Response to Questions EDIES11R0003.docx

Response to Clarification Questions for Solicitation number – ED-IES-11-R-0003

1. Is there an incumbent to IES Web-related Research and Dissemination? If yes, can you please provide the current company name? If not, is there any portion of this work being performed under an existing contract? No, there is no incumbent contractor and the work is not being performed under an existing contract.

2. What is the current web hosting platform? Windows IIS6.net 2.0-3.5 SGL server 2005

3. What is the targeted platform, if any? Same as above.

4. What site wide licenses does the organization hold (e.g., unlimited use of SharePoint or IBM Websphere)? Not applicable.

5. What tools does the Department of Education use now for report writing (e.g., Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat)? What versions? Does the Department of Education have a desktop standard?

Microsoft Office 2007 and Acrobat 9 is the ED desktop standard.

6. Does the Department of Education currently have server/database standards defined, such as Oracle/Linux or the like? SQL server 2005.

7. Does the Department of Education have any policies in place restricting custom tools placed on desktop systems? Yes. Must go through technical and 508 compliance processes.

8. Is there a possibility that the due date may be pushed into January? No.

9. Who created the current IES web site? The site was developed and evolved over the past 11 years with a mix of IES staff and various contractors.

10. Who currently creates content for the IES website?

Photos and text are provided by program staff in the centers and communications staff, and approved by the communications staff. Much of our content is related to the reports and other materials we release both online and in print. Once a report is complete and ready to be released, it is turned over to our web team and they publish it online.

11. Who currently supports communications and documentation for IES?

IES does not currently have support for its overall communications efforts. One of IES’s centers, works with contractors on the preparation and dissemination of its publications and outreach materials. Also see #16 below.

12. Within the last seven years, did anyone perform a site survey/usability survey for IES?

No, a site-wide usability survey has not been conducted on the IES website. There have, however, been some recent usability testing done for different programs within the site (e.g., the What Works Clearinghouse at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc and the NAEP data explorer at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata).

13. Does IES have any collaboration software they currently use (e.g., IBM QuickPlace, Microsoft SharePoint)? The department is in the process of developing a SharePoint system. On the horizon for first half of 2011.

14. Are the current IES web site user logs in a standard web log format? Yes

15. How many years of web site user logs are available?

There are currently data available dating back to September 2007 on our current server. Archived logs from previous years are also available at an offsite location.

16. Who currently manages media outreach (e.g., who is pitching press releases to media, who is facilitating the Webinars and media conference calls)?

IES’s current media outreach is directed by its Outreach and Communications staff. The communications director handles all daily inquiries from reporters—requests for data, quotes, statistics, research context. The IES communications staff also develops strategy and drafts press releases on high-interest reports that don’t require a specific external event. When an event (press conference) is required for specific, high profile reports, these efforts are overseen by the communications staff but often handled by a contractor (e.g., release of the Condition of Education) for these specific projects/reports, which are typically out of the National Center for Education Statistics.

At this time, the communications staff does not have a contractor assigned to do any media work related to the other IES research centers—the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, the National Center for Education Research, and the National Center for Special Education Research.

17. How did the government determine the level of effort to be 3, 000 hours?

The level of effort was based in part on similar work performed for IES.

18. Page 5, task 4 - Will the contractor be required to redesign for accessibility the IES photo/image library and make it available to IES staff and contractors? Yes. We anticipate the photo/image library will live on the IES intranet site, which can be accessed by staff and contractors working on IES projects. We do expect the contractor to assess current holdings and make recommendations for organizing the library, including create folders and subfolders to organize the images in a logical and accessible manner. IES also subscribes to online stock images sites.

19. Page 6, task 5 - Will the contractor be responsible for redesigning and maintaining the IES media database? No. The media database is a spreadsheet. However, the contractor will be expected to make occasional updates of media contact names and organizations.

20. Page 9, task 7.2 - What web metric categories will be made available for the IES website for review and analysis purposes? IES currently uses WebTrends as its web metric tool. We use many of the metrics available to us through this tool, including metrics for visitors, pages, navigation, technical, user activities, browsers and platforms, search phrases, key words, page metrics by program area (top pages, number of visitors, page views, etc), website referring data, help pages, Entry/Exit pages, single page visits, and limited geo-cached visitor logs by page and by state.

