Statement_of_Need_for_RFQ.pdf

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Congressional Information Web Service

Statement of Need

I. PURPOSE

To obtain a subscription to a web service that will provide email alerts and timely and searchable information about congressional news and schedules, in-depth information on the policy-making process – especially the federal budget and appropriations process, legislative tracking, a searchable Congressional Record, congressional member profiles, and a documents manager for this information.

II. BACKGROUND

The Formulation and Congressional Analysis Division, under the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), has a mission to further OAR’s strong reputation for accurate, non-biased science on Capitol Hill and to other constituents while providing expert customer service to OAR’s laboratories and programs through timely responses to queries, pro-active development of materials, and strategic leadership. The work of this division includes actions such as reviewing, analyzing, and tracking legislation, drafting testimony for hearings, preparing for briefings with Members and staff, and informing scientists and managers of congressional action. To complete this work, the division requires a web service that will provide timely, accurate, and searchable information regarding congressional actions, legislation, and congressional members.

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES

To assist in performing its many responsibilities, OAR’s Formulation and Congressional Analysis Division requires a single (password protected) web service that offers all of the following information content, tools and features. Capabilities of this web service must include all of the following TASKS:

1. Six (6) licensed users in NOAA OAR along with onsite or virtual training and support (by request).

2. The ability for all users to create and easily update personal search lists (i.e. bill numbers, laws, members, floor votes and committees).

a. Users must be able to use saved lists in creating e-mail alerts, vote and member reports and for searching all available content, including global searching.

3. The ability for each registered user to create and update highly customized e-mail alerts so they receive new information pertinent to their interest areas based on their delivery preferences (including same-day availability).

a. Alert options must include keywords, bills, committees, subcommittees and members.

b. Each user must have the ability to combine separate alerts into a single e-mail alert to be delivered daily (by e-mail) at the times of their choosing (e.g., 5am, 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm and 11pm EST).

4. The ability for each registered user to annotate documents, create personal folders, save specific documents and add notes for future reference.

5. Continuous, comprehensive and nonpartisan reporting on all major congressional activity, action, floor activity, markups, hearings, and conference committee negotiations, including transcripts of events.

a. On average, not counting recess or major holidays, provider must offer an average of

30-50 copyrighted stories daily.

b. Users must be able to search news content dating back to the 1990s by keywords, bill numbers, members, committees, subjects and date.

6. Continuous advanced tracking of events around Washington and including congressional hearings and other action on Capitol Hill.

a. Event listings must include dates, times, locations, agendas, contact information and witnesses (when applicable) with a searchable archive dating back to the 1990s.

b. Event listings must integrate with electronic calendars (google) and have an automatic e-mail feature alerting users of any changes to selected events (i.e. date, time, location).

c. Must include a full-text database of committee and subcommittee hearing transcripts, searchable and alertable by keyword, bill number, member, and committee since the 1990s.

7. An online weekly publication offering in-depth stories on the congressional policy-making process with integrated access to the status of appropriations, vote charts, sidebar stories, profiles of members coded in the story, bill status charts and related documents.

a. Must include a searchable archive of prior stories dating back to the 1990s.

8. Access to comprehensive biographies of every member of Congress.

a. Biographies must provide a detailed 3-4 page summary of the member’s background, their view in Washington and overview of their district.

b. Full bio must include up-to-date staff contact and portfolio information (with office locations, titles, responsibilities, e-mail addresses and phone numbers), social media, descriptions on their states and districts, voting and electoral histories, committee assignments, government contract data, grant information, major employers, legislative priorities, interest group ratings, recent news, bills sponsored and cosponsored, floor votes, amendments offered, floor speeches and committee amendments offered.

c. Must provide the ability for users to build custom member reports for select members and profile sections.

9. Detailed fact files on members of Congress including birthdays, birthplaces, education, minorities, pronunciation guide, religions, spouses, women members, photo directory, phone, fax, rooms, web, e-mail addresses, committee rosters, seniority, military veterans, chamber seating chart, YouTube House & Senate hub, next election dates, district maps & descriptions, and updated congressional calendar.

10. A searchable database that includes email alerts and is updated daily, and includes every bill introduced in Congress and the various versions of each since the 1990s. The database must include the ability to search by keywords, bill numbers, members, committees, sponsors, chamber, legislative stage, date introduced, bill version date, appropriation bills and fiscal year.

11. A database providing status and chronologies of every bill in Congress dating back to the

1990s.

a. Must include the ability to track all draft appropriation and authorization bills for the coming year prior to introduction.

b. Capabilities must allow for e-mail alerts to be sent to users for same-day bill action based on keywords, bill number, committee, sponsors, co-sponsors, chamber, legislative stage and date introduced.

c. Legislative histories must include links to relevant information such as amendment text, news, analysis and government reports (e.g., CBO, GAO and CRS).

12. A full-text, searchable database that includes e-mail alerts and is updated daily by 9am, and includes the official Congressional Record dating back to the 1990s.

a. Must contain an abstract and allow option to search the record by keywords, bill numbers, members, publication date, chamber, Congressional Record page numbers, amendment number and Congressional Record categories (Senate Legislative Action, Senate Bills Introduced, Senate Amendments Introduced, Senate Co-Sponsors Added/Withdrawn, Senate Speeches and Inserts, Senate Reports Filed, Senate Procedural Matters, Senate Executive Communications, Senate Treaties and Nominations, House Legislative Action, House Bills Introduced, House Amendments Introduced, House Co-Sponsors Added/Withdrawn, House Speeches and Inserts, House Reports Filed, House Procedural Matters, House Executive Communications, Daily Digest (Senate and House)).

13. Daily electronic newsletter, delivered by 7 am EST, which tracks and analyzes the federal budget and appropriations process.

a. The newsletter must include updates on the status of appropriations along with in-depth news and analysis and links to source documents outlining appropriation bills and earmarks.

14. A full-text database that includes public laws dating back to the 1990s, searchable by keywords, bills, sponsors, cosponsors, words in Act name, bill enactment date and Public Law/Statutes citations. Must include full text of all public laws dating back to 1807.

15. Ability to track the impact of pending bills on current law, including links within the text of pending bills directed to the section of U.S. Code that it would modify. Ability to create custom e-mail alerts to notify users of bills that would modify certain laws that are being tracked.

Ability to compare bill versions side-by-side to quickly identify changes or differences.

IV. DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide weekly progress reports due Monday of each week that document the following for the previous week.

Deliverable Schedule Type Delivered To

Six (6) Licenses Licenses provided upon award Formal Technical Lead

Standards for Acceptance of Deliverables: The OAR/PCAD Technical Lead will review each license, to ensure it meets the salient characteristics and requirements as described in Section III.

Any technical issues will be directed to the Contractor. The Contractor shall have three (3) days to respond and correct any issues related to the issued licenses.

V. Travel The Government does not anticipate that travel is necessary for this requirement. .

VI. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this contract is for a period of twelve (12) months from date of award, with four consecutive one-year options.

VII. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The contractor shall predominately support this requirement from its own site. The subscription will be a web-based service, with staff willing to either provide virtual training or travel to Silver Spring, Maryland, for a training session.