"Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center"
| Request for Proposal No.: | NIH-NHLBI-DR-00-03 |
| Issue Date: | August 12, 1999 |
| Issued By: | Kristiane E. Cooper, Contracting Officer NIH/NHLBI Contracts Operations Branch 6701 ROCKLEDGE DR MSC 7902 BETHESDA MD 20892-7902 |
| Purchase Authority: | Public Law 95-83, as amended |
| Small Business Set-Aside: | No; SIC 8731 |
| Proposal Intent Due Date: | September 13, 1999 |
| Proposal Due Date: | October 12, 1999, 4:30 PM (Eastern Time) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is soliciting proposals on behalf of The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) for the purpose of developing, establishing, and maintaining a dental, oral and craniofacial data resource center to serve as a resource for NIDCR staff and key partners of the Institute. The NIH anticipates a cost-reimbursement contract will be awarded for a period of 5 years.
This Streamlined Technical Request For Proposal (RFP) consists of this combined solicitation form and cover letter (PART A), and three additional components, as follows:
These components contain the technical information required for the submission of a proposal for this acquisition. In addition, there are two other sections in this specific RFP. The section entitled "Specific RFP Instructions and Provisions" contains, for example, the address for delivery of your proposal. The section entitled "Applicable RFP References" lists those items in the STREAMLINED RFP REFERENCES directory that apply to this RFP, including forms for submission of the proposal. The Streamlined RFP references directory is located at URL: http://www4.od.nih.gov/ocm/contracts/rfps/mainpage.htm.
Although these documents contain sufficient information for you or your organization to submit a proposal, if you intend to submit a proposal in response to this RFP, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY KRISTIANE E. COOPER, CONTRACTING OFFICER, AT THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ADDRESS:
IF YOU DO NOT NOTIFY THE CONTRACTING OFFICE OF YOUR INTENT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE AN INDIVIDUAL NOTICE OF ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP, IF ANY ARE ISSUED. HOWEVER, ALL AMENDMENTS WILL BE POSTED ON THE NIH WEB SITE.
The original and fifteen (15) copies of your technical proposal and the original and six (6) copies of your business proposal and one Electronic Business Proposal Spread Sheet (EXCEL Spread Sheet) on disk must be received by the Contracting Office no later than October 12, 1999, 4:30 P.M. (Eastern Time) at the address listed in the item entitled "Packaging and Delivery of Proposals". Also, please complete the form entitled "Proposal Intent Response Sheet" and send it to the address indicated therein on or before September 13, 1999. This will allow us to expedite preparations for the peer review of proposals. Your proposal must be organized and submitted in accordance with the "Technical Proposal Table of Contents." These items are found under the "Specific RFP Instructions and Provisions" portion of this RFP, which follows the technical evaluation criteria section.
You are reminded that the "Technical Proposal Cover Sheet" must be completed in full detail and used as the cover sheet for each copy of your technical proposal. (This form is contained in the NIH WEB site under the FORMS, FORMATS, AND ATTACHMENTS file found in STREAMLINED RFP REFERENCES.) This information will be used to ensure that there will be no conflict of interest when selecting review committee members.
Your offer will be valid for 120 days unless a different period is specified by the offeror on the form entitled, "Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH 2043" also located at the site for FORMS, FORMATS, AND ATTACHMENTS.
NOTE: IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER OR DESIGNEE AT THE PLACE AND TIME SPECIFIED, THEN IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PHS CLAUSE 352.215-10 ENTITLED, "LATE PROPOSALS, MODIFICATIONS OF PROPOSALS, AND WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS". The full text is in the Optional RFP Instructions and Provisions file of the Streamlined RFP References Directory. If you have any additional questions regarding this RFP, please contact Ms. Kristiane E. Cooper through the Internet using the electronic mail address kc116y@nih.gov, or phone (301) 402-6462, fax (301) 480-3338. Collect calls will not be accepted.
The submission of the proposal using facsimile or electronic mail is not authorized.
