NSUBS data collection forms for approval within twelve (12) weeks from the task start date Within one (1) week after receiving the draft forms from the Contractor, the COR will approve the draft forms or request edits. Within two (2) weeks after receiving COR approval, the Contractor shall incorporate the data collection forms into the data collector training materials.

If the Contractor is using tablet:

The Contractor shall provide the COR with screen shots of the proposed data collection software for approval within twelve (12) weeks from the task start date. The screenshots shall demonstrate how the data was collected. The Contractor shall also indicate what information technology (IT) support was used.

The Contractor shall ensure that all data collected remain strictly confidential and shall not respond to public inquiries regarding the data without the expressed written permission of the Contracting Officer.

All public requests for information under this Task Order shall be forwarded to the COR immediately, upon request.

The Contractor shall ensure that all data collected remain strictly confidential and shall not respond to public inquiries regarding the data without the expressed written permission of the Contracting Officer.

All public requests for information under this Task Order shall be forwarded to the COR immediately, upon request.

C.5.3.5.6 Hiring and Training Within sixteen (16) weeks of the task start date, the Contractor shall hire qualified data collectors with sufficient qualifications to collect high-quality NSUBS field data. The Contractor shall also hire sufficient data collection monitors to oversee the data collectors.

The Contractor shall provide the COR with electronic copies of the training materials. These materials shall reflect the course of instruction given to all data collection personnel. It shall include the quality control efforts during the data collection, data monitoring, and data production. The Contractor shall specify the number of the field staff and their qualifications, including but not limited to, the approach in hiring and strategic planning.

Within eighteen (18) weeks of the task start date, the Contractor shall provide training to data collectors and data collection monitors to enable them to properly identify vehicles and people in the target population at the specified data collection sites. The training shall enable data collectors to properly identify child restraint types and associated adult restraint use. The training shall also be designed to assist the data collectors with techniques to maximize the response rate of the survey. The Contractor shall inform the COR of any changes or improvements in the training, including the logistics before, during, and after training.

C.5.3.5.7 Beginning and Conclusion of Data Collection Data collection shall be conducted during the last two weeks of July which is consistent with the data collection period of previous NSUBS. The Contractor shall notify the COR when the NSUBS data collection has begun and when it has concluded. The Contractor shall also provide a complete list of any problems encountered during data collection (to include, but not limited to: how the data collection process flow worked, and how the quality control activities performed, etc.). The Contractor shall conclude data collection within 4 weeks after commencement of data collection.

C.5.3.5.8 Tables of Estimates, SAS Microdata Files, and Analytical User’s Manual Within twenty-three (23) weeks from the end of data collection, the Contractor shall use the collected data to compute estimates based on the table shell of estimates, and deliver them to the COR. The Contractor shall also deliver the Microdata files and Analytical User’s Manual to the COR. The SAS Microdata files shall contain actual observed data sufficient for the Government and public data users to compute all estimates published in the tables of estimates as well as custom estimates. The Microdata files shall be accompanied by an Analytical User’s Manual that provides guidance in using the Microdata. This user’s manual shall describe the structure of the Microdata files including a description of the files, unique identifiers, file merging instructions, and how to concatenate multiple years. The user’s manual shall include a data dictionary that describes the variables and each of the attribute codes of the SAS Microdata. Part of the manual shall also provide instructions and sample SAS programs that show how data users can calculate the published estimates and their associated standard errors.

C.5.3.5.9 Draft and Final Report Within forty-six (46) weeks from the task start date, the Contractor shall prepare a draft final report in consultation with the COR. This report shall include but is not limited to the following topics: data items collected, survey protocols utilized, summary of training materials, summary of data collection activities, summary of quality control procedures, treatment of unknowns, estimates produced, major survey results, and any Contractor recommendations for the improvement of future surveys.

Within two (2) weeks after receiving the draft final report, the COR will provide feedback and comments from the Government. Within two (2) weeks of receiving the COR’s comments, the Contractor shall generate the final report which shall contain a complete description of the process of data collection, estimation, quality control, and any other matters the COR and/or Contractor identifies.

C.5.3.5.10 Presentation The Contractor shall prepare and present a final presentation to NHTSA staff that describes the process of data collection, estimation, and any related issues. The Contractor shall give this presentation to the COR in an electronic form. This presentation will be due within fifty-one (51) weeks from the task start date.

