TOAST RFI.pdf

WWC-TOAST Capability Statement Instructions, April 2022

U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

What Works ClearinghouseTM Tools, Online Assistance, Standards, and Training (WWC-TOAST)

Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Performance Work Statement (PWS)

FISCAL YEAR 2022 TRACKING IESP220088AP/ IESP220053AP

CAPABILITY STATEMENT INSTRUCTIONS

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is conducting market research to determine if sufficient interest and capability exist in the marketplace to award blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) for What Works ClearinghouseTM Tools, Online Assistance, Standards, and Training (TOAST) to compete multiple task orders between Fiscal Years 2023 and 2028 under simplified acquisition procedures (48 C.F.R. 13). This notice is NOT a request for proposals but is an invitation for potential offerors to express interest and provide information regarding their capabilities, as well as comments on a draft Performance Work Statement (PWS). Information submitted in response to this Request for Information (RFI) may be used to assist the Department in finalizing its acquisition strategy. Submission of capability statements, while strongly encouraged, is NOT a prerequisite for a prospective vendor being able to submit proposals when the WWC-TOAST solicitation is released for competition.

Disclaimer: The Department will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice in no way obligates the Government to award any contract to any interested party. Feedback will not be provided to any interested party who submits information to the Department in response to this notice.

Capability Statement Submission Deadline

The deadline for submitting capability statements and comments on the draft PWS is April 29, 2022, by 12:00 noon (EST) via e-mail to the following: Aayush.Kapur@ed.gov, and cc:

Carlina.Smith@ed.gov

Primary Point of Contact:

Aayush Kapur Contract Specialist Aayush.Kapur@ed.gov

Secondary Point of Contact:

Carlina Smith Contracting Officer Carlina.Smith@ed.gov

WWC-TOAST Capability Statement Instructions, April 2022

Capability Statement Instructions

In response to the attached draft WWC-TOAST PWS, the Department hereby solicits capability statements from both eligible, interested small businesses and larger organizations. Small businesses are encouraged to team with larger organizations, and vice versa, as needed, and appropriate to meet this requirement. Qualifications of partnering organizations may be included with each capability statement, and the same organization may be included on more than one capability statement. Capability statements must be no longer than 4 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12-point font). Vendors should provide responses addressing each of the capability statement content areas noted below.

BASIC INFORMATION

(a) Please state your business/company name, address, email address, and website.

(b) Please state your business size status (i.e., large or small) in the stated NAICS codes of

541511 and 541720, as well as all socioeconomic categories and the corresponding NAICS codes.

(c) State whether 541511 or 541720 is the most appropriate NAICS code for the WWC- TOAST contract. Should other NAICS codes be considered?

(d) State if the requirement should be set-aside for small business, and why (or why not)?

(e) State whether the classification of each subtask appropriate.

(f) Provide any comments on the draft PWS, including areas where more information or clarification would be helpful.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT CONTENT AREAS

The capability statement should describe the following for each organization on your team:

• Collective experience and skill using What Works Clearinghouse standards. Interested parties shall include the depth of expertise available staff have in applying the WWC Standards to produce products, using the Online Study Review guide to conduct reviews, and developing statistical standards.

• Sufficient corporate capacity in terms of numbers of highly skilled staff. Interested parties should describe why they have or can easily obtain a sufficient number of highly skilled staff to conduct the volume of work of task orders 1 and 2. Parties should include the number of developers available and include how many have access to the IES Data Center, understanding of the Online Study Review Guide, and experience with WWC Standards. Interested parties should state how many of their personnel possess WWC reviewer certification, by type of design standards and version number. Note: version 5.0 of the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook is expected to be released in late spring 2022 and training will be released in early 2023.

• Corporate experience conducting projects similar in nature to that described in the draft WWC-TOAST PWS. Interested parties should describe successful corporate experience with past projects that correspond with the draft PWS in terms of the tasks to be performed, complexity, and the level of effort required.

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks