RFQ_13-2_Associate_Researcher_(PCAH_Turnaround_Arts_Program).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

PAGE

OF

PAGES

1. REQUEST NO.

RFP 13-2

2. DATE ISSUED

10/11/2012

3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

4. CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

UNDER BDSA REG. 2

AND/OR DMS REG. 1 >

RATING

5A. ISSUED BY

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS,

1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Grants & Contracts. Rm. 618

Washington DC 20506

6. DELIVER BY (Date)

5B. FOR INFORMATION CALL: (Name and telephone no.) (No collect calls)

USMAAN Z. CHAUDHRY (202) 682-5494

7. DELIVERY

FOB DESTINATION OTHER (See Schedule)

8. TO: NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE

9. DESTINATION (Consignee and address, including ZIP Code)

10. PLEASE FURNISH PROPOSALS TO THE ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5A ON OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

Please Furnish Proposals before or by 5:00 PM EST, MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2012

IMPORTANT: This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it to the address in Block 5A.

This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Proposals must be completed by the quoter.

12. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

Proposals are requested for an Associate

Researcher to assist a Principal

Investigator in designing, developing, implementing and reporting on an evaluation of the Turnaround Arts initiative.

NAICS: 541720

Set-Aside: Full & Open Competition

QUESTIONS DEADLINE:

E-mail to Usmaan Z. Chaudhry at chaudhryu@arts.gov by 5:00 PM EST 16

October 2012.

PROPOSALS DEADLINE:

Faxed proposals will not be accepted.

Proposals must be e-mailed to chaudhryu@ars.gov by the time stated above.

SEE

PRICING

SCHEDULE

ON PAGE 3

SEE

PRICING

SCHEDULE ON

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT >

10 CALENDAR DAYS

20 CALENDAR

DAYS

30 CALENDAR DAYS

CALENDAR DAYS

14. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER (Street, city, county, State, and ZIP Code)

15. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

PROPOSAL

16. DATE OF PROPOSAL

17. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

18. TELEPHONE NO. (Include area code)

Standard Form 18 (Rev. 6-95) mailto:harrisl@arts.gov

Enclosures:

Section B, Supplies/Service and Prices

Section C, Description/Specifications/Statement of Work

Section D, Preservation, Packaging and Marking

Section E, Inspection and Acceptance

Section F, Deliveries or Performance

Section G, Contract Administration Data

Section H, Special Contract Requirements

Section I, Contract Clauses

Section J, List of Attachments

Section K, Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Offerors

Section L, Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors

Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award

Date: 11 October 2012

Reference: Associate Researcher needed to assist a Principal Investigator in designing, developing, implementing and reporting on an evaluation of the Turnaround Arts initiative.

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) 13-2

Dear Prospective Offeror:

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) invites contractors to submit proposals for the services described in the attached statements of work, under the authority of Part 12 of the Federal Acquisition

Regulation.

Enclosed you will find a Statement of Work/solicitation that requests proposals for an Associate

Researcher needed to assist a Principal Investigator in designing, developing, implementing and reporting on an evaluation of the Turnaround Arts initiative. QUESTIONS DEADLINE: Please submit questions concerning this proposal only via e-mail to Usmaan Z. Chaudhry at chaudhryu@arts.gov by 5:00 PM

EST on 16 October 2012. PROPOSALS DEADLINE: Please submit your proposals only via email to the above e-mail address no later than at 5:00 PM EST 22 October 2012. Proposals that are faxed will not be accepted. This RFP in no way obligates the U.S. Government to award a contract, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay any cost incurred in preparing and submitting your proposal.

Sincerely, Usmaan Z. Chaudhry

Contracting Officer

National Endowment for the Arts

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) 13-2 CONTINUATION OF STANDARD FORM 18

SECTION B

SUPPLIES/SERVICES AND PRICES

B.1 General

The contractor (Associate Researcher) shall assist a Principal Investigator in designing, developing, implementing and reporting on an evaluation of the Turnaround Arts initiative.

B.2 Contract Type & Term

This is a firm-fixed price contract.

The contract terms shall be as listed below for a base year and an option year (option year I). A contract award does not commit the Government in any way to exercising the option year.

Base Year: 30 October 2012* - 30 September 2013

Option Year I: 1 October 2013 - 30 September 2014

*Tentative contract award date. Contractor must be able to start work immediately upon contract award.

B.3 Pricing

(a) All unit prices are firm fixed rates.

LINE

ITEM

DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT MONTHLY

PRICE

ANNUAL

AMOUNT

BASE YEAR:

Associate Researcher

Services*

1 Month $ $

OPTION YEAR I:

Associate Researcher

Services*

1 Month $ $

GRAND TOTAL*:

*All-inclusive figures required - inclusive of all travel, etc.

