DRAFT - PWS - NHES 729.docx

Version Date: 04/4/24 Requirement: 2026 National Household Education Survey (NHES) and 2026 National Training and Education Workforce Survey (NTEWS) datafiles and documentation Task Order Type: Firm Fixed Price

DRAFT - Performance Work Statement

I. Background & Purpose The purpose of this task is to support the National Household Education (NHES) Surveys program conducted by the Cross-sectional Surveys Branch (CSB) within the Sample Surveys Division of the (NCES) as well as coordination with related surveys. The task also supports CSB’s collaboration with the National Science Foundation and the Census Bureau to conduct the National Training and Education Workforce Survey (NTEWS) which is based on the NHES.

This Performance work statement (PWS) is to provide final datafiles and documentation for the 2026 NHES and support for the final files and documentation of the 2026 NTEWS collection. The planning for both collections are just beginning and the tasks in the PWS are needed to complete the work and successfully carry out both collections.

II. Legislative Authority The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA – 20 U.S. Code § 9543), and the yearly appropriations Congress makes supporting ESRA provides funding to National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) to collect, report, analyze, and disseminate statistical data related to education in the United States, including data on the condition and progress of education, at the preschool, elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and adult levels throughout the country.

III. Period of Performance The period of performance for this task order is one base period from September 15, 2024 through September 16, 2028.

IV. Monthly Reports Along with the invoice, the contractor shall submit monthly reports on or before the 10th of each month. The monthly reports are to be submitted via electronic transmission. The monthly report shall be submitted to the COR and the appointed Task Leader, with a carbon copy (cc:) to the Contract Specialist.

The report shall include the following:

a) The progress on each task and activity relative to the schedule and a discussion of discrepancies;

b) Accomplishments associated with each task and activity for the month;

c) Problems that have been resolved or are in need of resolution;

d) A discussion of the work to be performed during the next monthly reporting period;

e) Brief description of the work performed by each subcontractor during the month;

f) Funding expended by major category, including staff, travel, consultant, subcontractors, and other costs, including obligated costs of subcontractors; and

g) Expected future technical and budgetary problems and proposed solutions to these.

h) Each monthly report will include a section titled, “Security Clearance” that identifies the following: (a) each staff person or subcontractor who has been added to the contract during the month who will require a Security Clearance; (b) the level of Clearance required and the date the Security application was submitted to NCES; (c) the name of each staff person or contractor who left the contract during the month and the date of separation. If the person held a Security Clearance, identify the level of Clearance and position they held while employed under the contract. If there are any outstanding Clearance issues for which the contractor is awaiting a response from the government, identify those. If there are no Security Clearance submissions or related changes during the month, clearly state this.

i) Where small business subcontractors are used the amount of costs incurred shall be indicated in the report

V. Place of Performance The contractor shall perform the majority of the work identified at contractor provided off-site facilities. Some work may require staff to obtain Special Sworn Status from the U.S. Census Bureau and perform work on site at the Census Bureau’s facilities in Suitland, Maryland. Other tasks and meetings may take place at the Department of Education (Department).

VI. Scope of Work Tasks are organized by survey. Task 1 covers the National Household Education Survey and Task 2 covers the National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey. Task 3 covers additional support for both the NHES and NTEWS as well as for work associated with an annual CPS supplement sponsored by NCES.

Task 1 - National Household Education Survey Program Subtask 1.1 Kickoff meeting Within 10 business days following award, the contractor shall hold a 2-hour virtual kickoff meeting with the NCES NHES Study Director. At least one representative of each subcontracting company who will work on NHES tasks should be included in the kickoff meeting.

The contractor shall provide an agenda for the Kickoff meeting within 3 days prior to the meeting. The agenda shall include a section to discuss each task briefly with any key questions from the contractor to the government identified by task number. Meeting minutes from the Kickoff meeting shall be provided within 10 business days following the meeting. The meeting minutes will include a section with outstanding questions that surfaced during the meeting. The meeting minutes will also include a section for action items, with each action item assigned to a person with a deadline.

Subtask 1.2 Bi-weekly progress meetings, detailed NHES schedule, and staff security compliance Because of the volume, disparate nature, and complexity of the NHES work, the contractor will meet with NCES project staff every other week by phone or videoconference. The contractor shall use these meetings to share information about the progress of ongoing work. The meetings will also be used to inform the contractor about upcoming work NCES anticipates regarding the NHES tasks detailed below. The contractor shall provide an agenda for each meeting one day prior to the meeting and a written summary within one week after each meeting. The meeting minutes will include a section with outstanding questions that surfaced during the meeting. The meeting minutes will also include a section for action items, with each action item assigned to a person with a deadline. Bi-weekly meetings in this task will begin September 16, 2024. For cost assumptions, the contractor shall assume 72 one-hour progress meetings and assume 1.5 hours per meeting for schedule updates, agenda and note preparation for the Task Leader and a research assistant.

