Response to Offeror Questions document.docx

Division of Family & Community Health

Questions and Answers for RFP No. 26-09RHT-013 Statewide Maternal Health Access and Services Assessment In accordance with the subject Request for Proposal (RFP), the following are answers to questions which have been submitted by March 20, 2026. These questions are for informational purposes only; they do not alter the requirements specified within the RFP. Any changes to the RFP will be accomplished by the Office of Procurement Management using an addendum.

1. For this RFP, does the submitting entity need to be a rural facility?

Answer: No

2. Will entities be allowed to submit for this RFP and the future Maternal Health Hub program?

Answer: Yes

3. Is there an Indirect Cap for this RFP?

Answer: Offerors should use their organization’s indirect cost rate.

4. If an entity has external federal funding for maternal health projects, is that the information being requested in 4.3?

Answer: 4.3 asks for “information related to at least three previous and current service/contracts performed by the offeror’s organization, which are similar to the requirements of this RFP”

5. Under 5.1, the disclosure of other RHT funding, does an entity need to list what other current RHT funding they have applied for and if there is duplication in SD and other states?

Answer: Yes

6. For clarity on the scope, should the assessment include infant health indicators (preterm birth, low birthrate, NICU access) or should the focus remain solely on material health outcomes and access?

Answer: Offerors should propose whatever data they find necessary to achieve the requirements of the RFP scope of work.

7. Is there an existing provider directory or GIS mapping resource that the contractor should use or update?

Answer: No, these resources do not currently exist.

8. Will DOH provide access to state datasets such as birth records, Medicaid claims or hospital discharge data?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health.

9. Will tribal health data be available and what is the process for accessing it?

Answer: The Offeror should propose how they will access Tribal health data.

10. Are there existing advisory groups or task forces the contractor is expected to coordinate with?

Answer: The assessment will inform the Rural Health Transformation Maternal and Infant Health Hub Initiative, as well as the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force. Additional advisory groups or program work groups from the Division of Family and Community Health may be consulted.

11. Are there specific stakeholder groups the department requires be included such as tribal partners, hospital systems, midwives, Community Health Workers or families?

Answer: The Department of Health will connect the contractor with existing partnerships, but the proposal should clearly state which are needed to fulfill the scope of work.

12. Should engagement activities be conducted statewide, regionally or targeted to priority communities?

Answer: Offerors should propose what is needed to fulfill the requirements in the scope of work.

13. For transportation analysis, is a qualitative assessment sufficient or does the DOH want drive-time or GIS modeling?

Answer: Offerors should propose their ideas and capabilities in fulfilling the requirements of the scope of work.

14. Will the DOH provide Medicaid enrollment and claims data, or should the contractor rely on publicly available sources?

Answer: If using Medicaid data, the contractor will be responsible for accessing it through the SD Department of Social Services.

15. In the 3.0 Scope of Work Section D Insurance Coverage and Affordability are you looking for the assessment to include cost-of-care modeling or remain descriptive?

Answer: Offerors should propose their ideas and capabilities in fulfilling the requirements of the scope of work.

16. Does the DOH have existing telehealth utilization data or should the contractor collect this directly from providers?

Answer: The offeror will need to propose a plan to access telehealth usage data. The Department of Health does not collect this data.

17. Should broadband analysis rely on FCC maps, state broadband office data or both?

Answer: The offeror should propose data which will fulfill the requirements in the RFP scope of work.

18. Should the policy review include federal policies affecting maternal health or only state and local policies?

Answer: The offeror should propose what they anticipate is necessary to fulfill the RFP scope of work and a comprehensive statewide assessment.

19. Are there specific policy domains the DOH wants emphasized such as licensure, reimbursement, workforce or telehealth.

Answer: The offeror should propose what is necessary for a comprehensive assessment.

20. Does the DOH have preferred templates for the project plan, monthly reports or final assessment report?

Answer: It will be up to the offeror to propose a project plan and final assessment report structure. Department of Health will discuss specific items for the monthly report with the awarded entity.

