ED-NAG-17-R-0003-Response_to_Questions.pdf

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 STANDARD FORM 30. (Rev. 10-83) Previous Edition unusable Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Page of Pages AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. Contract ID Code

2. AMENDMENT MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (if applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6) CODE

(x) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (NO., Street, Country, State and ZIP Code)

CODE FACILITY CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of offers is extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning ______ copies of amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OR OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

Check One

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return _______ copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C. DATE SIGNED

Attachment Page

PAGE 2 OF 5 ED-NAG-17-R-0003/001

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Technical Support in Psychometrics, Assessment Development, and Preparedness for Postsecondary Endeavors

ED-NAG-17-R-0003: Amendment 001

Clarification Questions and Responses

May 30, 2017

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1. Regarding Attachment A, Task 2: Please provide additional clarity around what existing/archival materials might be available, such as score reports, to be used as research.

As stated on page 7 of Attachment A, “the topic of the research study in the first contract year shall be an analysis and synthesis of how NAEP data in general and achievement levels in particularly are used (both appropriately and inappropriately) by various audiences...” NAEP is a group-level assessment and therefore does not produce score reports for individual students. NAEP reports can be found online at www.nationsreportcard.gov. Other materials about NAEP can be found on the NCES website (www.nces.ed.gov) and the Governing Board website (www.nagb.gov).

2. Pages 6 and 7 of Attachment C outline the required experience and expertise for the PD and staff. Are there education level requirements for the PD or task leads?

All project staff shall have qualifications and experience appropriate for the tasks they are to perform. In terms of education level requirements, ideally, the Project Director shall possess a minimum of a Master’s degree (Ph.D./Ed.D preferred) in educational measurement or a related field. Task leads should possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (Masters or Ph.D./Ed.D in education research and/or measurement or related field preferred).

3. On page 6 of Attachment C, offerors are asked to include meetings and proposed hearings in a Gantt chart. The SOW does not mention proposed hearings. Can NAGB provide more details on the proposed hearings (e.g., purpose, topics, number per year)?

Task 3(b) in the Statement of Work (page 10) mentioned support needs for other meetings. At this time, we do not anticipate any hearings related to this work. In the event that such a need arises, a work request and/or contract modification will be executed which would provide details of required services, which would then need to be budgeted separately and once approved, executed via a contract modification.

4. The USDOE forecast estimates the contract value at “>$2M and <$5M”. However, the RFP does not specify a contract value. Can NAGB clarify the contract value for this procurement?

The Department of Education forecast is a general projection of the contract costs;

offerors are requested to specify a level of effort that is commensurate with offerors’ understanding of the scope of work required for the contract, and offerors’ proposed work plan. The statement of work provides sufficient details for Tasks 1-4 to estimate costs;

assumptions shall detail the budget projections. The level of effort for Task 5 is specified (see Statement of Work, page 11, since this task anticipates work that will arise during the contract performance period).

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5. Page 7, Attachment A, states, “if a task requires the use of secure NAEP materials, the contractor must specify a plan in writing to describe how security procedures will be employed and monitored at all times for the duration of the task.” What are the encryption standards required by NAGB? Does the contractor need to store the data on a FedRamp certified cloud storage?

As stated on page 8 of Attachment A, “Research studies are not anticipated to be secondary analyses of existing NAEP data, but projects involving original data analyses which may require access to restricted use datasets.” In the event that the contractor needs to access NAEP restricted use datasets (RUD), they would need to adhere to the requirements set forth by the Institute of Education Sciences when applying for a NAEP RUD license: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/licenses.asp. The statistical standards manual, available at https://nces.ed.gov/statprog/rudman/toc.asp provides detailed specifications in data access and data handling. Additional guidance on accessing and using, and storing restricted use data can be found at https://nces.ed.gov/statprog/instruct_access_faq.asp

6. On page 11 of Attachment A, NAGB provides budget assumptions for Task 5. Does NAGB have guidance on the estimated number of hours or direct allowable costs for the remaining tasks?

See the response to Question 4 above.

7. Task 4 calls for up to 4 expert panel meetings of two days each (Attachment A, page 10). Should this be interpreted as 4 meetings per year, or 4 meetings over the potential 3 years of the contract.

This should be interpreted as 4 meetings per year.

8. Task 4 specifies 4 expert panel meetings (Attachment A, page 10). How many attendees should be expected per meeting, in addition to project staff and the expert panelists?

The other meeting attendees for expert panel meetings shall include no more than 6 people.

9. Does the Governing Board have any limits or recommendations regarding expert consultant honoraria amounts for Task 4 (Attachment A, page 10)?

Payments to experts and consultants shall be commensurate the level and difficulty of the work to be performed, the qualifications of the expert or consultant, and the pay rates of comparable individuals performing similar work in federal or non-federal sectors. The

PAGE 5 OF 5 ED-NAG-17-R-0003/001

Department of Education Appropriation Acts stipulates that the maximum daily rate for experts/consultants shall not exceed Executive Schedule Level IV. In general, the honoraria shall not exceed $1,000/day. In the rare case of very specialized technical expertise, the honoraria shall not exceed $1,500/day.

10. Attachment C indicates that the reference submissions are due a minimum of 7 business days prior to the proposal due date (page 10), but Attachment D says reference information shall be completed and submitted by the due date of the RFP (which we assume means the proposal; page 5). The past performance form (Attachment E) does not have any reference to due date. Can we have clarification about the due date and manner of delivery?

The past performance form shall be electronically submitted to the Contracting Officer, no later than 7 business days prior to the proposal due date.

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