Census Acquisition Information

R&D 2007 Solicitation

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DISCLAIMER Any discrepancies between the paper versions and the Internet version, the Internet versions shall prevail. All updates to the RFP will be posted on the R&D 2007 Web site. It is the vendors responsibility to check the web site on a daily basis for all amendments and updates. It is also the Offerors responsibility to acknowledge all amendments issued for this RFP in Block 14 of the SF33 with submission of a proposal.

December 21, 2001

TO ALL PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS:

The U.S. Census Bureau has a requirement for the acquisition of Research and Development (R&D) services.

The estimated value of this acquisition is $50,000,000 throughout the 60 month life of the project. This acquisition will result in multiple awards of Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery type contracts.

Proposals are due February 4, 2002.

Past Performance information is due January 20, 2002 (See Section L.22.1).

In addition, Offerors shall submit a notice of intent to propose on the solicitation by January 10, 2002 (See Section L.13).

We are also posting reading materials for your review from R&D 2002 on the web site.

Please be advised that it is the Government's expectation that numerous proposals will be received as a result of this solicitation. The Government is hereby notifying Offerors of the possibility that awards could be made without discussions. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that Offerors do not take any exceptions to the terms and conditions of the RFP and that Offerors submit their most advantageous offer with initial proposals.

In order to provide a timely response, all comments or questions are due within 10 calendar days from the release of the RFP. Please forward questions and comments via e-mail to acq.vius@census.gov (See Section L.12).

Please note that the Solicitation Number is changed to 52-SOBC-2-00001.

We appreciate and look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

Donna Souders
Contract Specialist

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Download SF-33 (Section A)*

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SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

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B.1 SCOPE

The scope of this indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, time and materials (labor hour, task order) contract is to acquire research and development (R&D) services to support the Bureau of the Census (BOC). Other direct costs (ODC’s) such as long distance travel, computer time, etc., are acceptable items to be invoiced. ODC’s shall be invoiced in accordance with the negotiated prices, terms and/or Not-to-Exceed estimates specified on individual task orders.

B.1.1 CONTRACT MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR LABOR

The minimum value of the resulting contract is $2,500.00 over the life of the contract. The maximum value of the contract(s) is $50,000,000.00. The amount of all orders shall not exceed $50,000,000.00.

B.1.2 ORDERING AUTHORITY

No work shall begin until a task order is signed by the Contracting Officer and received by the Contractor. Task orders sent to the Contractor via facsimile transmission may serve as an official "task order".

B.2 SERVICES AND PRICES -ASSESSMENT, PLANNING AND ANALYSIS

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Marketing Specialist/Researcher
5	*Senior Computer Specialist
6	*Senior Cost Analyst
7	*Management Analyst
8	Computer Specialist
9	Senior Catrographer
10	Cartographer
11	Geographer
12	Economist
13	Program Analyst

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.3 SERVICES AND PRICES -ASSESSMENT, PLANNING AND ANALYSIS

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Marketing Specialist/Researcher
5	*Senior Computer Specialist
6	*Senior Cost Analyst
7	*Management Analyst
8	Computer Specialist
9	Senior Catrographer
10	Cartographer
11	Geographer
12	Economist
13	Program Analyst

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.4 SERVICES AND PRICES -STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Mathematical Statistician
5	*Senior Statistical Programmer
6	*Senior Data Analyst
7	*Mathematical Statistician
8	Junior Mathematical Statistician
9	Data Analyst
10	Statistical Programmer
11	Principal Researcher
12	Senior Cartographer/Geographer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.5 SERVICES AND PRICES -STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Mathematical Statistician
5	*Senior Statistical Programmer
6	*Senior Data Analyst
7	*Mathematical Statistician
8	Junior Mathematical Statistician
9	Data Analyst
10	Statistical Programmer
11	Principal Researcher
12	Senior Cartographer/Geographer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.6 SERVICES AND PRICES - METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Methodologist
5	*Sampling Statistician
6	Methodologist
7	Survey Specialist
8	Graphic Artist
9	Interviewer
10	Media Specialist
11	Technical Writer
12	Labor Economist
13	Instructional Design Specialist
14	Ethnographer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.7 SERVICES AND PRICES - METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Methodologist
5	*Sampling Statistician
6	Methodologist
7	Survey Specialist
8	Graphic Artist
9	Interviewer
10	Media Specialist
11	Technical Writer
12	Labor Economist
13	Instructional Design Specialist
14	Ethnographer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.8 SERVICES AND PRICES – SURVEY ENGINEERING

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Computer Scientist
5	*Senior Information Technologist/Computer Specialist
6	Human Factor Specialist
7	Quality Assurance Specialist
8	Requirements Engineer
9	Graphic Artist
10	Media Specialist
11	Senior Cartographer/Geographer
12	Cartographer/Geographer
13	Spatial Database Developer
14	Senior Computer Programmer
15	Computer Scientist
16	Information Technology Specialist
17	Programmer
18	Technical Writer
19	Hardware Configuration Engineer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.9 SERVICES AND PRICES –SURVEY ENGINEERING

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Computer Scientist
5	*Senior Information Technologist/Computer Specialist
6	Human Factor Specialist
7	Quality Assurance Specialist
8	Requirements Engineer
9	Graphic Artist
10	Media Specialist
11	Senior Cartographer/Geographer
12	Cartographer/Geographer
13	Spatial Database Developer
14	Senior Computer Programmer
15	Computer Scientist
16	Information Technology Specialist
17	Programmer
18	Technical Writer
19	Hardware Configuration Engineer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.10 SERVICES AND PRICES -SUB-POPULATION RESEARCH

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Social Analyst
5	*Survey Methodologist
6	Sampling Statistician
7	Survey Specialist
8	Graphic Artist
9	Media Specialist
10	Interviewer
11	Sociolinguist
12	Cognitive Psychologist
13	Translator

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.11 SERVICES AND PRICES -SUB-POPULATION RESEARCH

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Social Analyst
5	*Survey Methodologist
6	Sampling Statistician
7	Survey Specialist
8	Graphic Artist
9	Media Specialist
10	Interviewer
11	Sociolinguist
12	Cognitive Psychologist
13	Translator

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.12 SERVICES AND PRICES -DATA ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

Contractor Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Subject Matter Specialist
5	*Senior Data Analyst
6	Subject Matter Specialist
7	Principal Researcher
8	Technical Writer

* Denotes Key Personnel

B.13 SERVICES AND PRICES -DATA ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

Government Site

Skill No.	Description	Price Per Hour
		Base Year	Option Yr. 1	Option Yr. 2	Option Yr. 3	Option Yr. 4
1	*Project Director
2	*Task Manager
3	*Task Administrator
4	*Senior Subject Matter Specialist
5	*Senior Data Analyst
6	Subject Matter Specialist
7	Principal Researcher
8	Technical Writer

* Denotes Key Personnel

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

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C.1 BACKGROUND

The Census Bureau's longstanding purpose has been to provide the official statistics required for effective governing. The strategic direction we have set is intended to improve the value of our contributions to the American public in general and to our customers who directly depend on our products and services.

Our core business is comprised of the conduct of large-scale surveys and censuses. This includes a full range of activities required to produce data, including survey and instrument design and data collection, processing, analysis and dissemination. To remain preeminent in this field, we must conduct research and statistical analysis constantly to support our capabilities to carry out the tasks for surveys and censuses. We must stay abreast of the latest technological advances through assessment and conduct research on the use of such technology to take advantage of its capabilities. We must be aware of our customers' and respondents' concerns and willingness to participate. We must research methodological and statistical advances that may reduce cost and resources and improve quality, especially in light of the current environment of cost effective government programs.

The Contractor(s) shall support the Census Bureau in carrying out these research and development tasks in one or more technical areas to support our desire to constantly improve our products and service to customers.

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

Six major subject areas of advisory and assistance services are required: 1) assessment, planning and analysis; 2) statistical analysis; 3) methodological research; 4) survey engineering; 5) sub-population research; and 6) data analysis and dissemination. The Contractor(s) shall furnish all management, qualified personnel, facilities, materials, hardware, software, and other contractor support services required to perform the Statement of Work/Specifications in Section C.3 for the one or more technical areas awarded to the Contractor(s).

The possible areas of work provided for each of the six major technical areas are examples of the type of work that would be sought. Other research areas are possible, but would be similar to one of the applications provided. Such research will be fairly described in the statements of work and specifications set forth in task orders.

The Government may issue a task for production purposes to deploy a successful methodological prototype system as a follow-on task to a research and development task order.

The Contractor(s) will perform all work described herein as ordered on task orders issued by the Contracting Officer. The Census Bureau shall order services by means of task orders with specifically defined scopes and schedules, as needed. It is impossible to determine the precise types or amounts of services that will be ordered during the contract term. The Census Bureau will not use this contract when it has or intends to use Government in-house resources.

C.3 STATEMENT OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

The Contractor(s) shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, services, and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the Statement of Work/Specifications as described herein.

C.3.1 ASSESSMENT, PLANNING, AND ANALYSIS

This technical area focuses on the assessment, planning and analysis of Census Bureau programs and the way the Census Bureau conducts business. The Census Bureau, like many other Government agencies, must continually assess the changing workforce, current management and operating procedures, emerging markets and technologies, open systems and standards, and the use of automated systems to its mission. Success of future Census programs depends on effective planning and management, the use of automated data processing (ADP) technology, an enhanced level of services, and the reduction of life cycle costs. Taking advantage of these opportunities requires not only appropriate technical skills, but also strong management discipline to ensure that the Bureau's decisions result in the expected payoffs. The Bureau needs to maintain flexibility to take advantage of advances that will occur over time.

Possible areas of work are:

C.3.1.1 Marketing Assistance. Assistance in conducting market research and trend analyses; customer and product development; strategic marketing management; modeling and market information systems; and testing and evaluating marketing plans and strategies. Customers and their needs are constantly changing. Who the customer is and what products and services are needed change rapidly just as society as a whole changes. Once a product or service need has been identified, we need to determine the best and most acceptable means of production and distribution. The Census Bureau needs to look at how we identify our customers, what materials and products the customer needs, and the optimal way to produce and distribute the products.

C.3.1.2 Technology Assessment. Assessment, evaluation and integration of rapidly changing technology and emerging automated systems for data collection, data processing and control, data security, data dissemination, migration to open systems, systems design and testing, uses of technology in training, and telecommunications. Assessments provide a means for making reasonable projections about the technologies that are likely to be available in the future along with information on price, performance, standards, training, penetration to various market segments and expertise or training required to use it. The Census Bureau needs to identify these trends early and assess their utility for future program implementation. Examples of technologies the Bureau may be interested in assessing include hand-held computers and palm-tops for field applications of interviewing, listing and mapping; the implementation of multimedia technologies for electronic questionnaires; generalized variance calculation systems; optimal data bases for macro-data and micro-data; web-based/computer-based training and automated calender/planning tools for field management; the use of the Internet/worldwide web for collecting and disseminating data; and for training applications and documentation in a broad array of information.

C.3.1.3 Knowledge, Attitude and Behavioral Studies. Surveys to determine public attitudes and perceptions regarding various technologies; literature reviews; the extent of technology penetration and public's use of technology; cost to users and the economics of the technology (income level of users); relevant legislation under consideration; and research on the ways to migrate to applications software systems that are inter-operable across diverse computing platforms or new platforms that emerge.

C.3.1.4 Project Management Assistance. Assistance with project management and evaluation of computer-based project management tools for the conduct of censuses and surveys to provide leading edge project management solutions for achieving project objectives. A critical success factor in keeping a competitive edge is to define and strengthen project management capabilities across the organization, by evaluating the "as-is" as well as the "to be" status. Failure to meet one or more of the three fundamental project objectives - schedule, budget and product quality - can have a significant impact on the success of the organization as a whole. By researching and developing planning processes at a detailed level, you achieve a critical connection between corporate strategic goals and project goals.

C.3.1.5 Business Case Planning. Assistance with business case planning to develop an integrated set of management tools, policies, and procedures for planning, managing and conducting Census Bureau programs. This support shall include: (1) assisting in the development of a plan of action and set of criteria for determining the scope of benefit/cost analyses; (2) assisting planners in the Bureau's functional areas in the development of business case models related to their functions; (3) supporting the performance of requirements analyses; (4) supporting the performance of benefits/cost analyses that focus on specific solutions suggested as a result of requirements analyses; (5) developing benefit and cost criteria, and guidance for selection of appropriate resources; (6) formulating strategies, plans, procedures, and policies for preparing business case analyses; and (7) conducting and facilitating technical meetings and/or joint application development (JAD) sessions to identify weaknesses, strengths, requirements, etc., with an existing application.

C.3.1.6 Technical Analysis. Assistance in conducting technical tradeoff analyses of alternative technology related solutions for the business functions of the program areas. The analysis shall include documentation of the existing functions and processes, high-level alternative solutions that improve the efficiency and/or the effectiveness of the Bureau's business, cost and benefit analysis compatible with the business case model of the functional area, conceptual design documentation of the selected alternative; requirements specification for follow-on efforts to implement the selected alternative, and justification documentation (benefit cost analyses, alternatives analyses, strategic documents, etc.) as appropriate. Technical alternatives to be considered may cover a broad spectrum, including the following areas: (1) artificial intelligence and expert systems; (2) high performance computing platforms; (3) high performance data communications networks; (4) software tools and application packages; and (5) end-user and local group assets. Potential avenues for exploration include ADP hardware, software, data communications, personnel, documentation, global position system(GPS)integration, facilities, and training.

C.3.1.7 Cost and Workload Modeling Assistance. Assistance in supporting predictive and evaluative modeling of cost effective approaches for workloads and assignments using demographic, economic and geographic data. Models based on the integration of the three data groups are necessary to improve planning and cost and workload estimates. The models support evaluations that are based on functions such as quality, coverage and extent of geographic source information and the impact they have on future operations. For example, a model may indicate a measurable relationship between the frequency of feature updates such as new construction or changes to the landscape and their impact on acquisition of additional or modified address information respectively.

C.3.2 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS RESEARCH

This technical area focuses on research and development of statistical theory and methodologies for the design and production of estimates for censuses and surveys. Broad research areas include statistical standards, survey design and estimation, evaluation and quality assurance, small area estimation, confidentiality, sampling and non-sampling errors, automation, data analysis, time series analysis and statistical computing.

Possible areas of work are:

C.3.2.1 Sample Design and Estimation. Sample design and estimation research for the launching/re-design/continuous improvement of a census or survey. The Census Bureau needs flexible sample designs and estimation methodologies that allows for the production of estimates at many different levels, for many different sub-population groups, for many different purposes and for changing sample sizes. Examples of potential research are planning and designing surveys of electronic network usage and of "new economy" business practices; the investigation of methods to maximize the overlap between old and new primary sampling units in multistage sample designs to reduce survey costs or alternatively to minimize the overlap of sampling units in single-stage sample designs; and research on the impact of improved spatial databases using geographic information systems technology on: field assignment criteria; delineation of field assignment areas; new approaches to collection and tabulation geography; census and survey issues for user-defined geography; differencing issues in geo-spatial data; and issues of geographic and statistical data confidentiality.

C.3.2.2 Missing Data Techniques. Research on methods to handle missing and inconsistent data. These may be caused by non-response, respondent errors, interviewer errors, or processing errors. One area where research is needed is developing criteria for choosing between re-weighting and imputation approaches. Another area for research is the development of new statistical methods for computerized imputing and editing algorithms. Research on alternative methods for imputing missing data for racial and ethnic groups and populations requiring special enumeration methodologies is needed. For example, research is needed to assess the impact of using estimation techniques that use data reported by nearby neighbors to impute missing data on persons of Hispanic-origin.

C.3.2.3 Total Error Models. Research to develop and evaluate new error models. Total error models are used to reflect the sources of both sampling and nonsampling error on statistics based on data from censuses and surveys. Such models are also critical in comparing alternative census or survey designs in the context of minimizing total mean square error.

C.3.2.4 Coverage Measurement. Research and evaluation of methods refining, improving or developing techniques for measuring completeness and coverage in our censuses and surveys.

C.3.2.5 Disclosure Avoidance. Research to seek new methods and technologies for maintaining confidentiality in microdata and tables. Research is needed on methods to protect the confidentiality of enumerated persons while at the same time minimizing data distortion or error.

C.3.2.6 Experiments and Simulation Studies. Research on statistical models to reflect the various design options in a simulated census or survey experiment to identify the resources and the timing each option would require. Operations research and linear programming techniques may be applied to study the feasibility of alternative operational configurations for the redesign of censuses and surveys.

C.3.2.7 Administrative Records Research. Research on using data from administrative records to determine the extent to which administrative records could replace or supplement traditional data collection methods in censuses and surveys. This requires research on the quality and completeness of the records, completeness of coverage of the files(e.g. percentage of the total population represented), on the feasibility and effectiveness of different procedures for aggregating administrative records for individuals into households, and on record matching. Research is needed to determine what information is necessary to link records from various sources. Alternative estimation strategies for combining data from different sources, including different record sources as well as enumeration, need to be explored.

C.3.2.8 Statistical Computing. Research the use of statistical methods in generalized survey-processing to improve statistical process control, reduce processing error, reduce software maintenance costs and reduce start-up costs for new surveys. Following initial development of such methodology, continuing research and development is needed to prevent software obsolescence. An example of such research and development is incorporating calibration estimation into an existing generalized survey-processing system.

C.3.2.9 Other Statistical Fields. There are a number of other statistical fields for which expertise may be needed including: census and survey evaluations, experimental design, regression analysis, nonparametric measures, statistical modeling, survey methodology, variance estimation for complex estimators, quality assurance, stochastic process, statistical graphics, survival analysis and latent class analysis, statistical standards, evaluations, small area estimation and time series analysis.

C.3.3 METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH

This technical area focuses on survey methodology such as questionnaire design, public cooperation and participation, and improvement of enumeration methods and procedures for surveys of individuals, households and establishments. Survey methodology draws on theories and practices developed in several academic disciplines — mathematics, statistics, psychology, survey methodology, linguistics, sociology, computer science, and economics. The work includes both observational and experimental methods to test key hypotheses about the nature of human behavior that affect the quality of survey data and modeling of behavior that describe errors in responding to survey questions. Both the social science and statistical concepts are used to study coverage properties, alternative modes of data collection, field administration operations, the role of the survey interviewer, the effect of question structure, wording and context on respondent behavior, models of measurement error and post-survey processing.

Possible areas of work are:

C.3.3.1 Questionnaire Design. Questionnaire research focused on the content, wording and design to reduce measurement error, reduce item nonresponse, reduce respondent burden, and increase participation. Research is also needed to assess if the use of different data collection techniques have any impact on the respondent’s understanding and ability to answer questions. Research techniques include pretesting through usability testing, focus groups, cognitive interviews, behavior coding, expert panel review, etc. Ethnographic research may provide background for survey development or for evaluation of enumeration techniques.

C.3.3.2 Response Burden Studies. Respondent burden research to identify ways to reduce individual and business reporting burden by coordinating data requests Bureau-wide and relating information requests with individual and business record keeping practices.

C.3.3.3 Cooperation and Participation. Cooperation and participation research is needed to investigate a variety of issues related to the timing, targeting, content of messages, and the effectiveness of alternative vehicles (oral, visual) for promoting participation in Census Bureau programs. Various segments of the population differ in their attitudes and knowledge about census programs, and vary in their concern about privacy issues. Different media and/or messages may be needed to encourage cooperation in different segments of the populations. Research needs to be conducted on how to inform the American public and traditionally low response groups, in a way that will motivate their participation. Additionally, effective means of communicating complex and potentially controversial messages, such as the use of sampling or the use of administrative records, must be developed and tested. And the most efficient ways of communicating the Bureau’s policies to respondents need be examined.

C.3.3.4 Privacy Issues. Privacy concerns may have significant (and possibly growing) impact on public cooperation with Census Bureau censuses and surveys. Privacy concerns may affect each program differently, depending on census or survey content and other features of the design. For instance, the use of administrative records can supplement Census Bureau data files, and potentially may reduce the burden on respondents; however, the public's attitude towards such use is uncertain. If public reaction is negative, response rates may decline. Research topics include measuring the public's attitudes toward administrative records use, computer matching, data sharing; development of a notification on administrative records use; expanding stakeholder outreach and education and media tracking; and measuring changing trends in public attitudes on privacy.

