Safety IDIQ RFI Amendment 1 8.26.24 FINAL.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE MARKET RESEARCH

for

Technical Expertise and Support Services for FHWA Office of Safety

1. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION

ISSUE DATE: 8/22/2024

DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: 9/12/2024, 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and Kristen.Hayes@dot.gov

See below Section 5 entitled “REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS

SOURCES SOUGHT” for submittal content instructions.

2. INTRODUCTION

This is a Sources Sought (SS) notice (also known as a Request for Information (RFI)). This is

NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract or cooperative agreement to establish and implement the FHWA Office of

Safety. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information for planning purposes regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources to perform the work.

Pursuant to 48 C.F.R. Part 10, the Government is conducting market research to:

• Determine what Commercial sources exist that are capable of satisfying the

Government’s requirements listed below in Section 4,

• Determine the practices of potential contractors,

• Determine the size and Small Business status of potential sources, and

• Determine the level of competition and possible acquisition strategies (i.e., 8(a), set-aside or full and open).

This SS is issued solely for informational, market research, and planning purposes and does not commit the Government to any further contract actions, i.e., solicitation and/or contract.

Respondents are advised that the United States Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in responding to this SS request. Not responding to this SS does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposals (RFP) that may be issued.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S Government to form a binding contract.

3. BACKGROUND

The purpose for this SS is to conduct market research to identify potential offerors having an interest in performing the work, and the resources required to accomplish the work described herein. Consideration will be given to small business concerns, including the sub-categories of

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized mailto:Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov mailto:Kristen.Hayes@dot.gov

Business Zone (HUBZone), 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and woman-owned as well as identifying Best in Class and Spend Under Management solutions as identified in

OMB Memorandum M-19-13 and subsequent memos. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement.

This document contains a draft scope of work (Section 4 below). Your firm’s response regarding your firm’s experience and capabilities will be used to determine the availability of potential businesses, both large and small, and their capabilities in meeting the Government’s requirement.

Through this SS notice, FHWA is seeking not only to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract but also to solicit feedback on the draft Scope of Work (SOW) itself, including on the content of the tasks and deliverables and reasonableness of the schedule that is described below.

4. DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK

The proposed NAICS code for this requirement is 541990, All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. The proposed product service code for this requirement is R425

Support-Professional: Engineering/Technical.

BACKGROUND

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of

Transportation (USDOT) that supports State, Tribal and local governments, and other organizations in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation’s highway system (Federal Aid Highway Program) and various federally and Tribal owned lands (Federal

Lands Highway Program). Through financial and technical assistance, FHWA is responsible for ensuring that America’s roads and highways continue to be among the safest and most technologically sound in the world.

Roadway crashes have an enormous human impact on our nation. On average, more than 100 people are killed in road crashes each day, which equates to someone dying on our nation’s roads every 15 minutes. In 2023, it is estimated that the United States lost 40, 990 people from roadway crashes.1

Safety is FHWA’s top priority. The three FHWA units that lead the agency in achieving its strategic goals for roadway safety are the Office of Safety, the Office of Safety and Operations

Research and Development, and the Resource Center Safety and Design Team. These three units work together to execute three key strategies: promote excellence in safety programs;

research and advance effective safety solutions; and fortify partnerships and outreach.

The Office of Safety exercises leadership throughout the multi-disciplinary transportation community to make the Nation’s surface transportation system safer for all road users. The

Office of Safety builds programming on the Safe System Approach, which incorporates the

1 National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, April). Early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2023

(Crash•Stats Brief Statistical Summary. Report No. DOT HS 813 561). National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/M-19-13.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/M-19-13.pdf following principles: death and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive, and redundancy is crucial.

The Office of Safety develops and implements programs and initiatives to improve safety for all road users. To help achieve its safety goals, Office of Safety also coordinates with its partners and stakeholders, including other FHWA offices, Federal agencies, State, Tribal and local transportation agencies, various public and private organizations and industries, the public, and when appropriate, other countries.

The Office of Safety's key responsibilities include developing, implementing, and evaluating highway safety projects and programs. The effective execution of these responsibilities requires an integrated and comprehensive program of many activities, from research and analysis to the development of regulatory guidance, standards, and training, to delivering technical assistance and outreach to transportation stakeholders. Furthermore, evaluating efforts is key to determining effectiveness.

