Attachment A - Final PWS.pdf

Attachment A

Performance Work Statement

Analytic Support and Research Management for Advancing Education Research

Contract

National Center for Education Research and

National Center for Special Education Research

Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Table of Contents I. Introduction

II. Background of IES’ Education Research Centers III. Purpose IV. Scope of Work

V. Task Order Deliverables

VI. Specific Requirements

VII. Reporting Requirements VIII. Appendix A: Examples of Data Sheets

Analytic Support and Research Management for Advancing Education Research

Contract

I. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) contract is to provide the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) with analytic support and research management related to its research, evaluation, and leadership activities. This Performance Work

Statement describes the types of activities for which IES will issue fixed-price task orders under this contract on an as-needed basis. The expected work falls into two broad categories: (1) resource management and (2) publication preparation (i.e., preparing education and special education research papers, issue briefs, research syntheses, and compendia).

The contract will cover a 3-year period (36 months). The program office responsible will be the National Center for Education Research (NCER) of IES.

II. BACKGROUND OF IES’ EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTERS

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the research arm of the U.S. Department of

Education (ED). Established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA, PL

107-279), the Institute’s mission is “to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study.” The Institute provides educators, researchers, policymakers, parents, students, and the general public with reliable information about educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students; the condition and progress of education in the

United States; and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs.

The primary education research programs at IES are supported by the National Center for

Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research

(NCSER). Combined, these centers oversee research grants, research and development centers, training programs, and small business initiatives, as detailed below. Over the past several years, the centers have funded hundreds of research projects focused on student outcomes, education policies and practices, and methodology and statistical analyses used by education researchers. Given the broad scope of this research carried out by a large number of research teams across the country, IES needs summarized findings generated by its projects. These projects include the following:

Education and Special Education Research Grant Programs. IES’ research grant programs have shown tremendous growth over the last ten years. These programs, which cover education from prekindergarten through adulthood, support the development and evaluation of interventions and measures in a number of areas, including academic content, social and emotional development to support learning, education technology, teacher quality, policy, and finance.

Over 700 awards (in the form of discretionary grants and cooperative agreements) have been made by IES with approximately an additional 130 awarded each year.

National Research and Development Centers and Special Education

Research and Development Centers (R&D Centers). The National Research and Development Centers and Special Education Research and Development

Centers are tackling issues of critical importance and are intended to contribute significantly to the solution of education problems in the United States by engaging in research, development, evaluation, and national leadership activities aimed at improving the education system and, ultimately, student achievement.

Each of the R&D Centers conducts a focused program of education research in its topic area. In addition, each R&D Center conducts supplemental research within its broad topic area and provides national leadership in advancing evidence-based practice and policy within its topic area. Approximately 20 R&D center awards have been made by NCER and NCSER with an estimated two added yearly.

Education Research and Special Education Research Training Programs.

These programs are intended to support the development of a new generation of scientists and address the shortage of education scientists who are prepared to conduct rigorous education or special education research. Thus far, NCER has awarded 26 predoctoral and 32 postdoctoral training grants, and NCSER has awarded 10 postdoctoral grants. These grants are not offered yearly. However, IES predicts continued growth at a rate of approximately eight grants per year for the two centers combined.

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. This program provides federal research and development funding through competitive grants and contracts to stimulate the small business sector and to strengthen the national base for technological innovation. IES’ SBIR program provides support for the research and development of technological products that directly or indirectly lead to improved student learning and academic achievement. Products developed include those that can be used by students, teachers, or administrators in school or other formal education settings, in regular or special education classrooms, and from pre-kindergarten through the post-secondary level. Thus far, IES has awarded nearly 140 contracts with approximately 15 added yearly.

More information about research programs and projects funded by IES can be found at the website http://ies.ed.gov/funding.

http://ies.ed.gov/funding

III. PURPOSE

ED is seeking support services for IES research and leadership activities in these two areas:

Analytic support: preparing publications including education and special education research papers, issue briefs, research syntheses, and compendia.