The contractor shall develop a detailed schedule showing start and end dates and major milestones for all deliverables for all work within this task, for NCES review, by September 16, 2024. In the schedule, the contractor shall allow at least 10 business days for NCES review of deliverables unless otherwise negotiated with NCES during the development of the detailed schedule. The contractor shall maintain and share the schedule with NCES throughout the period of performance.

Security requirements for all staff working on NHES are critical to the success of the project. The contractor shall use the IES Public Trust Application Manager (IPAM), email, and monthly progress reports to keep the government informed about the individuals working on NHES within a given month throughout the contract period. The contractor shall provide the requisite security materials related to staff. The contractor shall include a section in the Monthly Report titled “Security Clearances,” which will detail updated information on staff who have submitted application for and or obtained the Clearance during the month.

Subtask 1.3 Participation in bi-weekly meetings with the NHES data collector Throughout the period of performance following September 16, 2024, the contractor shall attend bi-weekly telephone or videoconference meetings with NCES and the data collection contractor. The meetings will be organized and facilitated by the data collection contractor. The contractor shall provide input during the meetings as needed. The contractor shall also implement follow-up tasks from meetings as needed. Follow-up tasks include tasks such as sharing files, researching a methodological issue for about 1 hour, providing expert opinion, and adjusting project schedules. The contractor shall participate in 72 meetings with the NHES data collector plus assist with about 35 hours of follow-up during the period of performance.

Subtask 1.4 As-needed meetings There will be need for planning meetings or consultation with key NHES stakeholders in addition to bi-weekly progress meetings during the period of performance. In this task, the contractor assumes participation in six additional two- hour telephone or videoconference meetings during each of calendar years 2025 and 2026 and one additional two-hour phone or videoconference meeting in each of calendar years 2024 and 2027. The meetings will require expertise related to technical deliverables for the planning, monitoring, or post-processing of NHES:2026 data. The contractor shall prepare meeting materials and a short written summary. Additionally, the contractor shall assume 15 additional 1-hour telephone meetings with the contractor lead during the period of performance. The 1-hour meetings with the contractor lead will not require an agenda or meeting minutes.

Subtask 1.5 (OPTIONAL) Additional as-needed two-hour meetings There may be need for additional planning meetings or consultation with key NHES stakeholders during the period of performance. In this task, the contractor assumes participation in additional two-hour telephone or videoconference for up to 15 meetings. Unit pricing for years 1, 2, and 3 is to be provided to allow the Department to select one or all of these meetings to be exercised. The meetings will require expertise related to technical deliverables for the planning, monitoring, or post-processing of NHES:2026 data. The contractor shall prepare meeting materials and a short, written summary. For cost assumptions, the contractor shall assume that one meeting will occur between September 16, 2024 and September 15, 2025, that seven meetings will occur between September 16, 2025 and September 15, 2026, and that seven meetings will occur between September 16, 2026 and September 15, 2027.

Subtask 1.5 (OPTIONAL) Additional as-needed one-hour meetings There may be need for additional planning meetings or consultation with key NHES stakeholders during the period of performance. In this task, the contractor assumes additional 1-hour telephone or videoconference meetings with the contractor lead during the period of performance for up to 15 meetings. The 1-hour meetings with the contractor lead will not require an agenda or meeting minutes. Please provide unit pricing for each meeting.

Subtask 1.6 (OPTIONAL) As-needed questionnaire and methodological analyses In this task, the contractor shall perform as-needed analyses of NHES data to better understand how questions are working and where there may be survey questions in need of improvement from the screener, Early Childhood Program Participation (ECPP), or Parental Family Involvement (PFI) surveys. For example, the contractor may be asked to run a table showing how unedited responses to a question about the cost of virtual courses relate to the unedited responses to a question about the number of virtual courses taken by the student.

As needed, the contractor shall also perform methodological analyses of previous NHES collections to compare to projections for NHES:2026 or results from NHES:2026. For example, the contractor may be asked to run a table showing the response rate to the 2023 PFI among web responders who received a $20 early bird contingent incentive and those who did not to project response rates for NHES:2026.

The product of each analysis will be analytical tables and a short memo with bulleted statements that interpret the key findings from the analysis with implications for the questionnaire design or methodological design of NHES. Please provide unit pricing for up to 100 analyses.

