RFI S24CHSWC001

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) designated S24CHSWC001 seeking qualified contractors to conduct a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) presumption and claims. The study will specifically focus on PTSD claims for firefighters, peace officers, fire and rescue service coordinators, public safety dispatchers, telecommunicators, and emergency response communication employees. Key procurement dates include the RFI release on November 27, 2024, with questions due by January 3, 2025, answers released by January 10, 2025, and final RFI responses due by March 7, 2025. The subsequent contract will have a 22-month term with two major deliverables: a claims data analysis report due December 31, 2025, and a presumption effectiveness report due January 1, 2027. Contractor qualifications must include proven experience in workers' compensation research, public safety officer issues, statistical analysis, and handling confidential government data. Evaluation criteria will encompass management plan, methodology, work plan/schedule, personnel qualifications, and cost. Importantly, this RFI will be used to develop specifications and cost estimates for a future competitive solicitation, with no contract awarded directly from this RFI.

While the RFI does not explicitly specify set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, it requires contractors to provide voluntary, non-binding cost information that comprehensively covers personnel, labor, subcontractors, materials, travel, reports, and all other necessary work components. The document does not mention incumbent vendors or existing infrastructure requirements, nor does it provide explicit budget ranges or potential award values. Contractors will be expected to submit detailed cost proposals that reflect the extensive research and analytical work required for the two-phase PTSD claims and presumption effectiveness study. The research will involve in-depth examination of workers' compensation claims data related to PTSD for specified public safety personnel, necessitating robust statistical analysis and potentially complex data processing capabilities. Respondents should be prepared to demonstrate significant expertise in workers' compensation research, data analysis, and handling sensitive government information to be considered competitive for this potential future solicitation.