The ultimate goal of surface transportation safety is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes. If a crash still occurs, it is necessary to mitigate the impacts during and after the event. Office of Safety recognizes that many factors may contribute to crashes and therefore integrates multiple perspectives to address safety challenges, ranging from engineering and infrastructure solutions to applying public health principles and other effective approaches.

The Office of Safety is organized into two program area units:

a. The Office of Safety Technologies is responsible for identifying, developing, evaluating, and promoting methods, strategies, designs, treatments, and technologies that improve roadway safety performance.

b. The Office of Safety Programs is responsible for advancing the implementation of comprehensive Federal and State highway safety programs, policies and activities that improve roadway safety for all road users.

Visit FHWA’s Highway Safety Programs website at https://highways.dot.gov/safety for more information.

For the purposes of this document, partners and customers include, but are not limited to: Federal agencies (other FHWA offices, FHWA division offices, other DOT Operating Administrations, other federal agencies such as Department of Interior, Health and Human Services, Housing and

Urban Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), State DOTs, regional, Tribal, and local agencies, academia, and non-profit, public, and private sector entities.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to provide support for Office of Safety’s mission through related activities outlined in the task order work. Office of Safety approaches safety from several areas—all rooted in the Safe System Approach. It is important that contractors can augment this work through expertise in transportation safety (engineering, planning, and research) and associated areas (e.g., public health, sociology, advocacy, industry, nonprofits, researchers, and https://highways.dot.gov/safety the public). The specific projects to be completed will be determined on an as needed basis by

FHWA. Elements of focus and priority may change during the life of this contract.

The multiple award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract(s) resulting from this

Statement of Work is intended to give FHWA and its USDOT partners the flexibility to address several topics and related issues without specifically identifying all required tasks for the life of the contract. The new IDIQ would be a recompete of the current HSA MA IDIQ contract. The current contracts are held by the following: Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (693JJ320D000021), Leidos, Inc. (693JJ320D000022), Texas A&M Transportation Institute (693JJ320D000023) and

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (693JJ320D000024).

The work described herein provides a flexible approach that supports and prepares Office of

Safety in meeting the needs and delivery of its mission and priorities. The work outlined in this contract includes brief descriptions of the broad general areas of projected types of services that may be required during the period of performance.

TASK AREAS

Contractors must receive FHWA approval for all key staff assigned to each task order. Any changes in key staff will require prior FHWA approval. Contractors must demonstrate the ability to work on varying tasks consecutively and/or simultaneously to ensure proposed schedules will be met:

• Task 1: Technical Support and Assistance;

• Task 2: Professional Capacity Building, Development, and Training Support;

• Task 3: Audience Outreach; and

• Task 4: Operations and Administrative Program Support

Task 1: Technical Support and Assistance

• Research, Analysis, Development, and Technical Support: Provide research, analysis, development, and engineering expertise to include data collection, recommendations, and reporting on a variety of topics in support of Office of Safety’s mission. The topics will relate to technical, institutional, financial, human, and/or administrative aspects associated with researching, developing, engineering, managing, building, and operating safety devices, systems, and networks associated with providing a safe system for all road users. The research, development and engineering may be over-arching, network site and/or situation-specific, and include studies that involve engineering performance, operational, policy driven and institutional issues, and may require providing recommendations and development of resources regarding needs, actions, and strategies.

• Policy/Regulatory Analysis: Provide analyses of costs, benefits, impacts, and challenges of various programmatic and project initiatives in support of regulatory and policy-making efforts. This may include conducting research to gather information, identify impacts, facilitate workshops, and make recommendations. The analysis could also be associated with safety and operational aspects of the transportation system, questions raised by the Office of the Secretary of

Transportation and Congress as part of the USDOT’s annual budget appropriation hearings, implementation of legislative requirements and safety initiatives such as those included in Federal transportation reauthorization legislation, or activities related to the strategic planning process conducted within FHWA.

• Reports and Case Studies: Prepare reports and case studies based on current practices for selected topics. The reports shall synthesize the current experiences and developments in the deployment of innovative technologies and strategies by other countries, the private sector, other Federal agencies, Tribes, State, and local governments, including technical, human, financial, and institutional aspects. The reports or case studies shall describe and analyze specific exemplary or innovative safety measures that may be deployed by the above entities to improve roadway safety.

• Analysis of Program Delivery Approaches: Generate program delivery recommendations for carrying out the mandates of legislation, program directives, and priorities that support Office of Safety’s mission. This effort includes analysis of customer and partner needs and priorities, policy issues, organizational capacity within Office of Safety and external organizations, financial considerations, and delivery mechanisms.

• Safety Evaluations: Provide roadway system safety-related evaluations including studies involving collection, analysis, and development of data, and strategies and guidance for improving highway safety. This may include developing, estimating, and analyzing safety improvement impacts through such studies as before-after crash studies on roads and road systems for all road users. Evaluations may require laboratory and/or field studies of human behavior, human factors, and highway elements that affect road safety.

• Program Evaluations: Provide evaluation of technical support/assistance to ensure exposure to target audience(s), that the audience(s) found the technical support/assistance useful and informative, and that the audience(s) used the technical support/assistance to advance and implement their own safety-related projects and programs. Record any changes or advancements made as a result of the technical support/assistance, such as a change in practices or policies. Record challenges, issues, and appropriate improvements. These evaluations include but are not limited to field reviews, online and paper-based surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and phone and face-to-face interviews and could expand into several years, depending upon the evaluation methodology.

• Data Collection, Analysis, and Statistical Modeling: Provide data collection, analysis and advanced statistical modeling support to various Office of Safety programs and initiatives. Ability to collect, ingest (e.g., via Extract Transform Load (ETL) or similar), conduct quality assurance and control, and integrate Federal, State, and local safety data sets (e.g., crash, roadway, VMT, injury surveillance) for use in data driven safety analysis (DDSA) and development of Highway Safety Manual (HSM) models is required. The Contractor must demonstrate the ability to generate a multitude of reports and publication types to document results.

Task 2: Professional Capacity Building, Development, and Training Support

• Identify Capacity Building Topics and Needs: Work closely with target audiences such as, academia, educators, trainers, and practitioners to identify educational needs and requirements for transportation safety professionals. This may include the following:

o Outline the existing body of knowledge in transportation system safety, and work with other organizations to outline core skill and knowledge requirements for transportation safety professionals at all levels. Define, scope/scale, and prioritize market segments for these topics. Market and deliver developed course/training.

o Evaluate the relationship between existing levels of skills and knowledge in the field; available training and education; knowledge and skill gaps; new training needs; and new training methods and technologies.

o Develop comprehensive strategies and plans for marketing and implementing safety education initiatives.

• Course development and delivery: Develop workshops and training course materials in accordance with National Highway Institute Instructional Systems Design to meet identified educational needs and requirements for adult learning considerations.

Deliver training courses and workshops through the National Highway Institute

(NHI), and partners such as American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO), State departments of transportation (DOTs), Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs, and others as appropriate. Include all logistical arrangements to ensure that the appropriate courses are delivered to the appropriate professionals at the appropriate places and times. This may include traditional in-person training courses and workshops, national conferences, online open courses, virtual learning, and trainings delivered through other, innovative means.

• Course Evaluations: Provide evaluation of the capacity building/education and trainings provided to ensure that they reached their target audience(s), that the audience(s) found the capacity building/education and trainings useful and informative, and that the audience(s) used the information to advance and implement their own safety-related projects and programs. Record challenges, issues, and appropriate improvements. These evaluations could include but are not limited to online and paper-based surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and phone and face-to-face interviews.

Task 3: Audience Outreach https://highways.dot.gov/safety/data-analysis-tools/highway-safety-manual https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/docs/instructional_design.pdf https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/docs/adult_learning.pdf

The contractor will be assisting in the evaluation, strategy, planning, development, distribution/execution, and reporting of internal and external communications for Office of

Safety. FHWA does not currently have a paid advertising budget. Therefore, communications efforts will be designed to reach, engage, and grow national audiences organically through USDOT-managed channels and those of key collaborators. Current channels include web, intranet, email, newsletters, exhibition conferences, speeches, presentations, webinars, print publications, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other social media channels.

The responsibilities below can apply holistically to the entirety of Office of Safety’s communications efforts, and more narrowly to focus on specific programs, audiences (e.g., FHWA Division Offices), campaigns (e.g., Safe System Approach), or outreach channels

(e.g., web, newsletters, exhibit conferences).

• Communications Evaluation and Strategy

Evaluate Office of Safety's internal and external communications efforts. Identify, gather, interpret, and report on key metrics that help Office of Safety better understand, serve, and reach audiences. Additionally, conduct market analysis and advise on Office of Safety's audience goals and how best to achieve them. Serve as a go-to resource on current best practices for communications and marketing in all formats (e.g., print, digital, email, conferences) and identify opportunities to optimize

Office of Safety’s internal and external communications channels, as well as suggest new avenues for strategically connecting with audiences.