C.3.3.5 Data Collection Techniques. Research on field data collection and interviewing methods to identify and validate the most effective and efficient field data collection practices. This research would include: the examination of the effectiveness of current field training and the potential use of advances in training technology and media; methods for recruitment; testing and selection of field staff; interviewer training techniques, establishing pay rates for field staff; organizational design and management; and performance assessment. Topics covered under this research might include the impact of automation on data collection procedures, methods and training; effective methods for staffing and collecting data in a multilingual/multiethnic/multiracial environment; and methods for building field data collection partnerships with organizations that represent and serve different ethnic, racial and language groups. Tasks in this area may involve the following types of work: focus groups, in-depth cognitive interviewing, questionnaire pre-testing, field experiments with multiple forms of the questionnaire or variant administrative records notifications, an on-going national survey to provide trend measures of the public's attitudes on privacy, evaluation of data collection methodologies, data analysis, and cost/benefit models to determine evaluation of various design options, sample design and selection, sampling error calculation, interviewer variance, nonresponse bias, undercoverage bias.

C.3.3.6 Technology Use. Research of new electronic data collection and processing technologies and whether proposed changes to a particular survey or census should be undertaken. The various modes of data collection need to be evaluated with respect to applicability, acceptability, quality and response issues, as well as their potential for reducing respondent burden. Alternative modes and methods of data collection vary in their effectiveness for collecting data from different segments of the population. Research is needed to evaluate and insure consistency across alternate data collection methods. Technology to assist self-response for disabled respondents may be examined. For business respondents, research is needed to identify the best ways to increase electronic reporting, for example by integrating census and survey questionnaires with widely used accounting software and record keeping practices.

C.3.3.7 Human Factors and Usability Research. As computer use permeates almost every aspect of our current and future work, education and home environments, user-interface design and evaluation research is needed to ensure compatibility between computer systems and human information processing capabilities. Application areas for the Census Bureau include designing and evaluating: information Web sites, information CD-ROMS, Web and electronic questionnaires, computer-assisted address listing, interviewing and coding, electronic administrative forms such as job applications and travel vouchers, data review and processing activities, and accessing knowledge databases. Tasks within each application areas included developing user profiles, conducting user task analyses, developing and applying usability standards and guidelines, conducting heuristic reviews, conducting usability tests of early prototypes and mature products, and collecting additional usability data while a product is in production use. Long term data dissemination research is needed in areas such as data visualization by users and compensating for a user’s lack of understanding of statistical principles. Long term data collection research involves deriving principles of optimum navigation, presentation of messages about user errors, methods to assure high response rates for electronic forms, inferring cognitive process from eye movements, tools to assure that questionnaire designed optimally for human language and processing capabilities, and design principles that promote accurate and complete responding.

C.3.4 SURVEY ENGINEERING

This technical areas focuses on the application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical survey problems such as the design and operation of efficient and economical surveys, machines, processes, and systems. In the span of a few years, advanced statistical methods and easily affordable computers have yielded dramatic increases in performance and decreases in cost. Although the general trend is easily discernable, specific details of hardware or software characteristics are difficult to predict. The aim of this area is to promote research and development to (1) understand the systems and requirements; (2) apply the theories and techniques to survey tasks effectively, efficiently, and economically; (3) analyze existing and alternative systems to evaluate the accuracy and precision attained; and (4) investigate new technologies for survey implementation and data processing. Tasking under this activity cover broad fields of surveying techniques, statistical computing, product evaluation, usability and human factor research, specifications development, record linkage, data security, software assessment, remote sensing, cartography, and spatial information technology.

Possible areas of work include:

C.3.4.1 MAF/TIGER Enhancements. Research to improve address and mapping technologies. Study existing Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Reference System (TIGER) legacy software systems and proposed Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) software functions to model an appropriate hardware architecture and a functional software methodology. TIGER is a digital spatial database that contains features and geographic areas and their identifiers that are used as an integrating factor for Census Bureau programs. Maintaining and improving the content and its quality is an on-going goal and a technology challenge. Processes are required to automatically identify, compare, and evaluate spatial and attribute change between TIGER and potential sources.

C.3.4.2 Data Collection and Capture. Research on data collection technologies and data capture technologies. Possible research is the use of CARI (Computer Assisted Recorded Interviews); the use of interactive voice response (IVR); the use of AudioCASI which requires detailed knowledge of operating systems be able to integrate the audio software with the calling program; the use of hand-held devices for data collection; and the use of Web-based surveys and censuses. Exploration may be needed into the use of multi-modes of data collection and allowing respondents to chose their preferred mode. Research on data capture includes the use of imaging technology; and automated capture tools such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Optical Mark Recognition. Research would include the integration of coding into the data capture process and how to improve the reliability of OCR confidence scores.

C.3.4.3 Data Tabulation and Processing. Analysis of the capabilities of high performance computers for tabulating, coding, analyzing, and producing data in a variety of formats and forms. Census Bureau data products are tables for the most part, that are statistical summaries of the underlying detail files. A high speed tabulation system, in conjunction with an automated coding and an automated system for specifying and reviewing tables, could decrease the time needed to produce the data products which would result in more timely, useful data. Also there is the need to evaluate systems for performing automated coding in a variety of configurations (batch, computer-assisted), for a variety of taxonomies (geographic, economic, or industrial classifications), and with measurable levels of accuracy and productivity.

C.3.4.4 Systems Design and Integration. Systems design research to enhance and manage large complex databases encompassing hardware, software, communication, training, conversion/migration and deployment. This work includes requirement studies, system analysis, and development of prototypes for integrating all required components, facilities, equipment and systems and software. Research and evaluation of commercial products and "middleware" methodology to incorporate more of the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies into integrated survey processing. Investigate proof-of-concept systems by combining multiple COTS products.

C.3.4.5. Software Enhancements. Development and testing of new and enhanced software and applications. Possible applications are techniques for data storage and warehousing (including an assessment of commercial products and development of proof-of-concept systems); metadata repositories and tools; version control software used to control software versions as they go through the development cycle and production cycles; software development technologies and techniques such as Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for judging the maturity of the software processes of an organization and for identifying the key practices that are required to increase the maturity of these processes; and eXtreme Programming(XP) which provides a deliberate and disciplined approach to software development.

C.3.4.6 Electronic Printing and Release. Studies of electronic printing of forms and electronic reporting of data via electronic data interchange (EDI), Internet, computer assisted telephone interview (CATI), computerized self administered questionnaires (CSAQ), touchtone data entry(TDE), etc.

C.3.4.7 Information Technology Accessibility. Research and develop electronic and information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities. For example, there is a need to develop prototypes for CSAQ, which may be used by the visually impaired. The visually impaired use special tools such as tactile displays, screen reading software and hardware, and sound cues to allow them to react to messages on a computer screen. Poor screen design can reduce the effectiveness of these tools.

C.3.4.8 Statistical programming. Research, develop and support sophisticated software and information engineering research for statistical design, estimation and analysis. Support the use of SAS analytical software in analysis of research and production data to understand the implication of various research alternatives. This could involve developing a complete SAS application or supporting a SAS development application on Bureau systems. Another potential application is research on new or improved methods of matching and linking records from a variety of sources such Social Security Administration records, the Internal Revenue Service records, the postal service records or other public and vendor supplied sources. Multiple source files must be matched or linked. Since data are often incomplete or inaccurate and files are rarely standardized, computing algorithms, computer automation and computing power are critical to the successful matching of administrative records.

C.3.4.9 Data Security. Research on security and privacy technologies; alternative Work Environment Technologies such as telecommuting, mobile computing, virtual development and electronic collaboration; Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technologies; extensible markup language (XML)/Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) and other data exchange technologies; On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) and Data Mining, and network technologies, including directory services, terminal services and desktop and server support

C.3.4.10 Other Services. Other services in this area that may be included are: training on the use and application of high performance computers (standard course offerings or specially designed programs); technical assistance for geo-processing, computer science, computer operations, statistics, configuration management software evaluation, or other relevant fields in the high performance computing environment; development of software prototypes to address the areas discussed above; and computer services such as CPU time and telecommunications for work done in this area.

C.3.5 SUB-POPULATION RESEARCH

This technical area focuses on research and development of methods for the collection of information for racial and ethnic groups and other populations requiring special enumeration procedures. Historical coverage differentials have persisted; and, despite improvements in coverage (overall and differential), there is a need to make continuous improvement in efforts to enumerate these populations. Increasing cultural and language diversity continues to create barriers to counting people. For example, the increasing number of foreign-born people in the United States affects concepts and how people react to survey and census concepts and methodologies. The problems associated with literacy add another dimension to coverage differentials. There also appears to be an increase in the portion of the population that resides transiently or not at all in households, including some components of the institutionalized population (e.g., prisons and jail inmates), group quarters population (e.g., shelter residents), as well as the population with no usual residence. This trend causes difficulty for counting people in the census and in current surveys.

Possible areas of research are:

C.3.5.1 Questionnaire Design. Questionnaire research on the content, wording, and design of the questionnaire to facilitate response, completeness of the questions, and data processing. Research is needed to validate that different population groups understand the survey and census questions and concepts. For example, changes in ethnic composition of the United States need to be considered when designing questionnaire concepts and wording, identification of race and ethnicity, and when completing rosters. Also, the increasing number of persons born outside the United States impact how these people relate to the survey and census concepts and questionnaires. Research should focus on identifying ways to convey these concepts to racial and ethnic groups and other populations requiring special enumeration methodologies.

C.3.5.2 Enumerations Modes. Research to assess if the use of different enumeration methodologies (e.g., self-administered forms, computer-assisted telephone interviews, computer-assisted personal visits interviews, and interviewer-filled forms), have any impact on the respondent's understanding and ability to answer the questions. Finally, research is needed to determine the optimum question (or questions) for identifying the racial and ethnic composition of the population.

C.3.5.3 Administrative Records. Research on administrative records and how administrative records can supplement census and survey coverage for the traditionally undercounted groups. Research is needed to determine what segments of the population are covered by administrative records and if administrative records can be used to address some of the problems of differential coverage. Research is needed to assess the coverage gain or loss for racial and ethnic groups and other populations requiring special enumeration methodologies if administrative records are used in place of information historically collected in censuses or surveys.

C.3.5.4 Hard-to-Enumerate Methods. Research to assess what special methods (e.g., questionnaire delivery) would improve coverage response of the traditionally difficult to enumerate sub-population groups. For example, in rural areas and on American Indian reservations there are few city-style addresses. This impacts coverage of this population group. Also, special methods may be needed to enumerate people in areas with high seasonal units, or a very mobile population, such as migrant workers, etc. Research should consider what special methods (e.g., questionnaire design, delivery, etc.) would improve response in low response areas, and by historically undercounted population groups.

C.3.5.5 Ethnography. Research barriers to enumeration and investigate applications, methods, outreach, and communications appropriate for population groups defined in categories other than "race" or ethnicity which are identified as requiring special methods for listing, enumeration, and/or enumeration support. Examples include people in migratory or seasonal occupations, communities of language other than English such as recent immigrants, institutions, and group quarters, or rural and remote or other areas difficult to enumerate by conventional methods and those who required accommodations or tailored approaches.

C.3.5.6 Non-English Language Data Collection Instruments. Develop the content, wording, and design of data collection instruments and supporting materials in Spanish (and other languages, to a lesser extent, for the Decennial Census). Data collection instruments include self-administered questionnaires as well as those for CATI/CAPI, Web instruments, and instruments used for other modes of data collection, such as voice recognition. Other supporting materials that have a direct effect on response rates include such items as cover letters to respondents and brochures explaining the purpose and objective for a survey. Development encompasses the translation (in some cases, there may be existing translations that require review) and testing of the materials. Testing refers to research that includes an array of pretesting techniques, including cognitive interviews with respondents in both English and the target language, focus groups in both English and the target language, and interviewer debriefings. Small scale field tests may be considered.

C.3.6 DATA ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

This technical area focuses on subject matter research. The Census Bureau is the largest general-purpose statistical agency in the United States and conducts censuses and surveys of households, individuals, business firms, and governments. The statistics count and profile the people and institutions of the United States and their interaction with the rest of the world. Specifically, the Census Bureau conducts censuses and sample surveys in the areas of population, housing, manufacturing, business (wholesale trade, retail trade, and services), mineral industries, construction, finance, transportation, governments, and foreign trade. Since no data are static, continued research is needed on the subject matter by analyzing the collected data and our dissemination practices to improve the quality and usefulness of the data.

Possible areas of work are:

C.3.6.1 Report Guidelines. Develop general guidelines for analyzing data obtained from new survey designs and re-designs and from new methods of data collection. Survey practitioners analyze survey data in order to write statistically-defensible news releases, articles, and reports for both the general public and for special audiences, such as trade organizations, professional societies, and other survey practitioners. An example of topics that could be explored include the development of data analysis guidelines for new surveys designed to measure e-business activity and business supply-chain issues.

C.3.6.2 Demographic Analysis. Evaluate the current data and methodologies for international migration used in the estimation of the components of international migration (e.g., illegal migration, temporary legal migration, emigration). There is a great deal of interest in policy and academic circles as to how these estimates are derived and the implications of both the estimates and the methodologies used in their calculation.

C.3.6.3 Population Estimates and Projections. Studies focusing on population estimates and projections. Analyses of basic estimated and projected demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population, of the components of population change and of special population groups are needed. An important area that needs to be researched involves evaluating decennial census counts and deriving methods for measuring undercounts for the United States for geographic areas and major ethnic groups based on methods of demographic analysis.

C.3.6.4 Data Analysis. Analysis of data on the social, demographic and economic characteristics of the survey population. This includes research on education, families and households, income, housing unit definitions, establishment definitions, residence rules, internal migration, race, foreign-born ancestry, Hispanic Origin, etc. It also includes conducting specialized analyses covering population characteristics, macroeconomic (including input-output) accounts, industrial activity, labor force, financial systems and statistical reporting systems. This also includes research on special subjects such as producing analyses and disseminating data on HIV prevalence in Africa, Asia and Latin America and on sub-populations, such as women, those living in group quarters, and those 65 years and older. This also involves analyses of demographic, social, economic and health data to assist in the understanding of the effect of aging populations in the world on economic development and health.

C.3.6.5 Data Dissemination and Presentation. Research new methods for disseminating socio-economic and geographic data using current technology trends in effective user-friendly environments. The Census Bureau has been a leader in applying dissemination methods (e.g. compact disk_read only memory (CD_ROM), web-based and (digital versatile disc) DVD technology). To exploit the usefulness of these technologies, research in new methods, based on comprehensive user studies, aid in maintaining responsive service to the data user community. This work includes analysis of data usage from different dissemination systems such as computer-assisted software engineering (CASE) tools, Internet, intranet, voice-over-IP (VoIP), wireless communications, etc., and research on how data users find and interpret economic data by geography, as well as, with changing nature of economic activity (Business-to-Business, eCommerce, etc.), how users find and interpret data by industry and product/line. Research should focus on traditional table-based presentation of data, as well as non-traditional (for Census) presentation methods (including static and dynamic maps, graphs, and charts).

C.3.6.6 Survey Indicators/Measures. Much of the census data is used as components or indicators in indexes. Research and develop alternative measures as inputs, benchmarks and indicators. For example, evaluate the pros and cons of alternative ways of measuring benefits and expenses not in the current poverty measurement, such as medical expenses, work expenses, child care expenses, taxes, and the value of noncash benefits (such as subsidized housing and free school lunches). Also involved here are adjustments to poverty thresholds; for example, research is needed to determine or evaluate the effectiveness of various methods of adjusting poverty thresholds over time, adjusting them to reflect different family sizes, and adjusting them to reflect the cost of living by area of the country.

C.3.6.8 Cross-Tabulations. Compare statistics across surveys that collect information for the same subject matter. Study the conveyance and the sequencing of questions on the questionnaire for items such as income, wealth, disability status, health insurance coverage, participation in government programs, citizenship status and place of birth. There is also a desire to get consultation from subject matter experts on the use of other data sources--such as exact matches to administrative data and to analyze what improvements, if any, the yields to the quality of the data we collect on surveys.

C.3.6.8 Policy. Evaluate how to make our surveys as relevant as possible to policy makers. Consultation with those with public policy and survey expertise would help us ensure that our surveys remain as relevant to policy makers as possible. For example, are there things the March CPS or SIPP could do to be more relevant as a vehicle for welfare reform evaluations? Also advice and assistance on our housing surveys is needed to study important policy issues, such as: housing programs for the elderly, housing modifications to for the disabled, reverse or home equity conversion mortgages, measures of housing quality, Section 8 housing assistance, and public housing funding allocation formula.

C.3.6.9 Time-Series Analysis. Explore the introduction of improved tools to allow users to do time-series analysis of economic data, given the dynamic nature of classification systems (NAICS, NAPCS, Geographies, etc.) Includes research on the types of data dissemination tools that Census should provide in electronic data dissemination vehicles to allow users to do time-series analysis of Economic Census and survey data. Could include research on tools to dynamically combine data from two or more data sources as well as tools needed to build static combined data sets. Also included are data user tools required to analyze data when 100 percent comparable vs. when they are "close enough" for users’ needs (as well as metadata needed to document relationships).

C.4 PERSONNEL SECURITY/SUITABILITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

Census data are protected by Title 13 (T13), and subsequent amendments, of the United States Code. All contract personnel who will have access to Bureau of the Census (BOC) T13 data and/or a site, which contains T13 data, shall have a BOC-approved background clearance prior to being employed by the BOC. BOC-approved background clearances may include the Applicant Name Check, the National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI), Special Agreement Check (OFI-86C) and/or other BOC-approved previous clearance(s).

Two (2) weeks prior to having access to any BOC site or to any site which contains Census data, the Contractor shall submit to the Contracting Officer two completed FD-258, "Fingerprint Cards," and the required BOC suitability clearance applications below:

*SF-171, Application for Federal Employment or Resume; (Federal or Contractor Employee)
*OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment; (Federal or Contractor Employee)
*OFI-86C, Special Agreement Check; or
SF-85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Position (for one year or more); and

These requirements also pertain to project supervisors, management officials, and other contract personnel who plan to visit site(s) containing T13 data.

Should the Contracting Officer receive an unsuitable report on any contract employee as a result of processing the required forms, or should an existing employee under this contract become unsuitable or unfit for assigned duties in this regard, the Contractor shall be advised by the Government that such employee cannot be assigned to work or continue to work under the contract. The Contractor shall immediately remove any such employee and begin the process to replace him/her with a suitable substitute.

Potential contract employees who have previously had their suitability determined may not need to submit forms, pending verification to the BOC by the prior Government agency or unless one (1) calendar year or more has elapsed since they last started work under a BOC or General Services Administration contract. These potential contract employees shall, however, submit in lieu of BOC required paperwork and prior to BOC employment, a statement on Government letterhead that they have a current suitability determination. In addition to being submitted on the respective agency's letterhead, the statement shall also list a point-of-contact including an up-to-date telephone number, contract number(s), and performance dates for contracts on which they have or are currently participating, which required such a determination.

C.4.1 TITLE 13 AND NON-DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Given that Census data are protected by Title 13 and subsequent amendments, any potential contractor who may have access to Title 13 information shall be required to complete the BOC form BC-1759, Application for Special Sworn Status, shall take the BOC Oath of Non-disclosure of the data, and shall be subject to penalties prescribed in Title 13. The Oath will be administered after completion of a favorable pre-employment check by an authorized BOC official immediately upon assignment to a BOC contract, or upon issuance of a BOC Contractor badge, and prior to access of a facility containing Title 13 data. This requirement also pertains to project supervisors, management officials, and other contract personnel who may come into contact with T13 data.

C.5 QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL
* identifies Key Personnel

The following labor categories contain guidance on the qualifications as they relate to the education and number of years of experience we have determined desirable to perform the work in each technical area. The qualifications reflect the relative importance of each category. On a technical area basis, Contractors may propose exceptional expertise or unique experience in lieu of the exact number of years experience or formal education. The minimum years education requirement may be substituted with equivalent years of applicable experience. The general experience requirement is inclusive of any additional specialized experience requirement. The government solely determines if that is sufficient.

The Bureau of the Census may add new technical areas and additional labor categories during the course of this contract to reflect changes in technology or the government's needs, provided the technical areas and labor categories fall within the general scope of work for this contract, which is for research and development services.

For each task order the Contractor shall provide a Task Manager and a Task Administrator who is responsible for the technical direction of the task and the administrative oversight of the task, respectfully.

The following categories of labor are applicable to each of the areas as specified.

C.5.1 * PROJECT DIRECTOR

The Contractor shall provide a Project Director for the duration of the contract. The Project Director serves as liaison between contractor personnel and the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and shall have overall responsibility for administrative matters. The Project Director shall organize task teams, review technical approaches to ensure that the proper methodologies and procedures are followed in accordance with task order requirements, and ensure that all products and services are of high quality and delivered on time and within budget limitations.

