Federal Supply Schedule GS10F0074U

Company Overview

L&E Research (L&E) is a marketing research and consulting services company based in Raleigh, NC. In business since 1984, we provide research services and consulting to support mission objectives as outlined by client need. L&E Research currently employs 40 full and part time employees, based at our offices of over 5,600 square feet.

The following awarded SIN descriptions outline L&E Research’s capabilities and qualifications to address the MOBIS requirements of Federal Government Agencies. All projects managed by L&E Research have a simplified communications channel, with one Project Manager for each project. Quality control methods are typically identified with survey processes, where the usage of information technologies and supervisor re-surveying of a percentage of sample respondents is completed to manage and verify data integrity. However, with all projects L&E Research guarantees project quality by validating its capabilities through customer testimonials and having a single Project Manager as the point of contact and total project oversight. Additional quality control information on survey processes or facilitation services and focus group recruitment can be provided upon request.

L&E Research has provided MOBIS consulting and survey services to the GSA Public Building Services agency for the past three years. We have successfully provided full service consulting and research services to a wide variety of private sector clients including Sony Ericsson – North America, Time Warner Cable and Group Schneider – Square D Corp. As required, to meet customer needs, L&E Research has augmented its internal capabilities with services from proven partnership organizations. Specifically, IT programming, design consulting and staff training, Real Estate consulting and strategic planning, Legal and financial design and consulting services have been incorporated to provide customers with complete project solutions.

SIN 874-1-Consulting Services

Consulting services offered by L&E for this SIN are in two major areas: marketing and strategic planning. Strategic planning services are typically provided at the beginning of a planning cycle, while market planning may be offered either at the beginning of the market planning process, or after an in-depth analysis has concluded that the solution to a particular problem requires initiation of specific implementation steps.

Strategic planning is the method by which management's vision and the long range goals of the organization are transformed into a plan of action. Typically, strategic planning is accomplished annually and addresses a specified time period, usually 5-10 years into the future. The plan is conceptual in nature, and usually includes only a limited number of broad, visionary goals. These goals are presented as visionary statements issued by management, and they indicate the destiny of the organization as envisioned by the management team. These statements become the "roadmap" for the organization, and are eventually translated into both tactical and resource allocation plans, plans that deal with the near future and the requirements of the current operational cycle.

Market planning is a specific sub-set of either the strategic or operational plan. This plan addresses the required steps to take the product (service) to market. In the public or government sector (also in the non-profit sector), market planning usually addresses the offering of services provided by the organization to its citizens or constituents. A most topical example of this are the services offered by the US General Services Administration (GSA), a current client of L&E, and the issues associated with the programs they offer and the need to evaluate those programs more closely to meet future needs.

One of the keys to providing effective consulting services is the understanding of the necessity to integrate market planning into the strategic planning process. Market planning, just like operational planning and financial planning, should have its basis in the strategic plan for the organization. Without effective integration, the planning process will be incomplete and fail to provide the unified guidance necessary to manage and propel the organization in the direction it should take.

Consulting services, in the forms of both strategic planning and market planning, can be of significant assistance to MOBIS by providing an outside, disinterested source, to help MOBIS users in the formulation and implementation of their organizational plans. Third party opinions have long been valued by many organizations as a form of checks and balances because these outside perspectives have no "vested interest" in the methods in which the plans were developed, rather are interested only in assisting their clients in the creation of a successful plan. In short, consulting services offer many advantages to their users. Some of these advantages are:

1. Provides "expert" opinion for a pre-determined time period without a long term commitment to the individual or organization.

2. Provides a "third party" non-biased view of the process or situation being analyzed or reviewed.

3. Provides the user with access to individuals or organizations that, by the nature of their client base, bring experience from multiple sectors that broaden the perspective of the overall planning process.

