SCOPE OF SERVICES - CSNA.pdf

Scope of Services

The Contractor shall complete a statewide, mixed-methods CSNA that produces defensible findings and recommendations grounded in primary data, secondary data, relevant research literature, MDRS program data, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. The methodology shall explicitly map all major tasks and analyses to the requirements of 34 CFR §361.29 and applicable Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) CSNA guidance.

At a minimum, the assessment shall evaluate the rehabilitation needs and service needs of the following populations and systems:

➢ Individuals with the most significant disabilities, including their need for supported employment and customized employment services;

➢ Individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals who are unserved or underserved, including people living in rural and high-poverty areas and other populations that experience barriers to access or outcomes;

➢ Individuals with disabilities served by or seeking access through the broader statewide workforce development system, including WIOA core and required partners;

➢ Youth with disabilities and students with disabilities, including their need for pre-employment transition services

(Pre-ETS), transition services, and the extent to which VR services are coordinated with transition services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);

➢ Individuals who are blind or visually impaired, including geographic access, specialized service capacity, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and employment service needs;

➢ The need to establish, develop, expand, or improve community rehabilitation programs (CRPs), service-provider capacity, and other service-delivery resources required to meet statewide needs.

Required Deliverables and Project Schedule

The Contractor shall complete the following deliverables within the stated timeframe measured from the effective date of the contract. All deliverables are subject to MDRS review and written acceptance before payment is authorized.

Deliverable Description Due Acceptance Criteria

1. Kickoff Meeting and Work Plan

Conduct a virtual kickoff meeting with MDRS leadership and the project team.

Submit a final project plan describing methodology, research questions, data sources, sampling, instruments, stakeholder engagement, accessibility, data security, timeline, and project-management checkpoints.

4 weeks MDRS-approved written work plan; methodology crosswalk to 34 CFR §361.29; draft survey, interview, focus-group, and public-forum protocols; detailed project-management checklist with milestones, subtasks, dependencies, and review points.

2. SRC Initial Meeting, Interim Data Summary, and Preliminary Gap Analysis

Present the project plan to the SRC and incorporate feedback. Complete secondary data collection and initial analysis of population, disability, labor-market, education, workforce-system, and MDRS program data. Present preliminary findings and an initial gap analysis to MDRS.

weeks

Approved source inventory;

written interim data summary;

preliminary tables and visuals;

county, district, or regional analyses where feasible; initial gap analysis with supporting evidence; SRC and MDRS meetings documented.

Deliverable Description Due Acceptance Criteria

3. Stakeholder Engagement and SRC Progress Update

Complete primary data collection, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and public forums with customers, youth and students, families as appropriate, VR staff, employers, providers, CRPs, advocacy organizations, education partners, and workforce-system partners. Present preliminary themes and progress to the

SRC.

weeks

Approved instruments and outreach plan; participation summary; de-identified respondent-level datasets and codebooks; survey results;

interview/focus-group/public-forum transcripts or detailed notes, as applicable; summary of 5-10 recurring themes; SRC progress presentation.

4. Draft CSNA Report

Submit a comprehensive draft report that integrates primary and secondary data, literature, geographic and demographic analysis, identified needs, detailed gap analysis, and draft recommendations.

weeks

Complete draft meeting MDRS content and accessibility requirements; supporting datasets, analytic files, charts, tables, maps, and appendices submitted for review.

5. Presentation of Findings to MDRS and SRC

Present the final draft findings and recommendations to MDRS Executive Leadership and the SRC. Facilitate discussion and obtain feedback for revision.

weeks

Approved presentation materials; presentations completed; written feedback log and disposition plan showing how feedback will be incorporated or otherwise addressed.

6. Final CSNA Report

Revise the report based on MDRS and SRC feedback. Deliver a publication-ready CSNA with an executive summary, prioritized recommendations, implementation guidance, accessible charts and tables, appendices, and final data documentation.

weeks

Final report and executive summary approved in writing by MDRS; all final electronic and printed products delivered in the required formats; final data files, codebooks, instruments, and project archive transferred to

MDRS.

State Rehabilitation Council Engagement

Meaningful, ongoing collaboration with the SRC is required throughout the project. The Contractor shall recognize the

SRC as a joint partner in the CSNA process and shall incorporate SRC input in project design, stakeholder outreach, interpretation of findings, identification of priorities, and review of recommendations.

➢ Initial engagement: Present the proposed methodology and work plan to the SRC after contract execution and incorporate SRC feedback before finalizing implementation activities.

➢ Ongoing collaboration: Engage with the SRC at least quarterly to review progress, share emerging findings, discuss challenges, and obtain input for subsequent phases.

➢ Final review: Present the final draft findings and recommendations to the SRC and incorporate or formally address SRC feedback before submission of the final CSNA.

Required Research Components

A. Literature Review

Conduct a thorough review of relevant research, policy analyses, federal guidance, prior CSNAs, disability-employment literature, labor-market trends, workforce-system research, and other sources needed to interpret current and emerging needs. The review shall include relevant literature published since completion of MDRS’s prior CSNA in 2024, while retaining older sources that remain authoritative or relevant.

B. Secondary Data Analysis

Use all relevant and available secondary data needed to assess statewide need, service access, equity, capacity, and outcomes. MDRS case-service and RSA-911 data and U.S. Census Bureau disability and socioeconomic data are required components. Other sources should include, as applicable, labor-market information and projections, post-school outcomes data, IDEA and Section 504 education data, Social Security disability program data, Medicaid and other public-program data, data from workforce partners, and data from disability, advocacy, provider, and employer organizations.