The Project Director shall be a senior member of the Contractor's organization with a minimum of six (6) years experience at the senior management level. At least four (4) years of experience managing multi-disciplinary efforts similar to this procurement and ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience are required. The Project Director shall have at least a Bachelors Degree in one of the following disciplines: engineering, statistics, computer science, management information or a social science. Advanced degrees in these disciplines are highly desirable.

C.5.2 * TASK MANAGER

The Task Manager is responsible for the technical management and leadership for each task assigned. The Task Manager must have a Bachelors degree in a field related to the task subject area and a minimum of two (2) years experience managing tasks similar to those described in the subject area for which the individual is being proposed. In addition, the task manager must have (10) years experience specifically related to the work in the subject area.

C.5.3 * TASK ADMINISTRATOR

The task administrator is responsible for the administrative management of the task, such as progress reports, invoices and deliverables. The Task Administrator must have an Associates degree and two(2) years experience or four(4) years experience administering government contracts.

C.5.4 ASSESSMENT, PLANNING AND ANALYSIS PERSONNEL

1. * Senior Marketing Specialist/Researcher. Master's degree in marketing and five (5) years experience with large consumer-oriented organization in all aspects of marketing. Three (3) years experience is required in developing market strategies and products based on user needs. Familiarity with spreadsheet and database software is required. A Bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
2. * Senior Computer Specialist (Systems Analyst, Systems Engineer, Computer Technologist, Telecommunication Specialist, or other related Computer Specialist). Bachelor's degree (Master's preferred) in Management Information, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Business or related scientific or technical discipline and ten (10) years experience in systems engineering and/or information and communications technology. Five (5) years progressive experience analyzing user needs to determine functional requirements for hardware or software systems; analyzing network and computer communications hardware and software characteristics, recommending equipment enhancements, removals, software upgrades, and modifications; designing optimized network topologies and site configurations; systems engineering and analysis in broad based ADP settings; determining functional requirements for analysis and definition of business needs; or other related specialization. Two (2) years directing high-level systems engineering, analysis, design, documentation, and implementation and maintenance of very complex applications and directing and participating in all phases of software development with emphasis on the planning, engineering, analysis, testing and acceptance phases. A graduate degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Business, or a related field will be considered equivalent to two (2) years of experience.
3. * Senior Cost Analyst. Bachelor's degree in Economics, Mathematics or related technical discipline. Eight (8) years of experience analyzing and developing criteria for determining the need for benefit/cost analyses and developing methodologies, tools, and procedures to perform benefit/cost analyses of information systems alternatives. A Graduate degree in Computer Science or Operations Research will be equivalent to two (2) years of experience.
4. * Management Analyst. Bachelor's degree in management, business management, or related discipline and five (5) years experience in management analysis of information and communications technology. Two (2) years experience specifically related to business case planning is required.
5. Computer Specialist (Systems Analyst, Systems Engineer, Computer Technologist, Telecommunication Specialist, or other related Computer Specialist). Five (5) years progressive experience in systems engineering and/or information and communications technology such as analyzing user needs to determine functional requirements for hardware or software systems; analyzing network and computer communications hardware and software characteristics, recommending equipment enhancements, removals, software upgrades, and modifications; designing optimized network topologies and site configurations; systems engineering and analysis in broad based ADP settings; determining functional requirements for analysis and definition of business needs; or other related specialization. Experience is required in all phases of systems life cycle including planning, analysis, design, documentation, testing, acceptance, implementation and maintenance. A Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Business, or a related field will be considered equivalent to one (1) year of experience.
6. Senior Cartographer. A Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) and five (5) years experience in one or more of the following: cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial databases. Experience includes research or operations from 1) established academic program in geography, cartography, and/or geographic information science, and/or 2) private or government organization employing large spatial databases to support geography, cartography and GIS programs. Specialized experience is considered in areas of remote sensing, air photo interpretation, global positioning systems, and mobile geographic field update technology.
7. Cartographer. Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) and three (3) years experience in one or more of the following: cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial databases. Experience includes extensive use of COTS GIS software for analysis and/or map production and use of spatial databases. Specialized experience is considered in areas of remote sensing, air photo interpretation, global positioning systems, and mobile geographic field update technology.
8. Geographer. Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) and three (3) years experience in one or more of the following: legal, administrative, and/or statistical geographic areas; geographic analysis using COTS GIS software; urban planning; and extensive use of geospatial databases. Specialized experience is considered in areas of remote sensing, air photo interpretation, global positioning systems, and mobile geographic field update technology.
9. Economist. Ph.D in economics with a specialization in econometric theory applied to demographic, economic, and geographic data. Five (5) years experience in modeling development research and/or projects is required. Evidence of research includes relationships between demographic, economic and geographic data that can be used to support management and operational requirements.
10. Program Analyst. Bachelor's degree in management information, computer science, business or economics, engineering or related discipline and five (5) years experience in market analysis of information and communications technology. Two (2) years experience specifically related to technology assessment is required.

C.5.5 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERSONNEL

1. * Senior Mathematical Statistician. Ph.D. in statistics or mathematics and ten (10) years experience in performing a variety of statistical analyses using various statistical techniques. Five (5) years experience specifically related to applied statistics in social or economic measurement systems, as appropriate to the task, is required. Experience in the oversight and direction of sound statistical methods is required.
2. * Senior Statistical Programmer. Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, or related discipline and seven (7) years experience using, developing, modifying and maintaining analytical software or ten (10) years experience in using, developing, modifying, maintaining analytical software.
3. Senior Data Analyst. A Master’s degree and five (5) years experience in analyzing survey data and using the results of such analyses to write statistically defensible news releases, articles, and reports for both the general public and for special audiences, such as survey practitioners, trade organizations, and professional societies. Experience in developing general guidelines for analyzing data obtained from new survey designs and re-designs and from new data collection methods is highly desirable. Economics experience or education would be helpful but not necessary.
4. Mathematical Statistician. Master's degree and five (5) years of relevant experience in a variety of statistical methods. Experience is required in sampling, weighting, variance estimation, modeling, and imputation.
5. Junior Mathematical Statistician. Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of relevant experience in a variety of statistical methods. Experience is required in sampling, weighting, variance estimation, modeling, and imputation.
6. Data Analyst. A Bachelor’s degree and five (5) years experience in analyzing survey data and using the results of such analyses to write statistically defensible news releases, articles, and reports for both the general public and for special audiences, such as survey practitioners, trade organizations, and professional societies.
7. Statistical Programmer. Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, or related discipline and two (2) years experience using, developing, modifying and maintaining analytical software or five (5) years experience in using, developing, modifying, maintaining analytical software.
8. Principal Researcher. Master's degree (Ph.D. preferred) and ten (10) years of relevant experience associated with a specific skill or a unique area of expertise. The duties are developing and implementing statistical methodology based on the unique skill or area of expertise using sound statistical methods.
9. Senior Cartographer/Geographer. Ph.D. in cartography or geography and five (5) years experience in the use of spatial databases, geographic information systems (GIS) technology and socio-economic data. Evidence of research is indicated through publications and/or projects on topics such as: mobile field update technology; time and distance measurements related to work units; user-defined geography based on point and aerial locations combined with socioeconomic data; differencing in geo-spatial data; and/or issues in geographic and statistical data confidentiality.

C.5.6 METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH PERSONNEL

1. * Senior Methodologist. Ph.D. in anthropology, sociology, psychology, statistics, survey methodology, economics, linguistics, or political science and ten (10) years experience in all aspects of survey design and operations. Five (5) years experience using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), or other survey technologies is highly desirable. Five (5) years experience designing and conducting focus groups, cognitive research, and designing questionnaires is highly desirable. Five (5) years experience conducting Human Factors and Usability research is highly desirable. A Master's degree and five (5) years experience may be substituted for the Ph.D.
2. * Sampling Statistician. Master's degree and five (5) years relevant experience in sample designs, sampling techniques for a variety of sampling frames and data collection modes, and experimental design for complex sample designs. A bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
3. Methodologist. Master's degree and five (5) years experience in all aspects of survey design and operations. Three (3) years of experience designing and conducting focus groups, cognitive research, and designing questionnaires is required. A Bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
4. Survey Specialist. Bachelor's degree and five (5) years relevant experience in designing, coordinating, and conducting surveys, evaluating or pretesting questionnaire, or and analyzing survey results using SAS or other statistical packages. Advanced degree is highly desirable.
5. Graphic Artist. Minimum of three (3) years experience in forms design and layout.
6. Interviewer. Minimum of one (1) year experience conducting face-to-face or telephone structured interviews, three (3) months experience with CATI and/or CAPI interviewing technologies. CATI/CAPI experience requirement may be waived if not relevant for a specific task
7. Media Specialist. Minimum of three (3) years experience in designing media campaigns and accompanying materials. One (1) year experience working with media campaigns and materials for minority and special populations is highly desirable.
8. Technical Writer. Minimum of three (3) years experience in specifying and documenting research that is statistically-based.
9. Labor Economist. Ph.D in economics with ten or more years experience in labor economics and econometric research. Five or more years of relevant experience with analyses of Bureau of Labor Statistics workforce and pay rate data. Previous experience working with government agencies that recruit and hire large work forces.
10. Instructional Design Specialist. Ph.D in education or instructional design/development with ten or more years work experience in at least 3 of the 5 following areas: adult learning theory and/or the psychology of adult learning; instructional design practices; educational evaluation; instructional product development; computers and the use of technology in education/training. Previous experience working with government agencies that recruit and train large work forces. A Master's degree and five (5) years experience may be substituted for the Ph.D.
11. Ethnographer. Bachelor’s Degree and three years of experience in conducting ethnographic or qualitative background research to improve surveys, using the methods of in-depth interviewing, participant observation, or rapid ethnographic assessment.

C.5.7 SURVEY ENGINEERING PERSONNEL

In accordance with FAR Part 39.104, Information Technology Services: When acquiring information technology service, solicitations must not describe any minimum experience or educational requirement for proposed contractor personnel unless the contracting officer determines that the needs of the agency–

(a) Cannot be met without that requirement; or

(b) Require the use of other than a performance-based contract (See Subject 37.6).

1. * Senior Computer Scientist.

2. * Senior Information Technologist/Computer Specialist.

3. Human Factor Specialist.

4. Quality Assurance Specialist.

5. Requirements Engineer.

6. Graphic Artist.

7. Media Specialist.

8. Senior Cartographer/Geographer.

9. Cartographer/Geographer.

10. Spatial Database Developer.

11. Senior Computer Programmer.

12. Computer Scientist.

13. Information Technology Specialist.

14. Programmer.

15. Technical Writer.

16. Hardware Configuration Engineer.

C.5.8 SUB-POPULATION RESEARCH

1. * Senior Social Scientist. Ph.D. in anthropology, sociology, psychology, or political science and ten(10) ten years experience in conducting social science research. Five (5) years experience in conducting focus groups, cognitive research and designing questionnaires. A Master's degree and five (5) years experience may be substituted for the Ph.D.
2. * Survey Methodologist. Master's degree and five (5) years experience in all aspects of survey design and operations. Three (3) years of experience designing and conducting surveys related to select populations is required. A Bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
3. * Sampling Statistician. Master's degree and five (5) years relevant experience in sample designs and sampling techniques for different data collection modes and sampling frames, and experimental design. A Bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
4. Survey Specialist. Bachelor's degree and five (5) years relevant experience in designing, coordinating, and conducting surveys and analyzing survey results using SAS or other statistical packages. Two (2) years of experience working with select population surveys is required. Advanced degree is highly desirable.
5. Graphic Artist. Minimum of three (3) years experience in form design and layout.
6. Media Specialist. Minimum of three (3) years experience in designing media campaigns and accompanying materials. One (1) year experience working with media campaigns and materials for select populations is highly desirable.
7. Interviewer. Minimum of one (1) year experience conducting face-to-face or telephone structured interviews, three (3) months experience with CATI and/or CAPI interviewing technologies. Relevant language proficiency and experiences with hard-to-enumerate populations is required. The CATI/CAPI experience requirement maybe waived if not relevant for a specific task.
8. Sociolinguist. Ph.D. in sociolinguistics or a related discipline where an understanding of the use of language in the context of human interaction across different cultures is a requirement. Five (5) years experience in conducting sociolinguistic research with English and non-English speaking populations. Knowledge of Spanish is desirable.
9. Cognitive Psychologist. Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, social psychology, or a related discipline. Five (5) years experience in conducting cognitive interviews and other pretesting methods for the purpose of developing data collection instruments for use by Spanish-speaking respondents, and respondents whose native language is neither English nor Spanish.
10. Translator. Certified translator with five (5) years experience translating data collection instruments from English into Spanish, or into another non-English target language.

C.5.9 DATA ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

1. * Senior Subject Matter Specialist. Ph.D. in economics, demography, sociology, psychology, statistics, political science, or other discipline related to the task subject area and ten (10) years experience in all aspects of survey design and operations. A Master's degree and five (5) years experience may be substituted for the Ph.D.
2. * Senior Data Analyst. A Bachelor's degree and ten(10) years experience in analyzing survey data and using the results of such analyses to write statistically-defensible news releases, articles, and reports for both the general public and for special audiences, such as survey practitioners, trade organizations, and professional societies. Experience in developing general guidelines for analyzing data obtained from new survey designs and re-designs and from new data collection methods is highly desirable. Economics experience or education would be helpful but not necessary.
3. Subject Matter Specialist. Master's degree in economics, demography, sociology, psychology, statistics, political science, or other discipline related to the task subject area and five (5) years experience in all aspects of survey design and operations. A Bachelor's degree and three (3) years experience may be substituted for the Master's degree.
4. Principal Researcher. Master's degree (Pd.D. preferred) and ten (10) years of relevant experience associated with a specific skill or a unique area of expertise. The duties are developing and implementing statistical methodology based on the unique skill or area of expertise using sound statistical methods.
5. Technical Writer. Minimum of three (3) years experience in specifying and documenting statistically- and analytically-based research.

C.5.10 RESEARCH ASSISTANT SERVICES

A research assistant may be proposed for each task area. General qualifications shall include a Bachelor's degree in the related subject area for which the individual is being proposed and two (2) years experience in performing analyses. Specific experience with SAS or other statistical software packages is required. For related experience required see descriptions under each specific area.

C.6 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT

Government-furnished subject-matter specialists, space, equipment, computer files, other data, and time that are necessary to perform a task will be specified in each individual task order.

C.7 CORRECTION OF SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION

The Contractor shall, over the term of the contract, correct errors in contractor developed software and applicable documentation which are discovered by the government, any other user of the software, or the Contractor. Such corrections shall be made within 30 days (or a mutually agreed date) of the date the Contractor is notified that the error exists or the date the Contractor discovers the error. Further, the Contractor agrees to provide such corrections (fixes) at no charge to the Government unless the error is a direct result of negligence of the government, or is a direct result of Government modification to the software. Inability of the parties to determine the cause of software errors shall be resolved in accordance with the disputes clause in Section I of this contract, but in no event constitutes grounds for delay of error correction beyond the time frames specified above.

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

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D.1 PAYMENT OF POSTAGE AND FEES

All postage and fees related to submitting information, including forms, reports, etc., to the Contracting Officer (CO) or the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) shall be paid by the contractor.

D.2 MARKING

All information submitted to the CO or the COTR shall clearly indicate the contract number and task order number for which the information is being submitted.

D.3 PACKING AND SHIPPING

Material shall be packed for shipment in such a manner that will insure acceptance by common carriers and safe delivery at the destination. Containers and closures shall comply with the Interstate Commerce Commission regulations, Uniform Freight Classification Rules, or regulations of other carriers as applicable to the mode of transportation. All items are to be packed for domestic shipment to comply with standards and practices of the industry to ensure safe delivery without mars, scratches, dents or other damages. Shipping containers shall be plainly and substantially marked to show the contract number, task order number and a brief description of contents.

SECTION E -INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

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E.1 52.252-2 CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this URL: www.arnet.gov.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) (48 CFR CHAPTER 1 CONTRACT CLAUSES):
FAR CLAUSE NO.	DATE	TITLE
52.246-2	JULY 1985	INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES - FIXED PRICE
52.246-16	APR 1984	RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPPLIES
FOR FIXED PRICE TASKS:
52.246-4	FEB 1992	INSPECTION OF SERVICES - FIXED PRICE
FOR LABOR HOUR TASKS:
52.246-6	JAN 1986	INSPECTION - TIME-AND- MATERIAL AND LABOR HOUR

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE (CAR 1352.246-70) (JUL 1985)

1. The CO or the duly authorized representative will perform inspection and acceptance of supplies and services to be provided under this contract.
2. Inspection and acceptance will be performed at:

   U.S. Census Bureau
   Suitland Federal Center, FOB3,
   Washington, DC 20233

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

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F.1 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FAR 52.252-2) (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this URL: http://www.ARNet.gov/far

F.2 INCORPORATED CLAUSES

The following clauses are incorporated by reference:

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES
CLAUSE NUMBER	DATE	TITLE
52.242-15	AUG 1989	STOP-WORK ORDER
52.247-35	APR 1984	F.O.B. DESTINATION, WITHIN CONSIGNEE'S PREMISES

F.3 EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT

The effective period of this contract is for a term of 12 months from the date of award, with four successive one-year renewal options.

F.4 DELIVERY SCHEDULES

The terms and place of delivery for milestone products and other deliverables will be specified on individual task orders.

F.5 REPORTS

1. Monthly Progress Report:

   The Contractor shall prepare and submit to the Contracting Officer and the COTR an electronic copy in MSWord 9.0 (or as specified in each task order) of the progress report. The report is due ten (10) calendar days after the end of each month for each active task order. The report shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Contract number and reporting period.
2. Task order numbers and task name.
3. A summary of the technical work for each task in the following format:

1. A narrative review of work accomplishments and/or significant events for the month.

2. Problems and solutions (to include impacts on quality, schedule and cost and proposed solutions).
3. Percent of work completed toward interim or final deliverables and estimates of time to complete deliverables.
4. Activities planned for next month.

4. For each contractor employee assigned to the task: Skill level, employee name, and total hours worked for the period.
5. Cumulative task dollars spent to date by task order.
6. Cumulative task dollars spent over life of the contract.
7. Cumulative labor hours spent on task to date by task order.
8. Graph depicting task spending plan (planned vs. actual by month).
9. Indication of funds remaining, by task order.
10. Staffing issues, if reassignment, replacement, etc. are required.

2. Weekly Problem Notification Report:

   The Contractor shall bring problems or potential problems affecting performance under this contract to the attention of the COTR as soon as they are known. Verbal reports shall be followed up with written narrative reports within seven days of occurrence. In the event the contractor encounters problems during the performance of any of the task orders which affect the success of the program, these problems shall be reported on a weekly basis to the COTR. The report shall specify the task order, specific problem and recommended solution(s). All problems on the weekly problem notification report shall be incorporated into the monthly progress report for the next reporting period.

F.6 DELIVERY OF REPORTS

E-Mail progress reports to:

acq.vius@census.gov

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

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G.1 DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COTR)

1. The individual named below is hereby designated as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). The COTR is responsible for the technical administration of this contract, in accordance with the provisions of the clause G.3 entitled "Technical Direction."

   TO BE PROVIDED AT TIME OF AWARD

2. The COTR shall be responsible for coordinating with the contractor the technical aspects of the contract. The COTR is not authorized to make any changes which affect the contract amount, terms or conditions.

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER

All contracting administration will be effected by the Contracting Officer (CO). The CO is the only person with the authority to act as an agent of the Government under this contract. In the event the contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the CO, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof. Only the CO has the authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the SOW; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule, (4) authorize reimbursement to the contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; or (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract.

Communications pertaining to contract administration matters will be addressed to the CO. No changes in or deviation from the scope of the work shall be effected without a Supplemental Agreement executed by the CO authorizing such changes.

G.3 TECHNICAL DIRECTION

Performance of the work under this contract shall be subject to the technical direction of the COTR. The term "technical direction" is defined to include, without limitation, the following:

1. Directions to the Contractor which redirect the contract effort, shift work emphasis between work areas or delivery orders, require the pursuit of certain lines of inquiry, fill in details or otherwise serve to accomplish contractual statements of work.
2. Provision of information to the Contractor which assists in the interpretation of drawings, specifications or technical portions of the work description.
3. Review and, where required by contract, approval of technical reports, progress reports, drawings, specifications or technical information to be delivered by the Contractor to the Government under this contract.

   Technical direction must be within the general scope of work stated in the contract. The COTR does not have the authority to, and may not, issue any technical direction which: (1) constitutes the assignment of any additional work outside the general scope of the contract; (2) constitutes a change as defined in the contract clause entitled, "Changes;" (3) in any manner causes an increase or decrease in the total estimated contract cost, fixed fee, or time required for the contract performance; or (4) changes any of the express terms, conditions or specifications of the contract.

