Questions and Answers.docx

Questions received for Broadcast Media Monitoring Solicitation: Reference Number W497488Y

1. Questions: Is the 2 page limit mentioned in the Instructions, (referenced below) for combined Technical and Past performance or 2 pages each?

Answer: Both the technical and the past performance must be included in the two pages.

2. Question: Is the language to be monitored English only?

Answer: English is required, additional languages would be a “nice to have”

3. Question: Is the coverage U.S only?

Answer: Yes

4. Question: Is there an incumbent, or is this a new effort?

Answer: This is new

5. Question: Do you require monitoring of online social media and related content?

Answer: No

6. Question: Is the intent of this solicitation to put in place a low-cost "self-administered" tool, or do you require a managed service which includes functionality such as statistics and related measurements, demographics and sentiment analysis?

Answer: Low-cost “self-service” tool.

7. Question: In the SOW it states "Within the Office of External Affairs, the Public Affairs Division is responsible for the monitoring, archiving, and measurement of media representation, which includes broadcast TV, radio, and cable news media." Is it an oversight that radio was not mentioned for coverage? If it is not an oversight, will there be a separate award to cover comprehensive radio monitoring for FEMA? There will not be a separate award.

Answer: It is recognized that radio coverage is difficult and that some companies offer limited radio coverage along with TV coverage of all markets. However, similar to the explanation about language, radio would be “nice to have” as well.

8. Question: Is there a list of specific TV stations and radio stations(Depending on response to Q1) that must be monitored? If so, will the bidders receive this list of stations?

Answer: There is a need to cover all markets in the U.S.

9. Question: Are there specific languages that must be monitored? If so, will the bidders receive this list of languages?

Answer: English

10. Question: Will the TV station and radio station feeds be provided to the successful bidder?

Answer: No

11. Question: Is it sufficient to provide Line 21 text which is not accurate full-length transcripts of text matching the words spoken in the original language (i.e., Spanish, English (Depends on answer to Q4))? OR do you require full-length transcripts of text translated to always be in English?

Answer: Both Line 21 and full-length transcripts translated to English

12. Question: By "Transcripts", do you mean that all archived material needs to be transcribed to text? OR only requested search results need to be transcribed to text?

Answer: Only requested search results.

13. Question: Are there any foreign TV or radio stations that require monitoring? If yes what are they?

Answer: No

14. Question: What are the weightings on the evaluation procedures (Price,Tech capability, past performance)? Should Price be number 1 before technical capability?

Answer: Evaluations are being conducted in accordance with FAR subpart 13.106-2.

15. Question: Are you currently using a broadcast monitoring service accessible via the Internet? If yes, can you tell me what it is?

Answer: No

16. Question: What is the end date of the Service?

Answer: The performance period for this subscription is one year from the date of the subscription initiation, with three (3) annual options years.

17. Question: How are you currently archiving the broadcast content?

Answer: We are not

18. Question: In the SOW it states, “This on-going requirement has FEMA External Affairs staff deployed to Joint Filed Offices (JFO), who continually monitor local broadcast media news reports as they relate to agency operations in the field. In addition, requirements are needed at the FEMA Headquarters to update and standardize a method for capturing local broadcast news from a JFO as well as nationally broadcast news and cable outlets.” It seems that your staff will still monitor, but the contractor shall manage the information, and create the most efficient way for you to use. Is this the case? Or shall the contactor take over the monitoring as well?

Answer: No, the intent is for staff to monitor the contractor’s daily alerts to FEMA news mentions in broadcast media and allow staff to acquire news clips from the contractor’s service as desired.

19. Question: Radio broadcasts are not so easy; will your staff capture those as well?

Answer: It is recognized that radio coverage is difficult and that some companies offer limited radio coverage along with TV coverage of all markets. However, similar to the explanation about language, radio would be “nice to have” as well.

20. Question: The place for performance says DC; it will be more cost effective for us to manage at our location is this possible?

Answer: As this is expected to be an on-line service, cost effective location would be expected.

21. Question: In the SOW it states that you will want statistical facts reported out, how often should we have this data available?

Answer: The preference would be for FEMA to generate statistical information through on-line reporting we could generate ourselves and not staff out this function.

22. Question: We understand that you currently have a tool and would prefer to not create a new one. Should we use your tool, can we have access at our location to manage?

Answer: We do not currently have a tool that allows on-line monitoring.