Inquiries and Answers.docx

SOLICITATION # RFP UHAA 2026000258

Response to Inquiries Appendix B, Exhibit E, Section 2.4.3.1. Please clarify how the 40% subcontracting limitation will be calculated. Is the 40% measured by total Contract dollars, labor hours, scope of Work, number of personnel, or another methodology? Please also clarify whether individually contracted/1099 Interviewers and third-party interpretation or translation service vendors are considered Subcontractors for purposes of calculating the 40% limitation.

There is no specific calculation it is more of a general guideline. Additionally, the Department may approve for over 40% of the work to be subcontracted.

RFP Section 3.2. Please provide historical information, if available, regarding response rates for NCI-AD and NCI-IDD survey administration in Colorado, including the average number of contact attempts per completed Survey, refusal rates, inability-to-contact rates, cancellation/no-show rates, and the approximate number of sample records historically required to achieve the targeted number of completed Surveys. For CWSS, please provide any available historical or anticipated participation or response-rate assumptions that Offerors should use for staffing and budgeting purposes

2024 – 2025

For NCI-AD:

- 5,184 randomly selected participants

- 3,975 (76.7%) contacted before data collection ended

- 1,260 completed surveys

- 33.5% completion rate

- 1,499 called but not reached

- 17% overall refusal rate (501 participant + 177 guardian refusals)

- 164 no-show/cancelled meetings

- 137 records with incorrect contact information.

For NCI-IDD:

- 3,484 randomly selected participants

- 3,260 (93.6%) contacted before data collection ended

- 1,028 completed surveys

- 34% completion rate

- 1,026 called but not reached

- 18% overall refusal rate (178 participant + 412 guardian refusals)

- 120 no-show/cancelled meetings

- 202 records with incorrect contact information.

Historical NCI response and completion rates are provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as guaranteed response rates or required staffing assumptions for future survey cycles. Future survey targets and survey administration modalities will be determined by the Department based on the applicable Survey requirements, Department needs, available funding, and the awarded Contractor's submitted pricing.

The Department does not have historical CWSS response-rate data comparable to the NCI data, as the CWSS has had limited prior administration and testing. The CWSS is currently anticipated to be administered by video conference and/or in person; however, the administration modalities offered in future survey cycles will be determined by the Department based on the applicable Survey requirements, Department needs, available funding, and the awarded Contractor's submitted pricing. Administration of the CWSS is contingent upon available funding and the awarded Contractor's submitted pricing. The Department may determine not to administer the CWSS during an applicable State Fiscal Year if sufficient funding is not available. If the CWSS is administered, the Department will determine the final survey target and administration approach within the available budget.

RFP Section 3.2. For staffing and budgeting purposes, please provide the historical or anticipated percentage of NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys conducted face-to-face versus remotely by telephone or video conference. Please also clarify whether Participants may select their preferred survey modality and whether there are circumstances in which the Department or NCI protocols require an in-person interview.

2024 - 2025

NCI-AD

1,018 / 1,260 = 81% telephone 1,260 = 17% in person 34 / 1,260 = 3% Zoom

NCI-IDD

476 / 1,028 = 46% in person 552 / 1,028 = 54% Zoom.

Currently, Colorado offers Participants a choice among the applicable survey administration modalities, and Participants may select their preferred modality. NCI does not require the Department to offer Participants a choice of survey modality.

Historical administration percentages are provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as required percentages for future survey cycles. Future survey administration modalities offered to Participants will be determined by the Department based on the applicable Survey requirements, available funding, and the awarded Contractor’s submitted pricing.

RFP Section 3.2. Please provide, if available, historical distributions of eligible Participants and/or completed NCI-AD and NCI-IDD Surveys by county, service area, region, or other geographic unit. For CWSS, please provide the anticipated geographic distribution of eligible Participants, if available.

The NCI-IDD and NCI-AD samples were stratified by the 20 defined service areas, with the target for each area based on its total population of enrolled members in the applicable HCBS waivers at the time of the sample pull. In 2024 – 2025, response rates for all 20 DSAs, ranging from 23.51%–53.85% for AD and 20.59%–66.04% for IDD. 17 of 20 targets were achieved for each survey.

RFP Section 3.2. If the Department does not exercise the Confirming Participants Additional Service, please clarify which entity will be responsible for contacting Participants, confirming their willingness to participate, and scheduling Surveys. Will Contractor receive Participants who have already agreed to participate and/or have scheduled appointments, or will any Participant outreach and scheduling remain part of Contractor's base survey administration responsibilities?

The contractor will be responsible for contacting participants, confirming their willingness to participate, and scheduling surveys.

RFP Section 3.2. Please clarify which costs associated with the Additional Services should be incorporated into Offeror's initial pricing. Should Offerors price base survey administration assuming that Sample List Management, Address Mapping, Territory Designation, Assignment Mapping, Confirming Participants, Survey and Database activities, and Final Data Submission Additional Services will not be exercised, with the costs of those activities priced separately for activation through an Option Letter?

All costs for Additional Services should be included in Offeror’s cost proposal.