   All technical directions shall be issued in writing by the COTR; verbal direction or shall be confirmed by the COTR in writing within five (5) working days after their issuance.

   The Contractor shall proceed promptly with the performance of technical directions duly issued by the COTR in the manner prescribed by this article and within his/her authority under the provisions of this article.

   If, in the opinion of the Contractor, any instruction or direction issued by the COTR is within one of the categories as defined in (1) through (5) in Clause G.2, the Contractor shall not proceed, but shall notify the CO, in writing, within five (5) working days after receipt of any such instruction or direction and shall request the CO to modify the contract accordingly. Upon receiving such notification from the Contractor, the CO shall issue an appropriate contract modification or advise the Contractor, in writing, that in his/her opinion, the technical direction is within the scope of this article and does not constitute a change under the "Changes" clause of the contract. The Contractor shall thereupon proceed immediately with the direction given. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of the instruction or direction, or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto, shall be subject to the provisions of the contract clause entitled, "Disputes."

G.4 BILLING INSTRUCTIONS

1. The Contractor shall provide a single point of contact for handling billing problems. The Contractor shall provide a mailing address and a telephone number to the COTR in order for the Government to notify the Contractor of billing problems.
2. The Contractor shall submit billing on a monthly basis or on another cycle that will be mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the Government.

G.5 INVOICE PREPARATION

The Federal Register, Page 52591,Volume 64, No. 188, dated September 29, 1999, requires that submitted invoices must include specific information in order for the Government to make payment. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau has supplemented these requirements. Contractors may use Standard Form 1034 – Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other than Personal (Part 53 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation under FAR 53-301-1034) or they may submit a company generated voucher. However, no matter what type of voucher is submitted, it must contain the information described below.

1. PROPER INVOICE INFORMATION

   • Name and Address of Contractor
   • Contact Name, Title and Telephone Number
   • Government Contract Number or Other Authorization for Delivery of Goods or Services
   • Government Task Order Number is required if services are being provided through a task order to the basis contract
   • Date of the Invoice
   • Invoice Number, Account Number, and/or any other identifying number agreed to by the contract (At a minimum there must be an invoice number)
   • Include the Actual date when services were performed or goods delivered.
   • Include the Period of Performance on all invoices.
   • Description – Including, for example, contract line/subline number, price, and quality of goods and services rendered.
   • Include discount terms.
   • Other substantiating documentation or information required by the contract.
   • Shipping and Payment Terms (Required unless mutually agreed that this information is only required in the contract – Contact the Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist for clarification)
   • Taxpayer Identifying Number (TIN) (Required unless agency procedures provide otherwise.)
   • Address for mailing payment
   • Banking Information such as name and address of bank, routing & account number (Required unless agency procedures provide otherwise, or except in situations where the EFT requirements is waived under 31 CFR, 208.4.) (This information is seldom required, check with the Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist to determine if information is needed.)
   • Other Substantiating Documentation or Information required by the contract

   There will also be three statements and signature lines included in the invoice. The wording for these statements are:

   I hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge and belief that the services set forth herein were performed during the period stated above are current, accurate and complete.

   __________	____________________________	____________________________
   (Date)	(Title of Contractor Representative)	(Signature)

   The above statement will be signed by a representative of the Contractor.

   and

   I certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief that the services/supplies shown on the invoice have been performed/furnished and are accepted.

   __________	____________________________	____________________________
   (Date)	(Title: COTR, Task Manager, etc)	(Signature)

   (The above statement will be signed by a government representative, usually the COTR or a Task Manager with authority to certify.)

   and

   Pursuant to authority vested in me, I certify that this voucher is correct and proper for payment.

   __________	____________________________	____________________________
   (Date)	(Authorized Certifying Official)	(Title)

   (The above statement will be signed by a government representative who has authority to approve the invoice. The representative signing this statement will be the Contracting Officer when the services are acquired through a fully definitized contract, or the COTR or Task Manager with approving authority if the work is authorized through the simplified acquisition system (purchase order).)

   If there is insufficient space in the Standard Form 1034 to provide all of the required information, the Contractor may include the remaining information on bond paper. However, if bond paper is used, the contract and task order numbers, invoice number, and date of invoice must be listed at the top of the second and subsequent pages.

   An original plus one copy of the voucher will be submitted to:

   U.S. Census Bureau
   Finance Division (Vouchers)
   4700 Silver Hill Road, Stop-4400
   Washington D.C. 20233-4400

   Contractors shall simultaneously submit two (2) copies of the invoice to the COTR specified in Section G.1 when submitting invoices to Finance. However, these government representatives are not required to forward the invoice to Finance nor should they sign the voucher until it routed through Finance.

2. THE FINAL INVOICES UNDER THIS CONTRACT SHALL BE MARKED, "FINAL"

   Invoices which are submitted to an incorrect office or which do not contain the information specified in subparagraph G.5.1above, will be returned to the Contractor for corrections.

G.6 PAYMENT DUE DATE (CAR 1352.232-71) (MAR 1985)   ALTERNATE I (JULY 1985)

1. Payments under this contract will be due on the 30th calendar day after the date of actual receipt of a proper invoice in the office designated to receive the invoice.
2. The date of the check issued in payment or the date of payment by wire transfer through the Treasury Financial Communications System shall be considered to be the date payment is made.

G.7 PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNT

In connection with any discount offered, time will be computed from the date of delivery of the supplies to the carrier when delivery and acceptance are at point of origin or from date of delivery at destination when delivery and acceptance are to be made there, or from the date a correct and approved invoice or voucher is received at the paying office specified in the contract, if the latter date is later than the date of delivery. Payment shall be deemed to be made for purpose of earning the discount on the date of mailing of the Government check.

SECTION H - SPECIAL PROVISIONS

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H.1 DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

There shall be no dissemination or publication, except within and between the Contractor and any subcontractors, of information developed under this contract or contained in the reports to be furnished pursuant to this contract without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer (CO).

Unless otherwise provided in this contract the Contractor shall not publish, permit to be published, or distribute for public consumption, any information, oral or written, concerning the results of work or, conclusions made pursuant to, performance under this contract without prior written consent of the CO, unless such time as the Government has released such information to the public.

H.2 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (MAR 2000)

1. The Contractor warrants that, to the best of the Contractor's knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which could give rise to an organizational conflict of interest, as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5, or that the Contractor has disclosed all such relevant information.
2. The Contractor agrees that if an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest is discovered after award, the Contractor will make a full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer. This disclosure shall include a description of actions which the Contractor has taken or proposes to take, after consultation with the CO, to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the actual or potential conflict.
3. Remedies - The CO may terminate this contract for convenience, in whole or in part, if it deems such termination necessary to avoid an organizational conflict of interest. If the Contractor was aware of a potential organizational conflict of interest prior to award or discovered an actual or potential conflict after award and did not disclose or misrepresented relevant information to the CO, the Government may terminate the contract for default, debar the Contractor from Government contracting, or pursue such other remedies as may be permitted by law or this contract.
4. The Contractor further agrees to insert provisions which shall conform substantially to the language of this clause, including this paragraph (d), in any subcontract or consultant agreement hereunder.

H.3 AUTHORITY TO OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT

The CO is the only individual who can legally commit or obligate the Government to the expenditure of public funds. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract or specific authorization from the contracting officer.

H.4 HARMLESS FROM LIABILITY (DOC)

The Contractor shall hold and save the Government, its officers, agents and employees, harmless from liability of any kind, including costs and expenses to which they may be subject, for or on account of any or all suits or damages of any character whatsoever resulting from injuries or damages sustained by any person or property by virtue of performance of this contract, arising or resulting in whole or in part from the fault, negligence, wrongful act or wrongful omission of the Contractor, or any subcontractor, their employees, agents, etc.

H.5 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS (DOC)

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable laws and rules and regulations having the force of law which deal with or relate to performance hereunder or the employment by the Contractor of the employees necessary for such performances, and shall procure such permits, licenses and other required authorizations from the United States and from State and local Authorities as may be necessary in connection with beginning or carrying on to completion of the contract work, and shall at all times comply with all United States, State and local laws in any way affecting the contract work.

H.6 KEY PERSONNEL

1. Designation of key personnel:

1. Project Director. The Contractor shall identify and designate a Project Director, who will have full authority to act for the Contractor. The Project Director shall be responsible for the overall management and coordination of the Contract and shall act as a central point of contact with the Government. The Project Director shall provide adequate supervision to the Contractor's onsite personnel and shall be available for telephone contact between the normal working hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
2. The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel (if applicable for the specific awardee - See Section B)

   For all areas:

   Project Director
   Task Manager
   Task Administration

   For Assessement, Planning and Analysis:

   Senior Marketing Specialist
   Senior Computer Specialist
   Senior Cost Analyst
   Management Analyst

   For Statistical Analysis:

   Senior Mathematical Statistician
   Senior Statistical Programmer

   For Methodological Research:

   Senior Methodologist
   Sampling Statistician

   For Survey Engineering:

   Senior Computer Scientist
   Senior Information Technology Specialist

   For Sub-Population Research:

   Senior Social Scientist
   Survey Methodologist
   Sampling Statistician

   For Data Analysis and Dissemination:

   
   Senior Subject Matter Specialist
   Senior Data Analyst

3. Other personnel. The Contractor can specify an individual as key personnel.
4. The Government reserves the right to designate skill categories as key personnel on an individual task order basis. The provisions of paragraph a. and b. above shall apply to the key personnel for the individual task order.

2. Replacement of Key personnel:

   1. Key personnel shall be assigned and available on this contract starting from the date of contract award or issuance of task orders, whichever is applicable. The Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the contracting officer within five (5) calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (2) below.
   2. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution(s), complete resume(s) for the proposed substitute(s), and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitute(s) shall have qualifications that meet or exceed those of the person(s) being replaced. The CO will notify the Contractor within five (5) calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitution(s). The contract or task order will be modified to reflect any approved change(s) of key personnel.
   3. Key personnel lost must be replaced within 15 calendar days from the date of the vacancy.

H.7 NOTICE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF DELAYS (DOC)

In the event the Contractor encounters difficulty in meeting performance requirements, or when it anticipates difficulty in complying with contract delivery schedule or date, or whenever the Contractor has knowledge that any actual or potential situation is delaying or threatens to delay the timely performance of this contract, the Contractor shall immediately notify the CO, and the COTR, in writing, giving pertinent details, provided, that this data shall be informational only in character and that this provision shall not be construed as a waiver by the Government of any delivery schedule or date or of any rights or remedies provided by law or under this contract.

H.8 SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Personnel other than key personnel are considered support personnel. The Contractor shall notify the COTR immediately in writing upon termination of employment of support personnel, and at least two (2) weeks before making changes in support personnel. Resumes for the replacement personnel shall be submitted to the COTR for approval. The COTR shall approve/disapprove replacements within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the resumes. Personnel lost from an active task must be replaced within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the vacancy.

H.9 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Personnel assigned by the Contractor to work must be acceptable to the Government in their personal and professional conduct. If the continued assignment to this contract of any person in the Contractor's organization is considered by the CO to conflict with the interests of the Government, the person must be removed from the assignment. The reason for removal must be documented in writing by the CO. Employment and staffing difficulties are not adequate justification for failing to meet established schedules, and if they impair performance, the Contractor may be subject to default.

H.10 SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR OTHER DIRECT COSTS

The Government will not reimburse Contractor under other direct costs the purchase or lease of word processing equipment. Computer equipment and/or software specifically required for the performance of a task order may be negotiated and may be allowed and will become Government property. Approved incidental travel will be reimbursed in accordance with Federal travel regulations. No profit/fee will be allowable on ODC's. ODC's such as travel, computer time and reproduction costs will be negotiated on a task by task basis. All travel shall be invoiced in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations.

H.11 CONTRACT MINIMUM

It is impossible to determine the precise types or amounts of services that will be ordered under this contracts. In the event that the Government does not issue a task order, the Contractor will be entitled to a maximum of $500.00 per contract year. Only Contractors who have made significant effort by responding to tasks requests with tasks proposals will be entitled.

H.12 TASK PROPOSALS

It is anticipated that multiple contracts will be awarded and that task orders will be competed among all Contractors. The Government will request individual task proposals and compete individual task orders with all Contractors. However, the Government reserves the right to solicit a task order proposal and negotiate with only one Contractor for a specific task. Such task order will be issued in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2). This decision of the Government is not subject to the Disputes clause in Section I of this contract.

H.13 DUPLICATION OF EFFORT

The Contractor hereby certifies that costs for work to be performed under this Contract by any subcontract here under are not duplicate of any costs charged against any other Government contract, subcontract, or other Government source. The Contractor agrees to advise the CO, in writing, of any other Government contract or subcontract it has performed or is performing that involves work directly related to the purpose of this contract. The Contractor also certifies and agrees that any and all work performed under this contract shall be directly and exclusively for the purpose and benefit of the Government, not incidental to any other work, pursuit, research, or purpose of the Contractor, whose responsibility it will be to account for it accordingly.

H.14 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS

1. The Government will monitor the Contractor's performance for the duration of every task order issued under this contract.

1. Progress reporting. Upon contract award, the contractor shall submit monthly written progress reports.
2. Performance evaluation. The Contractor will be evaluated against the performance requirements included in every task order. The focus shall be on the conformance to contract/task requirements, quality, quantity, timeliness, Contractor’s record to forecast and control cost, commitment to customer satisfaction and Contractor’s history of reasonable and cooperative behavior.
3. End of Period of Performance. Upon completion of a task order, the Contractor shall deliver to the Government all documents, printouts, data files, file listings, tapes and record listings produced by or provided to the Contractor.

2. The Government will monitor the Contractor's performance for the duration of the contract. Collectively,

1. Contractor shall submit a credible proposal on a majority of opportunities within the technical area of contract award.
2. Cost containment on task awards.
3. Schedules met on task orders.
4. Products/deliverables are contract compliant such as technically sound, professional style and format, etc.
5. Inspection. The COTR will conduct or cause to have conducted periodic scheduled inspections of all aspects of this contract performance. Spot and unscheduled inspections also will be performed. Unsatisfactory performance reports will be forwarded to the Contractor through the CO.
6. Past Performance. Information gathered from the performance evaluations of individual tasks and or inspections will be the tool used for the past performance 'report cards' per FAR 42.15. The ultimate conclusion on the performance evaluation is a decision of the contracting agency. These evaluations may be used to support future award decisions.

H.15 BACKGROUND MATERIALS

The Contractor shall furnish to the Government such background materials as the Government may require and request, within a period of one (1) year following contract completion, provided that such materials are developed and acquired as part of this contract. Such materials may include, but are not limited to, original work papers, calculations, notes, drafts, printed materials, pamphlets, drawings, and related items.

H.16 TITLE AND RISK OF LOSS

1. After award of this contract, the title to all materials acquired by the Contractor in the performance of the contract properly chargeable thereto under sound accounting practices is the property of the Government and shall vest in the Government. All material acquired under this contract shall become property of the Government.
2. The Contractor shall bear the risk of loss of property, title to which vests in the Government pursuant to this clause, in the event of loss, theft or destruction or for damage to any such property before delivery acceptance by the Government.

H.17 OPTION TO EXTEND THE EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT (52.217.9) (MAR 2000)

1. The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days of the end of the contract; provided, that the Government shall give the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.
2. If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option provision.
3. The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 60 months.

H.18 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

1. The Government may furnish property/materials to the Contractor for the performance of task orders. These may include, but are not limited to documentation, software, software code and equipment.
2. At the completion of the task order, all Government furnished property shall be returned to the Government in good condition, ordinary wear and tear accepted. The Contractor shall assume the risk and responsibility for any loss of Government furnished property.
3. The Contractor shall use the Government furnished property only in connection with this contract. The Contractor shall maintain adequate property control records and will make such records available for Government inspection at all reasonable times.
4. Within thirty (30) days of completion of the task under which property was furnished or at the expiration of the contract, the Contractor shall submit an Inventory Schedule of residual Government furnished property (for property not returned at the completion of the task order) in a form acceptable to the CO regarding the disposition of any Government furnished property.

H.19 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. In accordance with FAR clause 52.228-7, 'Insurance - Liability to Third Persons', the Contractor shall acquire and maintain, during the performance of work under this contract, insurance of at least the kinds and amounts set forth below:

1. Workman’s Compensation and Employee’s Liability Insurance in accordance with the amounts specified by the laws of the states in which the work is to be performed under this contract. In the absence of such states laws, a minimum amount of $100,000 per incident shall be required and maintained.
2. Automobile General Liability Insurance: A minimum amount of $200,000 per person; $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury; and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage.
3. Comprehensive General Liability: A minimum of $500,000 for bodily injury per occurrence.

2. Prior to the commencement of work hereunder, evidence of insurance and bonds if required, shall be furnished in a form satisfactory to the CO. In addition, the Contractor shall furnish evidence of a commitment by the insurance carrier to notify the CO in writing of any material change, expiration, or cancellation of any of the insurance policies or bonds required hereunder not less than thirty (30) days before such change, expiration or cancellation is effective.

H.20 NONPAYMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED WORK

No payments will be made for any unauthorized supplies or services, or for any unauthorized changes to the work specified herein. This includes any service performed by the Contractor of its own volition or at the request of an individual other than a duly appointed CO. Only a duly appointed CO is authorized to change the specifications or order work under in this contract.

H.21 TYPE OF CONTRACT

This is an indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, time and materials (labor hour, task award) type contract for services.

H.22 TASK REQUEST/ORDER PROCEDURES

All work under this contract will be defined by task statements developed by the Government and competed in accordance with the following procedures:

H.22.1 Task Request. A task request will be issued by the CO and will include relevant background information, task objectives, delivery or performance schedules, performance measures, and a description of the work to be performed in sufficient detail to permit accurate estimation of cost, work hours, other direct costs, and completion date. Any special requirements such as security requirements, or provision of Government furnished material or information will be outlined and/or provided. The estimated level of effort may be disclosed. Tasks may be issued under this contract on a fixed price basis, a labor hour basis with a Not-to-Exceed ceiling amount or a time-and-materials basis (T&M), incentive type or any combination thereof. The task request will describe the preferred pricing method (i.e., fixed price, Not-to-Exceed ceiling price or T&M). The task request will be either mailed or transmitted by facsimile to all Contractors.

H.22.2 Task Proposal. The Contractor shall submit a written proposal in response to the task request no later than ten (10) working days after the issue date of the task request. Faster response time for emergency tasks will be mutually agreed upon by the Contract Officer and the Contractor. Additional time may be allowed upon request, if necessary, subject to approval by the CO. The proposal shall include:

1. A narrative description of the Contractor's understanding of the activities required to satisfy the requirement.
2. A narrative description of the Contractor's proposed solution - plans for performance and meeting performance measures, technical approach, any problem areas, and assumptions, if applicable.
3. Definition of milestones, deliverables and schedules.
4. A detailed schedule with the estimated labor hours and identification of the skill descriptions of the personnel necessary to perform the task, and the price applicable to each milestone or deliverable, as appropriate.

   A staffing schedule and the names and resumes of the key personnel (as defined in Clause H.6) to be assigned to the task order. Resumes will only be required for key personnel not included in the original proposal and are not to exceed three pages. Resumes should be current, updated within the past year, and the education and experience should reflect the SOW requirements.

5. If required, a detailed definition of travel to be performed, including schedule, location, cost estimate, duration, personnel involved, and purpose of each trip.
6. A detailed definition of the supplemental resources required for performance, to be provided by the Government or on a reimbursable basis by the Contractor.
7. Any subcontracting or consultants required.

H.22.3 Selection Criteria. Selection criteria for individual orders shall be made based on the expected greatest overall benefit among all proposed solutions. Past performance information on previous tasks will be considered. The Government program manager and his/her evaluators shall determine which proposal offers the best value to the Government. Individual task requests may include specific criteria for the specific task order.

H.22.4 Negotiations and Task Issuance.