The Contractor may present the NSUBS presentation simultaneously with the NOPUS presentation.

C.5.3.5.11 Biweekly Status Report Meetings Starting two (2) weeks after the Kick-off Meeting, members of the Contractor’s staff shall conduct a status report meeting once every two (2) weeks with NHTSA’s COR and any other interested NHTSA staff. The purpose of the biweekly meetings is for the Contract to give a status report on:

• Accomplishments made during the reporting period;

• Plans for accomplishments in the next reporting period;

• Preliminary or interim results, conclusions, or other items of information the Contractor believes are of interest to NHTSA;

• Problems or delays the Contractor has experience in the conduct of their services and suggestions to remedy the problems;

• Specific action(s) the Contractor would like NHTSA to undertake to alleviate a problem; and

• Project data runs as they become available.

The biweekly meetings may take place via teleconference. Each biweekly meeting is estimated to be no more than one (1) hour in duration. The meeting may be combined with the NOPUS biweekly status report meeting.

C.5.3.6 NSUBS 2025

April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026

See sections C.5.3.5.1 – C.5.3.5.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.7 NSUBS 2027

April 1, 2027 – March 31, 2027

See sections C.5.3.5.1 – C.5.3.5.11 for specific requirements.

C.5.3.8 State Seat Belt Surveys Road Segments Reselection May 1, 2026 – May 1, 2028

The Contractor shall use the United States Census Bureau Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) data (or other data source as directed by NHTSA) to create a roadway database for each of the 56 States and Territories of the United States. The Contractor shall post these databases to a SharePoint website available for downloading by the individual States and Territories. The States and Territories will use these databases to re-select their new roadway observations sites and provide a listing for the COR to review.

The Contractor shall perform the relevant efforts and analyses specified below. All deliverables shall be delivered in accordance with the Milestones and Deliverables schedule (Section F). For the performance of this task, the Contractor shall use the survey methods (e.g., data collection, estimation, editing, or other survey procedures) that are documented in the approved work plan.

C.5.3.8.1 Kick-Off Meeting Within two (2) weeks from the task start date, key members of the Contractor’s staff who will be assigned major responsibilities for conducting the tasks, shall meet with the NHTSA COR and other interested NHTSA personnel via web conference. The purposes of the initial kick-off meeting shall be to:

• Review any contractual matters, including terms and conditions of this task;

• Discuss the project’s objectives and the administration of this task;

• Provide a draft work plan describing the Contractor’s survey methods for meeting the survey requirements for this task. The work plan may be based on the Contractor’s technical proposal. All methodologies used shall be based on statistically sound principles;

• Determine a schedule for meetings and conference calls during the project; and,

• Discuss any other issues the Contractor or Government identifies.

C.5.3.8.2 Work Plan

The Contractor shall prepare a revised work plan, based on the Contractor’s proposal, task order negotiations with NHTSA, and information discussed at the kick-off meeting.

The plan shall include a description of all project tasks and how and when they shall be conducted. In addition, the plan shall include a complete list of project milestone and deliverables. The Contractor shall submit the review work plan to the COR within two (2) weeks after the kick-off meeting. Within one (1) week of submission, the COR will review the work plan and provide the Contractor with comments or changes, if any. Within one (1) week of receipt of the COR’s comments, the Contractor shall submit a final work plan. Within one (1) week of receiving the Contractor’s finalized work plan, the COR will either approve the plan or contract the Contractor for revisions. Other than planning, the Contractor shall not perform any work on subsequent specific requirements, prior to approval of the work plan by the COR. Upon approval of the plan, the Contractor may begin working on subsequent requirements.

C.5.3.8.3 Develop State and Territory Roadway Segment Data Files The Contractor shall use the TIGER data (or other data source at the NHTSA COR’s discretion) to develop a file for each state and territory to use as the sample frame for their seat belt survey observation site reselection effort. The Contractor shall cluster the road segment files into two groups that shall be prepared by the following date:

• States and Territories targeted for re-selection in 2027 – No later than two (2) weeks after final work plan is approved.

• States and territories targeted for re-selection in 2028 – No later than June 18, 2027.

C.5.3.8.4 Develop SharePoint Site to Disseminate Roadway Segment Data Files The Contractor shall develop a SharePoint site for dissemination of the State and Territory roadway segment data files.