21. Page 9, 7.2 - In conducting a review of the current IES websites and making recommendations for changes or improvements are there any specific applications or web pages that take precedence over others (e.g. well visited websites vs. rarely visited websites)? We are trying to take a holistic approach to making the IES website, particularly our IES and center-specific home pages, as user friendly and easy to use as possible. This means that we anticipate looking at a variety of areas that include both heavy traffic areas and low traffic areas to ensure that our users are getting the best possible experience. We also want to note areas of incoherence across different program sites so as to strive for a common look and theme (beyond the header). Please note that the WWC site (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/) and the NAEP program site (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/) are undergoing an earlier redesign so this should NOT be a focus of the review. In addition, the NCES site contains hundreds and hundreds of pages of published tables, many of them archived, and these should NOT be subject to review.

22. Page 9, 7.2- What web metric is currently collected that will help identify user groups? We do collect IP addresses, and analyze by page views and visits. We do not require log-ins, so we cannot pinpoint our users. Previously, we have been barred from using cookies, but this prohibition may be lifted in 2011 for limited uses. We have identified broad categories of our web audience, which should suffice for defining the usability testing parameters and selecting candidates for these tests.

23. Page 9, 7.2 - There are typically several paths/flow processes that a user can take to complete a task. In showing all the steps a user would take to complete a specific task are you looking for the designed path or several possible paths? We are looking for the most frequently used paths to accomplish certain tasks. Our goal for this is to both understand what our users are looking for and how they do it, but also to see if we can make structural changes to our site that will help simplify the process for users to get the information they are looking for.

24. Page 9, 7.2 - Is the written report of data collection the deliverable from a combination of tasks 7.2 b&c? No, the written report of data collection will be based on task 7.2b.

25. Page 9, 7.3 - Will the 27 potential users of the IES website for the usability testing need to be approved by IES before recruiting can begin? We expect that the contractor will work closely with IES to target and recruit a representative group of potential users.

26. Page 9, 7.3, Are there any areas of special concentration required for the usability testing of the IES website, for example, the most user frequented web pages, or should it be more well rounded looking into areas that are under visited? See #4 above (Page 9, 7.2 – In conducting a review….).

27. Page 12, 7.6 - Are wireframes required for redesign proposals? Yes. We expect the final presentation will include a skeleton design of a website prototype. These will be working web pages that will demonstrate the design, navigational concepts and any suggestions for search tool improvements.

28. Page 12, 7.6 - Does the presentation need to include working web pages (web development required) or are illustrations/graphics sufficient? See #10 above.

29. Page 4 – “contractor is duplicating and delivering 75 copies” – Color or Black and White? Offerors should provide costs for color copies.

30. When providing the final pdf, does the contractor provide the HTML page along with the file or is that IT responsibility? No, the contractor does not need to provide the HTML page. The IES web team will build the HTML pages. The contractor shall provide the PDF and the source documents.

31. Page 4, Task 2.2, Writing short forms…. The style of the samples provided did not reflect 1-pg (with charts and tables) or 2-4 page summaries (with art and photos). Is this a new assignment? No, this is not a new assignment. As stated in the Performance Work Statement (PWS), “The contractor shall provide three design options for one-page summaries and three design options for two-page summaries.” Contractor design options shall include bulleted elements for each as mentioned on page 4 of the PWS.

See http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104018/pdf/20104032.pdf for the 4-page summary layout that will be used; IES will provide the contractor with the template for 4-page summaries. The 2-page sample at http://ncrece.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/NCRECEInFocus_v1n1.pdf was provided not as the preferred layout but as an example of content that a target audience may find useful. IES will provide drafts for each summary, but we anticipate that all summaries will contain visual element(s).

32. Page 4, Deliverables: You ask for “… 15 docs (price per unit).” Do you want a breakdown of 1-page vs. 2-page vs. 4-page? Yes

33. Page 6, When purchasing, scanning or shooting photography, what final size do we target. (stock photography always charges more for highest resolution size). The contractor should assume a 300 x 300 dpi resolution suitable for printer-ready publications.