1. Negotiations will take place at a time and place designated by the Government (possibly by telephone). The skills, specific education/experience of personnel, estimated hours, and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) will be negotiated on each task order. The Government reserves the right to require specific experience and/or educational requirements in order to meet the requirements of the individual task order. Following negotiations, the Contractor shall submit a finalized proposal within two (2) workdays which reflects the results of the negotiations.
2. A task order may be issued without negotiations based on the acceptability of the task proposal. If negotiations are conducted and agreement cannot be reached on any aspect of the task, the Government has the right to unilaterally issue the task order, and the Contractor is required to perform; however, while performance is taking place, the Contractor has the right to pursue applicable remedies under the "Disputes" clause of the contract.
3. Upon the conclusion of all negotiations and evaluation of task proposals, the CO will issue a task order. Upon signature of the CO, each task order is considered fully executed, binding, and ready for implementation. Each task order will be forwarded to the Contractor (generally by facsimile, followed by regular mail). The order(s) will reference both the task statement and the Contractor's proposal and must be executed by the CO before work may commence. The Government cannot predict the number of task orders to be issued under this contract. All provisions of the contract will apply. The following specific conditions will apply:

1. All task orders must be accounted for separately. They will ordinarily be of a completion type unless they are for services which cannot with certainty be estimated before award. In those cases, professional staff hours to be furnished will be set forth with Not-to-Exceed ceilings specified.
2. If circumstances warrant, the task order may be modified. If the Contractor believes a change is necessary, the CO shall be notified in writing. When a task order requires a modification or change either at the request of the Government or the Contractor, the modification/change shall be formalized by the issuance of a written modification to the task order, and the contract modified, if applicable. No changes may take place without approval of the CO.
3. Key personnel shall be assigned and available on this contract starting from the date of contract award or issuance of task orders, whichever is applicable. The Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the contracting officer within five (5) calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the following information.

   The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution(s), complete resume(s) for the proposed substitute(s), and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitute(s) shall have qualifications that meet or exceed those of the person(s) being replaced. The CO will notify the Contractor within five (5) calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitution(s). The contract or task order will be modified to reflect any approved change(s) of key personnel.

   Key personnel lost must be replaced within 15 calendar days from the date of the vacancy.

4. In order to accommodate urgent program requirements, the CO may give the Contractor oral, facsimile or written notice to proceed on a specific requirement in advance of issuing a formal task order. Any such orders will be followed by a written task order as soon as practicable.
5. Work on task orders shall commence no later than seven (7) calendar days from the task order issuance date or a mutually agreed upon date.
6. Conflict in Terms.

   Any conflict between any task order and any term or condition of the contract must be immediately reported to the CO. The terms and conditions of the contract shall take precedence over the language of any task order.

7. Termination of Task Orders.

   The Government retains the right to terminate or stop work on any task order and will negotiate an equitable adjustment in the task order price for work performed. Upon such termination, the Contractor shall deliver to the Government all documents, printouts, file listings, tapes and record listings produced by or provided to the Contractor.

H.23 ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS

All electronic and information technology (EIT) procured through this order shall meet the applicable accessibility standards at 36 CFR 394; 36 CFR 394 implements Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and is viewable at http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm - PART 394. The following standards have been determined to be applicable to this order:

394.21 Software applications and operating systems

394.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet information and applications

394.23 Telecommunications products

The standards do not require the installation of specific accessibility-related software or the attachment of an assistive technology device, but merely require that the EIT be compatible with such software and devices so that it can be made accessible if so required by the agency in the future.

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

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I.1 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 52.252-2 (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this URL: http://www.ARNet.gov/far

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

NUMBER	TITLE	DATE
52.202-1	DEFINITIONS	OCT 1995
52.203-3	GRATUITIES	APR 1984
52.203-5	COVENANT AGAINST CONTINGENT FEES	APR 1984
52.203-6	RESTRICTIONS ON SUBCONTRACTOR SALES TO THE GOVERNMENT	JUL 1995
52.203-7	ANTI-KICKBACK PROCEDURES	JUL 1995
52.203-10	PRICE OR FEE ADJUSTMENT FOR ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITY
52.204-4	PRINTING/COPYING DOUBLE-SIDED ON RECYCLED PAPER	JUN 1996
52.209-6	PROTECTING THE GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST WHEN SUBCONTRACTING WITH CONTRACTORS DEBARRED, SUSPENDED, OR PROPOSED FOR DEBARMENT	JUL 1995
52.215-2	AUDIT AND RECORDS--NEGOTIATION	AUG 1996
52.215-8	ORDER OF PRECEDENCE--UNIFORM CONTRACT FORMAT	OCT 1997
52.216-15	PREDETERMINED INDIRECT COST RATES
52.216-27	SINGLE OR MULTIPLE AWARDS	OCT 1995
52.216-28	MULTIPLE AWARDS FOR ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE	OCT 1995
52.217-8	OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES	AUG 1989
52.219-14	LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING	DEC 1996
52.219-8	UTILIZATION OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS	OCT 2000
52.219-9	SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN	OCT 2000
52.219-16	LIQUIDATED DAMAGES – SUBCONTRACTING PLAN	JAN 1999
52.222-1	NOTICE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF LABOR DISPUTES	FEB 1997
52.222-3	CONVICT LABOR	AUG 1996
52.222-21	PROHIBITION OF SEGREGATED FACILITIES	FEB 1999
52.222-26	EQUAL OPPORTUNITY	APR 1984
52.222-28	EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PREAWARD CLEARANCE OF SUBCONTRACTS	APR 1984
52.222-35	AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM ERA	APR 1998
52.222-36	AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR HANDICAPPED WORKERS	APR 1984
52.222-37	EPLOYMENT REPORTS ON SPECIAL DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM ERA	JAN 1988
52.222-41	SERVICE CONTRACT ACT OF 1965, AS AMENDED	MAY 1989
52.222-43	FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND SERVICE CONTRACT ACT - PRICE ADJUSTMENT (MULTIPLE YEAR AND OPTION CONTRACTS)	MAY 1989
52.223-2	CLEAN AIR AND WATER	APR 1984
52.223-5	POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RIGHT-TO-KNOW INFORMATION	MAR 1997
52.223-6	DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE	JAN 1997
52.223-14	TOXIC CHEMICAL RELEASE REPORTING	OCT 1996
52.225-11	RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN FOREIGN PURCHASES	OCT 1996
52.227-1	AUTHORIZATION AND CONSENT	JUL 1995
52.227-2	NOTICE AND ASSISTANCE REGARDING PATENT AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT	AUG 1996
52.227-12	PATENT RIGHTS - RETENTION BY THE CONTRACTOR (LONG FORM)	JAN 1997
52.227-14	RIGHTS IN DATA - GENERAL Alternate III (JUN 1987)	JUN 1987
52.227-17	RIGHTS IN DATA - SPECIAL WORKS	JUN 1987
52.228-7	INSURANCE-TO THIRD PERSONS	MAR 1996
52.232-1	PAYMENTS	APR 1984
52.232-2	PAYMENTS UNDER FIXED PRICE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS	APR 1984
52.232-7	PAYMENTS UNDER TIME-AND-MATERIALS AND LABOR-HOUR CONTRACTS- Alternate II (JAN 1986)	FEB 1997
52.232-8	DISCOUNTS FOR PROMPT PAYMENT	MAY 1997
52.232-11	EXTRAS	APR 1984
52.232-17	INTEREST	JUN 1996
52.232-23	ASSIGNMENT OF CLAIMS	JAN 1986
52.232-25	PROMPT PAYMENT	JUN 1997
52.232-33	MANDATORY INFORMATION FOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER PAYMENT	AUG 1996
52.233-1	DISUTES	OCT 1995
52.233-3	PROTEST AFTER AWARD	AUG 1996
52.237-2	PROTECTION OF GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, AND VEGETATION	APR 1984
52.242-3	PENALTIES FOR UNALLOWABLE COSTS	OCT 1995
52.242-13	BANKRUPTCY	JUL 1995
52.243-1	CHANGES- FIXED PRICE ALTERNATE III	APR 1984
52.243-3	CHANGES - TIME-AND-MATERIALS OR LABOR-HOURS	AUG 1997
52.244-2	SUBCONTRACTS (TIME-AND-MATERIALS AND LABOR-HOUR CONTRACTS)	AUG 1998
52.244-5	COMPETITION IN SUBCONTRACTING	DEC 1996
52.245-1	PROPERTY RECORDS	APR 1984
52.245-5	GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (COST-REIMBURSEMENT, TIME-AND-MATERIAL, OR LABOR-HOUR CONTRACTS)	JAN 1986
52.246-25	LIMITATION OF LIABILITY - SERVICES	FEB 1997
52.249-2	TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT (FIXED PRICE)	SEP 1996
52.249-5	TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT (EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER NON-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS)	SEP 1996
52.249-6	TERMINATION (COST-REIMBURSEMENT) Alternate IV	SEP 1996
52.249-9	DEFAULT (FIXED PRICE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT	APR 1984
52.249-14	EXCUSABLE DELAYS	APR 1984
52.251-1	GOVERNMENT SUPPLY SOURCES	APR 1984
52.253-1	COMPUTER GENERATED FORMS	JAN 1991

I.2 52.203-8 CANCELLATION, RESCISSION, AND RECOVERY OF FUNDS FOR ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITY (JAN 1997)

1. The Government receives information that a Contractor or a person has engaged in conduct constituting a violation of subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d) of Section 27 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 423) (the Act), as amended by section 4304 of the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (Pub. L. 104-106), the Government may-- (1) Cancel the solicitation, if the contract has not yet been awarded or issued; or (2) Rescind the contract with respect to which--(i) The Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor has been convicted for an offense where the conduct constitutes a violation of subsection 27 (a) or (b) of the Act for the purpose of either--(A) Exchanging the information covered by such subsections for anything of value; or (B) Obtaining or giving anyone a competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract; or (ii) The head of the contracting activity has determined, based upon a preponderance of the evidence, that the Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor has engaged in conduct constituting an offense punishable under subsections 27(e)(1) of the Act.
2. If the Government rescinds the contract under paragraph (a) of this clause, the Government is entitled to recover, in addition to any penalty prescribed by law, the amount expended under the contract.
3. The rights and remedies of the Government specified herein are not exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law, regulation, or under this contract.

I.3 52.203-12 LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS (DEVIATION NOV 1990) (JUN 1997)

1. Definitions.

   "Agency," as used in this clause, means executive agency as defined in 2.101.

   "Covered Federal action," as used in this clause, means any of the following Federal actions:

   1. The awarding of any Federal contract;
   2. The making of any Federal grant;
   3. The making of any Federal loan;
   4. The entering into of any cooperative agreement; and,
   5. The extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

   "Indian tribe" and "tribal organization," as used in this clause, have the meaning provided in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450B) and include Alaskan Natives.

   "Influencing or attempting to influence," as used in this clause, means making, with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with any covered Federal action.

   "Local government," as used in this clause, means a unit of Government in a State and, if chartered, established, or otherwise recognized by a State for the performance of a governmental duty, including a local public authority, a special district, an intrastate district, a council of governments, a sponsor group representative organization, and any other instrumentality of a local government.

   "Officer or employee of an agency," as used in this clause, includes the following individuals who are employed by an agency:

   1. An individual who is appointed to a position in the Government under title 5, United States Code, including a position under a temporary appointment.
   2. A member of the uniformed services as defined in subsection 101(3), title 37, United States Code.
   3. A special Government employee, as defined in section 202, title 18, United States Code.
   4. An individual who is a member of a Federal advisory committee, as defined by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, title 5, United States Code, appendix 2.

   "Person," as used in this clause, means an individual, corporation, company, association, authority, firm, partnership, society, State, and local Government, regardless of whether such entity is operated for profit or not for profit. This term excludes an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or any other Indian organization with respect to expenditures specifically permitted by other Federal law.

   "Reasonable compensation," as used this clause, means, with respect to a regularly employed officer or employee of any person, compensation that is consistent with the normal compensation for such officer or employee for work that is not furnished to, not funded by, or not furnished in cooperation with the Federal Government.

   "Reasonable payment," as used this clause, means, with respect to professional and other technical services, a payment in an amount that is consistent with the amount normally paid for such services in the private sector.

   "Recipient," as used in this clause, includes the Contractor and all subcontractors. This term excludes an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or any other Indian organization with respect to expenditures specifically permitted by other Federal law.

   "Regularly employed," as used in this clause, means, with respect to an officer or employee of a person requesting or receiving a Federal contract, an officer or employee who is employed by such person for at least 130 working days within 1 year immediately preceding the date of the submission that initiates agency consideration of such person for receipt of such contract. An officer or employee who is employed by such person for less than 130 working days within 1 year immediately preceding the date of the submission that initiates agency consideration of such person shall be considered to be regularly employed as soon as he or she is employed by such person for 130 working days.

   "State," as used in this clause, means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory or possession of the United States, an agency or instrumentality of a State, and multi-State, regional, or interstate entity having governmental duties and powers.

2. Prohibitions.

   1. Section 1352 of title 31, United States Code, among other things, prohibits a recipient of a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement from using appropriated funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with any of the following covered Federal actions: the awarding of any Federal contract; the making of any Federal grant; the making of any Federal loan; the entering into of any cooperative agreement; or the modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
   2. The Act also requires Contractors to furnish a disclosure if any funds other than Federal appropriated funds(including profit or fee received under a covered Federal transaction) have been paid, or will be paid, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
   3. The prohibitions of the Act do not apply under the following conditions:

   1. Agency and legislative liaison by own employees.

   1. The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in subparagraph (b)(1) of this clause, does not apply in the case of a payment of reasonable compensation made to an officer or employee of a person requesting or receiving a covered Federal action if the payment is for agency and legislative liaison activities not directly related to a covered Federal action.
   2. For purposes of subdivision (b)(3)(i)(A) of this clause, providing any information specifically requested by an agency or Congress is permitted at any time.
   3. The following agency and legislative liaison activities are permitted at any time where they are not related to a specific solicitation for any covered Federal action:

   1. Discussing with an agency the qualities and characteristics (including individual demonstrations) of the person's products or services, conditions or terms of sale, and service capabilities.
   2. Technical discussions and other activities regarding the application or adaptation of the person's products or services for an agency's use.

   4. The following agency and legislative liaison activities are permitted where they are prior to formal solicitation of any covered Federal action--

   1. Providing any information not specifically requested but necessary for an agency to make an informed decision about initiation of a covered Federal action;
   2. Technical discussions regarding the preparation of an unsolicited proposal prior to its official submission; and
   3. Capability presentations by persons seeking awards from an agency pursuant to the provisions of the Small Business Act, as amended by Pub. L. 95-507, and subsequent amendments.

   5. Only those services expressly authorized by subdivision (b)(3)(i)(A) of this clause are permitted under this clause.

   2. Professional and technical services.

   1. The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in subparagraph (b)(1) of this clause, does not apply in the case of--

   1. A payment of reasonable compensation made to an officer or employee of a person requesting or receiving a covered Federal action or an extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of a covered Federal action, if payment is for professional or technical services rendered directly in the preparation, submission, or negotiation of any bid, proposal, or application for that Federal action or for meeting requirements imposed by or pursuant to law as a condition for receiving that Federal action.
   2. Any reasonable payment to a person, other than an officer or employee of a person requesting or receiving a covered Federal action or any extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of a covered Federal action if the payment is for professional or technical services rendered directly in the preparation, submission, or negotiation of any bid, proposal, or application for that Federal action or for meeting requirements imposed by or pursuant to law as a condition for receiving that Federal action. Persons other than officers or employees of a person requesting or receiving a covered Federal action include consultants and trade associations.

   2. For purposes of subdivision (b)(3)(ii)(A) of this clause, "professional and technical services" shall be limited to advice and analysis directly applying any professional or technical discipline. For example, drafting of a legal document accompanying a bid or proposal by a lawyer is allowable. Similarly, technical advice provided by an engineer on the performance or operational capability of apiece of equipment rendered directly in the negotiation of a contract is allowable. However, communications with the intent to influence made by a professional (such as a licensed lawyer) or a technical person (such ASA licensed accountant) are not allowable under this section unless they provide advice and analysis directly applying their professional or technical expertise and unless the advice or analysis is rendered directly and solely in the preparation, submission or negotiation of a covered Federal action. Thus, for example, communications with the intent to influence made by a lawyer that do not provide legal advice or analysis directly and solely related to the legal aspects of his or her client's proposal, but generally advocate one proposal over another are not allowable under this section because the lawyer is not providing professional legal services. Similarly, communications with the intent to influence made by an engineer providing an engineering analysis prior to the preparation or submission of a bid or proposal are not allowable under this section since the engineer is providing technical services but not directly in the preparation, submission or negotiation of a covered Federal action.
   3. Requirements imposed by or pursuant to law as a condition for receiving a covered Federal award include those required by law or regulation and any other requirements in the actual award documents.
   4. Only those services expressly authorized by subdivisions (b) (3) (ii) (A) (1) and (2) of this clause are permitted under this clause.
   5. The reporting requirements of FAR 3.803(a) shall not apply with respect to payments of reasonable compensation made to regularly employed officers or employees of a person.

   3. Selling activities by independent sales representatives.

      The prohibition on the use of appropriated funds, in subparagraph (b) (1) of this clause, does not apply to the following sales activities before an agency by independent sales representatives, provided such activities are prior to formal solicitation by an agency and are specifically limited to the merits of the matter;

   1. Discussing with an agency (including individual demonstrations) the qualities and characteristics of the person's products or services, conditions or terms of sale, and service capabilities; and
   2. Technical discussions and other activities regarding the application or adoption of the person's products or services for an agency's use.

3. Disclosure.

1. The Contractor who requests or receives from an agency a Federal contract shall file with that agency a disclosure form, OMB standard form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if such person has made or has agreed to make any payment using nonappropriated funds (to include profits from any covered Federal action), which would be prohibited under subparagraph (b)(1) of this clause, if paid for with appropriated funds.
2. The Contractor shall file a disclosure form at the end of each calendar quarter in which there occurs any event that materially affects the accuracy of the information contained in any disclosure form previously filed by such person under subparagraph (c) (1) of this clause. An event that materially affects the accuracy of the information reported includes--

1. A cumulative increase of $25,000 or more in the amount paid or expected to be paid for influencing or attempting to influence a covered Federal action; or
2. A change in the person(s) or individual(s) influencing or attempting to influence a covered Federal action; or
3. A change in the officer(s), employee(s), or Member(s) contacted to influence or attempt to influence a covered Federal action.

3. The Contractor shall require the submittal of a certification, and if required, a disclosure form by any person who requests or received any subcontract exceeding $100,000 under the Federal contract.
4. All subcontractor disclosure forms (but not certifications) shall be forwarded from tier to tier until received by the prime Contractor. The prime Contractor shall submit all disclosures to the CO at the end of the calendar quarter in which the disclosure form is submitted by the subcontractor. Each subcontractor certification shall be retained in the subcontract file of the awarding Contractor.

4. Agreement. The Contractor agrees not to make any payment prohibited by this clause.
5. Penalties.

1. Any person who makes an expenditure prohibited under paragraph (a) of this clause or who fails to file or amend the disclosure form to be filed or amended by paragraph (b) of this clause shall be subject to civil penalties as provided for by 31 U.S.C. 1352. An imposition of a civil penalty does not prevent the Government from seeking any other remedy that may be applicable.
2. Contractors may rely without liability on the representation made by their subcontractors in the certification and disclosure form.

6. Cost allowability. Nothing in this clause makes allowable or reasonable any costs which would otherwise be unallowable or unreasonable. Conversely, costs made specifically unallowable by the requirements in this clause will not be made allowable under any other provision.

I.4 52.215-21 REQUIREMENTS FOR COST OR PRICING DATA OR INFORMATION OTHER THAN COST OR PRICING DATA--MODIFICATIONS (OCT 1997)

1. Exceptions from cost or pricing data. (1) In lieu of submitting cost or pricing data for modifications under this contract, for price adjustments expected to exceed the threshold set forth at FAR 15.403-4 on the date of the agreement on price or the date of the award, whichever is later, the Contractor may submit a written request for exception by submitting the information described in the following subparagraphs. The CO may require additional supporting information, but only to the extent necessary to determine whether an exception should be granted, and whether the price is fair and reasonable--

1. Identification of the law or regulation establishing the price offered. If the price is controlled under law by periodic rulings, reviews, or similar actions of a governmental body, attach a copy of the controlling document, unless it was previously submitted to the contracting office.
2. Information on modifications of contracts or subcontracts for commercial items. If --

1. The original contract or subcontract was granted an exception from cost or pricing data requirements because the price agreed upon was based on adequate price competition or prices set by law or regulation, or was a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of a commercial item; and
2. The modification (to the contract or subcontract) is not exempted based on one of these exceptions, then the Contractor may provide information to establish that the modification would not change the contract or subcontract from a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of a commercial item to a contract or subcontract for the acquisition of an item other than a commercial item.