NOTE: DIRECTIONS FOR ACCESSING THE "STREAMLINED RFP REFERENCES" REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT THIS RFP ARE AS FOLLOWS:
After reviewing this Request For Proposal, type in URL: http://www4.od.nih.gov/ocm/contracts/rfps/mainpage.htm.
In this directory, entitled "NIH Request For Proposals Directory", following the list of NIH Institutes by name, is the section entitled "STREAMLINED RFP REFERENCES". Select (click on) each section you wish to review:
"STANDARD RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS" for proposal preparation instructions and other standard provisions,
"OPTIONAL RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS" for the special provisions identified in this specific RFP,
"FORM, FORMATS, AND ATTACHMENTS" to download the forms listed in this specific RFP that you will need to submit a proposal,
"REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS" to download and complete the representations and certifications that must be submitted with your proposal, and
"SAMPLE CONTRACT CLAUSES-GENERAL" to view some of the clauses that are typical for inclusion in a Research and Development type contract issued by NIH.
Sincerely,
/s/
Ms. Kristiane E. Cooper
Contracting Officer
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The objective of the project is to develop and implement a Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Data Resource Center. The Data Resource Center is designed to serve as a resource for NIDCR staff and key partners of the Institute; to be used for policy assessment and development; program presentation, planning and evaluation; documentation of the rationale for scientific opportunities; and special project needs.
The mission of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is to improve and promote dental, oral, and craniofacial health through research. Important to this mission is to understand the magnitude and impact of diseases and conditions affecting the craniofacial structures.
In its strategic plan entitled Shaping the Future, the Institute identified as one of several major goals under its health promotion initiative that of increasing " the capacity to assess and be more responsive to changing health needs and disease trends." Three objectives are associated with this goal:
The NIDCR needs data and information to support research, program evaluation and policy efforts directed towards these objectives. The Institute is the prime organization in the nation responsible for biomedical and behavioral research directed towards improving health through research on oral, dental and craniofacial health and disease. This includes large-scale and tailored epidemiologic investigations and research related to the development of epidemiologic diagnostic measures, study designs and analyses.The Institute is also the co-lead with the Division of Oral Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the national Healthy People 2000 and 2010 health promotion and disease prevention objectives. Surveillance and monitoring health and program relevant data are required to track progress and to reassess the targets set for these objectives. Additionally, the NIDCR has tried to work collaboratively to develop and make available data and information to assist other Federal programs in meeting their missions relative to oral health, and to be of assistance to the broader extramural research and professional communities and to voluntary organizations.
The initial steps in developing the Data Resource Center are described in some detail in following sections of this document. However it is important to understand both NIDCR's vision for such a Center and its expectation that the Center will evolve over the course of this proposed five year contract effort. First, while it is recognized that national data are and will remain important, it is also recognized that for many conditions affecting the dental, oral and craniofacial structures, special population studies will be needed. In addition, in order to pursue research directed towards eliminating health disparities and in recognition of the increasing responsibility for health being assumed by individual states, there is an increasing need for data at the state and local area levels. While initial efforts will concentrate on acquiring and preparing national data sets for analytic purposes, continuing attention must be given to determining how data from other sources, such as state, local, or specific populations, can be included in the Center. Increasingly, knowledge of relevant demographic information, programs, activities, or resources available at the local level will be required to place epidemiologic data in the proper context. For example, information regarding community water fluoridation, dental sealant programs, dentist and/or physician-to-population ratios, state dental practice act provisions, tobacco and alcohol legislative provisions, and Medicaid coverage for specific conditions could be important considerations. At the individual subject level, information about the inter-relationship between oral health and systemic health is of ever increasing importance.
It is also recognized that existing data sources relevant to diseases and disorders of the craniofacial, oral, and dental tissues and structures have not been fully identified, or have not been completed, exploited or integrated.