RFP Section 4.3. Please clarify the criteria that a Survey must meet to qualify as a completed Survey for payment purposes. Specifically, how will payment be handled for partially completed Surveys, Participant withdrawals, Participants determined to be ineligible after initiation of a Survey, or Surveys that cannot be completed for reasons outside Contractor's control?

The Department will pay the applicable Survey Rate for completed Surveys only. A completed Survey is one that has been administered and submitted in accordance with the applicable NCI survey administration protocols and is eligible for submission as a completed Survey as determined by HSRI, NASDDDS, and ADvancing States.

Currently, NCI does not establish a minimum number or percentage of questions that must be answered for a Survey to be considered complete. Participants may decline to answer individual questions without causing the Survey to be considered incomplete and may choose to stop participation at any time.

The Department pulls a sample of eligible participants based on survey eligibility, so no participants will be determined to be ineligible.

RFP Section 3.2. and 4.2. Please clarify whether Offerors should assume that interviewer recruitment, hiring, background/MVR checks, onboarding, and other workforce-readiness costs will occur and be compensated annually during each State Fiscal Year in which Surveys are administered. Please also clarify whether these recurring costs should be incorporated into an annual fixed-fee Deliverable payment, the applicable Survey Rate, or another pricing component.

Offerors should provide pricing for the applicable Deliverables and Additional Services identified in the Pricing Worksheet. The Department will determine which Deliverables and Additional Services will be performed during each applicable State Fiscal Year based on the Survey(s) being administered, Department needs, available funding, and the Contractor’s submitted pricing. Additional Services identified in Section 3.2.4 will be performed only if exercised by the Department through an Option Letter. The Contractor will be paid for applicable Deliverables upon completion and Department acceptance.

RFP Section 1.2. and 4.2. Please clarify the anticipated payment schedule for fixed-fee Deliverables across the initial Contract term and subsequent option years. Should Offerors assume that recurring Deliverables and associated fixed fees will be payable in each applicable State Fiscal Year, while start-up or one-time Deliverables will be payable only in the year in which they are required? Please identify which fixed-fee Deliverables the Department anticipates will recur annually versus those anticipated to occur only once during the Contract term.

Fixed-fee Deliverables are recurring Deliverables and are not considered one-time or start-up-only Deliverables. The fixed price submitted for each Deliverable will apply in each applicable State Fiscal Year throughout the Contract term in which the Department requires or exercises that Deliverable. The Contractor will be paid the applicable fixed fee upon completion and Department acceptance of the Deliverable.

Section 4.5.1.3. and Section 4.5.1.5. – Can you confirm that the $340K budget for fiscal years 2028-2029 and 2030-2031 includes completing 1,100 NCI-IDD interviews, in addition to 500-600 CWSS interviews? The budget does not seem sufficient to complete both surveys.

The survey quantities identified in the RFP are anticipated targets and are not guaranteed quantities. The Department will determine the surveys to be administered, the survey administration modalities, the final survey targets and scope of survey administration within the maximum annual budget based on the awarded Contractor's fixed Deliverable prices and Survey Rates. Offerors should submit pricing in accordance with the Pricing Worksheet. The Department will use the awarded Contractor's pricing to determine the number of NCI-IDD and/or CWSS Surveys to be administered within the available annual budget.

Section 3.2.3.1.3. - Do all interviewers have to reside in the state of CO?

No. The Department does not require Survey Interviewers to reside in Colorado, provided that all applicable RFP requirements and NCI survey administration protocols are met.

Section 3.2.3.1.3. Are interviewers allowed to conduct remote surveys from out of state?

Yes. Survey Interviewers may conduct remote Surveys from outside of Colorado, provided that all applicable RFP requirements and NCI survey administration protocols are met.

Section 3.2.3.7.6. – “Contractor shall not store survey response data on Contractor-owned devices or systems. All survey responses shall be entered directly into Department-provided systems as directed by the Department.” This contradicts with the expectation that the vendor program surveys into a software system such as CAPI software (section 3.2.4.1.2.6.3). Can you clarify the statement?

If the Department exercises the applicable Additional Service through an Option Letter, the Contractor will be responsible for providing the software system necessary to perform that service. In that circumstance, the Contractor-provided software system must be reviewed and approved by the Department prior to use, and Survey response data may be entered and maintained in the approved system in accordance with Department requirements. The applicable software, data storage, and system requirements will be specified in the Option Letter for the applicable Survey year. If the Additional Service is not exercised, the requirements of Section 3.2.3.7.6 apply, and Survey responses shall be entered directly into Department-provided systems as directed by the Department.

Section 3.2.4.1.1.1. – Can you clarify who will be potentially eligible participants for the CWSS? Children, family, other?

If the Department elects to administer the CWSS, potentially eligible respondents may include children, parents, legal guardians, or other individuals responding on behalf of the child, as applicable to the Department-approved survey instrument. The Department will provide the Contractor with the applicable sample list and available Participant and legal guardian contact information.

Appendix A, Administrative Information, section 4.3. – Can you confirm that the Technical and Cost Proposals should be submitted in one document?

