TBI Sources Sought - 75D30124Q77764.pdf

CDC TBI Maintenance and Support – Sources Sought May 02, 2024

Sources Sought - TBI Maintenance and Support - May 02, 2024

Sources Sought - Introduction

This is a general sources sought. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified large and small business sources, (2) their size classification relative to the North American

Industry Classification System (NAICS) for the proposed acquisition, (3) the small business classification of any small businesses responding, (e.g. HUBZone, SDVOSB, VOSB, SDB, 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB), and (4) any contracting methods or vehicles that any responding business may be available on (e.g. GSA

MAS, GWACs, open market, etc.). Your responses to the information requested will assist the

Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible.

The Government will not reimburse for any information and all costs associated with responding to this sources sought will be solely at the interested parties’ expense. Not responding to this source sought does not preclude participation in a future solicitation if one is issued.

1) Capability Requirements, Responses & Submission Instructions

a) Capability Requirements:

To be deemed capable of providing the required services, interested parties must submit a written capability statement. Organizations that submit statements in response to this notice will be evaluated against the following technical areas of experience and expertise:

1. Proven organizational experience:

The offeror shall demonstrate a minimum of 3 years of experience with testing and expanding development and dissemination of educational trainings and tools (website content, online training courses, etc.), assessment and implementation of effective policies and clinical guidelines, audience research, and enhanced dissemination of information to emerging and at-risk groups. Dissemination of information may include social media and developing new channels and partnerships to help improve awareness of public health programs.

2. Proven infrastructure and resources:

The offeror shall demonstrate the existence of infrastructure, availability of staffing and other resources sufficient to perform all tasks described without delay or break in service. This includes: a strong communication services contractor who has existing relationships with the specified industry and experience in leveraging education to advance public health goals; a vendor with a strong infrastructure and deep experience in communication strategy to best determine and to implement the requirements of a contract.

b) Responses:

Interested parties believing that they possess the expertise and experience to meet the Government's needs described above and below are invited to submit a capability statement with their technical and management capabilities addressing the requirements.

Interested parties are requested to include the following information in their response:

1. Company name, address, phone number;

2. UEI and CAGE Code as registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.Sam.gov/;

3. Business size and Classification (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) pursuant to the applicable

NAICS code of 611710 [Educational Support Services], and 611430 [Professional and

Management Development Training];

4. Small Business Administration Business Opportunity Specialist (name, email address, phone number) if applicable.

5. Point(s) of contact including e-mail addresses and telephone numbers for contacts.

6. Contract vehicles (if any) the interested party is available on. (E.g., GSA, MAS, GWAC, IDIQ, etc.)

c) Submission Instructions:

Responses are due via email on or before the response due date to Brian Swann, email address:

qty0@cdc.gov. Only emailed responses will be accepted.

Copy and paste into subject line: Response to Sources Sought for TBI Maintenance and Support

Responses are limited to 10 pages, 11pt Times New Roman font. Responses greater than 10 one-sided pages will not be considered.

Late responses will not be accepted.

1. Purpose

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is issuing this sources sought to conduct market research and obtain feedback from industry regarding the CDC’s desire to continue improving its efforts to reduce the burden of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among Americans by advancing awareness, education, and use of evidence-based interventions. A particular focus is given to efforts focused on emerging, priority, or at-risk groups.

2. Background

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury that affects how the brain works. It may be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating injury (such as from a gunshot) to the head. There are three main types of TBI: mild TBI or concussion; 2) moderate TBI, and 3) severe TBI. Depending on the severity of the injury, those who get a TBI may face health problems that last a few days or the rest of their lives. For example, a person with a mild TBI or concussion may experience short-term symptoms and feel better within a couple of weeks or months. A person with a moderate or severe TBI may have long-term or life-long effects from the injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to reduce the burden of TBI through several public health approaches. This may include development educational tools and trainings, creation of clinical tools and guidelines, assessment of policies to support TBI prevention, identification and response, use of formative research, and evaluation of educational products and messages to identify effective strategies.

For 20 years, the CDC’s HEADS UP program has provided materials to key audiences who play a critical role in helping keep children and teens safe from concussions and other serious brain injuries. Initially, CDC HEADS UP materials addressed health care professionals and their important role in diagnosing and managing concussions. More recent CDC HEADS UP materials focus on sports programs and schools as key places to share messages that will help improve TBI and concussion prevention, recognition and response among children and teens.

3. Anticipated Scope of Work

The anticipated scope is inclusive of several public health approaches to address TBI. These include testing and expanding development and dissemination of educational trainings and tools (website content, online training courses, etc.), assessment and implementation of effective policies and clinical guidelines, audience research, and enhanced dissemination of information to emerging and at-risk groups.

Dissemination of information may include social media and developing new channels and partnerships to help improve awareness and prevent TBIs among Americans.

4. Tasks to be Performed

Task 1: CDC HEADS UP Maintenance and Support

1. Project Management

a. Work Plan - Following the kick off meeting, the contractor shall develop a written work plan, minimally including all essential interim and final deliverables, key staff responsible for tasks

(including contractor, CDC or other partners), schedule of key deadlines (including review cycles and absolute No Later Than (NLT) dates for key activities and deliverables) and clarifications or updates specific to each task in greater detail than may have been included in the original proposal (for COR review and correction before acceptance). The work plan must contain:

b. Monthly Reporting – Provide a monthly report including updates on the specific reports and deliverables as described in the work plan expressly broken out.