21. What level of detail is expected in monthly reports (narrative updates, metrics, budget detail, risks etc)?

Answer: A combination of narrative, metrics, and budget detail, among other items, may be required. DOH is still awaiting federal funding guidance to finalize reporting requirements. Department of Health will discuss specific items for the monthly report with the awarded entity.

22. Will the DOH provide a project management platform or should the contractor propose one?

Answer: The contractor should propose a project management platform if they intend to use one.

23. Are indirect costs capped at a specific rate?

Answer: Offerors should use their organization’s indirect cost rate.

24. Does the DOH anticipate in-person meetings or site visits or is virtual participation acceptable?

Answer: There is no requirement to be on site at this time; however, the offeror should include any anticipated travel needed to complete the requirements of the project successfully.

25. Will travel reimbursements follow state rates exclusively?

Answer: For contractors, travel will not be paid as a separate line item. It should be included in the contract price.

26. Are there interim deliverables expected beyond the monthly reports?

Answer: DOH is still awaiting federal funding guidance to finalize reporting requirements. Department of Health will discuss specific items for the monthly report with the awarded entity. Applicants should clearly outline their plan to meet the requirements in the scope of work during the project timeline.

27. Will the DOH provide review and feedback on draft deliverables with a defined timeframe?

Answer: Yes, the SD DOH contact for this project will work closely with the awarded entity throughout the project period.

28. Should the contractor coordinate directly with DSS, DOH divisions, tribal health or other agencies or will the department facilitate those connections?

Answer: The SD DOH will connect the contractor to the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and other stakeholders and groups as needed, but some recruitment beyond that will be the responsibility of the contractor.

29. Are there existing interagency initiatives the assessment should align with?

Answer: The DOH contact for this project will ensure that the assessment aligns with the Rural Health Transformation Maternal Health Hub Initiative, the South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force, and other applicable maternal initiatives.

30. Is there a desired staffing structure that the SD DOH is hoping to see?

Answer: No, the SD DOH does not have a proposed staffing structure.

31. What resources in the Division of Family and Community Health work Maternal health? Will they be a resource for the contractor?

Answer: DOH staff will work closely with the awarded entity to offer as many resources as possible such as data and connections to known stakeholders, community members, and clients; however, the contractor will ultimately be responsible for securing resources needed to complete the project.

32. Will the consultant have access to interview beneficiaries (e.g., Medicaid) of rural communities? In addition, will the consultant have access to interview providers in rural communities (including midwives, doulas, family medicine providers, nurses, OB/GYNs, etc.)?

Answer: The SD DOH will connect the contractor to the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and other stakeholders and groups as needed, but some recruitment beyond that will be the responsibility of the contractor.

33. Will the consultant have access to interview members of rural communities who are not beneficiaries of state programs (e.g., Medicaid), such as individuals affiliated with state-run programs, hospitals, clinics, or other organizations?

Answer: The SD DOH will connect the contractor to the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and other stakeholders and groups as needed, but some recruitment beyond that will be the responsibility of the contractor.

34. What specific special project constraints are referred to in Section 6.0 Proposal Evaluation and Award Process: 6.1.7 Ability and proven history of handling special project constraints?

Answer: Offerors should describe any constraints they have successfully navigated in previous projects such as time, budget, or other challenges.

35. Will the consultant have direct access to state data and systems (including PHI) to inform the assessment and conduct stakeholder outreach? Will a BAA be instated?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health.

36. In Section 7.0, it states “the contractor must submit a statement in the proposal that attests to the contractor’s willingness and ability to perform the work described in this RFP for the price being offered” should this statement be included in section 5.3.4. with actual details submitted separately as requested?

Answer: Yes

37. Is there a percentage applied to each evaluation criteria mentioned in 6.1 or are all weighted equally?

Answer: Some criteria are weighted more heavily than others.

38. The length of contract is June 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027, is this intended to be the full length of the assessment? Is there a minimum amount of time you are expecting for the work?

Answer: The length of contract is the full length of time for the assessment. No minimum amount of time is specified.