Oral, craniofacial, and dental diseases and disorders include a wide variety of conditions. Examples include infectious diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and herpes type 1; neoplastic diseases such as head and neck cancers; craniofacial anomalies, such as birth defects (cleft lip/palate) and those resulting from injuries to the face and head; and chronic conditions such as autoimmune diseases (including Sjögren's syndrome and others), temporomandibular disorders, and the oral manifestations of osteoporosis. The population data of relevance to the research, program evaluation, and policy needs of the NIDCR include: health status, population behavior, knowledge and attitudes, utilization of medical and dental care services, economic and service cost data, health care systems data, community-based and person-based data, national, state and local data, demographic data, morbidity, disease prevalence and incidence data, program evaluation and prevention data, and health workforce and education data.
There also is a recognition that unless relevant data and information can be made readily available to users including researchers, policy makers, program evaluators, dental practitioners and the public their value is diminished. It is for this reason that special effort should be devoted to assessing the feasibility of the development of an effective Web-based query system. While the NIDCR and others will continue to actively explore advances in epidemiologic and survey research, what has already been learned and developed in terms of proven methods, standards, survey items, and procedures also needs to be documented, archived and made easily accessible to others.
Therefore, in order to meet its own needs and in recognition of the data and information needs of other PHS agencies, the NIDCR, in initial collaboration with the CDC/DOH, wishes to establish the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center. The Center will operate with the guidance and advice of an Oversight Committee that will be established and managed by the NIDCR.
Contractor's staff shall need to be readily accessible to NIDCR investigators and to be able to spend time at the facilities of and participate in meetings at the NIDCR in Bethesda, MD. Occasional meetings also shall be held in the CDC/DOH facilities in Atlanta, GA.
STATEMENT OF WORK
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS
Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work as set forth below.
Performance of work to develop, establish and maintain a Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Data Resource Center, henceforth referred to as (DRC), consists of the following tasks:
These activities will support projects designed by the staffs of the NIDCR, CDC/DOH and others as designated by the Institute. In addition, the contractor's staff shall be expected to collaborate with NIDCR staff and spend time on the NIH campus and elsewhere as needed. The capacity for timely and rapid response to requests for information is a prerequisite. Procedures for ensuring complete confidentiality of data, adherence to privacy regulations, systems security, and the appropriate use of data consistent with informed consent are required.
While contract tasks are presented in sequential pattern some will need to be performed in parallel. Subsequent to the initial contract year this proposal assumes level funding throughout and offerors shall need to provide timelines and staging diagrams to describe levels of effort devoted to various activities as the DRC develops and matures.
Task#1: Generate A Catalogue Of All Existing Relevant Databases
The contractor shall develop and maintain a catalogue of all existing and available databases which are of relevance to oral, dental and craniofacial diseases and conditions, and determine the requirements for access to and use of those databases. The catalogue shall be produced and provided to NIDCR in an electronic format within 8 months of the effective date of the contract and shall be fully prepared for installation on the NIDCR home page by the end of the12th month of the effective date of the contract. Subsequent updates to the catalogue shall be made every 6 months.
Specifically the contractor shall:
The list of databases identified by the contractor for the catalogue will be reviewed and approved by the Project Officer and the Oversight Committee, who may identify additional databases for inclusion in the catalogue.
For each database in the catalogue the contractor shall provide the following items as well as those listed in task 4.3:
Task#2. Develop An Archive Of Procedure And Methods Used In Oral Surveys
The contractor shall develop an archive of clinical indices, procedures, methods and biomarkers used in research on oral, dental and craniofacial diseases and conditions. This shall include, but not be limited to: various gingival and bleeding indices, periodontal disease indices, loss of attachment measures, determination of Il-1 genotype status, dental caries and fluorosis indices, behavioral indices, standard questions used to make clinical diagnoses (such as for dry mouth), as well as alcohol dehydrogenase and other oral cancer markers. The Project Officer and Oversight Committee will provide a list of indices and measures to include in the archive within 6 months of the effective date of the contract.
The data shall be put into a format that facilitates electronic searches of the data by NIDCR staff and others.