• Marketing, Content Distribution, and Audience Cultivation

Support Office of Safety in reaching audiences through the creation and execution of content distribution plans. These plans will align to the specific goals of a given communications project. Lead the implementation of the content distribution plan and report on placements and results. Part of this work may involve the ongoing building and management of a distribution database that identifies impactful outreach channels

(e.g., newsletters, webpages, online calendars, conferences, listservs) within the

USDOT and beyond, including other federal agencies, national associations, and organizations. The evolving distribution channel inventory may document the channel’s respective editorial guidelines, audience size/composition, deadlines, points of contact, and other relevant details. The contractor must also propose and lead efforts to cultivate audiences for the channels that the Office of Safety owns and maintains. This includes expanding, managing, and segmenting current and future subscriber lists.

• Editorial Planning and Content Creation

For Office of Safety and its individual programs and/or projects, envision, develop, and revise compelling and clear written, oral, and visual content, including videos.

The work will require strong editorial judgment and may involve art direction. This will include multiple styles of writing (e.g., informative, persuasive, narrative, and technical), a range of formats (e.g., print/PDF publications, case studies, talking points, speeches, presentations, web, social, ads/signboards), and multiple types of visual media (e.g., graphic design, photography, illustration, technical renderings, animation, videography). Digital and print products that Office of Safety routinely creates, and markets include, but are not limited to, reports, brochures, information guides, case studies, presentations, and technical guidance.

The contractor will be conducting editorial planning on a rolling 12-month basis. This could involve the development, maintenance, and sharing of an editorial calendar for

Office of Safety. It could also entail editorial planning and content development for specific priorities (e.g., Safe System Approach), products (e.g., newsletters), and audiences (e.g., rural road owners). The contractor must also prepare and deliver content in accordance with the editorial calendar and distribution plans and report on results.

• Communications Operations & Logistics

Understand and follow existing reviews and workflows within FHWA/USDOT.

Within Office of Safety, propose, develop, maintain, and optimize communications-related tools and workflows. Clearly communicate these with Office of Safety and relevant staff. Perform logistical services related to Office of Safety and partners’ in-person and virtual outreach activities, such as the registration, purchase/rental, coordination (e.g., shipping), and facilitation of exhibit booths across the country

(approximately 6 times or more annually), or printing, inventorying, and distributing communications materials.

• Web Content Updates, Development, and Optimization

Office of Safety maintains content on two types of websites: the USDOT official

*.gov site (Drupal content management system) and websites hosted outside the *.gov environment (e.g., CMF Clearinghouse, https://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/).

The contractor must understand FHWA’s Drupal web environment and work within it to propose changes and develop content that optimizes the pages for SEO (search engine optimization), UX (user experience), and mobile delivery. Non-federal employees cannot upload or publish content directly, but contractors will advise on

Drupal best practices and create content, suggest edits, and recommend layout arrangements for FHWA staff to upload and publish.

The work may include writing (titles, headers, paragraphs, captions, alt text, search terms); creating and/or obtaining clearance rights, creating and/or obtaining clearance rights for all images, videos, and/or other multimedia items; identifying links to trusted resources; analyzing and reporting on metrics (e.g., GA4); reviewing webpages periodically; and ensuring overall 508-compliance., video, and/or other multimedia; identifying links to trusted resources; analyzing and reporting on metrics

(e.g., Google Analytics 4 GA4); and reviewing webpages periodically. With guidance from FHWA and USDOT web staff, the work may involve assessing and proposing changes to web navigation, Drupal content types, and areas related to information architecture. Work may also involve 508 compliance and remediation.

https://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/

• External websites hosted off the USDOT system: In collaboration with relevant

FHWA staff: develop and post approved content updates and changes to website pages at regular intervals, recommend editorial updates, ensure all website content– direct website content and hosted files–are 508 compliant, and establish/implement website operations and maintenance compliant with US Governmental IT policies and practices. Work may also involve preparing for, assisting with, and/or managing other web processes, including web certification reviews and the migration of content from one website to another.

Task 4: Operations and Administrative Program Support

The contractor must perform technical, administrative/clerical, and related duties in support of Office of Safety, including, but not limited to the following:

• Technical Operations Support: Provide support to build out and maintain advanced SharePoint sites. Use Power Apps, PowerBI (and other similar programs), Microsoft applications (including new and emerging programs like

Lists), Adobe Creative Suite (and similar graphics programs), and other programming (e.g., Large Language Models (LLMs)) to support office operations.