39. Could the Department clarify how the postpartum period should be defined for the purposes of this assessment (e.g., specific timeframes or alignment with Medicaid/postpartum coverage definitions)?

Answer: The postpartum period could be up to 1 year past the end of pregnancy.

40. Is there an expectation to produce region-specific and/or population-specific analyses within the maternal health service mapping and environmental scan?

Answer: The offeror should propose what is adequate to fulfill the requirements in the scope of work.

41. Should the assessment include a review of national research and/or maternal health data, policies, or programs from other states to inform findings and recommendations?

Answer: The offeror should use appropriate research and data to complete an assessment that fulfills the scope of work.

42. Will the State provide access to existing internal datasets (e.g., Medicaid, vital records), or should offerors plan to rely primarily on publicly available data?

Answer: Offerors should propose using a variety of data sets needed to fulfill the scope of work deliverables. SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health will provide available data, but the offeror should propose a way to acquire other needed data sets.

43. Are data-sharing agreements currently in place to support access to secure datasets, or will a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) or similar mechanism be established? Alternatively, should the contractor be responsible for securing all necessary data access?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health.

44. Could the Department provide additional detail on what is meant by “three types of stakeholder engagement,” including any expectations for participant numbers and/or required levels of engagement for each activity?

Answer: There are no other standard requirements for community engagement beyond three types of stakeholder engagement. Offeror proposals should ensure that the assessments use various data collection efforts and engage multiple types of stakeholders.

45. For the policy review component, should offerors independently identify relevant maternal health policies, or will the Department provide a defined list of state and/or local policies (e.g., health system-specific or employer-based policies) to be included in the review?

Answer: The offeror should propose a plan for conducting the policy review.

46. Could the state please clarify the intended contract type and payment structure for this award (e.g., CPFF, Fixed Price, or T&M)?

Answer: Contractors will most likely be fee for service based on scope of work and completion of deliverables.

47. Section 1.12 states that proposals may become public information and that proprietary information may be protected under limited circumstances, including non-public financial statements. Our company considers certain detailed budget and pricing information included in the proposal to be confidential business information. Public disclosure of this information would compromise our competitive position and reveal proprietary business practices. We respectfully request confirmation that the State treat this financial information as confidential and protected from public disclosure under the “non-public financial statements” category or another applicable exemption.

Answer: The State treats all financial information as proprietary and does not release to anyone. Offerors should also clearly label information in the proposal that is proprietary.

48. Section 1.12 provides instructions for designating proprietary information. May offers submit two versions of the proposal: (1) a complete, unredacted proposal for evaluation purposes and (2) a redacted version suitable for public records requests?

Answer: Yes

49. The RFP includes the State’s standard contract terms and conditions. Could the State please clarify whether proposers should submit any requested exceptions or redlines to these terms as part of the proposal submission or if the terms and conditions will be subject to negotiation with the selected contractor following award.

Answer: Yes, include any requested exceptions or redlines with the submission. The state may find the requested changes unacceptable and will advise the offeror.

50. The RFP states that the contractor may not use subcontractors to perform services described without the express prior written consent of the State. If a subcontractor is identified in the bidder’s proposal at the time of submission, will the State consider that identification as satisfying written consent requirement?

Answer: The purpose of the RFP is to vet the contractor. Identifying a subcontractor in the bidder’s proposal does not satisfy the written consent requirement. Further subrecipient requests would be discussed with the awarded entity.

51. Could the State confirm what information is required for the monthly itemized expenditure claim and if the State could provide a template?

Answer: SD DOH is still awaiting federal funding guidance to finalize reporting requirements. SD DOH will discuss specific items for the monthly report with the awarded entity.

52. Section 5.3.2 states that the Executive Summary can only be 1-2 pages with a required list of information. Section 1.1.2 states that the Executive Summary needs to “clearly identify…any specific proprietary information they are requesting to be protected…Must contain specific justification explaining why the information is to be protected.” Given that the required content in Section 5.3.2 will utilize the available 1-2 pages, can we include the proprietary information designations and justifications as an appendix or as a continuation to the Executive Summary (labeled “Executive Summary-Proprietary Information Designations” on page 3+).