2. For a commercial item exception, the Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, information on prices at which the same item or similar items have previously been sold that is adequate for evaluating the reasonableness of the price of the modification. Such information may include --
3. For catalog items, a copy of or identification of the catalog and its date, or the appropriate pages for the offered items, or a statement that the catalog is on file in the buying office to which the proposal is being submitted. Provide a copy or describe current discount policies and price lists (published or unpublished), e.g., wholesale, original equipment manufacturer, or reseller. Also explain the basis of each offered price and its relationship to the established catalog price, including how the proposed price relates to the price of recent sales in quantities similar to the proposed quantities.
4. For market-priced items, the source and date or period of the market quotation or other basis for market price, the base amount, and applicable discounts. In addition, describe the nature of the market.
5. For items included on an active Federal Supply Service Multiple Award Schedule contract, proof that an exception has been granted for the schedule item.
6. The Contractor grants the CO or an authorized representative the right to examine, at any time before award, books, records, documents, or other directly pertinent records to verify any request for an exception under this clause, and the reasonableness of price. For items priced using catalog or market prices, or law or regulation, access does not extend to cost or profit information or other data relevant solely to the Contractor's determination of the prices to be offered in the catalog or marketplace.
7. Requirements for cost or pricing data. If the Contractor is not granted an exception from the requirement to submit cost or pricing data, the following applies:

1. The Contractor shall submit cost or pricing data and supporting attachments in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408.
2. As soon as practicable after agreement on price, but before award (except for unpriced actions), the Contractor shall submit a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data, as prescribed by FAR 15.406-2.

I.5 52.222-35 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR SPECIAL DISABLED AND VIETNAM ERA VETERANS (APR 1984) (DEVIATION)

1. Definitions.

   "Appropriate office of the State employment service system," as used in this clause, means the local office of the Federal-State national system of public employment offices assigned to serve the area where the employment opening is to be filled, including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

   "Openings that the Contractor proposes to fill from within its own organization," as used in this clause, means employment openings for which no one outside the Contractor's organization (including any affiliates, subsidiaries, and the parent companies) will be considered and includes any openings that the Contractor proposes to fill from regularly established "recall" lists.

   "Openings that the Contractor proposes to fill under a customary and traditional employer-union hiring arrangement," as used in this clause, means employment openings that the Contractor proposes to fill from union halls, under their customary and traditional employer-union hiring relationship.

   "Suitable employment openings," as used in this clause-

   1. Includes, but is not limited to, openings that occur in jobs categorized as-

   1. Production and nonproduction;
   2. Plant and office;
   3. Laborers and mechanics;
   4. Supervisory and nonsupervisory;
   5. Technical; and
   6. Executive, administrative, and professional positions compensated on a salary basis of less than $25,000 a year; and

   2. Includes full-time employment, temporary employment of over 3 days, and part-time employment, but not openings that the Contractor proposes to fill from within its own organization or under a customary and traditional employer-union hiring arrangement, nor openings in an educational institution that are restricted to students of that institution.

2. General

1. Regarding any position for which the employee or applicant for employment is qualified, the Contractor shall not discriminate against the individual because the individual is a special disabled or Vietnam Era veteran. The Contractor agrees to take affirmative action to employ, advance in employment, and otherwise treat qualified special disabled and Vietnam Era veterans without discrimination based upon their disability or veterans' status in all employment practices such as-

1. Employment;
2. Upgrading;
3. Demotion or transfer;
4. Recruitment;
5. Advertising;
6. Lay off or termination;
7. Rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and
8. Selection for training, including apprenticeship

2. The Contractor agrees to comply with the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) issued under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 (the Act), as amended.

3. Listing openings.

1. The Contractor agrees to list all suitable employment openings existing at contract award or occurring during contract performance, at an appropriate office of the State employment service system in the locality where the opening occurs. These openings include those occurring at any Contractor facility, including one not connected with performing this contract. An independent corporate affiliate is exempt from this requirement.
2. State and local Government agencies holding Federal contracts of $10,000 or more shall also list all their suitable openings with the appropriate office of the State employment service.
3. The listing of suitable employment openings with the State employment service system is required at least concurrently with using any other recruitment source or effort and involves the obligations of placing a bona fide job order, including accepting referrals of veterans and nonveterans. This listing does not require hiring any particular job applicant or hiring from any particular group of job applicants and is not intended to relieve the Contractor from any requirements of Executive orders or regulations concerning nondiscrimination in employment.
4. Whenever the Contractor becomes contractually bound to the listing terms of this clause, it shall advise the State employment service system, in each State where it has establishments, of the name and location of each hiring location in the State. As long as the Contractor is contractually bound to these terms and has so advised the State system, it need not advise the State system of subsequent contracts. The Contractor may advise the State system when it is no longer bound by this contract clause.
5. Under the most compelling circumstances, an employment opening may not be suitable for listing, including situations when (i) the Government's needs cannot reasonably be supplied, (ii) listing would be contrary to national security, or (iii) the requirement of listing would not be in the Government's interest.

4. Applicability.

1. This clause does not apply to the listing of employment openings which occur and are filled outside the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
2. The terms of paragraph (c) above of this clause do not apply to openings that the Contractor proposes to fill from within its own organization or under a customary and traditional employer-union hiring arrangement. This exclusion does not apply to a particular opening once an employer decides to consider applicants outside of its own organization or employer-union arrangement for that opening.

5. Postings.

1. The Contractor agrees to post employment notices stating (i) the Contractor's obligation under the law to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified special disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era, and (ii) the rights of applicants and employees.
2. These notices shall be posted in conspicuous places that are available to employees and applicants for employment. They shall be in a form prescribed by the Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Department of Labor (Director), and provided by or through the CO.
3. The Contractor shall notify each labor union or representative of workers with which it has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract understanding, that the Contractor is bound by the terms of the Act, and is committed to take affirmative action to employ, and advance in employment, qualified special disabled and Vietnam Era veterans.

6. Noncompliance. If the Contractor does not comply with the requirements of this clause, appropriate actions may be taken under the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary issued pursuant to the Act.
7. Subcontracts. The Contractor shall include the terms of this clause in every subcontract or purchase order of $10,000 or more unless exempted by rules, regulations, or orders of the Secretary. The Contractor shall act as specified by the Director to enforce the terms, including action for noncompliance.

I.6 52.252-6 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN CLAUSES (APR 1984)

1. The use in this solicitation or contract of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the clause.
2. The use in this solicitation or contract of any Commerce Acquisition Regulation clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

I.7 52.216-18 ORDERING (OCT 1995)

1. Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from date of award through expiration of the contract including all options.
2. All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contact, the contract shall control.
3. If mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered issued when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods only if authorized in the Schedule.

I.8 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995)

1. Minimum order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract, in an amount of less than $2,500, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract.
2. Maximum order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor--

1. Any order for a single item in excess of $50,000,000;
2. Any order for a combination of items in excess of $50,000,000;
3. A series of orders from the same ordering office within days that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in subparagraph (1) or (2) above.

3. If this is a requirements contract (i.e., includes the Requirements clause at subsection 52.216-21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), the Government is not required to order a part of any one requirement from the Contractor if that requirement exceeds the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b) above.
4. Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) above, the Contractor shall honor any order exceeding the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b), unless that order (or orders) is returned to the ordering office within days after issuance, with written notice stating the Contractor’s intent not to ship the item (or items) called for and the reasons. Upon receiving this notice, the Government may acquire the supplies or services from another source.

I.9 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY (OCT 1995)

1. This is an indefinite-quantity contract fro the supplies or services specified and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule. The quantities for supplies and services specified in the Schedule are estimates only and are not purchased by this contract.
2. Delivery or performance shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause. The Contractor shall furnish to the Government, when and if ordered, the supplies or services specified in the Schedule up to and including the quantity designated in the Schedule as the 'maximum.' The Government shall order at least the quantity of supplies or services designated in the Schedule as the 'minimum.'
3. Except for the limitations on quantities in the Order Limitations clause or in the Schedule, there is no limit on the number of orders that may issued. The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations.
4. Any order issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that period shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified in the order. The contract shall govern the Contractor’s and Government’s rights and obligation with respect to that order to the same extend as if the order were completed during the contract’s effective period; provided that the Contractor shall not be required to make any deliveries under this contract after March 2004.

I.10 52.222-42 STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES (MAY 1989)

In compliance with the Service Contract Act of 1965, as amended, and the regulations of the Secretary of Labor (29 CFR Part 4), this clause identifies the classes of services employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5341 or 5332.

This Statement is for Information Only: It is not a Wage Determination.

Employee Class	Monetary Wage - Fringe Benefits
TBD	TBD

(Please Note: A Wage Determination in accordance with 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 as Amended (May 1989) has been requested.)

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITSAND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

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Attachment 1 – Past/Current Experience

Attachment 2 – Past Performance Matrix and Instructions

Attachment 3 – Contractor Performance Evaluation

Attachment 4 – Resume Outline

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

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K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this URL: http://www.ARNet.gov/far

NUMBER	TITLE	DATE
52.203-11	CERTIFICATION AND DISCLOSURE REGARDING PAYMENTS TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN FEDERAL	JAN 1990
52.222-21	CERTIFICATION OF NONSEGREGATED FACILITIES	APR 1984

K.2 52.204-3 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998)

1. Definitions.

   "Common parent," as used in this solicitation provision, means that corporate entity that owns or controls an affiliated group of corporations that files its Federal income tax returns on a consolidated basis, and of which the Offeror is a member.

   "Corporate status," as used in this solicitation provision, means a designation as to whether the Offeror is a corporate entity, an unincorporated entity (e.g., sole proprietorship or partnership), or a corporation providing medical and health care services.

   "Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)," as used in this solicitation provision, means the number required by the IRS to be used by the Offeror in reporting income tax and other returns.

2. All Offerors are required to submit the information required in paragraphs (c) through (e) of this solicitation provision in order to comply with reporting requirements of 26 U.S.C. 6041, 6041A, and 6050M and implementing regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the resulting contract is subject to the reporting requirements described in FAR 4.903, the failure or refusal by the Offeror to furnish the information may result in a 31 percent reduction of payments otherwise due under the contract.
3. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

   ( ) TIN: ____________________.
   ( ) TIN has been applied for.
   ( ) TIN is not required because:
   ( ) Offeror is a nonresident alien, foreign corporation, or foreign partnership that does not have income effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the U.S. and does not have an office or place of business or a fiscal paying agent in the U.S.;
   ( ) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a foreign government;
   ( ) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a Federal, state, or local Government;
   ( ) Other. State basis. ____________________

4. Corporate Status.

   ( ) Corporation providing medical and health care services, or engaged in the billing and collecting of payments for such services;
   ( ) Other corporate entity;
   ( ) Not a corporate entity;
   ( ) Sole proprietorship;
   ( ) Partnership;
   ( ) Hospital or extended care facility described in 26 CFR 501(c)(3) that is exempt from taxation under 26 CFR 501(a).

5. Common Parent.

   ( ) Offeror is not owned or controlled by a common parent as defined in paragraph (a) of this provision.
   ( ) Name and TIN of common parent:
   Name ______________________________________________
   TIN _______________________________________________

K.3 52.204-5 WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS (OCT 1995)

1. Representation. The Offeror represents that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a women-owned business concern.
2. Definition.

   "Women-owned business concern," as used in this provision, means a concern which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women.

K.4 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, PROPOSED DEBARMENT, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (MAR 1996)

1. The Offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that -

1. The Offeror and/or any of its Principals -

   1. Are [ ] are not [ ] presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal agency;
   2. Have [ ] have not [ ], within a 3-year period preceding this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion or receiving stolen property; and
   3. Are [ ] are not [ ] presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the offenses enumerated in subdivision (a)(1)(i)(B) of this provision.

2. The Offeror has [ ] has not [ ], within a 3-year period preceding this offer, had one or more contracts terminated for default by any Federal agency.

2. "Principals," for the purposes of this certification, means officers; directors; owners; partners; and, persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager; plant manager; head of a subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions).

THIS CERTIFICATION CONCERNS A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF AN AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE MAKING OF A FALSE, FICTITIOUS, OR FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATION MAY RENDER THE MAKER SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION UNDER SECTION 1001, TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE.

2. The Offeror shall provide immediate written notice to the Contracting Officer if, at any time prior to contract award, the Offeror learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.
3. A certification that any of the items in paragraph (a) of this provision exists will not necessarily result in withholding of an award under this solicitation. However, the certification will be considered in connection with a determination of the Offeror's responsibility. Failure of the Offeror to furnish a certification or provide such additional information as requested by the Contracting Officer may render the Offeror nonresponsible.
4. Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render, in good faith, the certification required by paragraph (a) of this provision. The knowledge and information of an Offeror is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.
5. The certification in paragraph (a) of this provision is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when making award. If it is later determined that the Offeror knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract resulting from this solicitation for default.

K.5 52.215-4 TYPE OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION (OCT 1997)

The offeror or respondent, by checking the applicable box, represents that--

1. It operates as [ ] an individual, [ ] a partnership, [ ] a nonprofit organization, [ ] a joint venture, or [ ] a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of ___________________.
2. If the offeror or respondent is a foreign entity, it operates as [ ] an individual, [ ] a partnership, [ ] a nonprofit organization, [ ] a joint venture, or [ ] a corporation, registered for business in (country)_____________.

K.6 52.219-1 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATIONS (OCT 2000)

1. Small Business Program Representations (May 2001)

1. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 5416900.
2. The small business size standard is $3,000,000.
3. The small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, other than on a construction or service contract, but which proposes to furnish a product which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

2. Representations.

1. The offeror represents as part of its offer that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a small business concern.
2. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents, for general statistical purposes, that it [ ] is, [ ] is not, a small disadvantaged business concern as defined in 13 CFR 124.1002.
3. [Complete only If the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a women-owned small business concern.
4. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a veteran-owned small business concern.
5. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a veteran-owned small business concern in paragraph (b)(4) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.
6. [Complete only if offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents, as part of its offer, that- -

1. It [ ] is, [ ] is not a HUBZone small business concern listed, on the date of this representation, on the List of Qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns maintained by the Small Business Administration, and no material change in ownership and control, principal office of ownership, or HUBZone employee percentage has occurred since it was certified by the Small Business Administration in accordance with 13 CFR part 126; and
2. It [ ] is, [ ] is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR part 126, and the representation in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this provision is accurate for the HUBZone small business concern or concerns that are participating in the joint venture. [The offeror shall enter the name or names of the HUBZone small business concern or concerns that are participating in the joint venture:

   __________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________

   _______________________.]

   Each HUBZone small business concern participating in the joint venture shall submit a separate signed copy of the HUBZone representation.

3. Definitions. As used in this provision-

   "Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern" -

1. Means a small business concern-

1. Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans; and
2. The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of a veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran.

"Service-disabled veteran" means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16).

"Small business concern" means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria in 13 CFR part 121 and the size standard in paragraph (a) of this provision.

"Veteran-owned small business concern" means a small business concern -

1. Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more veterans (as defined at 38 U.S.C. 101(2)) or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more veterans; and
2. The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more veterans.

"Women-owned small business concern" means a small business concern -

1. That is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and
2. Whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women.

2. Notice.

1. If this solicitation is for supplies and has been set aside, in whole or in part, for small business concerns, then the clause in this solicitation providing notice of the set-aside contains restrictions on the source of the end items to be furnished.
2. Under 15 U.S.C. 645(d), any person who misrepresents a firm's status as a small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, or women-owned small business concern in order to obtain a contract to be awarded under the preference programs established pursuant to section 8(a), 8(d), 9, or 15 of the Small Business Act or any other provision of Federal law that specifically references section 8(d) for a definition of program eligibility, shall-

1. Be punished by imposition of fine, imprisonment, or both;
2. Be subject to administrative remedies, including suspension and debarment; and

3. Be ineligible for participation in programs conducted under the authority of the Act.

K.7 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (APR 1984)

The offeror represents that--

1. It [ ] has, [ ] has not participated in a previous contract or subcontract subject either to the Equal Opportunity clause of this solicitation, the clause originally contained in Section 310 of Executive Order No. 10925, or the clause contained in Section 201 of Executive Order No. 11114;
2. It [ ] has, [ ] has not filed all required compliance reports; and
3. Representations indicating submission of required compliance reports, signed by proposed subcontractors, will be obtained before subcontract awards.

K.8 52.222-25 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE (APR 1984)

The offeror represents that--

1. It [ ] has developed and has on file, [ ] has not developed and does not have on file, at each establishment, affirmative action programs required by the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1 and 60-2), or (b) It [ ] has not previously had contracts subject to the written affirmative action programs requirement of the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Labor.

K.9 52.223-1 CLEAN AIR AND WATER CERTIFICATION (APR 1984)

The Offeror certifies that--

1. Any facility to be used in the performance of this proposed contract is [ ], is not [ ] listed on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List of Violating Facilities;
2. The Offeror will immediately notify the Contracting Officer, before award, of the receipt of any communication from the Administrator, or a designee, of the EPA, indicating that any facility that the Offeror proposes to use for the performance of the contract is under consideration to be listed on the (EPA) List of Violating Facilities; and
3. The Offeror will include a certification substantially the same as this certification, including this paragraph (c), in every nonexempt subcontract.

K.10 CONTRACTOR ESTABLISHMENT CODE

1. In the block with its name and address, the offeror should supply the Contractor Establishment Code (CEC) applicable to that name and address, if known to the offeror. The number should be preceded by "CEC." Offerors should take care to report the correct CEC and not a similar number assigned to the offeror in a different system. The CEC is a 9-digit code assigned to a Contractor establishment that contracts with Federal executive agencies. The CEC system is a Contractor identification coding system which is currently the Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Number Systems (DUNS). The CEC system is distinct from the Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) system.
2. If the Offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. A DUNS number will be provided immediately by telephone at no charge to the Offeror. For information on obtaining a DUNS numbers, the Offeror, if located within the United States, should call Dun and Bradstreet at 1-800-333-0505. The Offeror should be prepared to provide the following information:
1. Company name.
2. Company address.
3. Company telephone number.
4. Line of business.
5. Chief of executive officer/key manager.
6. Date the company was started.
7. Number of people employed by the company
8. Company affiliation.
3. Offerors located outside the United States may obtain the location and phone number of the local Dun and Bradstreet Information Services office from the Internet Home page at http://www.dnb.com/customer/custlist.htm. If an Offeror is unable to locate a local service center, it may send an email to Dun and Bradstreet at customerservie@dnb.com.

   CEC Code: _________________

K.11 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

1. The offeror or respondent, in the performance of any contract resulting from this solicitation, [ ] intends, [ ] does not intend [check applicable block] to use one or more plants or facilities located at a different address from the address of the offeror or respondent as indicated in this proposal or response to request for information.
2. If the offeror or respondent checks "intends" in paragraph (a) of this provision, it shall insert in the following spaces the required information:

   Place of Performance
   (Street Address, City,
   State, County, Zip Code)

   Name and Address of Owner and Operator of the Plant or Facility if Other than Offeror or Respondent

K.12 GSA SCHEDULE CONTRACTS

1. Contractor shall state whether he or his subcontractors have a current GSA Schedule contract or GWAC’s with any Federal Agency for IT Services. ( ) YES ( ) NO
2. If the answer to (a) is YES, cite the applicable contract number(s), labor categories and rates:

   ________________________________________________

   ________________________________________________

3. Labor categories: Rates:

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

   _____________________ ____________

K.13 FEDERAL CONTRACT AUDIT AGENCY

The Contractor shall indicate its cognizant Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or other cognizant federal contract audit agency who has performed and has records of the federal financial audits of the prime.

Agency:	___________________________
Address:	___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
Telephone #:	___________________________

K.14 CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the responses to the above Representations, Certifications and other statements are accurate and complete.

Signature:	_______________________
Title:	_______________________
Date:	_______________________

SECTION L: INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

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L.1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FAR 52.252-2) (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates the following provisions by reference with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotations or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this URL: http://www.ARNet.gov/far.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) SOLICITATION

PROVISIONS

FAR CLAUSE	TITLE	DATE
52.214-34	SUBMISSION OF OFFERS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE	APR 1991
52.214-35	SUBMISSION OF OFFERS IN U.S. CURRENCY	APR 1991
52.215-5	SOLICITATION DEFINITIONS	JUL 1987
52.215-7	UNNECESSARILY ELABORATE PROPOSALS OR QUOTATIONS	APR 1984
52.215-8	SUBMISSION OF OFFERS	FEB 1997
52.215-10	LATE SUBMISSIONS, MODIFICATIONS, AND WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS	FEB 1997
52.215-12	RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE AND USE OF DATA	APR 1984
52.215-13	PREPARATION OF OFFERS	APR 1984
52.215-14	EXPLANATION TO PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS	APR 1984
52.215-15	FAILURE TO SUBMIT OFFER	JUL 1995
52.215-16	CONTRACT AWARD	OCT 1995
52.215-30	FACILITIES CAPITAL COST OF MONEY	SEP 1987
	SINGLE OR MULTIPLE AWARDS	OCT 1995
52.216-28	MULTIPLE AWARDS FOR ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE	OCT 1995
	PREAWARD ON SITE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLIANCE REVIEW	APR 1984
52.222-46	EVALUATION OF COMPENSATION FOR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES	FEB 1993

L.2 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

1. MARKINGS: It is important that the offer is sealed and the outer envelope or wrapping of the offer is addressed as follows:

   Mailing Address:

   Ms. Donna Souders
   U.S. Census Bureau
   4700 Silver Hill Rd, Stop 1700
   Washington, DC 20233-1700
   Solicitation No. 52-SOBC-2-00001
   Technical Area: ____________________

   Date and Hour: Noon, February 4, 2002

   Note: Failure to correctly mark the outer cover could be the cause of the offer being misdirected and received too late at the required destination as shown above.