Analyses shall examine statewide and substate variation and, where data quality permits, disaggregate findings by geography, age, race and ethnicity, disability type, significance of disability, student/youth status, blindness or visual impairment, sex, rurality, program status, and other relevant characteristics. The Contractor shall identify limitations, missing data, and cautions for interpretation.

C. Primary Data: Quantitative Surveys

The Contractor shall propose and implement an accessible survey strategy designed to maximize statewide participation and obtain broad representation. Surveys may be administered electronically, by telephone, in person, by mail, or through a hybrid approach. All survey instruments and distribution plans must be approved by MDRS before use. At a minimum, separate or appropriately branched survey instruments shall address:

➢ VR counselors and other MDRS staff with direct knowledge of service delivery, with a target response rate of at least 50 percent;

➢ current and former VR customers, including transition-age youth and students with disabilities, with a target response rate of at least 35 percent across relevant case-status groups;

➢ employers that currently or previously employed MDRS VR customers, with a target response rate of at least

35 percent;

➢ a contractor-developed statewide sample of employers that have not hired MDRS VR customers, including employers in high-demand sectors and registered apprenticeship sponsors, with a target response rate of at least 35 percent;

➢ CRPs, service providers, and other MDRS vendors, with a target response rate of at least 35 percent; and

➢ WIOA partners, education partners, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders needed to assess coordination and system-level service gaps.

MDRS may approve alternate response-rate targets or sampling approaches when the Contractor demonstrates that the alternative is statistically and operationally justified and will produce representative, decision-useful results.

D. Primary Data: Qualitative Methods

Qualitative engagement shall be designed to achieve statewide representation across MDRS’s North, Central, and South regions and to include accessible remote-participation options where appropriate.

➢ Focus groups: Conduct a minimum of six (6) hybrid focus groups, with at least two (2) in each MDRS region.

Across the full set of groups, include individuals with disabilities, youth and students, parents or family members as appropriate, employers, MDRS staff, WIOA and education partners, CRPs, vendors, and advocacy organizations. Target 8-12 participants per group when feasible.

➢ Key informant interviews: Conduct 15-20 in-depth interviews with knowledgeable individuals from across

Mississippi. Interview guides may vary by stakeholder type and must be approved by MDRS before use.

➢ Public forums: Conduct a minimum of three (3) public forums, with at least one in each MDRS region, using accessible venues and a remote-attendance option. Forums shall supplement survey, interview, and focus-group findings and provide opportunities for direct public input.

All qualitative claims and conclusions must be traceable to documented evidence. The Contractor shall use an explicit coding and theme-development process and shall distinguish recurring themes from isolated comments.

Final Analysis and Reporting Requirements

The final CSNA shall present a statewide analysis and, to the extent supported by available data, estimate the number and distribution of individuals who may be eligible for VR services and the number and distribution of students with disabilities who may need Pre-ETS. The report shall identify geographic and population-level disparities, unmet need, service gaps, provider-capacity issues, barriers to competitive integrated employment, and opportunities for program improvement.

The final report shall include, at minimum:

➢ Executive Summary written in plain language;

➢ Introduction, background, research questions, and methodology;

➢ Literature Review;

➢ Secondary Data Analysis;

➢ Primary Quantitative Findings;

➢ Primary Qualitative Findings;

➢ Population-specific and regional analyses;

➢ Detailed Gap Analysis;

➢ Prioritized Findings and Recommendations;

➢ Implementation guidance that distinguishes immediate, near-term, and longer-term actions;

➢ Charts, tables, maps, and other visualizations that are accessible and interpretable;

➢ Methodological limitations and data-quality considerations; and

➢ Appendices containing instruments, technical notes, data-source inventories, and other supporting documentation.

Recommendations shall address, as supported by the evidence: methods for obtaining ongoing state and local input from customers and employers; staff training and professional development; VR policies and practices; service-delivery collaboration; coordination with workforce-system partners; transition and Pre-ETS coordination; supported employment and services for individuals with the most significant disabilities; outreach to unserved and underserved populations; employer engagement; and CRP/provider capacity.

Accessibility and Required Formats

All project instruments, meetings, public engagement activities, reports, presentations, websites or online forms used for the project, and electronic deliverables shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Documents shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, and applicable accessibility best practices. Electronic reports shall be delivered in accessible Microsoft Word and tagged PDF formats. Charts and graphics shall include appropriate alternative text or equivalent accessible descriptions, and report structure shall use logical headings, meaningful link text, readable tables, and plain language.

Required project materials shall include:

➢ SRC quarterly update reports: electronic copies and fifty (50) printed copies for each scheduled SRC progress meeting;

➢ Final CSNA report: fifty (50) professionally printed, spiral-bound, 8.5 x 11 copies with professionally designed covers, plus accessible Word and PDF versions; and

➢ Executive summary booklet: fifty (50) professionally printed copies, plus accessible Word and PDF versions.

Minimum Qualifications

At a minimum, the respondent must demonstrate:

➢ experience designing and completing large-scale or statewide needs assessments, program evaluations, policy studies, or comparable mixed-methods research projects for government agencies or large stakeholder systems;

➢ documented knowledge of vocational rehabilitation, disability services, the Rehabilitation Act, WIOA, 34 CFR

§361.29, and the role of the SRC in the CSNA process;

➢ capacity to conduct rigorous quantitative analysis, qualitative research, sampling, survey design, stakeholder engagement, data visualization, and actionable recommendation development;

➢ ability to conduct accessible research and engagement with individuals with disabilities and to produce Section

508-conformant deliverables;

➢ secure data-management capability appropriate for confidential and personally identifiable information;

➢ sufficient staffing and project-management capacity to meet all deadlines, including continuity of key personnel;

and

➢ at least three (3) references for comparable work, including at least two (2) current contracts or contracts completed within the past three (3) years.