Research management: providing research management support including (a) cataloguing products from and details about grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts; and (b) coordinating and hosting Technical Working Groups (TWG).

Possible topics for the analytic activities include the following:

1. Teacher effectiveness

2. English language learners

3. Logic models used in intervention development and evaluation

4. Propensity score matching

5. Regression discontinuity design

6. Partially nested designs

Individual task orders may cover additional education research topics that are also relevant to student outcomes, education policies and practices, and methodology and statistical analyses used by education researchers.

Both the research managements and analytical activities and their associated tasks are central to advancing the rigor and quality of education and special education research, supporting the accumulation of knowledge generated through IES’ research programs, and promoting implementation of instructional practices that have evidence of improving student outcomes.

IV. SCOPE OF WORK

Overview: ED envisions the two activities as intertwined, with each informing and refining the other. For example, in order to identify appropriate topics for the analytical tasks, ED needs to know what has been produced through its sponsored research. Thus, the research management tasks (e.g., developing and maintaining a catalogue of IES products) help to guide the analytic support tasks. At the same time, when the analytic tasks are being performed (e.g., writing a research paper), IES will need to enlist the assistance of technical working groups (TWGs). Thus, the analytical tasks help to guide the research management ones.

Figure 1: Relationship Between Activities and Among Tasks

Compendia Research syntheses

Issues briefs

TWGCatalogue

Activities

Tasks

Analytic Support Research Management

Research papers

Figure (1) depicts the relation between the two major activities (analytic support and research management) and the tasks that are associated with each activity. Please note that there is a feedback loop between the two activities depending on the needs of each activity’s tasks.

Another important difference between these two activities is the intended audience. The research management tasks focus primarily on the needs of ED. That is, the TWG meetings and the catalogue will be used internally, e.g., to get more feedback on a research paper or to organize information so that ED can determine the types and outcomes of grants it has supported. The analytic support tasks have a broader audience, the products of which will be used by not only ED staff but also the larger community.

Products from the analytic support tasks may be made publically available and will need to be accurate and accessible to a wide range of readers (e.g., policymakers, practitioners).

Description of the activities and associated tasks: The following section specifies the parameters of the contract including the activities and their associated tasks. The

Contractor shall submit all deliverables to ED’s Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR), ED’s Contracting Specialist (CS), and ED’s Contracting Officer (CO) electronically unless otherwise noted. Individual task orders may require that both analytic support and research management activities co-occur. Unless indicated otherwise, the COR will notify the Contractor of any changes required within three weeks of receipt of the deliverable, and the Contractor shall have up to two weeks to make the necessary revisions and submit a final deliverable to ED.

Activity 1. Analytic Support: Prepare education and special education compendia, research syntheses, issue briefs, and research papers, and compendia

The Contractor shall prepare research papers, briefs, research syntheses, and compendia.

ED will choose the topics for these products. The Contractor shall identify national experts, with ED review, to author the papers, briefs, syntheses, and compendia. These experts may be housed with the Contractor, or they may be external to the Contractor, depending on the necessary expertise.

Task 1: Compendia. The Contractor shall create compendia that contain various types of information about IES projects and products produced by them. These compendia must be more than simply lists of projects or citations. Rather, they should be structured lists, organized into to, for instance, thematic groups. They are summarized or contextualized list. To see examples of compendia, please visit http://ies.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=NCEE20104012;

http://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Compendium_SELTools.pdf;

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-

2007_12_10_FR_CompleteCompendium.pdf

In addition to creating the compendia, the Contractor shall also update these compendia every three to six months in accordance with issued task orders.

Generally, compendia shall be updated every six month. However, task orders will specify the frequency of the updates. Possible compendium topics are assessments developed through or used in IES funding, and interventions developed through IES funding.

Please note that information used to inform and populate the compendia will come from both education and special education research.

No more than two compendia will be produced annually. Task orders will specify the exact topics and specifications of the compendia along with deliverable schedule.