SECTION C

STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND

Created in 1982 under President Reagan, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

(PCAH) is an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues. The PCAH works directly with the three primary cultural agencies—National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services—as well as other federal partners and the private sector, to address policy questions in the arts and humanities, to initiate and support key programs in those disciplines and to recognize excellence in the field. Its core areas of focus are arts and humanities education, cultural exchange, and creative economy.

Under the leadership of the First Lady and PCAH’s Honorary Chairman, and through the efforts of its federal and private members, the President’s Committee has compiled an impressive legacy over its tenure, conducting major research and policy analysis, and catalyzing important federal cultural programs, both domestic and international. These achievements rely on the President’s Committee’s unique role in bringing together the White House, federal agencies, civic organizations, corporations, foundations and individuals to strengthen the United State’s national investment in its cultural life.

A major focus for the Committee under this Administration has been supporting the role of high quality arts education in K-12 learning, and specifically the potential of the arts to improve education in high-poverty, chronically underperforming schools. To this end, in April 2012, PCAH launched the

Turnaround Arts initiative, created in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education and the White

House Domestic Policy Council. Turnaround Arts is a public-private partnership designed to support reform efforts in a group of our country’s lowest-performing elementary and middle schools through comprehensive and integrated arts education. For more information, please see http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov.

Developed from the recommendations in PCAH’s recent report Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning

America’s Future Through Creative Schools, Turnaround Arts will test the hypothesis that high-quality and integrated arts education can be an effective tool to strengthen school reform efforts—boosting academic achievement, increasing student motivation, and improving culture, climate and teacher efficacy in schools in eight of the most challenged elementary and middle schools across the country.

A key element of this program is a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of arts education in these schools. There shall be a principal investigator who will take the lead in structuring and implementing significant data collection, analysis and reporting. It is expected that at the conclusion of the two-year program (2012-13 and 2013-14) the evaluation will yield a final report, several case studies and a series of scholarly and general interest publications. The data and case studies will be featured in a high-profile communications and outreach effort coordinated by the President’s Committee and its federal and private partners to inform a national conversation on the role of comprehensive and integrated arts education in effecting whole school reform.

The PCAH is now seeking an Associate Researcher to assist the Principal Investigator and aid in the design, development, implementation, and reporting on this evaluation.

http://turnaroundarts.pcah.gov/

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

C.2.1. General

The contractor (Associate Researcher) shall provide advanced research and writing support to the

Principal Investigator of this evaluation. Under the guidance of the Principal Investigator, the Associate

Researcher shall:

assist in refining the overall research evaluation plan;

assist in monitoring the overall progress of the evaluation effort;

identify key points of contact for data collection among treatment and control groups;

assist in conduct of literature review;

assist in the development/refinement of data collection instruments;

participate in conference calls with advisory board and entire research team;

participate in several site visits per year (approximately 4) in various locations across the country;

capture, process and analyze quantitative and qualitative data;

contribute significantly to monthly updates and interim and final reports;

travel to Washington, DC to attend project meetings (approximately 2 meetings);

if appropriate, be the primary author on project publications, such as case studies, vignettes, research briefs and project summaries.

The Associate Researcher shall also be part of an Evaluation Team, which will include 1) the PCAH, the point of contact for schools and responsible for school logistics, 2) an organization providing project management, data collection and housing of data and development of data collection instruments, 3) the

Principal Investigator who will provide guidance on the design of study, quality control, editing, and data collection protocols, 4) the NEA, which will identify control group schools and assist with quantitative analysis and 5) the Arts Education Partnership, which will provide guidance, access to state education directors, the National Governor’s Association, and research data resources.

The estimated time commitment is approximately five (5) to ten (10) hours per week on average.

However, there will likely be several periods of commitment of twenty (20) to thirty (30) hours per week during the start up, interim and final drafting periods, as well as during travel periods involving site visits.

Additionally, the contractor must be willing to travel to the PCAH offices in Washington, DC multiple during the life of the contract (approximately twice).

C.2.2 Base Year

Project Start Up: Meet (in person or conference call) with PCAH, project management, and the Principal

Investigator (―Evaluation Team‖) to refine/finalize evaluation plan (tentatively October 2012).

Initial Data Collection Start Up: Participate in ongoing telephone meetings with the Evaluation Team and school/district/state representatives to validate quantitative data and ensure timeliness of data collection, assist in the refinement of quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments (surveys & interview protocols, etc.), review data collection training guides and participate in conference calls with Advisory

Board and Evaluation Team on final research design (tentatively October/November 2012).