Subtask 1.7 NHES methodological research and development Methodological work is central and ongoing for the NHES program. The government anticipates the need for methodological work to continue to understand results from prior NHES collections and model outcomes of the NHES:2026 collection. In January 2025 and 2026, the contractor shall meet by telephone or videoconference with the government to discuss the goals for methodological research and development for the ensuing 12-14 months and provide meeting minutes to the government. To prepare for the meeting, the contractor shall provide an agenda to the government at least 3 days prior to the meeting that outlines the major issues to discuss related to methodological research for the ensuing 12-month period.

Examples of the kind of work that may be requested include: additional work to model response rates for population subgroups may be needed; additional analysis of data from NHES experiments may be needed; qualitative work to understand how best to target materials to subgroups may be needed; additional research on modeling households with children may be needed; and cognitive testing of questionnaire content requiring an OMB package may also be needed. A detailed example of a research project that could be asked for under this task follows to provide an example for pricing.

The contractor could be asked to complete a qualitative interview project related to contact materials or survey instruments and respondent reactions. The project would require 30 English interviews and 20 Spanish interviews. Each qualitative interview would be 60 minutes in duration. This qualitative interview projects would require highly specialized recruitment of rare populations. The contractor will clarify goals and the plan of the project by completing Volume 1 of the OMB package for NCES review. The contractor shall assume one round of review of Volume 1.

Upon approval of Volume 1, the contractor shall complete the full OMB package under NCES’ generic clearance program. The package would information about plans to compensate participants. Generally, OMB approves $40 per hour of interview time. The type of incentive could include cash, Visa gift card, or a retailer gift card.

Between interview rounds, the contractor shall debrief NCES on findings and collaborate on changes to test in the final round of interviews. It is expected that interviewers will be involved in suggesting problem areas and solutions.

A final report would be provided to the government at the conclusion of testing, following the guidelines for reporting results detailed by OMB:

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/directive2/final_addendum_to_stat_policy_dir_2.pdf.

The contractor should anticipate three rounds of revision on each of the final reports in order to incorporate input from the government.

Subtask 1.8 Continuous update of paper questionnaires, web specifications, flowchart, and item database for NHES Continuously throughout the period of performance, as the contractor and the government agree to changes to the content of NHES instruments, the contractor shall manage the update of NHES content in the English and Spanish screener, ECPP, and PFI paper instruments. The contractor shall also update web specifications for web instruments. In complement to the web specifications, the contractor shall also update three flowcharts (for the screener, ECPP, and PFI) that show variable interdependencies. The flowcharts will present each variable name and its routing to the next variable or variables in sequencing, with branching for multiple possible paths through the instrument. These flowcharts are used by the data collector’s web programmers to ensure that the navigation through the instrument reflects requirements.

By December 1, 2025 and December 1, 2027, respectively, the contractor shall deliver the most up-to-date versions of paper instruments, web specifications, and flowcharts. The up-to-date versions will reflect results of NHES cognitive testing or usability testing projects or changes made by project staff. The contractor shall also provide Spanish translations to new and revised English-language question items throughout the period of performance. In this task, the contractor shall also respond to any review comments from the data collector (through NCES) on paper questionnaires, web specifications and flowcharts. These comments may come from questionnaire designers, data collection operations managers, and from web instrument programmers, or others.

In addition to updates to instruments, the contractor shall maintain a database that documents questionnaire design research and development findings, decisions, and resulting item wording. Once in 2024, once in 2025, and in August 2027, the contractor shall deliver the latest version of the database along with notes about which aspects of the NHES project during the preceding months since the prior update were captured in the database. All results from usability testing reports, cognitive testing reports, questionnaire analyses, analyses of editing and imputation rates, and other content development projects shall be documented at the question-item-level in the database. The contractor shall also provide the history of question-item-level data from the database to the government as needed to help inform decision-making about potential instrument changes.

Subtask 1.9 OMB package for NHES:2026 collection The contractor shall write and assemble a full OMB package for NHES:2026 and respond to comments from government reviewers. The contractor shall begin this task by meeting with the NCES OMB liaison and NHES Study Director by phone or videoconference to discuss the contents of the NHES:2023 OMB package as a reference point for the requirements for the NHES:2026 package. The meeting will clarify whether there are contents of the NHES:2023 package that are not needed for 2023, whether there are requirements for the NHES:2026 package that were not required for 2023, whether the PRA statement and related OMB language has changed since 2023, and whether anything about the NHES:2026 collection will require that NCES meet with OMB and if so, what will be required for the meeting.

