QA Summary RFP 202510143 BRFSS Additional Questions FINAL.xlsx

This is a Question and Answer Summary document for RFP 202510143 issued by the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, concerning Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Data Collection and Management services. The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to conduct approximately 10,200 annual surveys using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software, with minimum monthly targets of 150 landline and 700 cell phone surveys distributed across Maine's 16 counties. The successful contractor must design and program survey instruments, implement quality assurance procedures including 5% monthly verification of completed surveys, and submit monthly raw data files to the Federal CDC and the Department. Key deliverables include weekly completion summaries, monthly frequency reports, and quarterly stratum reports. The initial contract period runs from October 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, with two optional renewal periods extending potentially through September 30, 2031. Data collection will occur from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. The State will provide the awarded bidder with a draft survey in October each year. Questions were due by January 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time, with final proposals due by April 21, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. local time.

The cost proposal will be based on a fixed amount covering 1,800 landline and 8,400 cell phone surveys annually, with the lowest cost proposal receiving full cost evaluation points. The vendor must comply with extensive technical and security requirements, including MaineIT Policies and Standards and NIST 800-53 Rev 5 security controls, while maintaining 99.9% monthly system uptime. A SOC 2 Type 2 audit (covering all five Trust Service Principles) must be completed prior to production data migration, with subsequent annual submissions aligned to contract renewal dates. All data must be stored within the Continental United States. The vendor must provide a dedicated project lead and sufficient staffing trained in sensitive topics, and coordinate with the current vendor to ensure service continuity. No specific budget amounts or set-aside designations are stated in this document.