As necessary, L&E Research augments its internal capabilities with the services of other consultants that L&E has partnered with over the years to ensure a project's success. An example of this would our current GSA project, where the need for IT programming and IT design consulting was required in addition to market research needs. L&E Research contracted with a company in Wake Forest, NC known for IT consulting, training and program implementation. L&E incorporated their capabilities into our offering for GSA to successfully execute the project, identifying where this company would bring value to the project, but also guaranteeing that their services would be under total watchful management of L&E, with the project being managed and guided by the L&E Project Manager per instruction by the GSA project officer. L&E often integrates the services of other firms where applicable to provide clients, including the federal government, best of breed services, as it is not cost effective to attempt to house all expertise under one roof (nor is it advisable in order to deliver optimal solutions ... see ancient proverb of 'jack of all trades, good at none"). The CEO of L&E Research is a member of Entrepreneur's Organization (EO), a global organization with over 6,800 members worldwide with all members having businesses minimally $1 million in sales annually and average over $5 million in sales. With this successful network of successful small and medium sized businesses, L&E can quickly leverage this network to identify solutions as needed by clients, and as a result, has successfully integrated numerous consultants into projects for both government and private sector clients.

In today’s constantly changing, increasingly complex business environment, the use of expert consulting services has become a standard practice in the business world, as opposed to the exception to the rule that it was 30 years ago. The keys to success in hiring a consultant or consulting firm include; knowing exactly what it is you plan for the consultant to do prior to bringing that individual or organization on board; thoroughly planning his or her activities well in advance so that there is no doubt about expectations and requirements from the onset; knowing when to actually bring the consultant on board (timing) and knowing what it is you expect from the consultant and how you plan to use the information the consultant provides.

SIN 874-3 - Survey Services

L&E Research (L&E) provides clients a full range of survey services. The telephone survey is the most widely used communication media for primary data research; however, Internet is quickly becoming the choice for quantitative research based upon its lower costs and more rapid turnaround time. Surveys are most commonly used with a structured questionnaire to obtain quantitative information about customers, potential customers, products and services. This methodology will provide quantitative "how many" answers. Mail surveys and personal interviews are other data collection methods used for these types of research.

Conclusive quantitative research projects typically require a structured-direct approach. The standardized questions and fixed response type survey can evolve from previous qualitative research. The structured questionnaire methodology is designed to increase the reliability of the data. L&E provides full turnkey service for survey projects through understanding the client's requirements and objectives, planning survey design, conducting the survey, sampling, database administration, analysis and reporting significant results, conclusions and recommendations. Quantitative survey questions can be closed-ended or open-ended, or, typically, a combination of both. This type of questionnaire requires extensive pre-testing to ensure that questions measure what they are designed to measure.

For telephone and Internet surveys, a maximum of 15-20 minutes is recommended. Personal interviews can explore more in depth answers, lasting up to one hour. Mail surveys are most effective when limited to one or two pages that can be completed in 4-5 minutes. Depending upon the study audience, an incentive is often offered to increase cooperation rates for the study.

The key components of a quantitative research project include:

1. Target market analysis. Understanding the desired audience and the approximate size of the total population.

2. Designing and pre-testing the questionnaire and interview screener.

3. Conducting the survey. Monitoring and validating responses.

4. Preparing the project final report including:

-An executive summary with all significant results.

-A detailed listing of all responses.

-All tabulations and cross-tabulations of responses as necessary.

-The required statistical analysis.

-Conclusions and recommendations.

With the advent of software technologies, survey data is typically captured now electronically unless the audience being surveyed does not allow contact via telephone or the Internet. As a result, L&E utilizes both in-house Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technologies (Raosoft and Zoomerang) as well as custom built solutions for clients that want more real time data analysis. L&E partners with a variety of subcontractors to perform this type of work: in the case of our current project with the General Services Administration (GSA), L&E partners with a company in Wake Forest to provide the software programming, training and design consulting to ensure best of breed solutions are provided to GSA. As with all subcontractors, L&E manages the process, acting as the project manager and liaison and centralizes all billing aspects to ensure streamlined solutions are provided to the end client.