The contractor and NCES Study Director shall submit the OMB package to NCES’s OMB liaison by January 19, 2025 to allow two full weeks for review and revision. The contractor shall assume two rounds of review of the OMB package by the Study Director prior to this. The review will provide additional input that the contractor shall incorporate into the OMB package prior to submission. Following submission, the contractor shall plan to be available in the event that a new requirement for the OMB package surfaces during review. For example, a new set of item justifications or sample size justifications may be required. Please note that in addition to requirements for the NHES:2026 collection, it is expected that this OMB package will include details about an interview debriefing project that will be conducted concurrently with NHES:2026.

The contractor shall also obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) clearance for this collection from its own IRB.

Subtask 1.10 NHES:2026 debriefing project (Optional) The contractor shall plan and implement an interview debriefing project to run concurrently with NHES:2026. The purpose of the debriefing project is to understand why respondents answered the NHES questions the way that they did. The debriefing project could focus on any of the following questions: assessing answers on items about learning at home (homeschooling and virtual education) or assessing answers on newly created items about sexual orientation and gender identity.

The contractor shall begin by developing a draft design plan for the debriefing project, being sure to plan for sufficient interviews in any relevant subgroups and also accounting for interviews that would need to be conducted in Spanish. The contractor shall assume three reviews and revisions of the design plan. The contractor shall then provide contact materials and interview protocols for NCES approval. The contractor shall assume 2 rounds of review for the contact materials and interview protocols. The reviews of the design plan, contact materials, and interview protocol will suggest additional input that the contractor shall incorporate into the materials. The contractor will translate materials and include them in the OMB package for NHES:2026.

During the NHES:2026 field period (January-August 2026), the contractor shall use preliminary data to identify cases to contact for interviews. The contractor shall offer each participant $40 for completion of the debriefing interview. Trained interviewers will conduct all interviews, and the government may elect to join the interviewer training to observe and provide background on the project. The contractor shall provide summary notes and preliminary analysis for each interview within 7 business days following completion of the interview. The contractor shall be prepared to meet with the government five times during the debriefing collection period to discuss preliminary results and potential changes to the interview protocols. Following completion of data collection, the contractor shall write a report summarizing the project purpose, methods, and results. The contractor shall assume 3 full reviews of the debriefing project report, in which reviews provide the opportunity for the government to provide input that the contractor shall incorporate into the document.

Subtask 1.11 Specify, purchase, and QC sample from vendor for NHES The contractor shall specify requirements for the sample of specified size from the address-based sample vendor (historically this has been Marketing Systems Group – MSG), using details in the sampling plan developed in subtask 1.12. The contractor shall provide the vendor detailed specifications for selecting the address sample from designated address types within specified design strata using clearly defined systematic sampling procedures. Detailed requirements for appending maximum possible information from auxiliary sampling frame variables (including matched phone numbers and household demographics) will be included in the specification. Sample selection specifications will be revised, based on one round of NCES review. The contractor must follow the NHES:2026 sampling plan developed task 1.12 in preparation of the file specifications for the sample vendor.

The contractor shall then purchase the sample file from the vendor. The sample file is the file containing the list of addresses that will comprise the sample for NHES:2026.

Once the sample is purchased, the contractor shall evaluate the selected sample for completeness and representativeness of the frame using quality control procedures. The contractor shall pre-specify the quality control procedures prior to implementation of quality control. The contractor shall work with the sample file vendor to fix any problems with the sample file. The contractor shall provide one quality review memo to the government that summarizes the results of the evaluation of the sample file and its fitness for use.

Subtask 1.12 Prepare sample file for data collector The contractor shall prepare a final, cleaned and verified NHES:2026 sample data file for the data collection contractor that includes the final selected address-based sample and sampling frame variables along with case-level flags indicating any experimental treatments to which the case is allocated, screener contact procedure treatment for each mailing (e.g., English-only or bilingual materials for each stage of collection), and within-household subsampling topical questionnaire allocation. The contractor must follow the NHES:2026 sampling plan as developed in task 1.12 in preparation of the file. The contractor shall answer questions about the file based on the data collector’s review. The contractor shall also perform a quality check of the specifications programmed by the data collector that will be used to operationalize the screener and topical sampling rates during production.

Subtask 1.13 (OPTIONAL) Purchase auxiliary data file for use with NHES sample file The government may wish for the contractor to utilize an auxiliary data file to help model expected response outcomes or other characteristics of sampled addresses and even identify addresses for inclusion in the sample. If optioned, the contractor shall purchase an auxiliary data file within 30 days or less of the data collector’s purchase of the main vendor sample file. The contractor shall work with the vendor to specify the file, receive, and check the file for quality and completeness, and then utilize the file following the sampling plan developed for NHES. If this option is exercised, the contractor shall include information about the quality of the auxiliary sample data file in the sample file quality review memo provided in an earlier task.