34. Page 17, Video seems to be absent from the image development. How should we obtain and price the video? If referring to Task 4, Conduct an assessment of and rebuild/update the IES photo/image library - this task does not require video development as part of rebuilding/updating the image library.

35. Page 6, Task 5. Do you have an Annual Calendar of events for us to plan and schedule? No.

36. Website imagery and icons. The use of the gavel seems odd and there is an absence of imagery. Is there a reason why we cannot use more imagery, thumbnails and icons to support the website overall look and feel? No. In addition to the work related to usability, we are also trying to improve our site’s appearance and feel and we anticipate that part of improving our site’s appearance will be an increase in the use of graphics and other visual and user friendly options.

37. Page 7, Task 6. The contractor shall secure laminated paper posters that are 4x3 feet in size. The lamination implies smaller quantities because of the process of printing, and durability, which can be used outdoor.

0. What is the quantity of poster prints or do we assume (1) one 3’ x 4’ print. The contractor shall provide three separate posters (each will have different information on it depending on the available funding opportunities).

0. What is the setting (indoor or out). The posters will be used at indoor settings such as conferences and meetings.

0. What is the life expectancy of the posters. Since the posters are tied to funding cycle, each poster’s life expectancy is 6 months to 1 year.

0. Do you want stand lone prints or display racks for presentation. Stand alone posters that can be mounted on display boards.

0. When requesting deliverables of “posters and carrying cases” how do we price out the “carrying case” or do you mean postal tubes for transporting the paper posters? IES needs carrying cases for the posters (e.g., cases may be cloth with shoulder strap).

38. Task 4

0. Is there a specific budget or minimum/maximum amount that can/should be spent for the photo discs that are to be purchased? See “Additional Business Proposal Instructions” under section L of the RFP (Task 4).

0. Is the contractor responsible for obtaining written permission (“model releases”) from each person depicted in an event photo? No. Permissions have already been secured for all event photos obtained from the U.S. Department of Education Photo Archives.

39. Task 5

0. Is the contractor expected to host in-person meetings/events? Only those specified in the PWS.

40. Task 7

0. 7.2-C: Are there specific tasks that need to be analyzed as part of the process to create workflow diagrams? The tasks will be generated from information gleaned from analyzing the user weblogs and with consultation from the IES on this project. We are trying to get a stronger understanding of how different users use our site, what they use it for, and how they go about accomplishing whatever task that brought them to our site in the first place.

0. 7.4: Are there any restrictions and/or requirements that the contactor needs to be aware in conducting focus groups? (i.e., insurance requirements, participant waivers, etc) Unclear what this question is asking.

0. 7.6: Is there a specific tool/technology that needs to be used to create the interactive presentation? See response below to “d. 7.6”

0. 7.6: What level of functionality is required from the interactive presentation? (Full-blown HTML pages, keynote presentation with hot spots, etc?) We expect the final presentation will include a skeleton design of a web page prototypes, including the IES home page. These will be working web pages that will demonstrate the design, navigational concepts and any suggestions for search tool improvements. These prototypes should be presented as part of a coherent narrative that also builds the case for the design suggestions based on the results of the site review and research.

General Questions:

1. The government specifies that it believes the labor will be approximately the equivalent of 1.4 FTEs. Is that per year or over the life of the contract? Over the life of the contract.

1. Can we treat subcontractor costs as Other Direct Costs (ODC’s), loaded with the offeror’s G&A and fee? -Subcontractor fees can be treated as ODC’s loaded with the G&A rates, however they cannot have separate fees associated with them. For example a company cannot charge a 6% profit and have their subcontractor charge an additional 6%. This is referred to as “fees on top of fees” and this is not allowed

1. On page 49: “contractor must submit their labor rates broken out… not fully loaded.”Can offerors/subcontractors submit GSA rates, and be treated as ODC’s as part of the Offeror’s proposal?- The contractor does need to submit their labor rates broken out, however this is not a GSA Schedule contract, thus it does not have a corresponding schedule to compare prices to.

