Strategic Education Plan

Added: Aug 18, 2008 10:18 am

RFP EAC-RDV08-R-002



Assistance to the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to create and execute a strategic public education and outreach plan that will deliver information to voters that will enable them to successfully participate in the 2008 general election.



PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS



All proposals shall be submitted electronically to Mr. Ritchie Vinson at rvinsoneac@gmail.com by 4:00pm (Eastern Time) by September 8, 2008. Microsoft Word 2000 or above, Excel, Adobe, and Microsoft Project are the required document formats. Technical and Cost Proposals shall be submitted as separate files.



Questions will be accepted in writing only; and must be submitted by 1:00 pm (Eastern Time) on August 28, 2008.



The Commission anticipates awarding a contract to the Offeror whose proposal contains the best value to the Commission, price and other factors considered. Proposals will be evaluated using the Best Value method. The Contracting Officer may consider award to other than the lowest price Offeror or other than the highest technically rated Offeror when in the best interests of the Commission. The Commission also reserves the right to award the contract based on initial offers received, without discussion or negotiations of such offers.



TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS



In the Technical Proposal, offerors are requested to state each numbered item below, followed by the response to that item. All proposals should be as brief as possible. Please note there are page limitations for some items. Any additional materials submitted will not be considered in the evaluation.



1. Provide a project work plan that describes how the Contractor will accomplish each of the project tasks. The work plan should discuss each task beginning with 4.0, Specific Tasks. A Work Breakdown Structure should be included, along with a matrix of personnel proposed for each task that should include the labor categories and description of qualifications. Provide a one page experience summary for all senior project personnel indicating the relevance of their experience to this work. Limited to fifteen (15) pages.



2. Provide 2-3 examples of comparable work performed by your organization in the past three years. Describe how this work is relevant to the EAC work requested. Include the name of the project, the sponsor, the sponsors project manager with telephone and e-mail contact information, period of performance, and value of the award. A comparable analysis example should show that the Contractor has a demonstrated knowledge of creating strategic education plans to help organizations more effectively educate their constituents. Limited to two (2) pages per example.



3. Provide a description of the method your organization will use to ensure an unbiased and objective strategic education plan. This section of the technical proposal should address internal processes the Contractor proposes to use in addition to external (if any) review of the strategic education plan. Limited to two (2) pages.



COST PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS



The Offeror must provide the following information on the first page of the cost proposal:



1. RFP number

2. Date of submission

3. Name and address of offeror

4. Employers Identification Number (tax ID #)

5. Point of contact name, telephone, FAX, and email address

6. Remittance address, if different from Contractor address

7. Classification of business (e.g., small business; other than small business; small disadvantaged business; small woman-owned business. Indicate if self-identified or officially designated by Small Business Administration)

8. Type of business organization (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship)

9. Cognizant Federal Contract Audit Agency (if applicable)

10. Whether your organization is subject to cost accounting standards

11. Payment terms (e.g., monthly, upon completion of deliverables). Provide a completed and signed EFT form for electronic payment. This form can be obtained from Tamar Nedzar; please email Tamar at tnedzar@eac.gov

12. Proposed cost

13. Name, title, and signature of individual authorized to commit organization



Provide the breakdown of the following basic cost elements, as applicable, beginning on the second page of the cost proposal:



1. Direct labor Provide a monthly breakdown of labor hours, rates and total cost by appropriate labor category, based on your internal cost accounting system.

2. Printing Provide a breakdown of the costs to print items described in the RFP on a per unit basis.

3. Subcontracts List each subcontract, the services obtained and the amount. If any one subcontract exceeds $100,000, include the subcontractor cost proposal as an appendix.