For planning and cost assumptions, the contractor shall assume that an auxiliary MSG data file containing 25 new variables will be purchased that corresponds to a sample of about 225,000 addresses.

Subtask 1.14 Write household and topical sampling plan for next NHES administration In this task, the contractor shall provide sample size requirements for the next NHES administration. The contractor shall assume two rounds of review and revisions to the proposed sample size recommendations.

The next NHES collection, like NHES:2023, will be a three-stage multi-mode survey first identifying houses likely to have children, then using a screener instrument to identify eligible households in the second stage and topical instruments administered to eligible households in the third stage. It will include creating samples for two topical surveys: the Parent and Family Involvement Survey (PFI) and the Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECPP). The contractor shall prepare a sample plan for NHES, taking into account survey eligibility rates within U.S. households, cost, experimental treatment allocation, and efforts to minimize the variance of key estimates.

Development of the sampling plan will include a review of precision requirements for the ECPP and PFI surveys, with requirements for PFI content about enrolled students reviewed separately from requirements for PFI content about homeschooled students. The contractor shall design the initial sample size and within-household sampling design to yield sufficient sample sizes for all NHES surveys, while controlling costs and minimizing variance. Design work will include considerations of multiple questionnaire mailings to single households as well as within-household sampling algorithms that maximize the ECPP and PFI-homeschool samples. The contractor shall write and revise, based on two rounds of NCES review, a detailed sampling plan that includes:

· estimates of expected sample yield by questionnaire-type

· household-level subsampling specifications from the vendor sample

· specifications for conducting within-household sampling from completed household screeners

· specifications for assignment to experimental treatment conditions

· specifications for contact procedures for English-speakers vs. Spanish speakers

Subtask 1.15 Review Contact Materials and Instruments for NHES:2026 To prepare for NHES:2026, the data collector will create formatted and final versions of contact materials. These materials will require thorough review before approval and use in data collection. Such materials include:

· Advance letters

· Letters

· Postcards

· Pressure-sealed mailers

· Envelopes

The volume of materials is expected to be similar to the 2023 materials, which can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2022-SCC-0015-0003 .

To begin this task, the contractor shall review the results of the data collector’s review of Spanish language materials prior to submission of materials for the OMB package. The contractor shall ensure that all changes to contact materials are consistent with other translations utilized by the NHES program and any tested language. The contractor shall also confirm that suggested revisions are correct and free of errors. These reviews will apply to two drafts of all Spanish-language materials and will occur between November 2024 and the end of January 2025.

In this task, the contractor shall then expect to perform 6 separate reviews of all English and Spanish contact materials for NHES:2026 and provide comments to NCES and the data collector at each review. The materials will likely be received in batches for review (e.g., all English screener letters in one batch). The contractor will be responsible for tracking which materials have been reviewed and which have not been reviewed. Materials shall adhere to wording that is approved by OMB.

The contractor shall conduct testing of draft web instruments in both English and Spanish to ensure that they are ready for use for the NHES:2026 collection. To prepare for testing, the contractor shall develop testing protocols to ensure that all items and functionality within the instruments are adequately tested, including sampling algorithms. Following each round of testing, the contractor shall prepare a comment memo for the data collection contractor. Testing will include the screener, ECPP, and PFI instruments. The contractor shall provide careful attention to:

· Sampling

· Item wording and grammar

· Visual layout

· Functionality

· Proper skip pattern navigation

· Autofills

· Accuracy of ECPP split panel content and sampling

Following each of the reviews of the instrument, the contractor shall check to make sure that comments were addressed thoroughly and completely. The contractor shall also assume that there will be five 10-day review periods for web instruments throughout 2025. Instruments shall adhere to details that are approved by OMB, and the contractor’s review must verify this adherence. The contractor shall also review the school input file that is used to generate a list of plausible schools for each sampled PFI child in a review period separate from the instrument review periods.

The contractor shall also review results of output testing. The contractor shall create dummy data from the instrument by entering data that covers major paths through the survey. The data collection contractor will then provide an output data file and the contractor shall check the data file to make sure the input matches the output. The contractor shall provide 3 reviews of output data.