Task#3: Evaluate Selected Databases For Purposes Of Acquisition And Analysis
This task involves the collection of additional documentation on some of the databases identified in task 1, as selected by the Project Officer and the Oversight Committee. The databases included in this task shall not include those selected for data acquisition in tasks 4A and 4B.
The Contractor shall identify, collect and maintain a report of the procedures, requirements, and resources required to utilize selected dental, oral and craniofacial health surveys. The report shall be submitted within 12 months of the effective date of the contract. There will probably be additional databases identified for evaluation by the Project Officer and the Oversight Committee during the course of the study. The contractor shall add each identified database to the report within 60 days of being tasked.
Specifically the contractor shall:
Task #4: Acquire Selected Databases And Related Documents Used In Dental, Oral, And Craniofacial Surveys
This task will consist of acquisition of databases in three phases, collection of related procedures and methods, and storage of material in a format that permits electronic access.
[NOTE 1 TO OFFEROR: For budgetary purposes, the offeror should budget for $10,000 per year for database acquisitions]
Task#5. Study the Feasibility of Web-Based Query System Development
By 12 months after the effective date of the contract the contractor shall complete and submit the report describing design options for a Web-based query system that shall permit rapid statistical analysis of selected oral, dental and craniofacial data. The ultimate aim of such a system would be its use by health professionals seeking basic statistics as well as by those undertaking more advanced statistical analysis. It is expected that the pilot system shall be based on NHANES databases.
Task #6: Develop an Annual Report of Health Statistics
The contractor shall develop and annually update a report detailing health statistics and costs of care for key conditions of relevance to NIDCR's mission. This report shall provide relevant data for use in presentations, publications and for policy purposes. After the report is reviewed by the Project Officer and the Oversight Committee it shall be prepared for placement on the NIDCR home page and converted to other formats suitable for broad distribution. Microsoft PowerPoint slides shall be developed using key figures and summaries of text from the report for use in presentations.
The Project Officer and the Oversight Committee shall develop a list of conditions/topics to be included in this annual report and specify the format for reporting and documenting data and their sources. The Project Officer shall provide topics for this report 2 months after the effective date of the contract. The contractor shall submit this report by Month 10 and annually thereafter. The data shall cover diverse topics, such as those mentioned in the Background. Data specific to oral, dental and craniofacial health status as well as data on the health conditions or characteristics that influence or are influenced by oral, dental, or craniofacial conditions shall be included. For example, data may be needed on conditions with oral manifestations, such as diabetes, HIV infection, bone disorders such as osteoporosis, pain, injuries, and congenital anomalies. The data for this report may come from databases obtained in previous tasks and from published sources.
Specifically the contractor shall:
Task #7: Produce Other Reports and Responses
The Institute and its partners are responsible for:
To facilitate the development of these reports, activities and requests the contractor shall provide and/or participate in:
Specifically, the contractor, together with the Project Officer and Oversight Committee shall:
[NOTE 2 TO OFFEROR: For budgetary purposes, the offeror should budget for a cost of $75,000 each year for consultant services]
Specific responsibilities of the Contractor shall include the following:
Complete records and documentation of all database management activities shall be maintained and provided. Each version of every database shall be provided to NIDCR staff when requested by the Project Officer or designee.
All activities and analyses conducted by the contractor shall be fully documented, and reports shall be submitted detailing procedures used, databases, results, software, program codes, variables, labels and related materials.
When specified, the reports shall also include the epidemiologist's review of the published literature pertinent to the subject; scientific assessment and possible interpretations of the meaning and significance of the results in the context of our current knowledge of the subject area; and shall be of thorough enough to be suitable for publication as original articles in the biomedical literature
Two copies of each report shall be submitted to the Project Officer. Communication by electronic mail shall be necessary, and this ability must be available from the contractor.