Task 2: Research syntheses. ED may issue task orders for the Contractor to synthesize and integrate the findings of IES-funded research projects. This work is critical to the accumulation of knowledge of programs, practices, and policies that can improve student achievement. Possible areas for syntheses include teacher effectiveness and instruction for English language learners.

Please note that the topics chosen may be informed by research on both education and special education.

At least one and no more than two research syntheses that summarize what has been learned through IES funding will be produced annually. Task orders will specify the exact topics and specifications of the syntheses along with deliverable schedule. The research syntheses will be about 80 pages in length.

Task 3: Issue Briefs. The issue briefs shall present information on research topics of current interest and identify key topics related to rigorous education research. For a list example issues briefs see the National Center for Education Statistics’

Publication and Products website:

http://ies.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=NCEE20104012 http://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Compendium_SELTools.pdf http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2007_12_10_FR_CompleteCompendium.pdf http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2007_12_10_FR_CompleteCompendium.pdf http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp?HasSearched=1&searchcat2=producttype

&pubtype=015.

Potential issue brief topics include propensity score matching, regression discontinuity design, logic models, or iterative design processes in intervention development.

Please note that the topics for the briefs may also include non-methodological areas but that all topics will be relevant to research in both education and special education.

At least one but no more than four issue briefs will be produced annually. Task orders will specify the exact topics and specifications of the briefs along with deliverable schedule. The issue briefs will be about three pages in length.

Task 4: Research papers. ED may issue task orders for the Contractor to prepare research papers on topics relevant to the research and evaluation activities of IES, including cutting-edge statistical and methodological issues related to education research;

scientifically based instructional programs, practices, and policies that improve student outcomes; and other topics related to issues of national importance.

At least one but no more than two research papers will be produced annually.

Task orders will specify the exact topics and specifications of the papers along with deliverable schedule. The papers will be about 80 pages in length.

Below are potential subtasks that would be required for the analytic support services above. The required subtasks will be specified in individual task orders.

Subtask (a) Identify authors. When ED issues a task order for a written document (e.g., an issues brief), the Contractor, with ED review, shall identify national experts with the appropriate topical and methodological expertise to author the paper, issue brief, research synthesis, or compendium. Authors may include experts that the Contractor has in-house or external experts. The

Contractor shall contact each author and shall secure letters of commitment from each author prior to beginning work.

Subtask (b) Convene a meeting of authors. The Contractor shall convene meetings with authors and the IES COR to clarify the topic and parameters in order to generate a prospectus. The meetings can be held in person in

Washington, D.C. or via conference call. In general, the meetings will be held via conference call. The meeting location will be specified in each task order.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp?HasSearched=1&searchcat2=producttype&pubtype=015 http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp?HasSearched=1&searchcat2=producttype&pubtype=015

Subtask (c) Prepare a prospectus. The Contractor will be asked to produce a prospectus for the research papers, issue briefs, compendia, or research syntheses. Each prospectus shall be no longer than five pages.

Subtask (d) Format. For all documents, the Contractor shall adhere to the most current IES editing and style guidelines and shall submit electronic files using widely-available layout software (e.g. Microsoft Office programs) and in a portable document format (e.g., Adobe .PDF) for all documents scheduled to be released through the IES website or GPO.

The most current IES graphic design, editing, and style guidelines can be found on the website http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/style.asp. If these guidelines are updated during the contract period, the Contractor shall use the updated guidelines.

In addition to the electronic files for publication, the Contractor shall submit all other materials required by the GPO including, a CD containing all files in native format, a directory of fonts and furnished fonts printed out as a separate sheet, completed GPO form 952 (including any special instructions), and previously printed publication samples or laser prints of the publication’s content and covers at 100%. GPO form 952 will be supplied by the COR when needed. Unless otherwise directed, graphic designs shall adhere to guidance specified in the Graphic Standards for IES Publications and

Collateral Materials.

