Increasing the Effectiveness of ETA Activities Through Peer Review of Research Products and Relevant Staff Training

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) recognizes the growing need to raise the effectiveness of its programs by incorporating evidence-based practices in its policy development, program designs, provision of technical assistance and other program-related activity.  Under this contract, the contractor will assist ETA by performing and organizing peer reviews of selected projects, conducting a review of ETA's evaluation projects and annual spending plans and creating and delivering a program staff briefing that will impart an understanding of evidence-based practices and how they apply to the implementation of ETA's strategic workforce development priorities.

All contractors responding to this announcement must demonstrate their experience in successfully doing the aforementioned work.  Please be advised that the following factors will be used to gauge the capability of a firm who responds to this request for information.  Accordingly, a firm's capabilities statement should address:

1. 
   
2. Demonstrated independence from past or current ETA-sponsored evaluations or non-ETA funded studies that present potential conflicts of interest that could interfere with the contractor's capability for providing high-quality and impartial assistance.  Contractors must also confirm that they intend to have no connection to ETA-sponsored or subject-related evaluations that are proposed or under consideration for the future.
   
3. Demonstrated experience providing OMB and Federal agencies clear, practical resources that agencies can use to advance rigorous evaluations and effective uses of rigorous evidence to improve program performance.  This experience must be include reviewing studies similar to those proposed for review by ETA, and must include the provision of feedback on strengths and weaknesses.
   
4. Demonstrated experience providing policymakers and practitioners with information on 'what works' through established protocols and connections with those policymakers and practitioners, such as dedicated websites, for the purpose of improving social program performance.
   
5. Direct experience translating theoretical advocacy of evidence-based practices into practical steps, in operational terms.  This includes demonstrated experience conducting training on identifying evidence-based practices and understanding the implications for program operations.