• General Administrative/Clerical Program Support: Provide general administrative/ clerical duties such as memo writing, meeting coordination, printing, copying/collating, shipping, warehousing, inventory, registration, information request coordination, FOIA support (e.g., reviewing, scanning, redacting–both narrative and video/images–preparing document packages), and other support as required.

• Conference/Meeting Support: Provide management, logistical (including travel arrangements), and technical support to Office of Safety and its partners and customers in preparing a range of in-person and web-based seminars, workshops, peer exchanges, technical meetings, and focus groups. Prepare appropriate pre-and post-conference materials and proceedings. Meetings may include seminars on skill development, introductions on innovative technologies, or other safety topics. Facilitate and prepare evaluations of these meetings and make recommendations for actions based on findings. Audiences may be Federal, Tribal, State, or local transportation professionals and decision-makers, academia, private sector, road users, and citizens.

5. SKILLS AND EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The contractor will be expected to possess the following skills and expertise:

• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the principles and practice of transportation roadway safety (at all levels and for all road users) including social, economic, and environmental analysis within the engineering, planning, project, and program development processes.

• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the principles and practice of transportation roadway safety for all road users including motorists (e.g., passenger vehicles, motorcycles, trucks), nonmotorists (e.g., pedestrians, bicyclists, micromobility riders), and transit riders.

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in sophisticated data gathering, management and analysis:

o Roadway safety data and systems (including crash, roadway, and travel), o Public health as it relates to transportation safety (e.g., injury surveillance), o Non-traditional data sources (e.g., telematics), o Using analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data, o Statistics, o Data-driven safety analysis (e.g., Highway Safety Manual methodologies), o Machine learning (supervised and unsupervised techniques), and

LLMs and other forms of relevant Artificial Intelligence (AI)).

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in all the software applications necessary to support all noted and potential task orders (e.g., virtual communication platforms, video production, content management and web production tools, databases).

Expertise with Power Apps, PowerBI (and other similar programs), Microsoft applications

(including new and emerging programs like “Lists”), Adobe InDesign (and similar graphics programs), and other programming (e.g., LLMs) that can be used to support office operations.

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in the field of communications, internal and external; paid and organic marketing; and digital and print. Provide support in writing, art direction, communications and marketing planning, graphic design, editing, video production, campaign development and execution, conference exhibits, presentations, e-news, web user experience and information architecture, audience growth and segmentation, and stakeholder outreach. Provide understanding of how to apply this expertise in a government environment.

• Demonstrated expertise in writing and editing technical deliverables for government publications, and familiarity with the governing standard, such as GPO Style Guide, the

FHWA Communications Reference Guide, and other publication development tools.

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in core principles and best practices for highway, street, pedestrian, and bicycle facility planning and design, including familiarity with pertinent FHWA, AASHTO, NACTO, and ITE publications, as well as the developing field of performance-based practical design.

• Demonstrated experience in presenting objective assessments of issues and policies within a governmental/legislative environment. Demonstrate the ability to deliver the completed deliverables, with full quality assurance and quality control along with appropriate fact checking, with minimal supervision from FHWA.

• Demonstrated knowledge of past and current transportation legislation (policy, program, and engineering), in particular the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and expertise in developing guidance for State, regional, Tribal, and local partners to access available funds and technical assistance to implement safety countermeasures and policies to save lives with limited direction from FHWA.

• Demonstrated ability to work with the appropriate stakeholder(s) to support the varying efforts for this contract as required. Stakeholder involvement is a key element in determining target audience needs and identifying the roles and responsibilities in the transportation safety process. Such stakeholders may include but are not limited to: State

DOTs, Local and Tribal Transportation Agencies, AASHTO, APWA, ATSIP, ATSSA, ITE, LTAP, NACE, NACo, NADO, TRB, TTAP, and UTC.

• Demonstrated experience conducting peer exchanges, workshops, webinars, and focus groups, both in-person and virtual. Demonstrated expertise in facilitation and consensus building among diverse stakeholders is required. Contractors shall work with FHWA to develop agendas, select presenters, provide suggested locations, provide invitational travel administration, facilitate the event, capture meeting notes, and develop a summary report.

These activities will involve coordination meetings and associated activities.

• Demonstrated experience synthesizing complex information such as policy and research in various forms, for example white papers, guidebooks, fact sheets, briefing material, PowerPoint presentations and other high-level materials.

• Demonstrated understanding of the transportation planning process as it pertains to State, local or Tribal safety programs.

• Demonstrated experience in curricula and course development and delivery, training methods and technologies, and application of best practices in adult learning/education.