Technical and Cost Proposals can be submitted in one document or separate documents.

Appendix A, Administrative Information, section 4.3. – The Cost Proposal should include “Offeror’s full and complete response to any numbered “Offeror’s Response” item that specifically asks for a response pertaining to Offeror’s cost or pricing quote to fulfill the Statement of Work within the solicitation.” However, there is no Offeror’s response item in the RFP related to the cost proposal. What should be included in the cost proposal?

Offerors must complete the provided form, Appendix E – Pricing Worksheet, and include that in their proposal submission to account for costs outlined in the Appendix.

Appendix E, Pricing Worksheet – Can you clarify what scope of work should be included in the pricing worksheet? Should the worksheet include cost for SFY 2026-2027 only?

The Pricing Worksheet should not be limited to SFY 2026–2027. Offerors should provide one fixed price for each Deliverable and optional service identified in the Pricing Worksheet. The submitted fixed price will apply to each applicable State Fiscal Year throughout the Contract term. The Department will determine the Deliverables, optional services, and scope of work to be performed during each applicable State Fiscal Year based on the Survey(s) being administered, Department needs, available funding, and the awarded Contractor’s submitted pricing.

Appendix E, Pricing Worksheet – If the pricing worksheet should include cost for SFY 2026-2027 only, should the CWSS Surveys section be left blank?

No. The CWSS Surveys section should not be left blank. The Pricing Worksheet is not limited to SFY 2026–2027. Offerors should provide one fixed price for each Deliverable, optional service, and applicable Survey Rate identified in the Pricing Worksheet, including CWSS. The submitted pricing will apply to each applicable State Fiscal Year throughout the Contract term. The Department will determine the Deliverables, optional services, survey targets, and scope of work to be performed during each applicable State Fiscal Year based on the Survey(s) being administered, Department needs, available funding, and the awarded Contractor’s submitted pricing.

Appendix E, Pricing Worksheet – Can you clarify why deliverables in rows 31 through 51 are considered optional?

Deliverables in rows 31 through 51 are considered optional because they are associated with Additional Services that the Department may elect to exercise during an applicable State Fiscal Year through an Option Letter. Offerors should provide one fixed price for each optional Deliverable identified in the Pricing Worksheet. The Department will determine which optional Deliverables and Additional Services will be exercised during each applicable State Fiscal Year based on the Survey(s) being administered, Department needs, available funding, and the awarded Contractor’s submitted pricing.

Section 3.4. Accessibility Requirements – Can you confirm that Offeror’s Response 4 applies to 3.4 and not 3.5?

Yes. Offeror’s Response 4 applies to the Accessibility Requirements identified in Section 3.4.

Section 3.2.4. Additional Services – Does the maximum annual budget noted in section 4.5.1. include the additional services described in section 3.2.4.?

Yes. The maximum annual budget identified in Section 4.5.1 includes any Additional Services exercised by the Department under Section 3.2.4. The Department will determine the Deliverables, Additional Services, and scope of work to be performed during each applicable State Fiscal Year based on Department needs, available funding, and the Contractor’s submitted pricing.

Section 3.3. Reporting Requirements – Are the reporting requirements considered additional/optional?

Yes. The reporting requirements identified in Section 3.3 are optional and will be performed only if exercised by the Department through an Option Letter. The Department will determine the applicable reporting requirements to be performed during each State Fiscal Year based on the Survey(s) administered and the scope of work selected for that year.

Appendix E, Pricing Worksheet – Should cost for optional services be included?

Yes. Offerors should include pricing for all optional services identified in Appendix E, Pricing Worksheet. The submitted price for each optional service will be a fixed price that applies throughout the Contract term. Inclusion of pricing for an optional service does not guarantee that the Department will exercise that service. Optional services will be performed only if exercised by the Department through an Option Letter.

The Department will not reimburse interviewer travel. What share of interviews in the most recent cycle happened in person versus by video or telephone, and what is the expected mileage or travel burden per completed interview?

During the 2024–2025 survey cycle, NCI Surveys were administered as follows:

NCI-AD

· 1,018 of 1,260 (81%) by telephone

· 208 of 1,260 (17%) in person

· 34 of 1,260 (3%) by video conference

NCI-IDD

· 476 of 1,028 (46%) in person

· 552 of 1,028 (54%) by video conference The Department does not have an established expected mileage or travel burden per completed interview. Survey targets will be established across the 20 defined service areas, and the Department recommends that the Contractor maintain geographically distributed Interviewers who are able to conduct in-person Surveys within those areas when requested by Participants. Offerors should account for anticipated travel and associated costs when establishing their proposed Survey Rate for in-person Surveys, as the Department will not separately reimburse Interviewer travel expenses.

Currently, Colorado offers Participants a choice among the applicable survey administration modalities, and Participants may select their preferred modality. NCI does not require the Department to offer Participants a choice of survey modality.

Historical administration percentages are provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as required percentages for future survey cycles. Future survey administration modalities offered to Participants will be determined by the Department based on the applicable Survey requirements, available funding, and the awarded Contractor’s submitted pricing.

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