C.5.3.8.5 Review of State and Territory Road Segment Samples to Support Seat Belt Surveys When the States and Territories have completed their re-selection of the roadway segments for the observation sites, they will email their files to an email inbox that the Contractor will control. The Contractor shall then perform a review of these files to determine if the selections were reasonable according to standards developed in the consultation with the NHTSA COR. The reviews will be done on a rolling basis as the states and territories send their files back to the Contractor. The Contractor shall provide reviews two (2) weeks after receiving files from the states and territories.

C.5.3.8.6 Close the SharePoint Site and Deliver All Files to NHTSA COR At the conclusion of this task and when all states and territories have had their road segment reselection approved by NHTSA COR, the Contractor shall close the SharePoint site and deliver the contents to the NHTSA COR following the date specified in the Milestones and Deliverables schedule.

C.5.3.9 Repeat Tasks NHTSA anticipates that the following subsections may need to be performed multiple times during the period of performance. NHTSA may fill repetitive needs for services on as needed basis using a modification of the task. NHTSA may request repeat tasks multiple times, the specific quantities and time of delivery are unknown at this time. NHTSA and the Contractor will agree upon a work plan, milestones, and deliverables.

C.5.3.9.1 Survey Redesign

The NHTSA occupant protection surveys were last redesigned in 2015 with a possible redesign in 2022- 2023. Periodically, NHTSA must reexamine these survey designs to ensure the estimates they produce are those most representative the populations of interest.

To ensure NHTSA’s occupant protection surveys are high quality, the Agency seeks to issue a task order to redesign both its occupant protection surveys, the NOPUS and the NSUBS.

The Contractor shall implement a redesign of the NHTSA occupant protection surveys, NOPUS and NSUBS, under close consultation with NHTSA, with the goal of obtaining greater accuracy and precision for estimates of interest while improving cost efficiency. The redesign shall include updating the following primary sampling units (PSU) and secondary sampling units (SSU) components:

• Formation, frame, coverage, and measure of size.

• Stratification and selection updates.

• Updating sample size, precision, and allocation.

• Performing updates on weighting and estimation procedures.

• Scalability for future budget uncertainty. Consider the scalable design of the Crash Investigation

Sampling System (CISS) as an example.

• Assess the Volume Adjustment Factor (VAF).

• Look into reducing the number of SSUs while increasing the number of PSUs to minimize the variance of estimates from small domains.

• Assess decreasing the standard errors for estimates of non-White persons and rear seat occupants.

• Assess the feasibility of data collection during the night.

After consultation with NHTSA staff, the Contractor shall formalize these recommendations into design documents for each survey. The next time that the Contractor conducts these surveys, the Contractor shall use the new survey designs.

Period of performance is typically 7 months – 12 months but can vary depending on the need.

C.5.3.9.1.1 Kick-Off Meeting Within two (2) weeks after task order award (ATOA), key members of the Contractor’s staff shall participate in a kick-off meeting with the NHTSA COR, Contracting Officer, and other interested NHTSA staff. The purpose of the kick-off meeting shall be to:

• Review contractual matters, including the terms and conditions of the task order;

• Review SOW, milestones, and deliverables to ensure a common understanding of the objective;

• Discuss project objective and the administration task order; and

• Address questions from any party.

At the discretion of the Government, the kick-off meeting may take place via web conference. The kick-off meeting shall be no more than two (2) hours in duration.

C.5.3.9.1.2 Work Plan The Contractor shall submit a work plan within one (1) week of the kick-off meeting. The work plan may be based on the Contractor’s technical proposal submitted in response to NHTSA’s solicitation. All methodologies used shall be based on statistically sound principles and approved by the COR and Contracting Officer. The redesign shall be consistent with historic NOPUS and NSUBS content. The COR will supply historical content as needed.

Within one (1) week after submitting the work plan, the COR will review and approve the work plan or provide comments, if necessary. If comments are provided, the Contractor shall provide a final technical work plan within one (1) week of receipt of COR’s comments. The final work plan shall have a complete list of project milestones and deliverables. Other than planning, the Contractor shall not perform work on subsequent requirements, prior to the COR’s approval of the work plan.

C.5.3.9.1.3 Biweekly Meetings Starting two (2) weeks after the kick-off meeting, members of the Contractor’s staff shall participate in a meeting once every two (2) weeks with NHTSA’s COR and any other interested NHTSA staff. The purpose of the biweekly meetings is to:

• Accomplishments made during the reporting period.