Task #8: Facilitate Management of the Data Resource Center Oversight Committee
The contractor shall provide logistical support for the functioning of the Oversight Committee. The committee structure, functions and meeting schedule shall be determined by the Institute and its partners. The committee shall be responsible for determining priorities and reviewing and revising the Center activities. The Oversight Committee shall meet at least four times a year, usually in the Bethesda, MD area. Additional, conference calls shall be scheduled whenever necessary. The Oversight Committee will consist mainly of NIDCR staff.
Task #9: Conduct a Transfer of Activities
If the contract is recompeted during the life of this contract and the successor award is not made to the original Contractor, a transition period shall be utilized. The transition period shall encompass the final sixty days of this contract. During this period the Contractor shall proceed with the phase-out process.
The Contractor shall provide the successor Contractor and the NICDR with detailed briefings regarding the structure of data files, the processing system and all associated software. All reports, documents, data tapes and files, and hardware purchased as a part of the contract, and activities currently underway shall be transferred to the successor Contractor with complete details necessary for their timely completion. The Contractor shall make necessary staff available to brief successor Contractor staff on projects, programs and activities as required to assure smooth transition.
In addition, one month before termination of the contract, all data tapes/disks provided to or generated by the contractor in association with contract work shall be provided to the Project Officer.
DELIVERABLES/REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
In addition to those reports required by the other terms of this contract, the Contractor shall prepare and submit the following reports in the manner stated below. These include all of the items and specified formats as detailed in the individual tasks. The due dates for each deliverable are the period after the effective date of the contract. As an example, "month 8"means the end of the 8th month (in calendar time) after the effective date of the contract. The Project Officer and the Project Manager will meet semiannually to assess the contractors progress towards meeting the goals and deadlines in each task and (if necessary) to prioritize the contractors efforts for the following six month period.
Work items listed under task 7 will be assigned based on the monthly report detailing the activities of the contractor staff and discussions between the Project Manager and Project Officer, so that the assignments are compatible with the contractors staffing level and current and future month's work load. Additionally, as part of task 7 the monthly reports shall include a list of all open NIDCR work requests to the contractor including the date and title of the request and a status noting the contractor's action to date on the request (e.g.; request being studied, computer program written, analysis run, statistics completed, report sent to NIDCR, etc).
The Monthly Report shall include, wherever possible, a separate listing of the monthly total cost of each NIDCR request. This report shall be due on or before the fifteenth calendar day of the following month.
A catalogue of databases shall be delivered to the Project Officer electronically by Month 8 of the contract. The catalogue shall include updates every 6 months thereafter. This catalogue shall be ready for installation on web page by Month 12 of the contract.
The contractor shall have archived the data by Month 15. By Month 18 this data shall be ready for installation on the web page. The Contractor shall add additional procedures three months after notification from NIDCR. Subsequent updates to the archive shall be provided on an annual basis.
By Month 12 a report shall be presented to the Project Officer on databases. Two months after NIDCR notification, the contractor shall report on additional databases.
By Day 60 of the Contract, the contractor shall acquire databases and documentation. By day 90 of the contract, the Contractor shall acquire additional databases and documentation. Two months after notification from NIDCR, additional data base acquisitions will be made.
By month 12 the contractor shall provide the Project Officer with a final report on web-based system. Interim reports on the web-based system shall be provided to the Project Officer as required. Interim and a final report on cost and time estimates for the web installation shall be provided to the Project Officer as required. The contractor shall provide all work products and materials pertinent to the web installation at a time specified by NIDCR.
By Month 10 the contractor shall provide an Annual Report of Health Statistics and every 12 months thereafter. See the statement or work, Task 6, for more detail.
Due dates for the for the following types of report activities shall be provided to the contractor on as as needed basis:
Thirty (30) days before termination of the contract, all data tapes/disks provided to or generated by the contractor in association with contract work shall be provided to the Project Officer. All deliverables shall be provided in a timely manner.