In this task, the contractor shall review paper versions of the English and Spanish NHES:2026 screener, ECPP, and PFI instruments. Please note that there will be two different English ECPP instruments and two different Spanish ECPP instruments because of a split panel experiment to be conducted in the 2026 administration. The contractor shall review the instruments to ensure that they are ready for collection. The contractor shall pay special attention to:

· Visual appearance and proper layout

· Grammatical errors and adherence to question wording as intended

· Appropriate confidentiality language, per OMB approved versions of the instruments

· Skip pattern instructions

· Page numbers and item numbers

Though the number of reviews required for each instrument tends to vary, the contractor shall assume for planning and cost purposes that each individual English and Spanish instrument (4 screeners, 4 ECPPs, and 2 PFIs) will need to be reviewed four times total during 2023. Instruments shall adhere to details that are approved by OMB.

The contractor shall also ensure consistency across all modes of collection.

Subtask 1.16 Review specifications, training materials, and consult on preparation for data collection The data collector for NHES:2026 generates specifications and/or documents for many of the tasks needed to prepare for collection, such as mailout specifications, label file specifications, status report specifications, case status code documentation, data output file layouts, operations overview documents, paradata plans, mailout schedules, and project schedules. In this task, the contractor shall provide reviews of such materials as needed and provide consultation on decisions necessary for planning the NHES:2026 collection. Materials for review in this task may include but not be limited to:

· ATAC and Status codes

· Automated telephone contact procedures

· Data Capture

· Disposition Codes

· Form Types

· Record Layouts

· Keying Specs

· Label File Specs

· Mailout Specs

· Master File Specs

· NPC procedures

· Operations Overview

· Topical Mailout Procedures

· Topical Sample

· Topical Universal File

To begin this task, the contractor shall have a 1.5-hour virtual meeting with the data collection contractor to discuss the gamut of specifications that are created and who best to review the material, along with when the material is expected to be produced. It is anticipated that this meeting will help delineate and refine review tasks and timelines. The contractor shall raise any concerns about workload or required expertise directly after the meeting.

NHES:2026 will require review of a Package Assembly Document (PAD), wherein the data collection contractor will create visual specifications for each package. Though the first draft of the PAD may not include it, the contractor shall ensure that screenshots of the materials (preliminary and updated) are added to the PAD and that the document correctly specifies the order and orientation (cover up, not down) of each survey artifact. The contractor’s recommendations shall be supported by evidence of best practices. The government anticipates that the contractor may need to revise large portions of this document and shall plan accordingly. The contractor shall also plan for two major revisions and two additional compliance reviews of the PAD.

In addition to specifications, the contractor shall begin reviewing materials that will be used to train the staff for the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA) operation in fall 2025. Training materials for TQA staff will also require significant planning, review, and revision. It is anticipated that TQA staff will be given a guide to the NHES, in-training practice exercises, and PowerPoint slides for a presentation. The contractor shall meet with the NHES data collector and NCES to plan changes to the format and materials for the TQA training for NHES:2026. Additionally, the contractor shall plan to attend the January 2026 trainings of TQA interviewers through remote videoconferencing technology. At the conclusion of the training, the contractor shall provide a memo to NCES detailing successes of the training, areas of improvement for the next NHES collection, and any recommendations for TQA trainings for the future.

For planning and cost assumptions, the contractor shall assume 14 unique sets of specifications with two reviews per specification, significant rewrite of the PAD, development and review of 3 drafts of training materials (slides, an NHES guide, and in-training practice exercises), and 16 hours of training (2 8-hours trainings).

Subtask 1.17 Prepare NHES:2026 status reports and dashboard reports The contractor shall plan to work with the data collection contractor in providing status reports and a dashboard for the NHES:2026 collection. Status reports are run using the most up-to-date data from the data collection contractor’s case disposition codes. They are run weekly during the data collection period and provide the government with information about the status of response rates and case finalization rates. The dashboard should be based upon the one created under subtask 1.22 of ESSIN Task Order with updates made to accommodate data collection plans for NHES:2026, and should be programmed from the data collection contractor weekly status reports. Dashboard reports shall use the tables from the weekly status reports to provide a quick executive-level glance at screener and topical response rates and important trends in the progress of the collection.

The contractor shall consider what the dashboard functionality and reports for the NHES:2026 collection should look like. In past collections, these reports interpret data from the weekly status reports to provide a snapshot of the successes and areas for improvement in the current collection. They provide a quick glance of how NHES returns compare to prior NHES administrations, as well as the rate of returns by week. The dashboard reports are typically 1-2 pages total and will include figures. The contractor may decide to provide an interactive dashboard tool or website in addition to a static report for each week of NHES:2026.