2. Social and Digital Media

a. Write and produce plain language (clear communication) digital communication products (a minimum of 2 per month), in multiple sizes and lengths (e.g., infographics, videos, gifs), to improve dissemination and reach of the CDC HEADS UP materials (online training courses, website content, etc.). Send by email each month to CDC by the 10th of each month.

b. Design/develop a minimum of 2 per month promotional materials for distribution at national conferences, trainings, and other meetings etc. (e.g., postcards, display banners, 1-page handouts, brochures, presentations, etc. Send by email each month to CDC by the 10th of each month.

c. Provide website support for CDC’s TBI and HEADS UP webpages and create up to 2 meaningful and accurate data visualizations (e.g., images, charts, tables) per month that distill science into usable images for web and social media. Send by email each month to CDC by the 10th of each month.

d. In consultation with CDC staff, implement strategies to disseminate communications products and messages through the search engine optimization and the purchase of advertisements designed to reach the targeted audiences. Send report by email each month to CDC by the 10th of each month.

3. HEADS UP Training Portal Maintenance

In accordance with CDC polices and requirements, provide technical support on the HEADS

UP webpage and CDC TRAIN course listings, including but not limited to managing inquiries and requests from users, addressing video streaming and updating CDC TRAIN course listings or source files for the course as needed, and identifying and fixing user-related issues. To work on this training, the contractor needs to be proficient in Lectora, HTML5, jQuery, Javascript, CSS, SCORM, and learning management systems, and have experience with the JW Player.

Optional Task 2: Education and Training for Emerging, Priority, or At-Risk Groups

1. Training Development

a. Develop a creative brief. The brief shall describe how the training will be consistent with other CDC TBI products, as well as user-friendly and practice-based for the emerging, priority, or at-risk group

b. Based on an approved creative brief, create a storyboard or script. The script shall be designed for a training that will last from 25-minutes to one-hour, dependent on audience needs.

c. Develop pre- and post-tests that will serve as a training evaluation to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among users of the training course

d. Create animation for the training course, build inter-active graphics components, such as practical scenarios or stories for the course as specified by CDC, and complete a test or beta version of the training.

e. Conduct usability testing with 9 or fewer members of target audience and draft a report that summarizes the findings from the testing.

f. In accordance with CDC polices and requirements (including security and privacy requirements) and based on the findings of the formative testing, finalize the course and ensure the course and any related documents are suitable for posting on federal or other websites that is accessible to people with disabilities. (See Section 508 requirements).

2. Promotion and Dissemination

a. Write and produce plain language (clear communication) digital communication products (e.g., graphics, social media gifs, and video content) (a minimum of 5) to promote the training.

b. Create a final report to contain, at a minimum, the following information: a brief description of success indicators and accomplishments during the contract, summary of deliverables submitted, and any metrics on the reach of the communication products, and graphics disseminated.

Optional Task 3: Audience Research for Emerging, Priority, or At-Risk Groups

a. In consultation with CDC staff, the contractor shall create a study protocol, study instruments, recruitment strategy, and a generic OMB package. These items shall outline how the approach to:

1) audience research, and 2) formative testing (e.g., focus groups, in-depth interview, web-based survey). Research will include a quantitative or qualitative (or mixed methods) approach. If a qualitative approach is proposed, the contractor should expect to recruit at least 45-50 participants per audience. If a quantitative approach is proposed, the contractor should expect to recruit at least 150 participants per audience. Study participants should diverse demographic characteristics

(sex, place of residence (rural/urban), and socio-economic status (e.g., education level, income level, health insurance).

b. Conduct a literature review on the latest scientific understanding around to supplement findings of audience research. The contractor shall submit a report of the findings to CDC by email within

6 months of the start of the contract period for CDC review and approval.

Optional Task 4: Communication Products and Messages for Emerging, Priority, or At-Risk

Groups

a. Create communication products and messages (graphic and animated content), a minimum of 2 per month, to reach emerging, priority, or at-risk groups. The messages and graphics should adhere to the CDC and HEADS UP campaign branding framework (as appropriate).

b. In consultation with CDC staff, implement strategies to disseminate communications products and messages through the search engine optimization and the purchase of advertisements designed to reach the targeted audiences.

Optional Task 5: Policies, Clinical Tools, and Guidelines for Emerging, Priority, or At-Risk

Groups

a. Conduct a literature review, as specified by CDC, of scientific research and evidence-based interventions to inform updates to TBI-related policies, clinical tools and guidelines for emerging, priority, or at-risk groups.

b. In consultation with CDC staff, evaluate current and emerging evidence regarding barriers and opportunities to improve implementation of TBI-related policies, clinical tools and guidelines.

c. In consultation with CDC staff, and based on evaluative findings, create at a minimum 5 tools or products to support implementation of TBI-related policies, clinical tools and guidelines.

Optional Task 6: Evaluation of Communication Products and Messages for Emerging, Priority, or

At-Risk Groups

a. In consultation with CDC staff, the contractor shall create a study protocol, study instruments, recruitment strategy, and a generic OMB package. These items shall outline how the approach to evaluate the effectiveness of communication products and/or messages designed for emerging, priority, or at-risk groups. Research will include a quantitative or qualitative (or mixed methods) approach. If a qualitative approach is proposed, the contractor should expect to recruit at least 45-

50 participants per audience. If a quantitative approach is proposed, the contractor should expect to recruit at least 150 participants per audience. Study participants should diverse demographic characteristics (sex, place of residence (rural/urban), and socio-economic status (e.g., education level, income level, health insurance).

Contract Vehicle

The Government is considering optional task format versus a single award IDIQ format where items listed as optional tasks would instead be task orders. Feedback is requested.

Anticipated Period of Performance

The period of performance is anticipated to be a base of 12 months, with a possibility of 4 option periods of 12 months each, for a maximum of 5 years.