Answer: Either of these strategies to share the proprietary information will be acceptable and will not count towards the executive summary page limit.

53. The RFP’s Past Performance section requests project details such as client contact information, period of performance, and a description of services performed; however, it does not explicitly request submission of price or cost data. In contrast, the evaluation criteria indicate that past performance price and cost data will be reviewed. Can the State clarify whether Offerors are required to include price and cost data as part of the Past Performance Submission?

Answer: Record of past performance should be included but specific cost and price information is not mandatory.

54. In many cases, pricing information from prior engagements is considered proprietary and competitively sensitive. Public disclosure of this information would compromise our competitive position and reveal proprietary business practices. If the State requires submission of past performance price and cost information, can the State confirm that Offerors may designate such information as confidential or proprietary and will be afforded the opportunity to request redaction or protection from public disclosure in accordance with South Dakota public records laws?

Answer: Yes, that information will be kept confidential.

55. Section 7.0 requests information about fringe benefits, contractual/operating expenses, and administration expenses. Would the South Dakota Department of Health accept budget tables with $0.00 entries for these expenses with the explanation that it is not our company practice to disclose our (Defense Contract Audit Agency, DCAA-audited) fringe and other indirect rates?

Answer: The cost proposal must include a budget and budget narrative that clearly identifies the proposed costs and supports a timeline for utilizing funds in a timely manner. Offerors may use their own template if it fulfills these requirements.

56. Section 2.4- What is a “state signed voucher?”

Answer: It is part of the state’s internal process for processing invoices.

57. Point of clarification: Section 2.6.D refers to the Business Automobile Liability Insurance coverage needs. Can you clarify that this applies only to companies with company owned automobiles?

Answer: Yes, it applies only to companies with company owned automobiles.

58. Is it permissible to spend funding on monetary incentives for survey, focus group, interview, or listening session participation?

Answer: This can be discussed further with the awarded entity if that is part of the proposal.

59. What access will contractors have to existing DOH data on maternal and child health access and outcomes after contract execution.

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health.

60. Beyond page limits described for disclosure of other RHTP funding, are there page limits associated with any other section of the offeror’s proposal.

Answer: Refer to section 5.3 for page limits on the executive summary. Beyond that, there are not page limits; however, offerors should be as succinct as possible while meeting requirements in the RFP.

61. Section 5.3.3.2- Can you clarify that the “requirements being addressed as enumerated in the RFP” are items 3.0 A-K?

Answer: That is correct.

62. Section 6.1.3- can you clarify how “price and cost data from previous projects” should be specified in the proposal?

Answer: The offeror should determine their preferred method of sharing past performance in the proposal. Price and cost data are not mandatory.

63. The 2025 MCH Needs Assessment, which includes maternal and infant health, was informed by a recent, comprehensive survey of healthcare providers, parents, and tribal community members. Will the selected consultant be granted access to relevant partner meeting notes, detailed assessment reports, and underlying survey data to support their work?

Answer: Yes, the Division of Family and Community Health (DOH) will provide relevant MCH needs assessment data.

64. The 2025 MCH Needs Assessment identified several priority needs, including improved access to prenatal care, lactation services, wraparound supports (e.g., transportation), and mental health care. Is the Department of Health seeking a more targeted or in-depth assessment beyond the findings of the 2025 MCH Needs Assessment? If so, are there specific focus areas, populations, or levels of detail the Department would like the consultant to explore within these identified priority areas?

Answer: MCH Needs Assessment Data will be available to the awarded vendor, but the scope of this RFP is separate from the MCH Needs Assessment.

65. Section 3.0 requires that vendors outline their “plan, ability, and strategy” to conduct a data review. As part of this review, vendors must “compile and analyze existing data on maternal health outcomes and service access,” which includes review of state program data. What specific program data will the State make available to vendors, and how will this data be shared? Does the State have expectations (contractual or otherwise) regarding storage of this data and how the data will be accessed?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health. Offerors should propose preferred method for sharing and storing data. This will be discussed with the awarded entity during the contract negotiation.