2. Offers shall be delivered to the office cited above and also cited in SF33, Block 7, or if hand carried offers must be delivered to the physical address below and contact must be made by the time and date specified above and in SF33, Block 9. Offerors that hand carry offers to the address below should allow extra time for clearance into the Suitland Federal Complex and for packages to be scanned upon entrance to FOB 3. Offers received at Room G314-3 after time and date specified for receipt shall be considered late.

   Physical Address:

   Bureau of the Census
   Acquisition Division, Rm. G314-3
   4700 Silver Hill Road
   Suitland, MD 20746-1700
   Attn: Ms. Donna Souders
   Solicitation No. 52-SOBC-2-00001
   Technical Area: ______________________

L.3 SERVICE OF PROTEST (MARCH 2000)

An agency protest may be filed with either (1) the Contracting Officer or (2) at a level above the Contracting Officer, with the agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999) - (Internet site: http://oamweb.osec.doc.gov/conops/reflib/alp1296.htm) for the procedures for filing agency protests at the level above the Contracting Officer (with the Protest Decision Authority).

Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address:

Contracting Officer
U.S. Census Bureau
Acquisition Division
Room G314, FB 3
Washington, DC 20233

If a protest is filed with either the Protest Decision Authority or with the General Accounting Office (GAO), a complete copy of the protest (including all attachments) shall be served upon the Contracting Officer and Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing with the Protest Decision Authority or with GAO. Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of the General Counsel
Contract Law Division – Room 5893
Herbert C. Hoover Building
14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Attn: Jerry Walz, Esquire
FAX: (202) 482-5858

If a protest is filed with the General Accounting Office (GAO), a complete copy of the protest and all attachments shall be served upon the Contracting Officer as well as the Contract Law Division of the General Counsel within one day of filing with GAO. Service upon the Contract Law Division is to be made as follows:

U. S. Department of Commerce
Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room H5893
14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20230
Attn: Jerry Walz

The Government contemplates awarding multiple indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity time and material (labor hour, task order) contracts for services resulting from this solicitation. Offerors may propose on one or more of the technical areas; however, they may not offer on a subset of an area. Offerors must propose on all technical requirements for a technical area as described in Section C of this document. The Offeror must offer firm fixed prices for all labor categories specified in Section B for the technical area for which it is proposing for a base year and four one year options. It is anticipated that some tasks may be issued on a firm fixed price basis (based on estimated number of hours and established labor hour rates) and some on a labor hour basis with a Not-To-Exceed ceiling price.

The Government reserves the right:

1. To consider as acceptable only those proposals submitted according to all technical requirements stated or referenced in this solicitation which demonstrate an understanding of the requirements and the scope of the project.
2. To reject, as unacceptable, proposals deleting or altering technical requirements.

This is a full and open competition. A Subcontracting Plan is required prior to award, and must follow the content in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 19.704). No set-asides are mandated, but offeror(s) are encouraged to propose reasonable, appropriate, attainable, and aggressive goals for subcontracting direct and indirect costs to small businesses, wherever possible, including those certified as 8(a); small disadvantaged, and small and/or disadvantaged women-owned businesses.

Offerors shall submit one fully executed copy of the SF33, Solicitation, Offer and Award including all amendments and completion of the representations and certifications found in Section K. The fully executed copy of the representations and certifications shall be included in Part II entitled, "Price and Other Business Factors."

If an offeror intends to make an alternate proposal of terms and conditions that differ from or supplement those contained in the model contract, then the offeror must state those alternate terms and conditions in a letter attached to the offer. The same representative of the offeror who signed SF 33, block 17, must sign the letter. The Government warns offerors that it intends to award this contract without discussions, in accordance with FAR 15.610(a) and 52.215-16(c) (Alternate II). By making an alternate proposal the offeror may, either intentionally or inadvertently, render its proposal unacceptable, unless the RFP expressly states that the Government will entertain an alternative proposal with regard to a specific term or condition of the request for proposals. In the absence of discussions, the Government will not give offerors an opportunity to modify their proposals to eliminate deficiencies. Offerors who have questions in this regard should submit them in writing to the Contracting Officer in sufficient time for a response before the deadline for the receipt of proposals TBD.

The Government will process late submissions of offers in accordance with FAR 52.215-1.

If an offer is received late and is not eligible for consideration in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, then the Government will reject that offer without evaluation.

Offerors allowing less than 180 calendar days in the "offer" portion of Standard Form 33 entitled, "Solicitation, Offer, and Award" for acceptance by the Government will be rejected as nonresponsive and unacceptable.

1. The general and additional minimum standards for responsible prospective Contractors and Subcontractors are set forth in the FAR Part 9.
2. The CO may request a pre-award survey in accordance with the FAR 9.106 and may solicit from available sources, relevant information concerning the Offeror's record of past performance, and use such information in making determinations of prospective Offeror's responsibility.
3. If your offer is one of those favorably considered, a survey team may contact your facility to determine your financial and technical ability to perform the required tasks.
4. In addition, Offerors are hereby advised that the apparently successful offeror, as a condition of award of any contract resulting from this solicitation, may be required to execute a certification related to business integrity.

1. Formal communications and specific requests for clarification(s) and/or information concerning this solicitation shall be submitted in writing to the CO at the following Email address:

   Email: acq.r&d.2007@.census.gov

2. All such requests shall be in electronic form and submitted to the above address. In an effort to provide early notice, questions and clarifications may be submitted via E-Mail to acq.r&d.2007@.census.gov. In order to avoid attachment conversion problems, all questions submitted via E-Mail shall be contained in the body of the E-Mail message, i.e, not as an attachment to the E-Mail message.
3. Any questions regarding the RFP shall be received by the CO within ten (10) calendar days from the RFP issue date in order to be considered for a response(s).
4. Amendments to the solicitation and answers to questions will be posted on the BOC Internet Web page. Offerors will be able to download the RFP, amendments to the solicitation and answers to questions by using the BOC Internet Web page. The address for the web page is http://www.census.gov/procur/www/rd2007

5. No information concerning this solicitation or requests for clarification will be provided in response to telephone calls from Offerors.

Offerors shall submit via email to the R&D email address; acq.vius@census.gov, a notice of intent to propose on the subject solicitation by January 10, 2002. In addition, Offerors should indentify which technical areas they intend to propose.

The Offeror shall be held responsible as the Prime Contractor for the procurement of all services required under this contract. The Offeror alone shall be held responsible by the Government for performance of all Contractor's obligations under any contract resulting from their proposal. The Government in turn shall render all payments due from services performed solely to the prime Contractor.

Any changes to a proposal made by the Offeror after its initial submission shall be accomplished by replacement pages of a different color than the original submission. Changes from the original page shall be indicated on the outside margin by vertical lines adjacent to the change. The Offeror shall include the date of the amendment at the bottom of the changed pages. Any revisions to proposals shall be due no later than the scheduled date for Offeror’s Oral Presentation.

The anticipated contract award date for this solicitation is on or about JULY 2002. The anticipated effective date of the contract will be the award date of the contract. The Government is not obligated to award the contract on this date.

For purposes of the "Small Business Concern Representation" in Section K, the North American Industrial Classification Standard, (NAICS) information for this procurement is as follows:

This solicitation includes the following set-aside and/or size standard criteria:

1. Percent of the set-aside: 0%
2. Type of set-aside: None
3. Size standard or other criteria:
4. NAICS: 54169 For all areas; Small business size standard is $3.5 Million.

The evaluation will proceed in two phases, Phase I, Written; and Phase II, Oral as detailed below. If the Offeror fails to submit either a written proposal or conduct an oral presentation as scheduled, the entire offer will be considered nonresponsive.

1. Phase I: Written Proposal

1. Phase I, Written: Proposals will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria described in Section M, the instructions in Section B, Cost/Pricing data, and all other terms and conditions of the RFP.
2. A Competitive Range Determination will be made based upon written proposals. Only those offerors who are determined to be in the competitive range will be scheduled to provide an Oral presentation. At the conclusion of Phase I, successful offerors will be notified and scheduled for Phase II, Oral Presentation.

2. Phase II: Oral Presentation

1. Phase II, Oral Presentation: Offerors in the competitive range must show their familiarity with and understanding of the work it would have to perform under the prospective contract.
2. Following the oral presentation, the offerors may be required to participate in a question and answer (Q&A) session. This Q&A session will not constitute discussions as defined in FAR 15.306(d). Discussions may be conducted with offerors following at anytime determined necessary by the Government in accordance with the FAR 15.306.

1. The written proposals shall be provided in three volumes, as follows:

   Volume I Past Performance and Experience

   Volume II Technical - Executive Summary and Resumes for Proposed Personnel

   Volume III Price and Other Business Factors

2. The written proposal will be evaluated on the information submitted in Volumes I, II and III. Organization, clarity, accuracy of information, relevance, and completeness are of prime importance.
3. Offerors shall submit only the information required by each section. Marketing literature, marketing or product videos, catalogs, manuals, product literature, or other extraneous information, either electronic or hardcopy, which is provided with the proposal will not be reviewed or utilized in the evaluation.
4. This request for proposals is written in the Uniform Contract Format described in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Section 15.406. Offerors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Uniform Contract Format. This will facilitate their understanding of the terms and conditions of this solicitation, the instructions which follow, and the source selection process.
5. The evaluation board will consider any failure to conform to these instructions and rules and any attempt to evade these specifications and rules on the basis of technicalities as indication of the kind of behavior that it may expect from the Offeror during contract performance. The board will take this into account when making its evaluation. If an Offeror does not understand these instructions, then it should write to the CO for clarification sufficiently in advance of the deadline for the receipt of offers to get an answer in time to meet the deadline for proposal submission. Offerors will be able to download the Solicitation, amendments to the solicitation and answers to questions by using the BOC Internet Web page: http://www.census.gov/procur/www/rd2007.

The Offer is the "proposal," as that term is defined and used in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The offer must show that the Offeror agrees to the terms and conditions of the model contract of this solicitation, which consists of Request for Proposal (RFP) Sections A through K, including all documents, exhibits, and other attachments, that are incorporated therein by reference and made a part thereof. The Offeror’s agreement to all of those terms and conditions is mandatory, unless this solicitation states otherwise by express exception with regard to a specific term or condition. In order to show its agreement, the Offeror must complete and submit the following item as its Offer without exception or reservation:

The proposal shall contain the information described below. Evaluation criteria for this is provided in Section M. Past performance information must be submitted to the address specified in paragraph L.2 by January 10, 2002.

Offerors shall submit written descriptions for any Federal, State, or Local Government, or commercial contracts which are consistent in size and complexity to the RFP. The requirements for past experiences are as follows:

1. The Offeror shall provide up to five (5) relevant past performance references, using the form provided in Section J, Attachment 1. The last day of the period of performance for any reference can be no longer than three years prior to the release date of this RFP. Past performance may include experience as a prime or as a subcontractor. Be sure that all contact names, addresses, and telephone numbers are current and correct.
2. The Offeror shall send to each of the past performance references, listed on Attachment 1 forms, the questionnaire included in Section J, Attachment 3. The referenced client will complete the questionnaire and forward the form to the BOC, preferably by electronic mail. The Government may inform the Offeror if the reference is not responding to the questionnaire. The Government may also follow up by phone or in person to clarify and complete the questionnaire.
3. Offerors shall provide corporate experience information in accordance with the instructions and using the appropriate Corporate Experience Matrix template provided in Section J, Attachment 2. At minimum, the Offeror shall cite the references provided on the past performance forms (Attachment 1) and any others the Offeror believes demonstrates the amount of experience in the pertinent technical area. No alterations shall be made to the template. Offerors shall use only the allotted space for each numbered item.
4. The experiences selected for submission by the Offeror shall be those that provide evidence which can be validated by the Government via reference checks, utilization of other contacts, or any other available information. Any past performance information provided by an Offeror in its proposal is subject to verification/validation by the Government during the evaluation and pre-award survey process. The Government reserves the right to contact the Government /commercial point of contact provided by the Offeror and any project officials and/or other persons who have been involved in any of the contracts listed by the Offeror in its proposal, for the purposes of verifying the information provided and obtaining additional information concerning the Offeror's performance on these contracts. The Government also reserves the right to use any information available, irrespective of the source, in the evaluation of past performance. This applies to the Offeror and any proposed teaming partners/subcontractors.

In this section the offeror shall include the following information:

An executive summary describing the Offeror’s general background, organization, capabilities, subcontracting plans, experience and other pertinent information. This information must not exceed three (3) typewritten pages. This must also include the name and telephone number for the person the Government should contact to schedule the oral presentation, in the event the Offeror is required to give a presentation.

Offerors shall propose Key Personnel deemed necessary to satisfy the requirements of this solicitation. Offerors shall support their proposed key personnel with resumes (see Section J, Attachment 4 for the suggested format) that demonstrate breadth, depth, and quality of relevant experience. Resumes must be submitted for all key personnel. Proposed key personnel are those persons, who will occupy all of the following positions (see Section C for the duties and suggested qualifications of these positions) for the term of the prospective contract:

1. In addition, the Offeror shall provide a letter of commitment that provides evidence of the corporate intent to commit these Key Personnel in the service of the R&D 2007 project from the date of contract award. The letter of commitment shall include the name of each person whose resume is provided.
2. In addition, for consultants and/or subcontracted individuals for key positions, the Offeror must submit evidence of a contract of employment and/or consultant agreement. Phone numbers must be current and reachable for reference.
3. Resumes should be current, updated within the past year. Each resume shall be limited to three pages. Resume pages in excess of the page totals described above will not be evaluated.

1. The Price Proposal shall represent a fixed price labor hour as provided in Section B of this Solicitation. In order to aid the Government in evaluating the reasonableness and risk associated with the Offeror’s proposal, the Offeror shall complete the Pricing Tables provided in Section B, in order to be considered for award. The Contractor must offer prices for all labor categories specified in Section B. Offerors may add SUBCLIN numbers to Section B in order to accommodate offeror’s specific labor price ranges and/or levels of expertise. Offerors are advised that the Government does not anticipate adding labor categories after award; therefore, Offerors must submit complete pricing tables at time of submission of offers. All labor rates will be evaluated for price reasonableness. Price/cost evaluation is described in Section M.
2. An Independent Estimate shall be used for determining price reasonableness. The Offeror's prices provided in Section B shall include all services to be delivered under the contract.

1. "Other Business Factors" shall include information that will be used in evaluating the Offeror's proposal and in making the final source selection decision. Information provided in this section includes information pertinent to the financial capability and responsibility of the Offeror, fully executed SF33, Solicitation, Offer and Award (Section A), and the representations and certifications (Section K) made by the Offeror.

1. Financial Condition and Capability. The Offeror shall discuss its current financial status and plans relative to this contract, including its financial condition and financial capability to conduct a project of the type and magnitude of this contract. Include, as a minimum, the following information for the Prime Contractor and Subcontractors:

1. Name and location of the company and all its divisions, highlighting the division expected to perform the effort.
2. Audited annual reports to stockholders for the last three fiscal years.
3. Projected business ventures through Fiscal Year 2007

2. Other financial resources available to the company, such as a letter of credit (Prime only).

2. This information shall be provided at the Corporate level and the lowest level pertinent to the Offeror’s financial condition.

1. Offerors shall submit a subcontracting plan for this acquisition prior to award. The plan must be submitted in accordance with FAR Parts 19, with specific attention paid to FAR 19.704 and FAR 52.219-9.
2. The subcontracting plan is subject to negotiations and will be made a part of the contract at time of contract award. Failure to submit and negotiate an acceptable subcontracting plan will make the Offeror ineligible for award.
3. The offeror shall show each subcontractor’s business size and the percentage and type of workload estimated to be Subcontracted.
4. All prospective subcontractors contacted by an offeror in any manner should be expressly advised in writing that no solicitation shall be construed in any manner to be an obligation on the offeror’s part to enter into a subcontract with said subcontractor. Nor shall any contract result in any claim whatsoever against the United States government for reimbursement of costs for any efforts expended by said subcontractor, regardless of whether or not the offeror is successful in receiving a contract as a result of this proposal.
5. The Contractor shall subcontract a minimum of 15 percent of the total contract price to small business concerns. Contractors shall note that the GFYs 2002 and 2003 subcontracting goals (expressed in terms of a percentage of total planned subcontracting dollars) for the Department of Commerce are as follows:

   	2002	2003
   Small businesses (includes all below)	43%	44%
   Small disadvantaged businesses	12%	13%
   Women-owned small businesses	5%	6%
   Hubzone small businesses	2.5%	3%
   Veteran-Owned Small Businesse	4%	4%
   Service-disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses	3%	3%

   Offerors shall propose goals for the use of small businesses for each category below, expressed in terms of percentages of total planned subcontracting dollars for this contract:

   Small disadvantaged businesses ____ %

   Women-owned small businesses ____ %

   HUBzone small businesses ____ %

   Veteran-owned small businesses ____ %

   Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses____ %

   Other small businesses _____%

   Total small business percentage_____ %

   Offers shall provide justification for proposed percentages that are below the goals of the Department of Commerce.

In this section of the proposal, the Offeror shall discuss any known potential conflicts with existing efforts being performed under contracts or subcontracts and shall address their plans for ensuring avoidance of conflicts of interest under this contract. Of critical importance is the Offeror’s commitment to the performance of the work required under this contract. Thus, Offerors shall provide a brief narrative discussion of how a future conflict would be resolved so as to ensure that there is no interruption in the work performed under the resulting contract.

This section of the Offeror’s proposal is designed to provide a narrative discussion/explanation of all of the assumptions made in developing the proposal or to explain the rationale for the structure of the price proposal. In the original volume only, the Offeror must include information to support the proposed loaded hourly rates by supplying the following information:

- Percent overhead used and how derived.
- Percent fringe benefit rate and how derived.
- Percent General and Administrative rate used and how derived.
- Base hourly rate used for each skill category and how derived.
- Salary ranges for skill categories.
- Actual salaries of personnel proposed for the contract.
- Percent used for profit.

1. Volume I shall be submitted in accordance with the Offeror Past Performance Reference Form and Information Matrix provided in Section J, Attachments 1 and 2, respectively. As described above, the content of Volume I shall not exceed five (5) Past Performance Reference Forms (Attachment 1), but as many pages for the Information Matrix forms (Attachment 2) as deemed desirable.
2. The Executive Summary and Key Personnel Resumes of Volume II shall not exceed the page limitations provided for each section, exclusive of cover page. The resumes of key personnel shall be limited to three (3) pages each, as provided above. All pages, or any other material, in excess of the maximum number of pages stated will not be evaluated. The written technical proposal shall follow the format below. The Government may determine those proposals not following directions as unacceptable and may reject them from further consideration.
3. In addition to the original, three (3) copies of Volume I, II and III are required. Each proposal volume shall be bound in a separate three-ring binder of minimum size to contain the material. A binder cover sheet shall be affixed to the outer cover of each volume, which clearly identifies each volume (by volume number, name and technical area), copy number (i.e., copy 2 of 4), the solicitation number, date of submission, and Offeror's name. This information shall also appear on the edge of the binder to allow for rapid accessibility when placed in a vertical position in a storage cabinet. Tab indexing shall be used to identify all sections within a particular proposal volume. There shall be no writing on the tab index page other than that writing required to identify the particular section.
4. The price proposal is not subject to page limitations; however, the Offeror shall only include information that is pertinent to matters. Copies of Volume III must be physically separate from other volumes of the proposal. Proposal pages must be numbered. Offerors shall ensure that any spreadsheets and narratives are capable of being extracted by the Government and placed into Microsoft Excel 6.0 and MS Word 9.2 formats, respectively.
5. The written proposal shall be prepared on standard 8.5 x 11 inch pages. The proposal pages shall be numbered and bound along the left margin. Each page shall have a one-inch margin at the top, the bottom, and on each side. Page numbers, notations of propriety, and any other identifying information printed on each page may be included in the margin.
6. Text font shall be no smaller than 12 point, however, text included on figures and/or matrices in the written proposal may be reduced to 8 point. Should the Offerors require fold-out pages, one fold-out page shall not exceed either 8.5 inches x 22 inches or 17 inches x 11 inches, which when folded will be no larger than 8.5 inches x 11 inches.

