Parent_Information_-_Capability_Instructions.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PARENT INFORMATION AND SCHOOL CHOICE EVALUATION SOLICITATION # ED-IES-15-R-0023

CAPABILITY STATEMENT INSTRUCTIONS

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is conducting market research to determine if sufficient interest and capability exists in the marketplace for the Parent Information and School Choice requirement. This notice is NOT a request of proposals, but is an invitation for potential offerors to express interest and provide information regarding their relevant knowledge, skills and capabilities. Information submitted in response to this Request for Information (RFI) may be used to assist the Department in finalizing its acquisition strategy.

Disclaimer: The Department will not pay for the provision of any information nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice in no way obligates the Government to award any contract to any interested party. Feedback will not be provided to any interested party who submits information to the Department in response to this notice.

Capability Statement Submission Deadline The deadline for submitting Capability Statements is May 5, 2015 by 11:00 AM (ET) via e-mail to the following: Elizabeth.Price@ed.gov, and cc: Veronica.Price@ed.gov Primary Point of Contact:

Elizabeth Price Contract Specialist Elizabeth.Price@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-6185 Fax: 202-245-6297

Secondary Point of Contact:

Veronica Price, Contracting Officer Veronica.Price@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-6158 Fax: 202-245-6297 Capability Statement Instructions In response to the attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS), the Department hereby solicits capability statements from eligible, interested parties. Capability Statements shall be no longer than 4 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12 point font). Contractors should include up to five resumes in the appendix. Only resumes for potential key personnel that would work on the anticipated contract are to be included. Each resume must clearly document that individuals have the experience and expertise described below. Each resume must be no longer than 4 pages. The resumes will not be counted as part of the 4 page limit for the capability statement.

Vendors shall provide responses for the content areas noted below. This information does NOT count against the 4 page Capability Statement page limitation.

BASIC INFORMATION

1. Please state your business/company name and address. Include contact information such as a corporate email address and website URL.

1. Please state your business size status (i.e. large or small) in the stated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of 541720: Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Also provide all socio economic categories for your company and the corresponding NAICS code.

1. Confirm that 541720 is the most appropriate NAICS code for the Parent Information and School Choice Evaluation requirement.

1. State if the requirement should be set-aside for small business, and why (or why not)?

1. State whether the requirement appears to be commercial or non-commercial in nature.

1. Provide a suggested contract type, or confirm that the Hybrid Contract Type (combination of Cost-Reimbursement and Fixed-Price tasks) is appropriate and provide a brief, supporting statement.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT CONTENT AREAS

The capability statement must describe the collective expertise and experience of key personnel, in each of the following areas:

· Experience and skill in designing, carrying out creative quick turnaround experimental studies. Interested parties shall provide evidence of key personnel’s successful past experience designing experiments -- to answer specific research questions -- that take advantage of opportunistic samples and that are carried out in highly controlled environments where the impacts of relatively subtle contrasts may be examined. This included demonstrated experience managing costs and timeliness.

· Experience and skill in managing complex evaluations of education programs or other projects of a similar nature. This includes demonstrated experience managing studies requiring multi-site data collection, use of technology, collaboration across multiple organizations, effective cost control, and timeliness.

· Experience and skill in authoring well written, policy relevant publications with clear take-home messages for wide audiences. Interested parties shall provide evidence that of key personnel’s involvement with authoring publications that clearly summarize experimental findings and present them in a manner such that they can be understood and used by a wide audience.

· Substantive knowledge of issues relevant to the contract including school choice policy and practice, parent information and engagement, information presentation strategies and related areas of information science. Interested parties shall provide evidence that key personnel have particular knowledge of the specifically named topic areas relevant to the draft PWS and other areas that may be useful in carrying out the proposed work.

In addition, the capability statement should address the following experience and capacity at the corporate level:

· Experience conducting projects similar in nature to that described in the Draft PWS. Interested parties shall provide evidence of successful corporate experience with past projects that are similar to that described in the draft PWS in terms of the specific tasks to be performed and the level of effort required.