66. Section 3.0 requires that vendors outline their “plan, ability, and strategy” to conduct stakeholder engagement. Can proposed stakeholder engagement activities be conducted virtually, or does the State have specific expectations regarding in-person/onsite activities? If in-person/onsite activities are required, will vendors be responsible for associated costs (e.g., venue, A/V, etc.) or will State facilities be made available?

Answer: There is no requirement to be on site at this time; however, the offeror should include in their proposal any anticipated travel needed to complete the requirements of the project successfully.

67. Section 3.0 lists key deliverables associated with the scope of work. Can the State confirm that this is the section/information that we should use for the point-by-point response (Section 5.3.3.2) to these items?

Answer: That is correct.

68. Is it expected that each letter and subletter be addressed individually?

Answer: Applicants should clearly outline their plan, ability, and strategy to meet the requirements of the project outlined in section 3.0.

69. In addressing K. Key Deliverables, is the expectation that we provide an actual/sample project plan and timeline?

Answer: Applicants should clearly outline their plan, ability, and strategy to meet the requirements of the project.

70. Section 6.1.5 notes that evaluators will considering several criteria in their review, including “availability to the project locale.” Can the State please provide an estimated, not to exceed number of in-person/onsite meetings that vendors may be required to attend under this scope of work?

Answer: There is no requirement to be on site at this time; however, the offeror should identify any anticipated travel needed to complete the requirements of the project successfully.

71. In lieu of breaking out costs by personnel, fringe, travel, training, supplies, operating, administrative costs, etc., would the State consider allowing the bidders to simply provide a fully loaded fixed hourly rate or blended hourly rate?

Answer: Yes, this is acceptable; however, offerors should clearly outline in the proposal how the budget aligns with the expenses needed to complete the scope of work.

72. Are there specific statewide or regional provider networks, professional associations, or community coalitions the Department recommends engaging early to support recruitment for surveys, interviews, or focus groups?

Answer: The offeror should propose networks, associations, and coalitions that would be important to engage in this assessment process. The SD DOH will provide introductions to current partners and stakeholders once the project has started.

73. What state-held datasets (e.g., vital records, PRAMS, Medicaid claims, hospital discharge data) will be available to support this assessment?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH Division of Family and Community Health.

74. Beyond Department leadership and the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force, are there additional audiences this assessment should be designed to inform (e.g., legislators, providers, community organizations)?

Answer: The intent of the report is to be made publicly available for all audiences.

75. While the RFP emphasizes cross-agency collaboration, are there specific agencies or systems the Department sees as particularly critical to engage early in this assessment?

Answer: The offeror should outline critical partners in their proposal. SD DOH will discuss this further with the awarded entity during the planning phase of this project.

76. What contextual factors, such as current legislative priorities, funding opportunities, or system transformation efforts, should we be mindful of as we frame findings and recommendations?

Answer: SD DOH will work with the awarded vendor during the project period to share any relevant priorities for framing findings and recommendations.

77. Is there a limit on indirect costs?

Answer: Offerors should use their organization’s indirect cost rate.

78. Does the State expect that the offeror will provide any routine or ad hoc claims analysis using raw claims data?

Answer: The offeror should propose data sources for the assessment that fulfill the scope of work and will be available to the offeror.

79. For stakeholder engagement, can the State clarify whether it will facilitate introductions and scheduling with stakeholders (e.g. providers, community organizations, state agencies), or is the contractor expected to independently recruit all participants?

Answer: The SD DOH will connect the contractor to known stakeholders and other groups as needed, but some recruitment beyond that will be the responsibility of the contractor.

80. Is there a minimum or expected geographic granularity (e.g. county, service area, frontier/rural classification) for the assessment of access to clinical care and workforce capacity?

Answer: There is no minimum outlined in the RFP.