4. Other Costs Provide total cost estimate by category (e.g., travel, computer charges, consultant services, etc.).





EVALUATION CRITERIA



These are the criteria and maximum point values that will be used to evaluate the proposals:



1. Past experience creating strategic education plans. Particular attention should be given to strategic education plans created for an audience that includes state and local elections officials and the voting public. (30 points)

2. How comprehensive the proposal is. The Contractor will be judged on how inclusive the suggested approach to crafting a strategic education plan is. (20 points)

3. Clear understanding of the political nature of federal elections, with particular attention to assuring an objective and unbiased strategic education plan. (20 points)

4. Familiarity and experience with federal agency strategic education planning, including crisis management and message development. (10 points)

5. Compliance with proposal instructions. (10 points)

6. Results of reference checks. (10 points)

a. Was work done on schedule?

b. Was work done within budget?

c. Describe quality of work product.

d. Describe working relationship.

e. Describe unique insights, value-added results that Contractor produced.







Assistance to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to create and execute a strategic public education and outreach plan that will deliver information to voters that will enable them to successfully participate in the 2008 general election.



1.0 Background: The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) established the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to assist in the administration of federal elections and to otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain federal election laws and programs. Section 206 of HAVA requires the EAC to, on an ongoing basis, disseminate to the public (through the Internet, published reports, and such other methods as the Commission considers appropriate), information on the activities carried out under HAVA.



One of the EACs main audiences is the voting public. In order to provide the most useful and effective information to this group in the run-up to Election Day, the EAC wishes to engage a contractor to provide strategic public education and outreach planning and support from date of award through January 31, 2009.



2.0 Objective: The principal objective of this contract is to assist the EAC in executing a strategic public education and outreach plan via national and local media outlets and the Internet from date of award through November 4, 2008, and to provide related media support through January 31, 2009. The objective is to expand our efforts during a presidential election year to serve as a national clearinghouse of information about voting procedures, processes and laws to educate voters.



3.0 Scope: The Contractor shall be responsible for implementing a public education and outreach strategic plan. Upon learning how the EAC currently interacts with its stakeholder groups and the media, the Contractor shall craft a list of media outlets that would most effectively deliver information to voters on a local and national level, and execute the strategy from date of award through November 4, 2008. The Contractor will also provide related media relations support as specified in the following section through January 31, 2009.



4.0 Specific Tasks:



4.1 Update the project work plan. The Contractor shall update and deliver the Project Plan no later than ten (10) days after the contract is awarded. The plan shall describe how the Contractor will accomplish each of the project tasks, and it shall include a timeline indicating major milestones.



4.2 Submit weekly progress reports. The Contractor shall submit a weekly progress report the end of each week. This report shall provide a brief summary of the activities performed and it will indicate progress against the timeline provided in the Project Plan. Any issues that could adversely affect the schedule should be identified for resolution. The Contractor is responsible for submitting a hardcopy and an electronic version (sent via e-mail) of the progress reports to the EAC Project Manager. Every two weeks, this report should also include the following information:



4.2.1 The total number of billable hours the Contractor worked the previous two weeks.

4.2.2 The tasks listed in this proposal on which that those hours were spent, and the number of hours spent on each task.

4.2.3 The titles of those who billed those hours, their billable rates, and the number of hours they billed on each reported task.



4.3 Conduct periodic briefings for the EAC. The Contractor shall periodically meet with the EAC Project Manager to discuss research findings and work progress. The Project Plan should make allowance for this activity. The number and frequency of briefings will be determined by the Contractors Project Manager and the EAC Project Manager as the work progresses. The Contractor may also be required to periodically brief the Commission on their work.



Short-Term Strategic Public Education and Outreach Plan

The tasks in this section must be completed in a short time frame intended to aid the EAC in effectively educating the voting public about election administration issues through the November 4, 2008 federal election.



4.4 Learn how the EAC currently interacts with constituent groups. The Contractor shall conduct brief interviews with EAC personnel identified by the EAC Project Manager to assess how EAC personnel provide information to and educate the voting public. The interviews should cover both the message the EAC conveys and the methods EAC personnel use to educate the voting public.