Activity 2: Research Management: IES catalogue and technical working groups

The Contractor shall provide research management support by managing IES research in order to provide leadership on issues related to advances in education research methodology and content. Managing research includes (a) creating and maintaining a catalogue of information about and coming from IES-funded projects and (b) coordinating experts for advice on technical issues, e.g., for designing, implementing, and analyzing rigorous education research. Tasks under this activity include creating a catalogue of information about IES-funded projects, updating and revising the catalogue, establishing a technical working group (TWG), and convening meetings with TWGs and other experts to provide technical assistance.

After the completion of the first catalogue, which constitutes its own task, ED will issue task orders for updates or revisions to the catalogue. The contractor will update or revise the catalogue at least once but not more than six times per contract year. Also, ED will issue task orders as necessary for each TWG in order to provide feedback for or on products generated by other task orders, e.g., a research paper. The contractor will host at least one but no more than four TWGs per year as requested by individual task orders.

http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/style.asp

Task 1: Prepare and Maintain Catalogue. The Contractor shall create one electronic, searchable product catalogue using widely-available electronic format

(e.g. Microsoft Office products) during year 1. The catalogue must be able to perform queries and generate reports. These reports will take the form of indices, lists, or tables and will not require narrative analysis. The Contractor will receive at least one but no more than six individual task orders per contract year to update or revise the catalogue, as explained below.

The catalogue shall contain information about NCER- and NCSER-funded grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts and their associated products. The

Contractor shall keep in mind that approximately 250 new projects including education grants, training grants, R&D centers, and SBIR projects are awarded each year across NCER and NCSER.

The primary audience for this catalogue is ED, in particular the staff in NCER and

NCSER within IES. The staff will use the catalogue to respond to internal and external questions about the projects sponsored by NCER and NCSER. These questions can be highly technical or specific (e.g., the types of assessments and measures used by grants researching English learners). Thus, the catalogue will need to be able to make connections across many dimensions and to have a high level of detail. ED will provide some of the specifications, e.g., categories that should be included, but the contractor must have the expertise in and background knowledge of education research to not only code entries but also suggest additional tags.

At minimum, the catalogue shall include tags with identifying information about

NCER and NCSER projects (such as grant number, Principal Investigator, population served) and information about products generated through these

NCER- and NCSER- funded projects such as the following: curricula, software and other education technologies, professional development manuals, practitioners’ manuals, articles, and measurement tools.

The Contractor should note that the description and linking of elements in the catalogue require familiarity with education research. For example, in describing measurement tools, the Contractor will need to know what some of the standard constructs are, how to determine reliability, and what the appropriate populations and uses are.

ED already has access to spreadsheets containing much of the basic information described above. (See Appendix A for an example of the spreadsheets.) The

Contractor shall use this information to form the basis of the catalogue and shall generate more fields in accordance with ED’s needs.

ED anticipates that the final versions of a catalogue created in year 1 shall contain approximately 40 tags. During subsequent years, ED will request updates or revisions to this catalogue. The updates will include revisiting entries and changing the status of tags (e.g., change “in press” to “published”) or adding new projects (e.g., recently awarded grants). The updates will not require additional tags or identifiers. Updating the catalogue would be similar to either adding new rows to sheets and filling in the columns already there or to updating cells already populated.

The revisions will require additional identifiers or tags. This would be similar to adding a new column to a spreadsheet or to adding another sheet with information that can be connected to a pre-existing column. During subsequent revisions, ED anticipates that no more than 20 additional tags (e.g., identifiers for “rural/urban” or product types such as presentations, curricula, software) will be required per contract year after the final draft of the catalogue is approved. ED anticipates requesting no more fewer than two (2) and no more than eight (8) additional tags per task order.

The Contractor shall also provide documentation of the catalogue including a list of the tags and identifiers. Additionally, the Contract shall provide a user guide for ED staff (approximately 10 to 15 pages) in electronic format using widely available software (e.g. Word document). This guide shall include the following topics: a) the most commonly used functions of the catalogue, b) how to enter or update data, c) how to perform queries, and d) how to generated different types of reports. The Contractor must also provide training to ED staff. ED envisions a train-the-trainer model in which no more than four NCER or NCSER staff are trained.