1. Volume III of the Price proposal shall also be submitted on a separate floppy diskette having the following characteristics:
1. 3.5-inch, Double Sided, High Density (DSHD)
2. Formatted at 1.44MB (high density)
3. Readable on an IBM PC-compatible system running Windows 95.
2. The diskette shall be clearly labeled, and labeled with the following:
1. Offeror's name
2. Solicitation number
3. Technical Area
4. Date of the submission
5. Volume III.
3. If more than one diskette is required for Volume III, the diskettes shall be labeled as Disk "x" of "y" (e.g., Disk 1 of 2).
4. If there are any discrepancies between the electronic version and the original hardcopy version submitted in response to this solicitation, the original hardcopy version shall take precedence.
5. Electronic files shall be named in accordance with the following conventions.

Volume/Section	Format	File Naming Convention
Volume III
Price and Business Factors	Price and Other Business Factors	v3f4P.wpd (for Price) for Tabs C, D, and E. v3f4.xls (B Tables, Tab F)(MS Excel format) Tabs A and B of Volume III need only be submitted in hard copy.

1. Following the receipt and evaluation of written proposals, the Government will conduct a competitive range determination. Offerors within the range will be invited to conduct an oral presentation. The Government will determine the order in which Offerors shall provide their oral presentations. Following this selection, the Government will notify Offerors of the scheduled date and time for their oral presentation.
2. The Government anticipates use of a voluntary "down-select" process for this procurement. The term "down-select" as it is used herein refers to a two-step procurement technique where the number of competitors is reduced in a first step by a preliminary screening and a best value procurement is conducted between the remaining competitors in the second step. In this process, the offers will be evaluated on the written capability information as described in this solicitation and information gathered by the Government through a past performance survey. Prior to oral presentations, based on the Government's evaluation of the written material and past performance information, offerors will be informed that it is unlikely that they will win the competition. The Offeror will be given the opportunity to withdraw from the competition to save additional proposal costs and efforts. Those firms who wish to remain in the competition will be allowed to continue to the oral presentation stage of the procurement.
3. Purpose. The oral presentation is a tool, the sole purpose of which is to enable the evaluators to assess each Offeror's relative level of familiarity with and understanding of the work that, as Contractor, it would have to perform under the prospective contract. The Offeror's representatives must show by their presentation and by answers to the government's questions that they understand the requirements; that they are familiar with the kinds of problems that may develop during performance; and that they are capable of developing practicable and effective solutions to those problems. The Offerors will be given a sample task and an equal amount of time to study the task. At the end of the allotted time, the Offerors will have an opportunity to explain to the Government evaluators their approach and/or proposed solution to the sample task. The oral presentation will not encompass price or cost discussions or issues.
4. Schedule. The Contracting Officer will schedule the oral presentation and notify each Offeror of the scheduled date, time and location of its presentation. The Government will provide a minimum of fourteen (14) business days notice to the Offeror of the scheduled date and location. The Offeror must make its oral presentation in accordance with these instructions and any additional instructions that the contracting officer may provide. The Contracting Officer may reschedule an Offeror's oral presentation at his or her sole discretion.
5. Participation and Attendance. The Offeror's presenters(s) must be chosen from among the Offeror's proposed key personnel. The Offeror may not use a professional speaker; however, individuals proposed as key personnel to perform on the contract who are consultants and/or employees of a proposed subcontractor may participate. If proposed consultants are used as presenters, their resume and an employment or consulting agreement(s) must be submitted as part of the offer. The proposed Project Director must attend. The Offeror may send no more than six (6) representatives to the oral presentation.
6. Questions. During the presentation the Government's attendees will not interrupt the Offeror to ask questions (except to request the repetition of inaudible words or statements or the explanation of terms that are unknown to them) or otherwise engage the Offeror in any dialogue. However, the Government will conduct a question and answer session following the presentation during which the Offeror's representative must answer questions from the evaluators.

   The Government will not consider the Offeror's oral presentation and the question and answer session to be part of the Offeror's proposal, as that term is used in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Government will not include the Offeror's presentation and its answers to questions in any prospective contract. The Government will not permit an Offeror to discuss or change its proposal during the oral presentation or the question and answer session. Cost and/or price issues will not be discussed.

7. Discussions. The oral presentation and the question and answer session will not constitute discussions, as that term is defined and used in FAR subpart 15.6. The Government will not solicit or entertain revisions to the Offeror's oral presentation, its response to the sample task or answers to questions.
8. Topics. During the oral presentation, the Offeror must address the following topics:

- General background of company
- Corporate experience/Past Performance
- Technical Qualifications of Key Personnel
- Personnel sources/management plans (i.e. How will you staff the tasks?)
- Project management plan (i.e. How will you manage the tasks?)

9. Sample Task. Following the oral presentation, the Offeror will be given the Government's sample task. After the presentation of the sample task, the Offeror shall have 30 minutes to prepare a response and concluding the preparation time, the Offeror will present the solution of the sample task to the Government. The sample tasks involve the following:

   For Survey Engineering: The development and testing of the prototype for a continuous, automated system that replaces a multi-step, multi-disciplined system.

   For Assessment, Planning and Analysis: The tracking of technological advances and analysis of user interface for a new technology.

   For Statistical Analysis: The research and development of statistical models that explain specific human behavior in survey data collection.

   For Methodological Research: The investigation and testing of ways to improve response rates and reduce respondent burden in surveys.

   For Sub-Populations Research: The investigation and testing of ways to correctly obtain some demographic information for a selected subpopulation group.

   For Data Analysis and Dissemination: Evaluate the pros and cons of alternative ways of measuring benefits and expenses not in the current poverty measurement, such as medical expenses, work expenses, child care expenses, taxes, and the value of noncash benefits (such as subsidized housing and free school lunches).

10. The oral presentation shall be sufficiently detailed, specific, and complete to enable the Government to thoroughly evaluate the presentation in accordance with Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award.
11. Oral presentations will be targeted toward the technical complexities associated with this requirement. Accordingly, the key personnel identified in the Offeror’s proposal will be required to address the questions posed by the Government. Offeror presenters will be limited to those key personnel identified in their proposal. There will be no requirement for any written or slide presentations during the oral presentations. Accordingly, the Government will not accept any written or other materials (e.g., marketing or corporate brochures, proposal amendments, etc.) for evaluation during oral presentations or the question and answer session.

The Offeror shall use 8 ½ inch by 11 inch, black and white overhead slides (transparencies) when making its presentation. The Offeror may not use any other presentation media. The Government will provide a blank pad of flip chart paper, an overhead projector, screen, and marker pens for the offeror's use during the presentation.

The overhead slides must conform to the following specifications:

* Text Slides:

- Font: Times New Roman
- Heading font size: 44 points
- Subheading font size: 32 points
- Number of lines: No more than eight lines (bullets) per slide
- Line font size: No smaller than 28 points
- Supplemental notes: none permitted

* Graphic Slides:

- Heading font size: 44 points
- Caption font size: no smaller than 18 points

The Offeror must submit its overhead slides and 8 sets of 8 ½ inch by 11 inch, landscape orientation, paper copies of its overhead slides, and bind each set in a three-ring loose-leaf binder. In order to ensure the integrity of the source selection process, the offeror must use the overhead slides submitted to the Government when making its oral presentation, without alteration. The evaluation board may review the copies of the slides prior to the presentation. The offeror may submit no other written documentation for its oral presentation. There is no limit on the number of slides that an offeror may use during its presentation. However, when evaluating the Offeror, the Government will consider only the information on the overhead transparencies actually used during the presentation and will discard all others.

1. The format for the oral presentations will be as follows:

   Presentation	1 hour
   Question & Answers	20 mins.
   Break	20 mins.
   Sample Task presentation	20 mins.
   Offeror Preparation of sample task	30 mins.
   Offeror Presentation of sample task	30 mins.

2. The oral presentation shall commence with an introduction by name, position, company affiliation, and area of expertise for each key personnel. Introductions will count towards the time limit. The Government will monitor the allotted time, announcing the start and end of the presentation periods. The Government will not interrupt the Offeror to ask questions (except clarification of terms or misheard words) or otherwise engage the Offeror in any dialogue.

   The Contracting Officer will tell the Offeror when to start its presentation, keep time and stop the presentation at the end of the 60 minute time period whether or not the Offeror is finished. The Offeror will be given the sample task at the end of its presentation.

3. During the Oral Presentations the Government will enter into a question and answer period with the Offeror following completion of its oral presentation. This period will also allow the Government to clarify and discuss information provided in the oral presentation.

Oral presentations shall be conducted at the U.S. Census Bureau in Suitland, MD. The oral presentation shall begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at approximately 11:30 a.m., or shall begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m., unless the Offeror is otherwise notified.

1. Only Key Personnel shall participate in the one hour oral presentation. The Contracting Officer may allow substitute personnel under dire circumstances but this may affect the Offeror’s technical evaluation. Teleconferencing is not allowed. Non Key Personnel may attend the oral presentation, participate in the question and answer session, and participate in the preparation of the solution to the sample task. Only Key Personnel shall present the proposed solution to the task.
2. There shall be no entry and exit allowed from the oral presentation facility once the first presentation begins, with the exception of Government-determined break periods.
3. It is at the discretion of the Offeror as to which presentation personnel present a particular segment. There is no limit on the number of presenters within a segment, although there will be no additional time provided for introductions and/or set-up modifications.
4. A telephone may not be available in the room where the oral presentation will be conducted, but the Offeror may use a cellular telephone to contact others, to assist in the preparation of the response for the sample task.

1. The Government reserves the right to award without conducting discussions.
2. If discussions are necessary, this discussion period will allow the Government to clarify and discuss information provided in the written proposals and oral presentation, address any weaknesses and deficiencies, and gain additional information concerning the Offeror’s proposal, as required. Although the Offeror may have additional personnel in attendance at the discussion period, the key personnel participating in the oral presentation shall attend these discussions.
3. The Government reserves the right to call for discussions, proposal clarifications, and or revisions at any time as may be determined to be in the Government’s best interest and in accordance with the FAR.

Telegraphic (including mailgrams) offers, proposals are not authorized for this solicitation.

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Source evaluation will be conducted and selection will be made in accordance with the guidelines provided in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

M.1 BASIS FOR AWARD

The Bureau of the Census (BOC) source evaluation will be based on best value principles. Accordingly, award will be made to the responsible and technically acceptable Offeror whose proposal provides the greatest overall value to the Government, price and other factors considered. This will be determined by comparing the value of the differences in the technical skills of competing offers based on their strengths, weaknesses, and risks with differences of their price to the Government. In making this comparison, the Government is more concerned with obtaining superior technical skills than with making an award at the lowest overall cost to the Government. However, the Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall price to the Government to achieve slightly superior technical skills.

1. Formal source selection procedures encompass the use of a structured process that involves a source selection organization responsible for the evaluation of the proposals and selection of a source for contract award. The source selection organization consists of a team of Government representatives with the technical expertise required to evaluate and make contract award.
2. The source selection organization will be responsible for evaluating and selecting the successful Offerors for this requirement. Select members of the team will be responsible for evaluating the technical merits of Volumes I, II, and the oral presentations(Volume IV) and other members will be responsible for evaluating the merits of Volume III, Price and Other Business Factors. After initial and any subsequent evaluations, the source selection organization will conduct a final assessment of the Offerors’ proposals. The source selection organization will arrive at a consensus on which offeror’s proposal represents the best value for the Government.

The Government intends to award contracts based on initial offers received without discussion of such offers. Accordingly, it is strongly suggested that each initial offer should be submitted on the most favorable price and technical terms that the offeror can submit to the Government. The Government does reserve the right to conduct discussions with the Offerors. The discussions may include all aspects of the proposal. At any point in the evaluation process the Government may communicate with Offerors.

Attendance of Offeror personnel and subcontractors at discussions will be limited to those individuals required for the accomplishment of the objectives of the discussions. Therefore, Offerors shall take into consideration BOC streamlining efforts when preparing their proposals to ensure the availability of personnel assigned to the preparation and subsequent negotiation of proposals. Because the BOC will rely on the information provided at these discussions, it is imperative that at least one of the individuals participating be an authorized officer of the firm possessing the authority to commit the firm and its resources.

In conducting the evaluation of the proposals, the BOC reserves the right to utilize all information available at the time of evaluations. The BOC may rely on information contained in its own records (such as Government audit agencies), information made available through reference checks, information available through commercial sources (such as Dun and Bradstreet Reports) and information publicly available (such as articles contained in periodicals).

The Government reserves the right to visit or contact other customer sites that the Offeror is currently supporting, or previous customers who have obtained similar services prior to award of the contract. Site visits may be required to verify information provided in Offerors’ proposals. Site visits, if conducted, will be taken into consideration as part of the evaluation factors set forth below. The BOC will use information obtained during site visits (if any) to validate information contained in Offeror proposals.

1. Proposals will be evaluated against the requirements of the solicitation and in accordance with the evaluation factors set forth below to determine the Offeror’s demonstrated ability to perform the services required. General statements such as "the vast resources of our nationwide company will be used to perform the services required by the Statement of Work" are not sufficient. The Offeror shall clearly address each element of the proposal as required by Section L of this solicitation. Any proposal failing to address all of the elements of Section C may be considered indicative of the Offeror’s lack of understanding in response to the Government's requirements and may be considered unacceptable.
2. The evaluation will be conducted using the evaluation factors set forth below. In the evaluation we will use the Offeror’s written proposals, oral presentation, questions and answers, discussions, and any other information as stated in M.2.2.3.
3. The Government reserves the right to determine the specific order and duration of individual activities as the evaluation proceeds, and may call for discussions, proposal clarifications, and revisions at any time as may be determined to be in the Government's best interests and in accordance with the FAR.

1. Proposals will be evaluated in relation to the evaluation factors. The proposal evaluation factors are categorized as technical or business evaluation factors, and are listed below.

   Technical Evaluation Factors:

   Factor 1: Past Performance and Corporate Experience

   Factor 2: Key Personnel

   Factor 3: Understanding of the Governments' Requirements, Nature of the Work, and Sample Task

   Factor 4: Personnel/Project Management Plan

   Business Evaluation Factors:

   Factor 5: Price and Other Business Factors

2. Past Performance and Corporate Experience; Key Personnel; Understanding of the Governments' Requirements, Nature of the Work, and Sample Task; and Project Management Plan factors are referred to as the Technical Factors. Price and Other Business Factors, referred to as the Business Factors, are factors that will be evaluated separately and applied in the determination of best value.
3. The technical evaluation will be attained through a determination and analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and risks of each proposal. Technical risk will be included in the final evaluation of each factor and will not be evaluated as a separate factor. In the assessment of technical risk, the Government evaluators will also consider other available information.

The Technical Evaluation Factors, in their relative order of importance, are:

The Business Evaluation Factor is less important than the Technical Evaluation Factors. The Business Evaluation Factors are not weighted. The degree of importance of price will increase with the degree of equality of the proposals in relation to the other factors on which selection will be based.

1. Given the critical need to guard against poor contract performance, the Past Performance and Corporate Experience evaluation factor is the most important factor and will assess the relevance and breadth of the Offeror’s experience and the quality of the Offeror’s past performance on contracts consistent in scope and complexity with the R&D 2007 requirement. The Government is seeking to determine whether:

1. The Offeror has experience that will enhance its technical and managerial capability to perform, and
2. The Offeror consistently delivers quality services in a timely manner.

2. The quality of the Offeror’s past performance will be evaluated on the basis of information contained in the Offeror’s proposal and the information that the Government obtains through reference checks or other means. The past performance information may include the Offeror’s record of providing high quality services in a timely manner; conforming to specifications and the standards of good workmanship; adhering to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of contract performance; overall personnel quality, availability, and stability; reasonable and cooperative behavior; commitment to and business-like concern for the interests of the customer; overall program management approach, quality, and capability; record of awards or performance recognition earned; and overall client satisfaction. If the Offeror and subcontractor(s) has no single experience that encompasses all types of past performance and experience defined under this factor, then the Offeror may show past performance and experience through a combination of projects which together show that work has been accomplished that is consistent in scope and complexity with the R&D 2007 requirement.
3. The evaluation of this factor will provide an indication of the Offeror’s ability to hire staff and manage technical personnel assigned to operations similar in function, scope and complexity to the R&D 2007 requirements, and will indicate the likelihood of the Offeror’s success. Included in this evaluation will be an assessment whether or not the Offeror is able to meet agreed-upon subcontracting goals, if applicable.

This factor will be evaluated on the basis of the Key Personnel defined by the BOC in Section H.6, and additional key personnel the Offeror proposes to make available to the R&D2007 project, as stated in its written proposal and oral presentation. The Key Personnel should have relevant experience in performing the tasks required of this solicitation in other projects that are similar in function, scope, and complexity to the R&D2007 requirements. The key personnel will be evaluated for the breadth, depth, and quality of relevant experience, results and effectiveness of their work in achieving goals in performance of projects of similar size and complexity to the R&D2007 requirement. The Key Personnel will be evaluated against the education and experience guidelines provided in Section C.5, and those proposals that offer higher qualified personnel will receive higher evaluation scores.

The Government will evaluate the offerors' understanding of the Government's requirements, its understanding of the nature of the work to be performed under the prospective contract(s) and its solution to the sample task.

The Government will evaluate the offerors' methods for staffing, managing personnel, subcontracting plans, and project management plans, including, but not limited to, managing priorities, task monitoring, and decision making processes.

The business evaluation will assess price and other business factors as deemed appropriate by the BOC.

Under the price factor, the price proposal will be evaluated to determine, among other things, price analysis, price reasonableness, and any risks attributable to composition of the prices proposed.

FAR 15.404 prescribes the use of one or more of the following techniques to perform price analysis:

1. Comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation.
2. Comparison of prior proposed prices and contract prices with current proposed prices received for the same or similar end items.
3. Comparison with competitive published price lists, published market prices of commodities, similar indexes, and discount or rebate arrangements.
4. Comparison of proposed prices with Independent Cost Estimates.
5. Comparison of proposed prices with prices for the same or similar items obtained through market research.

Each proposal will be evaluated to determine whether the Government considers the proposed prices to be reasonable. The Government will evaluate prices of all labor categories proposed.

To accomplish this, the Government may employ one of the following:

- verify rates with the cognizant DCAA audit office of the Offeror,

- compare rates to equal or similar job categories on GSA schedule or GWAC contracts

- compare rates with the rates that the BOC is currently paying for these services under on-going BOC contracts.

For price evaluation purposes only, the Government will assume that it will purchase 100 hours of each skill category for each area purposed for all five (5) potential contract years including the Project Director and Task Manager. The yearly totals will be added together to get a total contract evaluated cost. These assumptions in no way bind the Government to exercise any option during the life of the contract and/or order any amount of services during the life of the contract.

Hourly rates will be multiplied by the total hours. This amount will be added for all categories and totaled by year. All yearly totals will added for a total evaluated contract price.

1. Risks attributable to price are defined as any aspect of an Offeror’s proposal that could result in adverse performance under the contract as a result of the prices proposed by the Offeror. Each proposal will be assessed to identify risks attributable to the prices proposed. Where price risk is assessed, it may be described in quantitative terms or used as a best value discriminator.
2. The Government will reject as non-responsive any proposal that is materially unbalanced in terms of prices for basic and option-year quantities. An unbalanced proposal is one that incorporates prices significantly less than cost for some items and/or prices that are significantly overstated for other items.

The information contained in each Offeror’s Price and Other Business Factors Proposal will be used to determine each Offeror’s responsibility, in accordance with FAR Part 9, and business capability to perform. The evaluation of Other Business Factors is critical to the determination of responsibility; consequently, they will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. The information requested by Section L of this RFP, together with information that may be available from Government agencies and from non-Government organizations will be considered in the evaluation of Other Business factors. The following will be part of the evaluation:

1. Financial Condition and Capability. The Offeror’s current financial status and other business information will be evaluated to determine if the Offeror has the necessary tenacity, capacity, capability, and credit to successfully perform this contract.

The oral presentation will be used as part of the evaluation of all those firms determined to be within the competitive range. The Government may use the information and insights gained from the Offeror’s presentation and responses to questions concerning the oral presentation to reassess the Offeror’s strengths, weaknesses, and risks associated with all evaluation factors. The oral presentation may result in a higher or lower overall evaluation of the Offeror’s technical factors.

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Page Last Modified: April 20, 2004