1. Does the government have a budget estimate for the entire project? Yes.

Specific Task Related Questions:

1. Regarding Tasks 2.1 and 2.2: what level of review and revisions are generally required for each type of product? The RFP indicates the time period will take two weeks. Is there an informal review that takes place first, and how many rounds of revisions can the contractor anticipate? Two rounds of revisions.

1. Will the contractor be responsible for developing initial/core content for the Task 2.1 reports? Or will we be working from a draft and be responsible solely for editing? IES will provide the contractor with drafts of each report for editing.

a. If contractor IS responsible for core content, will we have access to key information sources (either print or personnel) in order to write? Yes.

b. If contractor is NOT responsible for initial draft/core content will we be involved in the planning of this content in order to provide input on vision/direction and or style before the author at IES begins work on the draft? Depending on the report, yes, the contractor may be involved.

1. Regarding Task 2.2: will the contractor be responsible for researching, and writing original drafts, or solely editing? The contractor shall be responsible for editing/copyediting, layout and design.

1. In the development of the annual and biennial reports, and other graphic products, will there be room for creative design solutions, or will contractor be held absolutely to the current IES design standards? Yes, there will be room for creative design solutions.

1. On page 15 it states: “Payment to GPO shall be made directly by the Department and charged to the contract.” This suggests that in addition to preparing the files for GPO, the contractor will actually be paying GPO. In our experience, GPO printing costs came from different agency budgets. How will this work? Are these costs for GPO printing to be included in the contractor’s budget estimates? If so, will the government provide those numbers for estimating purposes? Printing through GPO will be not be charged to the contract. The contractor shall prepare files (printing packages) for printing through GPO, which will be transmitted to GPO by the IES/ED printing officer. The government will pay for any printing done through GPO.

1. Regarding Task 5: Are we correct to assume that the contractor will be responsible for media outreach, including, but not limited to, pre‐release media pitching, and post-release media support? Secondly, for estimating purposes, how many of the releases will involve state level data, requiring a wider media outreach effort? Yes, the contractor will be responsible for all media outreach activities listed above. The contractor should also assume that the targeted media will need to reach beyond major national publications to regional publications or publications serving targeted audiences (i.e., a report about an outcome for Hispanic students might target media in states with Hispanic populations such as Texas, California, New York, New Mexico).

1. Regarding Task 5: For estimating purposes, how many of the releases will involve the development of a PowerPoint presentation? At least 1.

1. Regarding Task 7.1: Conduct pre‐project interviews: If we need additional follow on questions to be addressed with the Communications Director and IT Director and staff, will they be available for in‐person meetings, telecon, or email exchanges? Yes.

1. Regarding Tasks 7.3: This task requires establishing three usability testing groups of nine potential users each, suggesting a total of 27 distinct users for this task. In addition, Task 7.4 suggests one focus group of unspecified size. This leads to the question of whether or not OMB approval becomes necessary. Does ED think that by limiting the numbers of users to nine per usability test group, assuming each can be justified as being distinct in purpose and need, obviates the need to obtain OMB approval? If OMB approval becomes necessary, then the schedule of deliverables for completing the usability and focus group tests will be affected. The focus group as stated in the RFP will consist of 9 people which will put it within OMB regulations. The focus group is a fundamentally different method of assessing our website than usability testing is so there shouldn’t be an issue there. With regards to the usability testing, the HHS usability labs will only test one person at a time in two different facilities. We feel that this structure, combined with the different focuses of each group (each group will have different tasks that are commonly performed for their user group which will differentiate them from the other groups) will allow us to fit within OMB regulations.

1. Regarding Task 7.5 where the specification reads “Focus Group (1)”: Is the government’s intention that only one Focus Group session is needed? If so, do we recruit a different set of Focus Group members, or do we combine all (or some) users from the three usability testing groups into one, with potential maximum of 27. Or does the government wish to limit the size of this group to be below the threshold of 10, so as to avoid the need for OMB approval. We are planning for one focus group to provide qualitative feedback to fill gaps between the quantitative results reported from the usability tests. The focus group will consist of a representative group of nine users who can be taken from any of the three usability tests or from new recruits. The focus group should represent the three user groups specified in Task 7.3a-c.