The contractor shall also analyze and summarize data provided by the Census Bureau’s Center for Optimization and Data Science (CODS) (formerly the Center for Adaptive Design). These reports include:

· Data from outgoing and incoming mail bar codes

· Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) notification data

· R indicators

· Internet activity and usage data

The contractor shall propose the best review method for CODS reports. The contractor shall consider whether information from CODS reports can and should be incorporated into an interactive dashboard. Dashboard reports are also the tool by which the government and the contractor, in collaboration with the data collection contractor, make decisions about changes to data collection protocols and plans. They compare response rates to expectations and look at subgroup response rates. They also provide a systematic mechanism for the contractor to ask questions about the status report data and to make recommendations to the government about the collection. The contractor shall provide the government with a draft of the proposed dashboard report.

The government will review two full drafts of status reports and dashboards before approval. The contractor shall respond to comments from these report reviews. The comments will suggest additional input that will be incorporated into the status reports and dashboards.

Subtask 1.18 Monitor and consult on NHES data collection through reports and review of received mailings The contractor shall review status reports and reports from CODS on a weekly basis throughout the NHES collection period, from January 2026 to the first week of September 2026. The contractor shall provide dashboard reports and/or dashboard functionality following the requirements and design developed and approved in a previous task. During the first three months of NHES:2026 data collection, these reports will come on a weekly basis. During the subsequent months, the contractor shall provide dashboard reports or functionality every two weeks. The contractor shall provide one final dashboard report that summarizes the end-of-collection results.

Additionally, the contractor’s review of each week’s status report, provided by the data collector, and each report from CODS, will result in an email to NCES noting a few key takeaways from the reports and any review comments or questions about the content of the reports.

Reviews will focus on the relationship between the week’s sample performance, previous reports, the overall sampling targets of the study, performance of the experiments, or paradata, and will be performed by contractor staff working on NHES tasks related to sampling and methodological research tasks.

Review may include:

(1) Bulleted conclusions about the performance of the sample and the experiments. How are response rates tracking compared to what we should expect? What do preliminary results of the major experiments suggest?

(2) Identification of potential data collection issues and recommendations for changes to protocols to address the issues or future research to understand the causes.

(3) If any, recommendations for further analysis that are suggested by the weekly reports that could illuminate our understanding of sample performance, performance of contact procedures, response propensity, experiment performance, or future design decisions. Include a justification for each recommendation (i.e. what data from the status reports suggest that additional analyses will be useful? What will the additional analyses reveal?)

This task is expected to be consultative, with contractor staff engaging in regular discussions with NCES staff regarding collection issues and possible course corrections, with the status report reviews and dashboards as a tool to facilitate those discussions.

In addition to production of dashboard reports and analysis of data collection information from the data collector to NCES, the contractor shall also consult on schedules and decisions relevant to the NHES collection throughout the period of performance on an ongoing basis as they arise from data collection operations. These decision points may occur in advance of or during data collection. Such decisions may include, but are not limited to, changes in mail-out specifications, changes to the mail-out schedule, changes to data collector protocols, or changes to data capture.

Also in this task, the contractor shall monitor the data collection mailings through participation of staff in a seeded sample. The contractor shall add 8 staff members and 4 government staff to the sample file prepared for the data collection contractor. Seeded sample members (contractor and government staff) will receive mailings, and assignment of seeded sample members to experimental groups should maximize the coverage of receipt of each mailing protocol variant. This will help ensure that each experimental protocol is correctly implemented by the data collector. The contractor shall document all mailings and report to NCES with any potential issues that may arise from the mailings received within 3 business days of receipt to private homes. The contractor shall keep a master document logging when materials are received, review notes, and impressions of each material. Review comments shall focus on the degree to which the materials conform to expectations from NHES planning. Impressionistic notes may be editorial opinions on the appearance or content of the materials received at home that provide fresh insights about positive aspects of the mailings and possible areas for improvement.

Subtask 1.19 Write weighting and variance estimation plan for NHES:2026 The contractor shall update the plan for constructing final household-level and person-level weights for the ECPP and PFI surveys for NHES:2026. The plan will provide detail about how to weight the respective survey samples to appropriate population totals. Household-level weights will include base weights and nonresponse-adjusted household-level final weights. Person-level weights will include base weights accounting for the probability of selection for the domain and individual within the household, including an adjustment for joint custody arrangements. A new section that addresses changes in procedures for stacking files before weighting or for changing weighting procedures relative to NHES:2023 weighting procedures will be required. Final analytic weights will include adjustments for unit level nonresponse and raking adjustments for under coverage. The contractor shall assume two rounds of review from the government in which additional input is provided that shall be incorporated into the plan.

