AN22--Speech and Voice Assessment Services (Research)

Regional Procurement Office (RPO) - East intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Vikram Srinath, East Windsor, New Jersey to purchase specialized voice and speech articulation services according to protocol specifications established with the funding agency (VA Rehab R&D) for the VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain. Services are necessary to assess voice characteristics, resonance, and speech articulation according to protocol specifications established with the funding agency (VA Rehab R&D) for the research project entitled An RCT of a Telemedicine Intervention for Hypokinetic Dysarthria in PD (IRB#1599876).

STATEMENT OF WORK

Background and Scope

Requirements: An individual who has demonstrated a high reliability of measurement and a proven record of carrying out the research study protocol and quality control procedures is required. This individual shall have the necessary voice and speech assessment experience for the research protocol that the study is following, which has been established with the VA funding agency. This individual shall have completed the required training program and be certified to perform the research ratings. This individual shall perform the following:

Assess voice and speech characteristics

The contractor shall evaluate and determine voice and speech severity ratings of research subjects using an interval scale following VA approved research specifications. These ratings will be done on a variety of voice and speech tasks by research participants, including sustained phonation (isolated sustained vowels), paragraph reading (Rainbow passage), and spontaneous monologue (self-selected topic for 60 to 90 seconds). Severity ratings will be based on voice characteristics (e.g., loudness, hoarseness), resonance (e.g., hypernasality), and speech articulation (e.g., consonant precision). A severity scale ranging from none (0) severe (5) will be used to rate articulation, voice, and resonance for each of the three tasks.

The contractor shall follow a very precise research protocol including the use and application of a novel interval scale for dysarthria; the order and difference between response options is well understood by the contractor. This research approach is in contrast with the clinical approach, e.g., typically using a free form or nominal scale of measurement.

Quality control of voice and speech measurements

Delivery: Services are required Monday through Friday, 7:00am until 3:30pm or as arranged with the lab. The duty station will be the Jamaica Plain facility of VA Boston Healthcare facility located at 150 Huntington Avenue. Services in support of delineated requirements shall be performed over the period of the contract starting from the effective date.

Performance under this contract is subject to all VA and VHA regulations and policy without limitation as to those now in effect or as may be established.

Performance under this contract is subject to the oversight of the VA Study Principal Investigator in consultation with the COR.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Any responsible sources who wish to identify their interest and capability to provide services must notify this Contracting Officer at Millicent.Covert@va.gov NLT Monday, April 10, 2023, by 11:59 AM EST. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Upon receipt of the interested parties' notification, the Contracting Officer will determine whether to conduct a competitive procurement or proceed with sole source negotiations.