The Contractor shall comply with the Department’s IT security policy requirements as set forth in the Handbook for Information Assurance Security Policy and related procedures and guidance.

The catalogue shall be in an electronic form suitable for editing, updating, and corrective actions consistent with the U.S. Department of Education’s Information Quality

Guidelines (www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/iq/infoqualguide.doc) in order to provide for quality control of data entry and yielding verified and accurate information. The

Contractor shall enter all data in a computer-accessible format for processing using widely-available software (e.g. Microsoft Office programs).

The first task is to create the primary catalogue. Below are potential subtasks for this.

Subtask (a) Compiling and creating tags. ED will provide the Contractor with spreadsheets containing information about the grant projects. The

Contractor shall take these and suggest alternate or additional tags or organizations. The Contractor shall provide ED with a list of possible changes or additions and receive approval by the COR before starting a prototype of the catalogue. Tags may include variables such as grant or contract number, file:///c:/Users/Meredith.Larson/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/iq/infoqualguide.doc age/grade, content area, and features of the product (e.g., publications features would include things such as peer-reviewed journal or book chapter).

Subtask (b) Prototype of catalogue. The prototype of the catalogue will include all the information provided by ED to the Contractor. It shall also contain fields and tags for additional classification as determined through the

Contractor’s consultation with and with approval from ED. The Contractor shall enter all the information provided by ED and shall classify 15% of these projects according to the additional classifications (fields and tags) as mentioned above. The 15% of projects shall include projects from a variety of research grant programs and topics as well as projects with a variety of produced products. The Contractor shall make the searchable catalogue accessible to ED for review through a secure method.

Subtask (c) Generating reports and lists. The catalogue shall be able to produce reports (e.g., indices and lists) on projects or products based on ED-identified criteria. During the development and maintenance phases of the catalogue, ED may request that the Contractor generate such reports. When the Contractor has a full prototype of the catalogue, the Contractor shall generate three sample reports on topics chosen by ED. After the completion of the catalogue and during the revising and updating phases, ED may require additional reports based on queries of the database. The Contractor may be asked to generate no more than eight ad hoc reports per year after the completion of the catalogue. The topic of the reports will be determined by

ED. Examples of the reports include an index of all projects that occur in urban middle schools a list of all measures used in special education exploratory research projects

ED requires that these reports be flexible enough to allow for staff editing

(e.g., in a format that can be edited in Microsoft office) or to be submitted without editing (e.g., formatted for publishing, PDFs).

Subtask (d) Final catalogue. The Contractor shall incorporate ED’s comments and produce a final catalogue. Completion of the catalogue includes entering all data for every NCER and NCSER project provided to the Contractor by

ED. The catalogue shall also be accompanied by a user guide for ED staff, and the Contractor must ensure a smooth transfer to ED. This transfer must include training for NCER or NCSER staff and must ensure that the data are accessible to all NCER and NCSER staff. After the completion of the catalogue, ED must be able to access it and perform its own queries in addition to those it may request the Contractor perform.

In addition to the primary task of creating the catalogue, ED may require subsequent updates and revisions. ED may issue task orders for updates or revisions independent of one another. That is, ED may request and update of the catalogue in one task order and then a few months later request a revision in which two new tags are added to the catalogue. ED recognizes that the scope of these two tasks orders is different and, thus, discusses them separately.

Catalogue Task Order Type (1) Updates to the catalogue. ED may issue task order to update the status of current entries in the catalogue or to add new entries (e.g., new grants) to the existing framework. These task orders may be issued every three or six months, with at least one but no more than six over the course of each contract year. ED will provide the Contractor with the majority of the information to be added to the catalogue. However, updating the catalogue may involve searching grantee websites, ERIC

(http://www.eric.ed.gov), and general bibliographic catalogue (such as Psych

Info). It may also require the Contractor to contact Principal Investigators directly via email and/or phone. The COR will notify the Contractor when

Principal Investigators should be contacted.