Subtask 1.20 Data edit and imputation specifications for NHES:2026; write editing and imputation plan The contractor shall write a plan for NHES:2026 editing and imputation that includes a draft of edit and imputation specifications in the form of annotated statistical code. The effectiveness of all statistical code will be verified during implementation in 2023 and 2024. Please note that the government expects each line of code to be annotated in the NHES:2026 plan so that it is easy for reviewers to follow the logic and also easy for the code to be tested against actual data from the 2023 collection once available.

To produce accurate and internally consistent data sets for the NHES:2026 ECPP and PFI surveys, the contractor shall use the NHES:2023 data and updated NHES:2026 questionnaires (which contain some new and revised content) and develop code and documentation that address potential response issues (inconsistencies and blanks) and invalid data ranges. The documentation and code should be organized around types of data editing procedures and types of imputation procedures planned for the 2023 data files.

For imputation, the contractor shall plan to use sequential unweighted hot deck imputation for most variables. The contractor shall use prior NHES data collections to identify the best set of donor variables and order of variables for hot deck imputation (boundary variables). Specifications will outline the step-by-step process proposed for imputation. Special imputation procedures that utilize geolocated data for the PFI item asking for the child’s school have been researched by under prior contracts, and the contractor shall consider the results of that research in preparation of imputation specifications for the PFI variable called RSCHOOL.

The contractor shall assume three rounds of review of the editing and imputation plan, wherein additional input is provided by the government which shall be incorporated into the plan.

Subtask 1.21 Disclosure analysis plan and implementation for ECPP and PFI survey data The contractor shall develop a plan to use data swapping to obfuscate any information about respondents that could allow a data user to identify individuals in the NHES:2026 data sets planned for public release. The contractor shall write a plan for NHES:2026 data that will include strategies to protect individuals’ data in both full-scale surveys fielded for 2026. The contractor shall assume one round of review from the study director and one round of review from the NCES Disclosure Review Board (DRB).

After finalization and approval of the plan by the NCES DRB, the contractor shall write the programs necessary to implement the plan. The contractor shall test the programs on a preliminary file delivered by the data collector. The contractor shall review the test output and make any adjustments necessary to ensure that the programs run and assure compliance with DRB requirements. The contractor shall assume that the final implementation of the plan and submission of results to the DRB will take place after data editing.

Subtask 1.22 Response rate calculation plan for NHES:2026 The contractor shall develop and revise, based on one NCES review, a plan and set of specifications, including table shells, for calculating unit and item response rates from the ECPP, and PFI survey in NHES:2026. The plan will include specifications for defining completion status (e.g., ISR codes) as well as specifications for determining how to calculate ineligibility rates. The contractor shall assume 2 rounds of review, for which additional input shall be provided from the government for incorporation into the plan.

Subtask 1.23 Review NHES preliminary and final data files The contractor shall review iterative drafts of the NHES data files as they are delivered by the data collector. The government expects the following data files and delivery schedule:

Two deliveries of the screener data, for which the contractor shall confirm eligibility programming to be able to ensure that sample members are getting routed to the right topical.

Three deliveries of the topical data, which the contractor shall review to ensure all variables are being coded and output properly.

One delivery of the full, complete screener and topical data files in September, 2026 and up to 3 additional sets of revised files addressing the contractor’s review comments.

The contractor shall assume two reviews each of the 2/13/26, 5/11/26, and 7/6/26 preliminary files. The reviews of the preliminary files will focus on major issues such as variable output, topical sampling, missing data, and range violations for categorical items.

The contractor shall check the screener and topical data files for completeness and expected counts of caseids on the data file. The contractor shall create a brief memo with questions and comments for the data collector about the first full data file delivery. Successive reviews of the data files will occur each time a revised file is delivered by the data collector to address comments. Each review should describe the completeness and accuracy of the data file, including but not limited to the variable names, the number of variables on the file, the values for each variable, and the variable labels.

The contractor shall also perform the topical sampling checks on data files that are specified in the sampling plan. These include eligibility determination, topical survey assignment, domain eligibility distribution, and selection of a random single eligible household member.

The contractor shall assume four reviews of the complete files by February 2027. Reviews of the complete files will include evaluations of skip pattern errors for web and paper respondents and comparisons of base-weighted percentage distributions to those of the prior NHES administration.

Subtask 1.24 Implement data coding and edit specifications on NHES files, provide annotated code, and develop memo about edit-informed questionnaire recommendations The contractor shall edit NHES screener, ECPP, and PFI data files, following the plans developed and approved.