• Plans for accomplishments in next reporting period.

• Preliminary or interim results, conclusions, or other items of information the contractor believes are of interest to NHTSA.

• Problems or delays the contractor has experienced in the conduct of their services and suggestions to remedy the problems.

• Specific action(s) the contractor would like NHTSA to undertake to alleviate a problem.

• Project data runs as they become available.

The biweekly meetings shall take place via web conference. Each biweekly meeting is estimated to be no more than one (1) hour in duration.

C.5.3.9.1.4 Draft Final Report Within twenty (24) weeks ATOA, the Contractor shall prepare a draft final report in consultation with the COR. The report shall have the analyses performed, a complete description of the updated survey designs, and any other matters the COR and/or Contractor identifies. The Agency will review this document and the COR will supply comments to the Contractor within two (2) weeks after receipt of the draft final report.

C.5.3.9.1.5 Final Report Within one (1) week of receiving the COR’s comments on the draft final report, the Contractor shall generate the final report. The final report shall contain the analyses performed, a complete description of the updated survey designs, updates based on the COR’s comments from the draft final report, and any other matter the COR and/or Contractor identifies.

C.5.3.9.2 Unknown Feasibility Study or Unknown Task When NHTSA identifies a need which is within the scope of the project but was not included in the initial scope of the work package, a modification may be issued to complete an unknown feasibility study or unknown task. The level of effort is currently unknown for these tasks. NHTSA reserves the right to conduct these potential tasks on as needed basis. NHTSA and the Contractor will agree upon a work plan, milestones, and deliverables.

A feasibility study or unknown task may include research and investigation into the following but are not limited to: methods for improving survey preparation, updating data collection methods or techniques, updating data analysis methods for the surveys, new related surveys, integration of study findings into future surveys.

The period of performance will vary depending on the requirements.

(End of SECTION C)

DELIVERIES AND PERFORMANCE

F.1 Period of Performance All work and services required hereunder shall not exceed 60 months (5 years) from the effective date of the task. The Government reserves the right to exercise an optional period to extend the term of the Contract for up to 60 days.

Base Year 1 (April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024) NOPUS 2023, optional task NSUBS 2023, optional task Base Year 2 (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025)

NOPUS 2024

Optional Year 1 (Year 3) (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026 NOPUS 2025, optional task NSUBS 2025, optional task Optional Year 2 (Year 4) (April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027) NOPUS 2026, optional task SSB Surveys Road Segments Reselection, optional task Option Year 3 (Year 5) (April 1, 2027 – March 31, 2028) NOPUS 2027, optional task NSUBS 2027, optional task SSB Surveys Road Segments Reselection, optional task Repeat Tasks Survey Redesign Unknown Feasibility Study Unknown Task The period of performance for these are not known until a need a realized and can vary depending on the requirements.

Any task issued prior to the expiration date of the contract, and not completed within that timeframe, shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified under the task provided that it does not exceed the performance period Section I.2.4, FAR 52.216-22, Indefinite Quantity (OCT 1995).

The Contractor is required to abide by the terms and conditions of the contract until the conclusion of the Task Order performance period.

The period of performance for each task will be specified within the task order.

F.2 Place of Performance The work to be performed under this task order shall be accomplished at the Contractor’s facility and other places designated by the Contractor.

F.3 Performance Milestones and Deliverables All deliverables are subject to COR(TO) review and approval, and changes may be required. The Contractor shall immediately notify the COR(TO) of any problems that might delay the completion of a requirement.

The following deliverables apply to this task order and are considered to be important to the successful completion of the task order.

F.3.1 NOPUS

F.3.1.1 NOPUS 2024

Item Reference Task Due Date 1 C.5.1.2.1 Kick-off meeting (M) Within two (2) weeks of task start date 2 C.5.1.2.2 Draft technical work plan (D) Within two (2) weeks of task start date 3 C.5.1.2.2 COR provides feedback on the technical work plan (M) Within one (1) week of receipt of the technical work plan

4 C.5.1.2.2 Final technical work plan (D) Within one (1) week of receipt of COR comments

5 C.5.1.2.3 Quality assurance/quality control plan (D) Within two (2) weeks of task start date 6 C.5.1.2.4 Draft table Shells of Estimates (D) Within five (5) weeks of task start date 7 C.5.1.2.4 COR provides…