81. Please clarify whether the requirement in Section 5.3 that proposals be “organized and tabbed with labels” refers to the physical PDF page dividers, clearly labeled section headers/bookmarks, a linked table of contents, or another preferred formatting approach?

Answer: Offerors may choose their preferred organization method to clearly outline the major sections listed in 5.3.

82. How does this proposed maternal health landscape assessment included in RFP# 26-09RHT-013 relate to the Maternal Health Initiative statewide strategic plan?

Answer: The maternal health landscape assessment fulfills activities on the Maternal and Infant Health Strategic Plan.

83. We are seeking some additional insight on stakeholder engagement as it relates to this project.

a. What are South Dakota DOH’s primary goals, objectives, and expectations?

b. We see stakeholder engagement described in 3.A.b and 3.I. However, there is not a key deliverable in 3.K for stakeholder engagement. Can South Dakota DOH confirm, or correct, this understanding:

i. The “plan” referenced in 3.I. is incorporated into the project plan referenced in 3.K.a.?

ii. Stakeholder engagement is considered one of the methods for the landscape assessment referenced in 3.K.c?

Answer: Section 3 A-J should all be incorporated into the Maternal Health Landscape Assessment. Stakeholder engagement is one of the methods for collecting the information for the assessment and is important to ensure that a wide range of feedback, perspectives, and data is collected.

84. Has South Dakota DOH conducted initial maternal health stakeholder engagement (for example, with the Maternal & Infant Health Task Force)? If so, will those findings be available to the contractor developing the maternal health landscape assessment?

Answer: SD DOH staff will work closely with the awarded vendor to share all relevant reports and assessments.

85. Will the final presentation to state leadership and stakeholders be an internal state briefing or a public webinar where South Dakota DOH will require webinar capabilities/meeting management from the contractor?

Answer: This has not been determined yet.

86. Are there specific milestones South Dakota DOH is looking to accomplish through the 16 months not specified in the RFP?

Answer: The main deliverables are outlined in the RFP. More specific milestones may be determined with the awarded entity.

87. Is South Dakota DOH open to a shortened project timeframe, assuming work still begins in June 2026 and all deliverables are met?

Answer: Yes.

88. Does South Dakota DOH have a preference on where the contractor’s three previous and current service/contracts should be in the RFP response? Should these be included in an appendix or the primary RFP response?

Answer: Either option is acceptable.

89. Can South Dakota DOH share the preferred Excel Budget template for RFP responses or does South Dakota DOH prefer contractors create their own budget template?

Answer: Offerors should follow the requirements in section 7.0 of the RFP but may use their own budget template.

90. Is South Dakota DOH amenable to a cost proposal that presents the proposed budget by deliverables, instead of staff hours and hourly rates? As we expect this will be deliverables-based, flat fee arrangement (and not an hourly arrangement), this will better support South Dakota DOH in evaluating the project costs.

Answer: Yes, this is acceptable; however, offerors should clearly outline in the proposal how the budget aligns with the expenses needed to complete the scope of work.

91. Will the awarded contractor be granted direct access to state-owned data sets (e.g., Medicaid claims data, vital statistics, or existing program data), or should the assessment rely strictly on publicly available datasets?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH.

92. Are there any recent, existing baseline reports or preliminary assessments from the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force that will be provided to the contractor to avoid duplication of effort?

Answer: SD DOH staff will work closely with the awarded vendor to share all relevant reports and assessments.

93. Given South Dakota's demographics, to what extent should the assessment focus specifically on Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities and tribal communities?

Answer: All relevant data should be considered to complete a comprehensive statewide assessment of maternal health access and services.

94. Regarding the requirement to incorporate at least 3 types of stakeholder engagement, does the DOH have existing advisory boards, patient networks, or provider lists (such as the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force) that the contractor can leverage, or is the contractor expected to recruit all participants de novo?

Answer: The SD DOH will connect the contractor to the Maternal and Infant Health Task Force and other groups as needed, but some recruitment beyond that will be the responsibility of the contractor.

95. Does the state have a preference or requirement for geographic representation (e.g., specific quotas for East River vs. West River communities) or in-person versus virtual formats for the stakeholder listening sessions and focus groups?