Catalogue Task Order Type (2) Revisions to the catalogue. The Contractor shall make revisions to the catalogue. These revisions include adding additional tags or identifiers. It is anticipated that no more than 20 additional tags or identifiers (e.g., “rural/urban” or adding validity information to all the measurement tools in the Catalogue) will be required per year after the final draft of the catalogue is approved. ED will provide some of the information necessary to populate the revisions. However, the Contractor must be prepared to search websites for missing information (e.g., the validity score for a particular assessment) or contacting the relevant Principal Investigator or product developer. The COR will notify the Contractor when such contact is necessary.

Task 2: Establish Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and Convene TWG

Meetings. The TWG shall be comprised of 10 experts who may be external or internal to the Contractor. The Contractor shall identify researchers who have expertise related to implementing rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental designs, complex statistical analyses, or research designs used in other fields but not often used in education or special education research. These experts will be qualified to offer guidance and feedback to the Contractor on the products of the task orders, e.g., the research papers. ED will review and approve the identified researchers.

The Contractor shall convene up to four face-to-face meetings with the TWG and/or other invited experts per contract year. All meetings shall be held at ED offices in Washington, D.C. ED may request that other experts, in addition to the

TWG members, be invited. The number of participants and the length of meetings may vary, but it is anticipated that no more than 15 external experts will participate in each meeting and that participants will not meet for more than 2 days. ED will determine the topics for the meetings. Meeting participants will be reviewed by the COR.

http://www.eric.ed.gov/

A single task order or multiple task orders will be issued for developing the TWG and convening groups of experts. Below are potential subtasks that would be required for the

TWG services above. Meeting topics, requirements, and deliverables will be specified in each individual task.

Subtask (a) Identify experts. The Contractor shall provide ED with a list of the potential experts for the TWG. The experts can be internal to the Contractor, members of other TWGs formed by the Contractor, or other experts in the field. The list of experts will be reviewed and approved by the COR.

Subtask (b) Determine experts’ availability. The Contractor shall contact each meeting participant to determine availability. The Contractor shall explain to

TWG members that they may be asked to attend meetings and review additional documents.

Subtask (c) Prepare meeting materials and summaries. The Contractor shall gather information and copy meeting materials, prepare and send out briefing books prior to the meeting, and assist with the production of presentations.

Upon request, the Contractor shall submit a written summary of the meeting to

ED.

Subtask (d) Make travel and lodging arrangements. The Contractor shall make all necessary travel and lodging arrangements for meeting participants.

The Contractor shall reserve rooms at the government rate and arrange for payment for travel, hotel, and per diem. The Contractor shall also inform participants in advance of reimbursement practices (actual expenses vs. per diem). The Contractor shall inform participants ahead of time that the maximum airfare acceptable will be the 14-day advance purchase fare for coach travel. Any fare in excess of this amount or any additional charges incurred due to changes in reservations shall be the responsibility of the attendee unless approved in advance by the CO. The Contractor shall reimburse participants for all approved costs incurred by participants within 14 business days after receipt of expenses. The Contractor shall pay participants who are not receiving reimbursement under an IES grant or contract up to $525 per day of the participant’s time, including time for preparation, follow-up activities, and time spent at meetings.

Subtask (e) Make meeting and room arrangements. ED will reserve rooms for meetings held at ED. The Contractor shall arrange for meeting room set-ups, which must obtain ED approval. ED staff may accompany contractor on hotel site visits. All contracts negotiated for meeting space and related services shall be reviewed and approved by the COR. The Contractor shall arrange for audio and video tapings of meetings, Internet access, and prepare post-meeting production services for documentation and research leadership purposes upon request.

NOTE: The Contractor shall also arrange for audiovisual equipment, note-taking and court reporter/transcription service, and sign-language interpreters (when needed). Sign-language interpreters are available through the U.S. Department of

Education and will be arranged for by the COR. ED will review and approve of all such equipment, services, and interpreters. Unless otherwise requested, ED will provide audiovisual equipment for meetings held at ED facilities.