Data Collection and Analysis: Under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and the Evaluation Team, support the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from treatment schools and control schools and conduct site visits to collect qualitative data as required (Ongoing from October 2012- June

2013).

Analysis and Reporting: Contribute significantly to the end of first year report (Interim Report); draft two

(2) to four (4) case studies of treatment schools and/or vignettes that summarize and analyze themes across schools (Ongoing through July 2013).

Administrative/Management: Provide input to monthly status reports; participate in at least two (2)

Evaluation Team calls per month (Ongoing).

C.2.3 Option Year I

Should the option year of this contract be exercised, the Associate Researcher shall continue his/her duties in the completion and reporting on the evaluation of Turnaround Arts initiative. This will be based on successful completion of tasks in the base year as well as the needs of the project and the PCAH/NEA.

In the option year, further data shall be collected and analyzed and the final report shall be completed.

The Associate Researcher shall contribute two (2) to four (4) case studies of individual treatment schools and/or vignettes that summarize and analyze themes across schools, which shall be prepared for publication(s).

C.3 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

C.3.1. General Qualifications

The following are approximate guidelines for the contractor qualifications. Though it is not absolutely necessary that the winning offeror have all these qualifications, the more qualified offerors will possess more of these qualifications, generally speaking.

A doctoral candidate or post-doctoral researcher with 2-5 years of experience in research and evaluation of social science programs, Desirable degrees include those in sociology, public policy, political science, or education;

Experienced and adept in management of projects that involve significant quantitative data collection and statistical analysis;

Experienced working with diverse stakeholder groups to collect, manage, and prepare quantitative data for analysis;

Experienced and adept in qualitative data collection, including creating and utilizing instruments

(such as interview, focus group and observation protocols), and analysis (such as coding, writing data summaries, and case studies);

Experienced and proficient at writing peer-reviewed reports, articles, case studies, and other social science presentations.

Additional desirable knowledge and experience:

Knowledge of theories and practice in K-12 education;

Knowledge of fundamentals of 21 st century school turnaround/school reform models and approaches, and the formative research that has driven related policy and programs at the federal and state levels;

Knowledge theories and practice of K-12 arts education;

Experience in K-12 schools;

Experience in arts education.

C.3.2. Experience & Capability

C.3.2.1. Experience

The contractor should be able to show evidence of timely completion of equivalent tasks at a level similar to this project's requirements in:

Mixed methods data collection and analysis;

Research and interviewing;

Writing short and long reports, with research, data, and information synthesis.

Additionally, a resume and one (1) writing sample must be submitted. The writing sample may be a published paper/presentation or other evaluation analysis/case study etc. to adequately show appropriate experience in the required areas.

C.3.2.2 Capability Statement

In addition to and separate from the resume and writing sample, the contractor shall include in his/her proposal a capability statement describing how he/she is qualified to successfully perform and carry out the duties of an Associate Researcher as described in this statement of work. This writing portion should not exceed two (2) pages, single-spaced, 12 point font. This should not be a previous writing sample but rather a short piece tailored specifically to this acquisition.

C.3.3 References

For past-performance reference checks, the contractor shall submit two (2) references. The NEA will evaluate the offeror’s past performance based on the information gathered from conducting reference checks. In conducting the evaluation of proposals, the Government reserves the right to utilize all performance information available at the time of evaluation, whether provided by the offeror in its proposal or obtained from other sources. The following information should be provided for each reference:

1. Name;

2. Email;

3. Phone Number;

4. Brief description of nature of professional involvement with reference.

SECTION D

PRESERVATION, PACKAGING AND MARKING

Not Applicable.

SECTION E

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available.

Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/

(End of clause)

E.2 52.246-4 Inspection of Services—Fixed-Price (AUG 1996)

E.3 Inspection and Acceptance

FAR Clause 52.246-4 Inspection of Services – Fixed Price, will govern inspection and acceptance of all services performed by the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for carrying out its obligations under this contract by controlling the quality of all services rendered and ensuring performance of all contract requirements.

SECTION F

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 Timeline for Performing Contract Requirements

Period of Performance:

See Section B.2.

F.3 Notice to the Government of Delays

Required services shall begin at time of award in accordance with the Statement of Work. The Contractor shall inform the Government if it realizes that data provided is old, inaccurate, or in any other way invalid and unusable.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/

SECTION G

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 PROJECT DIRECTOR

G.1.1 Upon award, a Project Director will be designated to coordinate the technical/program aspects of this contract and inspect items/services furnished hereunder; however, he/she shall NOT be authorized to change any terms and conditions of the resultant contract, including price.