Satisfactory performance of this contract shall be deemed to occur upon completion of the services described in the statement of work and upon delivery and acceptance by the Contracting Officer, or the duly authorized representative, of the following items in accordance with the stated delivery schedule:
| Item | Description | Delivered to: | Delivery Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| a. | Monthly Progress Report | Project Officer and Contracting Officer |
By the fifteenth day of each succeeding month |
| b. | Final Progress Report | Project Officer and Contracting Officer |
Contract Completion Date |
| c. | Annual Performance Management Framework and Plan |
Project Officer and Contracting Officer |
Month 12 and annually thereafter |
| d. | Task 1 | ||
| Catalogue of Databases | Project Officer | Month 8 | |
| Updates to Catalogue | Project Officer | Every 6 months thereafter | |
| Ready for Installation on web | Project Officer | Month 12 | |
| e. | Task 2 | ||
| Archive Data | Project Officer | Month 15 | |
| Ready for installation on web page |
Project Officer | Month 18 | |
| Add additional procedures | Project Officer | 3 months after NIDCR notification | |
| Updates, ready for web installation |
Project Officer | Month 30 and annually thereafter | |
| f. | Task 3 | ||
| Report on Databases | Project Officer | Month 12 | |
| Report on Additional Databases |
Project Officer | 2 months after NIDCR notification | |
| g. | Task 4 | ||
| Acquire Databases and Documentation |
Project Officer | Day 60 | |
| Acquire additional Databases and Documentation |
Project Officer | Day 90 | |
| h. | Task 5 | ||
| Final Report on Web Based System |
Project Officer | Month 12 | |
| Interim reports | Project Officer | As required | |
| i. | Task 6 | ||
| Annual Report on Health Statistics |
Project Officer | Month 10 and annually thereafter | |
| j. | Task 7 | ||
| —Healthy People 2010 Report —Analyses and Other Reports —Epidemiological analyses —Presentations Products —Visual Presentation Products —Respond to Queries |
Project Officer | As required | |
| k. | Task 9 | ||
| Transfer of activities and all contract documents |
Final 60 days of contract |
Copies of reports shall be sent to the following addresses:
| Addressee | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Project Officer NIDCR 45 Center Drive, Room 3an.38j BETHESDA MD 20892-6401 |
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k |
2 |
| Contracting Officer Contracts Operations Branch, DEA, NHLBI Rockledge 2, Room 6102 6701 ROCKLEDGE DR MSC 7902 BETHESDA MD 20892-7902 |
a, b, c | 1 |
GENERAL
The technical proposal will receive paramount consideration in the selection of the Contractor for this acquisition. All technical evaluation factors, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price, past performance and small disadvantaged business participation. However, cost/price, past performance and small disadvantaged business participation may become critical factors in source selection in the event that two or more offerors are determined to be essentially equal following the evaluation of all technical evaluation factors. Cost/Price is significantly more important than past performance and small disadvantaged business participation. In any event, the Government reserves the right to make an award to the best advantage of the Government, cost and other factors considered.
The offeror's Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Participation Plan will be evaluated after determination of the competitive range. Only those offerors included in the competitive range will be evaluated. The evaluation will be based on information obtained from the plan provided by the offeror (Reference Standard RFP Instructions and Provisions), the realism of the proposal, other relevant information obtained from named SDB concerns, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered in SDB participation. Evaluation of the SDB Participation Plan will be a subjective assessment based on a consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances. It will not be based on absolute standards of acceptable performance.
The Government is seeking to determine whether the offeror has demonstrated a commitment to use SDB concerns for the work that it intends to perform as the prime contractor. The assessment of the offeror's SDB Participation Plan will be used as a means of evaluating the relative capability and commitment of the offeror and the other competitors. Thus, an offeror with an exceptional record of participation with SDB concerns may receive a more favorable evaluation than another whose record is acceptable, even though both may have acceptable technical proposals. SDB Participation will not be scored, but the Government's conclusions about overall commitment and realism of the offeror's SDB Participation Plan will be considered in determining the relative merits of the offeror's proposal and in selecting the offeror whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government.