V. TASK ORDER DELIVERABLES

ED will specify the type, number, and schedule of deliverables in each individual task order. Unless otherwise specified in the task order, the Contractor shall provide deliverables to the CO, CS, and COR for review and approval. The major types of deliverables that will be required in task orders include the following:

1. Briefings. The project director or other Contractor staff shall communicate with

ED as specified in Section XI Reporting Requirements to discuss status of work under each task order. Most briefings are conducted by telephone, followed up by written documentation, but some task orders may require on-site briefings at

ED’s facility in Washington, D.C. Travel and lodging expenses shall be paid for by the Contractor. The Contractor shall provide appropriate materials for these briefings when needed, such as agenda, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.

Additional communication may be required and will be specified in each task order.

2. Draft and Final Plans and Documents. This includes paper and electronic versions of draft and final documents including electronic copies of the catalogue.

Drafts are reviewed by the COR and by any other reviewers designated by the

COR. The Contractor shall incorporate the reviewers’ comments and, if necessary, produce another draft for review. The number of draft versions of plans and documents required will be specified in each task order. The Contractor shall submit one paper copy of final products to the CO, unless otherwise specified.

All final documents shall at a minimum meet the standards and guidelines set forth in the Graphic Standards for IES Publications and Collateral Materials

(http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/styleguide/pdf/graphicsguide.pdf), the IES Style

Guide (http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/sytleguide/pdf/styleguide.pdf), or other guides approved for use by IES. If these guidelines are updated during the contract period, the Contractor shall use the updated guidelines. Unless otherwise specified in the task order, the Contractor shall submit unbound double-spaced manuscript copy in Microsoft Word. The Contractor shall prepare text tables where indicated using Microsoft Word, Excel, or other chart-generating software as suggested by the Contractor in the task order proposals and accepted by ED. In addition, the Contractor shall submit a CD-Rom with the final document to the http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/styleguide/pdf/graphicsguide.pdf

COR in addition to the paper copies. The CD-Rom shall be clearly marked with the title, author, and software packages used.

The Contractor shall also submit the final document in formats suitable for posting on the IES website, such as HTML format, portable document format

(PDF), or the current IES approved format. PDF files must meet the attached IES standards and guidelines.

3. Computer Data Files and Software. The Contractor shall employ microcomputer data files, including text, the catalogue, graphs, and other types of files that use standard software supported by the ED – such as Microsoft Office

(including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) and Adobe PDF whenever possible or needed in the development of the catalogue or other IES deliverables.

4. Graphics Products. The Contractor shall provide draft and final graphic designs and related products as specified in the individual task order. Drafts are reviewed by the COR and by any other reviewers designated by the COR. The Contractor shall incorporate the comments and, if necessary, produce another draft for review. The Contractor shall prepare final production materials as specified in the task order. Unless otherwise directed, graphic designs shall adhere to guidance specified in the Graphic Standards for IES Publication and Collateral Materials.

The most current guidelines can be found on the website http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/styleguide/pdf/graphicsguide.pdf. If these guidelines are updated during the contract period, the Contractor shall use the updated guidelines. Contractor-developed products may be printed through the

Government Printing Office (GPO). The Contractor shall prepare camera-ready copy or provide electronic files suitable for printing documents through GPO.

5. Briefing Books and Meeting Materials. The Contractor shall provide draft and final meeting materials as specified in the task order. The COR will review drafts and other reviewers may be designated by the COR. The Contractor shall incorporate the comments and, if necessary, produce another draft of the briefing books and meeting materials for review. The Contractor shall prepare final production materials as specified in the task order.

VI. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Quality Assurance and Standards Requirements. The Contractor shall establish a formal procedure for the examination and review of all deliverables to IES to ensure that they are of consistently high quality. The Contractor shall follow the IES guidelines below and be familiar with GPO standards for electronic publishing and federal electronic and information technology regulations:

IES PDF specifications for documents to be posted on the IES website: Available upon request from the Contracts Office.

http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/styleguide/pdf/graphicsguide.pdf

IES graphic and style guidelines: Available post award upon request from the

Contracts Office.