Answer: No, but the offeror should propose a well-rounded statewide assessment utilizing multiple data sources and perspectives.

96. Are there required completion dates for the key deliverables? (the contract period is June 1, 2026 - Sept 30, 2027, but is there a date for the project plan, assessment report, final report, and final presentation) Answer: Those dates have not been determined yet and will be finalized with the awarded offeror.

97. What access to state-held data will the contractor receive? Will the state facilitate data-sharing agreements or access to protected claims/enrollment data?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH.

98. For insurance coverage and affordability, should the analysis include claims/utilization analysis?

Answer: The offeror’s proposal should outline how they plan to address this area in the scope of work.

99. How actionable should recommendations be? Should the final report include a prioritized implementation roadmap, estimated cots ranges, sequencing, responsible agencies, and short/medium/long-term actions, or only strategic recommendations?

Answer: This is negotiable. Offerors should propose based on their expertise and capacity.

100. Are stipends/incentives for participants allowable under the budget?

Answer: This can be discussed further with the awarded entity if that is part of the proposal.

101. Are there certain populations, regions, or other high-interest demographics to focus on?

Answer: The offeror should determine and propose what is needed to complete the assessment.

102. Could DOH clarify if they would like vendors to submit the Disclosure of RHT funding information in a separate PDF document from their proposals, or include the disclosure within their proposal response? If vendors should include it in their proposal response, does DOH have a specific section they would like vendors to include it in?

Answer: The disclosure can be addressed within the proposal response in the Detailed Response section.

103. Could DOH clarify the time that the proposal is due on April 10, 2026.

Answer: Proposals are due no later than 11:59PM CT April 10, 2026.

104. Does the State require the contractor to be on-site for specific deliverables, activities, or project milestones? If not, should the contractor plan for a designated number of on-site visits (e.g. project kick off, stakeholder engagement, review of final deliverables, project closeout)?

Answer: There is no requirement to be on site at this time; however, the offeror should include any anticipated travel needed to complete the requirements of the project successfully.

105. Does the state anticipate any costs associated with obtaining the data referenced in Section 3.0 Scope of Work, Part B: Data Review and Environmental Scan? If such costs exist, should the contractor include these expenses in the cost proposal, or will the State provide the data at no cost?

Answer: SD DOH does not anticipate any costs for its own data; however, offerors should account for expenses related to other data in their cost proposal.

106. Does the State currently have access to translation, interpretation, and/or transcription services that may be used in support of this project? If yes, will there be any associated cost to the contractor for leveraging these State provided services? If not, should the contractor budget for procuring these services independently?

Answer: No, the offeror should include this in their proposed budget if needed.

107. Is there an existing, up-to-date repository of maternal health data (e.g. reports, research studies, program data, dashboards, or other publicly available datasets) that the contractor can leverage for the Data Review and Environmental Scan? If so, will these resources be identified or made available to the selected contractor, or is the contractor expected to identify and compile these data sources as part of initial discovery?

Answer: Some maternal health data is publicly available on the SD DOH website or other websites. Beyond that, DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share additional data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH.

108. How does the state envision the maternal health service landscape being mapped (e.g. narrative summary, geographic mapping, service inventory, or visual diagrams) for the Data Review and Environmental Scan? Are there preferred methodologies, tools, or deliverable formats the State expects contractors to use or align with?

Answer: Offerors should outline their preferred method and capability to map the current maternal health service landscape.

109. Is there an existing stakeholder register or directory the State maintains that identifies public and private entities involved in maternal health service delivery (including contact information and state or regional locations) that the contractor can leverage for engagement, communication, and discovery activities. If not, to what extent is the contractor expected to identify, develop, and maintain this stakeholder information as part of the assessment effort?

Answer: SD DOH will help provide contacts to maternal health stakeholders but a comprehensive directory would need to be developed by the contractor.

110. Could DOH clarify if the disclosure of RHT funding applied for within the state of South Dakota or any other state is inclusive of consulting services (i.e. consulting services proposed in response to RHTP RFPS)?