4.5 Meet with key EAC personnel and EAC-identified stakeholders to determine EACs education and outreach priorities. The Contractor shall conduct brief interviews with EAC personnel to determine how the EAC wishes to provide information to the voting public.



4.6 Identify areas where outreach and education efforts are weakest. The Contractor shall, in consultation with EAC personnel, identify major areas where the EAC needs to improve its efforts to inform the voting public of election administration deadlines, important dates, voting procedures and other related issues.



4.7 Create short-term strategic education plan. The Contractor shall craft a unified strategic education plan intended to assure that the EAC is able to effectively educate the voting public through the November 4, 2008 federal election.



4.8 Provide training to EAC staff to ensure effective and accurate communication with the public in a variety of media environments.



4.9 Execute the public education and outreach plan. While taking into consideration the resources the EAC has at its disposal during the time frame, the short-term strategic education plan shall, at a minimum:



4.9.1 Identify the most effective media to use in educating the voting public on voting issues.

4.9.2 Identify the most effective language to use in educating the voting public. The language should be consistent with how the EAC currently interacts with constituent groups and the agencys goals.

4.9.3 Plan and carry out a satellite media tour.

4.9.4 Secure local and national interviews, including the creation of backgrounders and other information needed to secure interviews.

4.9.5 Develop media contact and distribution lists that incorporate diversity, parity in geographic representation, and all forms of media.



4.10 Assist EAC personnel in fielding low-priority media inquiries: From October 20 through November 19, the Contractor shall respond to all low-priority media inquiries. Contractor shall reply to each inquiry within four hours of the EACs receiving it.



4.11 Provide 24-hour support. The EAC anticipates a higher inquiry volume immediately before and after the November 2008 federal elections. Accordingly, the Contractor shall provide 24 hour ongoing support that may include responding to inquiries, drafting press releases, scheduling speaking engagements and scheduling briefings one week before and after November 4, 2008.



4.12 Deliver media clips. The Contractor shall deliver media clips to the EAC at least once each day (in the morning) during the period of the contract. For the week before and after the election (November 4), the Contractor shall provide media clips throughout the day.



4.13 The Contractor shall provide miscellaneous media relations support from November 4 through January 31, 2009. During this period, the Contractor shall carry out, as needed, general media relations activities, including fielding low-priority questions from reporters, drafting press releases, compiling media lists and pitching and setting up interviews for EAC spokespersons, and tracking EAC and relevant election-related media clips.





5.0 Contract Type: The contract type shall be time and materials providing for acquiring these services on the basis of direct labor hours at specified fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, G&A expenses, and profit; and materials at cost, including, if appropriate, material handling costs as part of material costs.



6.0 Place of Performance: The principal place of performance will be the Contractors place of business with occasional meetings at EAC offices.



7.0 Period of Performance: The period of performance is from the date of award until January 31, 2009.



8.0 Schedule of Deliverables:

Task Completion Date

Update Project Plan (4.1) 2 days after date of award

Progress Reports (4.2) Monthly

Briefings (4.3) As required



Short-Term Strategic Education Plan

How EAC Interacts with Constituents (4.4) 5 days after date of award

Meet with personnel to identify priorities (4.5) 5 days after date of award

Identify Weak Areas (4.6) 5 days after date of award

Create Short-Term Strategic Education Plan (4.7) 10 days after date of award

Conduct spokesperson training (4.8) 7 days out from award



9.0 Inspection and Acceptance Criteria: Final inspection and acceptance of all work performed, reports, and other deliverables will be performed at the EACs office. Sarah Litton, EAC Deputy Director of Communications, shall be the Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) and will define, review and approve all work.



10.0 Invoicing: Invoices may be submitted monthly using Standard Form 1034, Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other Than Personal. Invoices shall be delivered to:

Ms. Diana Scott

Administrative Officer

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

1225 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100

Washington, D.C. 20005



11.0 Accounting and Appropriation Data: Funding is available for this contract.