Survey services support MOBIS requirements by providing management with superior knowledge of their customers and the broader audience their organizations serve. Product and service providers will better understand the value they provide their customers by using quantitative research. This type of research is invaluable in gaining a more in-depth understanding of the customers' value points (i.e., what is necessary for the customers to do their jobs.)

Some of the specific advantages of a structured quantified research methodology include:

1. The ability to provide a valid sample of the target audience with a specific confidence level and margin of error for responses.

2. The results are valid, within the specified confidence level and margin of error, across the total population.

3. The methodology simplifies administration and eases data processing, analysis and interpretation of results.

4. The structured questionnaire format is designed to control response bias and increase the reliability of the data.

The schedule to complete a full quantitative telephone survey is normally seven to nine weeks, though the usage of Internet surveys can reduce this time period by as many as 3-4 weeks.

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3 to 7:

Week 8 &9:

Target market analysis. Design and test the survey.

Conduct survey (estimate for completing 200 valid surveys). Analysis of results and final report preparation and submission.

Similar preparation and execution time is required for 200 personal interview surveys, a task that would require four to five interviewers.

Typical Survey Services projects include:

· Customer Satisfaction measurement

· Period to period results tracking

· Trend analysis

· Product/service improvement plan measurement

General Services Administration, Authorized Federal Supply Schedule Price List, Customer Information

Contractor:

Business Size:

B Square Enterprises, Inc. DBA L&E Research

Small, Woman Owned Business

5505 Creedmoor Rd. Suite 200

Raleigh, NC 27612

Telephone:

(919) 782-3860

FAX Number:

(919) 787-3428

Web Site:

www.leresearch.com

E-mail:

bwatkins@leresearch.com

Contract Administration: Brett Watkins

Contract Number: GS-10F-0074U Federal Supply group: 874 Class: R499 NACIS: 541611 Size Standard: $6,500,000.00

Contract Period: December 13, 2007 through December 12, 2012

Minimum Order: $300.00

Maximum Order: $1,000,000.00

DUNS Number: 16-0372251

Labor Rates, Labor Categories

LABOR CATEGORY NAME

Unit:

HOURLY

SIN NUMBER

874-1,874-1 RC, 874-3, and 874-3RC

Strategic Planner (Contractor Site) Facilitator (Contractor Site)

Sr Research Analyst (Contractor Site) Statistician (Contractor Site)

Project Manager (Contractor Site) Programmer (Contractor Site) Research Analyst (Contractor Site) Tele-researcher (Contractor Site) Administrative (Contractor Site) Strategic Planner (Government Site) Facilitator (Government Site)

Sr Research Analyst (Government Site) Statistician (Government Site)

Project Manager (Government Site) Programmer (Government Site) Research Analyst (Government Site) Tele-researcher (Government Site) Administrative (Government Site) hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly hourly

$219.41 $219.41 $101.50 $118.75

$85.50 $85.50 $66.50 $33.25 $33.25

$184.30 $184.30 $85.26 $99.75 $71.82 $71.82 $55.86 $27.93 $27.93

Labor Descriptions

Commercial Job Title: Strategic Planner

Minimum/General Experience, Education: has undergraduate degree in related field and has 10 or more years of experience in evaluating client needs and advising on strategic or long range planning or has advanced degree<and 5 or more years of experience in evaluating client needs and advising on strategic or long range planning.

Functional Responsibility: Strategic Planners have considerable experience in the non-profit and/or for-profit sector, knowledgeable in strategic planning models and analysis tools, including but not limited to Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis, Balanced Scorecard (Bsq, Continuity Of Operations Planning (COOP), Organizational Planning, Succession Planning, Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) planning and implementation, other.

Commercial Job Title: Focus Group Facilitator

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Focus Group Facilitators have an undergraduate degree in related field and 7 or more years of experience providing facilitation services or has a graduate degree in related field and 3 or more years of experience providing facilitation services.