IES/National Center for Education Statistics Guidelines, Standards and

Procedures for Web Publishing as updated on the web: Available upon request post award from the Contracts Office.

Electronic and technology regulations, which require federal agencies make their electronic information technology accessible to people with disabilities (section

508) http://www.cio.gov/Documents/section_508_august_1998.html.

Government Printing Office’s Electronic Publishing guidelines, Best Practices for

Submitting Electronic Design and Prepress Files.

http://www.gpo.gov/customers/sfas1.htm

Project Management. The Contractor shall exercise such management and oversight as is necessary to ensure that work is done on time, efficiently, and in accordance with established standards.

Personnel Security Screening Requirements. The Contractor and its subcontractors shall comply with Government security policy requirements as set forth in the Privacy

Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-579, U.S.C. 552a); the U.S. Department of Education Handbook for

Information Assurance Security Policy (June 2005); and the U.S. Department of

Education Departmental Directive OM:5-101, “Contractor Employee Personnel Security

Screenings.”

In accordance with Departmental Directive OM:5-101, Contractor employee positions required under this contract may be designated as High Risk (HR), Moderate Risk (MR), or Low Risk (LR). The type of screening and the timing of the screening will depend upon the nature of the Contractor position, the type of data to be accessed, and the type of information technology (IT) system access required. Personnel security screenings will be commensurate with the risk and magnitude of harm the individual could cause.

The contractor must comply with the personnel security-screening requirements in OM:5-

101 throughout the life of the contract.

Information Technology Security Policy Requirements. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall comply with the Department of Education’s IT security policy requirements, specifically those set forth in the ‘Handbook for Information Assurance

Security Policy (OCIO-01)’, and other applicable procedures and guidance. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall develop and implement management, operational and technical security controls to assure required levels of protection for information systems. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall further comply with all applicable Federal IT security requirements including, but not limited to, the Federal

Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) Circular A-130 Appendix III, Homeland Security Presidential Directives

(HSPD), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidance.

http://www.cio.gov/Documents/section_508_august_1998.html http://www.gpo.gov/customers/sfas1.htm

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). The Contractor should note that the following expectation holds for all contracts ED awards. If the Contractor develops a product that will interface with the internet, the product must adhere to the following policy. The

Contractor shall provide COTS solutions that are IPv6 capable. An IPv6 capable system or product shall be capable of receiving, processing, transmitting and forwarding IPv6 packets and/or interfacing with other systems and protocols in a manner similar to that of

IPv4. Specific criteria to be deemed IPv6 capable are the following:

An IPv6 Capable system must meet the IPv6 base requirements defined by the USGv6

Profile and Testing program as found here “http://w3.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/testing.html”.

Systems being developed, procured, or acquired shall maintain interoperability with IPv4 systems/capabilities.

Systems shall implement IPv4/IPv6dual-stack and shall also be built to determine which protocol layer to use depending on the destination host it is attempting to communicate with or establish a socket with.

If either protocol is possible, systems shall employ IPv6.

The contractor shall provide IPv6 technical support for system development, implementation, and management

System Development Standards. The Contractor should note that the following expectation holds for all contracts ED awards. Information systems that are developed shall be developed in accordance with the ED Lifecycle Management Framework (LCM), ACS-OCIO 1-106.

Turnover at End of Contract. The Contractor shall provide, no later than the eighth month of the final performance period, one electronic copy and one hard copy of plans for transfer products to the government. All information and materials developed under this contract and shall be delivered as part of the task orders or at the turnover at the end of the contract (e.g., the catalogue, which may be in the process of updating until the end of the contract).

VII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Meetings with ED. The Contractor shall meet with the COR and other ED staff in

Washington, D.C. within two weeks after the effective date of the contract to discuss details pertaining to tasks orders, schedule of activities, staffing, and other issues related to the contract. Within one week of the meeting, the Contractor shall provide to the COR a summary of the meeting including any revised work plans.

http://w3.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/testing.html

VIII. APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF DATA SHEETS