Familiarity with NHI learning formats.

• Expertise in interdisciplinary fields including but not limited to public health, public policy, injury prevention, community health and engagement, health equity, and sociology.

Demonstrated understanding of how these fields impact roadway safety and how to best integrate their foundational approaches and principles into roadway safety strategies, policies, and programs.

• Specialized expertise in other modes, as it relates to safety, including transit, rail, commercial vehicles.

• Expertise in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance as it relates to transportation on all levels, both for product development and program/project delivery.

• Experience with meeting coordination, printing, copying/ collating, shipping, warehousing, inventory, registration, and information request coordination.

• Experience with reviewing, scanning, redacting documents – both narrative and video/images.

• Experience providing management, logistical (including travel arrangements), and technical support in preparing in-person and web-based seminars, workshops, peer exchanges, technical meetings, and focus groups-this includes planning, promoting, facilitating, and evaluating these events.

6. REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES

SOUGHT

Interested parties who consider their firms qualified to perform the above-listed services are invited to submit responses to this SS as follows:

Format requirements are:

• Electronic responses only. No hard copy submissions will be accepted.

• 8.5”x11” size pages, with 1” margins on all sides and prepared in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

• Submissions shall include a cover page as described below.

• Not more than five pages in length, including all items submitted (not including cover page, table of contents, and acronym list).

• Font size should be 12 point or larger, Times New Roman.

• Charts and graphics must be in Microsoft Vision, or PDF format.

• Proprietary information submitted in response to this SS will be protected from unauthorized disclosure as required by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) as long as it is marked accordingly. All proprietary markings should be clearly delineated. The respondent must identify where data is restricted by proprietary or other rights and mark it accordingly.

• The services and/or any product solutions should include supporting data/rationale for the offered services, and any product solution(s) if applicable, adequately to determine capability.

The response to this SS must include:

Cover Page: The cover page does not count towards the page limit. The cover page should contain at a minimum the following information:

- Company name

- Primary Point of Contact, including phone number and email address

- SAM.GOV Unique Entity ID (UEI)

- NAICS Code – a statement on whether your firm believes 541990 is an appropriate NAICS for these services as well as a list of any other NAICS codes that you think could be applicable.

- General Services Administration (GSA) Contract Number and SIN, if applicable.

- GSA OASIS Contract Number, if applicable.

- Other Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts available for DOT use, if applicable

- Recommend a contract type, i.e. Firm-Fixed Price, Time-and-Materials and why.

- Business Size: identify all applicable classifications for your organization under

NAICS 541990 as well as any other NAICS identified for this work. Please note if certain classifications only apply to certain contract vehicles.

• Small business?

• Woman-owned business?

• 8(a) business?

• Small disadvantaged business?

• HUBZone business?

• SDVOB business?

• Non-profit?

• Other relevant business type information

- If your organization is a small business, would you be able to perform this entire requirement alone or with subcontractors? If not, do you recommend any changes to the requirement to increase small business participation?

SS Response: To support the Government’s review of the Contractor’s technical ability, the following questions should be directly addressed with regard to both the responding business entity and proposed personnel:

a. What experience do you have in traffic safety and related transportation projects?

b. What is your experience in developing and implementing technical assistance and/or capacity building for recipients of surface transportation funding?

c. What is the specific subject area/s in traffic safety for which you propose to provide technical expertise and why are you qualified to do so?

d. How will you ensure that you can provide staff with the experience described in Section

5?

e. What is your experience in managing and responding to multiple requests simultaneously?

f. What is your experience in project management?

g. Do you have experience managing an IDIQ previously? If so, approximately how many task orders have you performed on annually and what were their approximate dollar values?

Note: Responses may include links or web addresses that demonstrate evidence of your technical expertise (i.e., final reports, technical journals, peer reviewed papers, etc.).

Questions: As a part of this SS, you may submit any questions or comments on the Section

4 Draft Scope of Work. This will not count towards the page limit if the questions are submitted in a separately labeled document. FHWA reserves the right not to provide responses to these questions and comments but will use these questions and comments in continuing to define its requirement.

7. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

To fully comprehend the information contained within a response to this Sources Sought, there may be a need to seek further clarification from respondents. This clarification may be requested in the form of brief verbal communication by telephone; written communication;

electronic communication; or a request for a presentation of the response to a specific FHWA group or groups. FHWA reserves the right to seek additional information from respondents identified with unique solutions that are determined to be beneficial to FHWA.