Functional Responsibility: Capabilities include needs assessment skills, corporate communications skills, design and implementation of qualitative research projects, developing key issues list in coordination with client, developing moderator's guide, moderating qualitative research projects such as focus groups and executive interviews, analysis of findings, presentation to clients.

Commercial Job Title: Senior Research Analyst

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Senior Research Analysts have undergraduate degree in related field and has 7 or more years of experience in design, implementation and analysis of market research and research planning or has an advanced degree and 3 years or more experience in design, implementation and analysis of market research and research planning.

Functional Responsibility: Position is knowledgeable in such research areas as questionnaire design, study design, research analysis, research plan design and implementation, statistical analysis, other. Senior Research Analysts are capable of full design and implementation of study and have market analysis capabilities, including advanced statistical analysis capabilities, to make valid conclusions and recommendations of the findings of the research. Senior Research Analysts also have the ability to create OMB submission paperwork for research and consulting projects, including full consulting capabilities to assist government agencies in obtaining OMB approval for their studies.

Commercial Job Title: Statistician

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Statisticians have a graduate degree in Statistics, Economics or other related field and have 3 or more years of experience in statistical mathematics.

Functional Responsibility: Capabilities include statistical model designs, sampling and weighting, research statistical analysis, study design, other.

Commercial Job Title: Project Manager

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Project Managers have an undergraduate degree in a related field and 7 or more years of experience in research and consulting projects or has an advanced degree in a related field and 3 or more years of experience in research and consulting projects, including but not limited to study analysis and design, management of contracts, conclusions and recommendations of study findings, coordination of resources and materials for the successful conclusion of projects, communication skills to work with government Project Officers and Contracting Officer (COTR).

Functional Responsibility: Interacts with government agencies once contracts are signed to manage contract, provide communications between contractor and COTR/Project Officer, initiate changes in contracts per the request or approval of government agency.

Job Title: Programmer

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Programmers have associates degree in related field and 3 years of experience or undergraduate degree and 1.5 years of experience.

Functional Responsibility: Programmer duties include design and programming of software suites, utilization of software programs to improve research processes, maintaining of programs to ensure efficacy, and currency. Programming languages may include but are not limited to Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic, C++, Delphi, Java, statistical programs (Raosoft, SAS, SPSS), other.

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Administrative personnel have an undergraduate degree in a related field, 3 or more years of experience and an associates degree or 5 or more years of experience in such duties as word processing, editing of paperwork approved by others, submission of invoices, handling of mailing materials, other.

Functional Responsibility: Assists other personnel in completing word processing tasks, day-to-day project functions or other duties as assigned by senior staff.

Commercial Job Title: Research Analyst

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Defined as an analyst with an undergraduate degree in a related field and less than 7 years of experience in design, implementation and analysis of market research and research planning or has an advanced degree and less than 3 years of experience in design, implementation and analysis of market research and research planning.

Functional Responsibility: Research Analysts have identical skill sets to those of Senior Research Analysts but have less experience or accreditations and are not entrusted by L&E Research to develop and implement research plans without the supervision of Senior Research Analysts.

Commercial Job Title: Tele-Researcher

Minimum/General Experience, Education: Tele-Researchers have six months or more experience in telephone research or have associates or higher degree in related field (marketing, communications, other).

Functional Responsibility: Capabilities include conducting telephone research via paper and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technologies, maintaining database records for proper coding of research data, recruiting of focus group projects via paper and CATI technologies, other.

Commercial Job Title: Administrative Specialist Minimum/General Experience, Education: Administrative specialists have 1 year or more experience in office administration, bookkeeping or other administrative tasks. Educational requirements are a high school diploma or higher education.

Functional responsibility: paperwork filing, collect/collate and track invoices, time-sheets, etc. Provide support services to other positions as needed.

Ordering Information/Terms and Conditions

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