G.1.2 The NEA Project Director is authorized to inspect and accept all deliverables, direct the contractor within the scope of the statement of work and monitor contract performance. The

Project Director is also authorized to inspect, accept, and certify (but NOT reject or deny) invoices for payment in accordance with enclosed payment terms. If there is a dispute regarding any invoices, the Project Director must immediately contact the Contracting Officer and return the invoice with the rationale to reject or deny payment in accordance with the performance associated with the invoice for further processing.

G.1.3 The Project Director for this contract is:

To be determined at the time of award

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite

Washington, DC 20506

(202) 682-

G.1.4 The Contracting Officer for this contract is:

Usmaan Z. Chaudhry

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 618

(202) 682-5494

Written communications shall reference the contract number and shall be e-mailed to the Contracting

Officer/Project Director as necessary. Project-related questions may be directed to the Project Directory while contract/cost related questions must be directed to the Contracting Officer. Questions regarding any changes to the contract whatsoever must be directed to the Contracting Officer.

G.2 INVOICE REQUIREMENTS

G.2.1 Payment for actual work and services rendered under this contract will be made by the National

Endowment for the Arts via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and in accordance with the contract clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (FEB 2007), and 52.232-34

Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Other Than Central Contractor Registration (May 1999), upon submission of commercial invoices to the Endowment Finance Office, Room 624.

G.2.2 The office that will make the payments due under this contract (i.e., the designated payment office) is shown below.

National Endowment for the Arts

Finance Office, Suite 624

1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

To constitute a proper invoice, the following information and/or attached documentation shall be included with the invoice.

(1) Name and address of the Contractor

(2) Invoice date.

(3) Contract number.

(4) Period covered by the invoice.

(5) Number and description, quantity, unit price and extended total for the period covered applicable to Section B, Supplies/Services and Prices.

(6) Cumulative amounts billed by to date.

(7) Name and address of Contractor official to whom payment is to be sent (must be the same as that in the contract or in a proper notice of assignment).

(8) Taxpayer Identification Number.

(9) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number.

Please note:

The successful contractor is required to be registered in the System For Award Management (SAM) at: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. (This was previously known as CCR - the Central

Contractor Registration.)

Assistance with creating/registering a SAM account may be found here:

https://www.fsd.gov/app/answers/list.

SECTION H

SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Firm Fixed Price contract.

H.2 SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Private Use of Contract Information and Data

In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.227-14(b) Rights in Data-General, the

Contractor shall guarantee strict confidentiality of the information and data that is provided by the

Government during the performance of the contract. The Government has determined that some of the information and data that the Contractor will be provided during the performance of the contract is of a sensitive nature and cannot be disclosed in any manner.

Prohibition against Soliciting and Performing Personal Services

A. The performance of personal services under this contract is strictly prohibited.

B. Personal service contracting is described in Section 37.104 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations

(FAR). There are a number of factors, when taken individually or collectively, which may constitute personal services. Each contract arrangement must be judged in light of its own facts and https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ https://www.fsd.gov/app/answers/list circumstances, but the question relative to personal services is: Will the Government exercise relatively continuous supervision and control over the contractor personnel performing this contract?

C. The government and the Contractor understand and agree that the support services to be delivered under this contract are non-personal services in nature that is no employer-employee relationships exist or will exist under -the contract between the government and the contractor or between the

Government and the contractor’s employees.

D. Contractor personnel under this contract shall not:

1. Be placed in a position where they are appointed or employed by a Federal employee, or are under the supervision, direction, or evaluation of a Federal employee.

2. Be placed in a Federal staff or policy making position.

3. Be placed in a position of supervision, direction, or evaluation over NEA personnel, or personnel of other contractors, or become a part of a government organization.

E. Employee Relationship

1. The services to be performed under this contract do not require the contractor or its employees to exercise personal judgment and discretion on behalf of the government.

2. Rules, regulations, direction, and requirements which are issued by NEA management under their responsibility for good order, administration, and security are applicable to all personnel who enter a Government installation. This is not to be construed or interpreted to establish any degree of

Government control which is inconsistent with a non-personal services contract.

3. The Contractor shall immediately advise the Contracting Officer if the contractor or its employees are directed by any Government employee to perform work that the Contractor believes constitutes personal services.

SECTION I

CONTRACT CLAUSES

9.505-4 Obtaining Access to Proprietary Information

(a) When a contractor requires proprietary information from others to perform a Government contract and can use the leverage of the contract to obtain it, the contractor may gain an unfair competitive advantage unless restrictions are imposed. These restrictions protect the information and encourage companies to provide it when necessary for contract performance. They are not intended to protect information-

(1) Furnished voluntarily without limitations on its use; or

(2) Available to the Government or contractor from other sources without restriction.