Answer: Yes, please disclose any opportunities applied to that utilize Rural Health Transformation funding.

111. Does SD DOH expect the vendor to work onsite and if so, what amount of time should we plan to be in person?

Answer: No, the awarded offeror does not need to work onsite.

112. Could SD DOH provide a proposal evaluation rubric that includes the criteria and associated weights for how you will evaluate the submitted proposals?

Answer: No, the evaluation rubric will not be shared. Please refer to the RFP for evaluation criteria.

113. Will SD DOH use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the evaluation and scoring of the submitted proposals?

Answer: No, AI will not be used to score or evaluate proposals.

114. Would you like us to submit full resumes of our proposed staff?

Answer: The offeror should submit detailed information related to the experience and qualifications, including education and training, of proposed personnel (section 6.3).

115. If the release of the Q&A is delayed for any reason, would SD DOH consider extending the deadline to allow for at least five business days between the release of answers to the questions and the proposal submission date?

Answer: The answers to all questions will be posted by the date indicated on the RFP.

116. RFP section 5.3 shows the required organization of the proposal. Please indicate where the bidder’s response to RFP section 4.3 should be placed in the bidder’s proposal.

Answer: Section 4.3 and any other sections not explicitly mentioned can be placed in the Detailed Response (5.3.3).

117. Is SD DOH expecting a narrative response to RFP Section 6.2 and 6.3 to be included in a bidder’s proposal as separate sections or is this intended to reinforce the expectation of emphasizing experience and qualifications throughout the technical proposal?

Answer: Offerors may decide the best way to demonstrate Sections 6.2 and 6.3 in the proposal.

118. When you say, “Offerors may submit multiple cost proposals,” do you mean alternate pricing scenarios (e.g. Firm Fixed Price or Time and Expense)?

Answer: SD DOH typically operates contractors on a fixed firm price agreement but time and expense can also be submitted. It is most important that the cost proposal clearly outlines how the proposed costs will support completing all deliverables in the project timeline. Multiple costs proposals are not mandatory.

119. If multiple cost proposals are submitted, will the state evaluate and score them all, or will the state select one scenario and evaluate (e.g. lowest cost, best value, or vendor-recommended)?

Answer: Multiple cost proposals are not mandatory. If an offeror has a cost proposal they prefer, that should be noted on the submission.

120. Does SD DOH have a preference for either Fixed Firm Price or Time and Expense?

Answer: SD DOH typically operates contractors on a fixed firm price agreement.

121. For the cost proposal, other than dollar values, can you clarify what you mean by “must describe the following elements”. A. Personnel salary, B. Fringe Benefits, C. Travel/Training of Personnel, D. Other: Supplies (office supplies, postage, printing), contractual/operating (phone, rent for office space, etc.), Administration (administrative fees, indirect costs at flat rate or percentage.

Answer: The cost proposal must include a budget and budget narrative that clearly identifies the proposed costs and supports a timeline for utilizing funds in a timely manner.

122. What level of recommendations, related to Scope of Work J.b., detail is expected? (high level strategy or operational implementation steps).

Answer: This is negotiable. Offerors should propose based on their expertise and capacity.

123. Will the contractor have access to SD Medicaid enrollment and claims data for the maternal population?

Answer: The offeror should propose a way to access SD Medicaid data from the Department of Social Services if needed for the assessment.

124. Will the contractor have access to the internal Department of Health data and/or existing maternal health epidemiologists to complete the assessment?

Answer: DOH anticipates having a business associate agreement with the awarded offeror to facilitate data sharing needed for pieces of the assessment. The Division of Family and Community Health may be able to share data from the 2025 Maternal Child Health Needs Assessment, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, mortality review data, and other maternal child health programmatic data. DOH can help facilitate data sharing conversations with other stakeholders, but offerors should propose a plan to acquire other data sources not owned by the SD DOH. The contractor may be introduced to DOH epidemiologists but the contractor should propose their own staff to complete the assessment and any data analysis needed.

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