Reemployment services and eligibility

The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) is seeking a qualified vendor to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program through a Request for Proposal (RFP). The procurement targets an independent contractor to design, implement, and evaluate a new intensive service component of the RESEA program, which currently serves approximately 10,000 claimants annually across 14 comprehensive SCWorks Centers statewide. The primary objectives include assessing whether intensive follow-up contact between RESEA appointments reduces unemployment benefit duration, increases post-program employment, and increases participant earnings. The contractor must employ a randomized controlled trial design with treatment and control groups, utilizing a retrospective quasi-experimental design (QED) evaluation methodology. Required deliverables include quarterly progress reports, annual interim reports, IRB documentation, staff training materials, and a final narrative evaluation report meeting Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR) standards. Proposal submissions are due October 23, 2023, at 11:00 AM ET, with questions accepted until September 14, 2023. The evaluation will be scored across three primary criteria: project plan and approach (40 points), staff qualifications and experience (40 points), and timeline for completion (15 points).

While no specific set-aside designations are explicitly mentioned, the solicitation requires substantial technical capabilities and research expertise. The contract will commence on January 16, 2024, and conclude on January 15, 2029, with an initial one-year term and four optional one-year renewal periods. No incumbent vendor is currently providing evaluation services for the RESEA program. The contractor must secure appropriate data-sharing agreements with SCDEW's Office of General Counsel and maintain compliance with information security requirements. Insurance requirements include general liability insurance with $1,000,000 per occurrence and cybersecurity/privacy insurance with $5,000,000 per occurrence and $10,000,000 aggregate limits. The contractor must account for all necessary work, including potential Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, and must be prepared to conduct at least one in-person kick-off meeting and final results presentation, with most other meetings conducted virtually. While a specific budget range is not detailed, the solicitation emphasizes fixed-price proposals and will evaluate pricing on a five-point scale as the lowest-weighted award criterion.