(b) A contractor that gains access to proprietary information of other companies in performing advisory and assistance services for the Government must agree with the other companies to protect their information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. The contracting officer shall obtain copies of these agreements and ensure that they are properly executed.

(c) Contractors also obtain proprietary and source selection information by acquiring the services of marketing consultants which, if used in connection with an acquisition, may give the contractor an unfair competitive advantage. Contractors should make inquiries of marketing consultants to ensure that the marketing consultant has provided no unfair competitive advantage

52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel. (JAN 2011)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24 and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS

PUB) Number 201.

(b) The Contractor shall account for all forms of Government-provided identification issued to the

Contractor employees in connection with performance under this contract. The Contractor shall return such identification to the issuing agency at the earliest of any of the following, unless otherwise determined by the Government:

(1) When no longer needed for contract performance.

(2) Upon completion of the Contractor employee’s employment.

(3) Upon contract completion or termination.

(c) The Contracting Officer may delay final payment under a contract if the Contractor fails to comply with these requirements.

(d) The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (d), in all subcontracts when the subcontractor’s employees are required to have routine physical access to a

Federally-controlled facility and/or routine access to a Federally-controlled information system. It shall be the responsibility of the prime Contractor to return such identification to the issuing agency in accordance with the terms set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, unless otherwise approved in writing by the

Contracting Officer.

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items. (FEB 2012) - Incorporated By

Reference

52.227-14 Rights in Data-General. (DEC 2007) - Incorporated By Reference

52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days.

(End of Clause)

52.217-9 -- Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 60 months.

52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive

Orders- Commercial Items. (MAY 2012)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items:

(2) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(3) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Pub. L. 108-77, 108-78)

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or

Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.]

X (26) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755).

X (47) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Central Contractor Registration

(OCT 2003) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated By Reference, (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text may be accessed electronically at this Internet address: http://www.acquisition.gov/far/.

SECTION J

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Not applicable.

SECTION K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

Each offeror must submit a copy of their representations and certifications (FAR Clause 52.212-3

"Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items (Apr 2012)) along with their proposal.

Each offeror must also have these representations and certifications filed online in SAM (System For

Award Management found at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/) or in ORCA.

Registering an active account in SAM is REQUIRED for contract award. For assistance with creating a SAM account, please visit the link in the paragraph above.

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JUNE 2008)

(a) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541720.

(b) The proposal should be no more than eight (8) pages and single spaced.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) N/A

(e) N/A

(f) N/A

(g) N/A

(h) N/A

(i) N/A

(j) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. The offeror shall enter, in the block on the cover page of its offer.

(k) Central Contractor Registration. By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the CCR database prior to award, during performance and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. Offerors may obtain https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the internet at https://www.uscontractorregistration.com.

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the government will do so in accordance with this provision.

(End of provision)

SECTION M

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

52.212-2 Evaluation -- Commercial Items (Jan 1999)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered; the Government will award a contract on a 'best-value' basis. In order to select the winning offeror, the NEA will rank offerors from best to worst by making paired comparisons, trading off the marginal differences in capability and price. If one offeror has both the better capability and the lower price, then that offeror will be the better value. If one offeror has the better capability and the higher price, then the technical evaluation panel will decide whether the marginal difference in capability is worth the marginal difference in price. If the technical evaluation panel considers the better capability to be worth the higher price, then the more capable, higher-priced offeror will be the better value. If not, then the less capable, lower-priced offeror will be the better value.

The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

I. Technical Proficiency

II. Past-Performance

III. Price

Each evaluation factor will be assessed on the following scale (from best to worst):

Outstanding, Good, Marginal, Unsatisfactory.

Below is an explanation for how each factor will be used to evaluate proposals.

I. Technical Proficiency

Technical proficiency shall be evaluated based on the submitted proposal and the guidelines stated in section C.3.1General Qualifications and C.3.2. Experience & Capability. Though it is not absolutely necessary that the winning offeror have all the listed qualifications, generally speaking the more qualified offerors will possess more of them. The following items are required:

Resume

Writing sample (In accordance with Section 3.2.1 Experience)

Capability Statement (In accordance with Section 3.2.2 Capability) https://www.uscontractorregistration.com/

II. Past Performance

Past performance (references) shall be evaluated based on the guidelines stated in C.3.3

References. The following items are required:

References (In accordance with Section C.3.3 References)

III. Price

The Government will evaluate the offeror's price to determine its fairness and reasonability in relation to the services provided as outlined in the offeror's proposal.

(End of provision)