The evaluation shall be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective contractors in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the RFP. The merits of each proposal shall be evaluated carefully. Each proposal must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the RFP.
MANDATORY QUALIFICATION CRITERIA
Listed below is a mandatory qualification criterion. The qualification criterion establishes conditions that must be met at the time of receipt of Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs) by the Contracting Officer in order for your proposal to be considered any further for award.
Geographic Restriction:
The offeror must be in geographic proximity to the Washington, D.C. area in order to accomplish the task of attendance at frequent face-to-face discussions between the NIDCR Project Officers and the Project Director (and other key personnel) in Bethesda, Maryland, in order to monitor and review progress on project activities. Geographic proximity to the Washington D.C. area is defined, for this requirement, as being within one hour of traveling time to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Justification for Geographic Restriction:
The nature of the work to be performed under this contract requires frequent in-person meetings between the contractor, contract staff, and the NIDCR PO who is based in Bethesda, Maryland. There will be a need for contractor personnel to be available for short notice in-person meetings with NIDCR staff, to be able to provide rapid responses to queries, and to sometimes provide statistical, graphic, programming, and epidemiological support with little advance notice. This requires that the contractor's staff be available on a daily basis. Therefore, geographic proximity to the Washington, D.C. area is necessary to accomplish the work described in this RFP. The contract will also require many meetings between contract staff and other members of the NIDCR staff who are based in Bethesda, necessitating a great deal of scheduling flexibility by the contractor's team. Travel of any great distance would preclude this flexibility.
TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA
The quality of the technical proposal will be the most important consideration in selection of a contractor for this procurement and should therefore be as complete and specific as possible. Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be evaluated according to the factors listed below with the relative scoring weights as shown:
| 1. Approach to the Scope of Work |
(40 points) |
| The offeror's plan to accomplish all requirements in the statement of work. This includes the offeror's technical approach to developing and maintaining a catalogue of existing databases; producing an archive of procedures; evaluating, analyzing, obtaining, and supporting complex data sets; evaluating web-based query systems; producing reports; and providing programming, statistical, graphics, and epidemiological support, and the systems employed to accomplish these tasks. Plans for monitoring performance and maintaining quality control. Problems and constraints likely to be encountered and proposed alternatives and solutions to resolve difficulties. An awareness and understanding of the complex issues specific to oral, dental and craniofacial health status as well as the health conditions or characteristics that influence or are influenced by oral, dental, or craniofacial conditions. The clarity, style and format of the proposal will be considered as an indication of the offeror's capability in plan development, information presentation, and clarity of expression. |
|
| 2. Personnel capabilities |
(40 points) |
| Documented experience and educational background. Expertise in the field of dental or chronic disease epidemiology, and training. Availability of proposed staff and appropriateness of their designated assignments on the project. Relevant experience, managerial and technical competence and time commitment of the proposed project manager and other professional staff. |
|
| 3. Organizational Capability |
(20 points) |
| Evidence that the organization has undertaken high quality work of the type described, as reflected by appropriate management plans, quality control procedures and results, and timely delivery; strength of the management plan for insuring the smooth functioning of all tasks, including maintenance of quality control, and timely delivery of all products and reports. Experience in the identification, acquisition, cataloging, management, and use of complex databases involving health status; utilization of health care services; health interviews; knowledge, attitudes and behaviors; national and state registries; and supporting training material and documentation. Experience in dealing with target audiences of interest to the NIDCR, including other federal agencies, state and local governments, academic centers, and private organizations. Availability of facilities and equipment required to carry out the work, including computer terminals to access the NIH computer facility; local micro- or minicomputers; statistical, graphics, and word-processing software and equipment; telephones, fax, and duplication equipment. | |
PAST PERFORMANCE
The offeror's past performance will be evaluated after completion of the technical evaluation. Offerors who are determined to be technically acceptable and are included in the competitive range will be evaluated. The evaluation will be based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.
By past performance, the Government means the offeror's record of conforming to specifications and to standards of good workmanship; the contractor's record of forecasting and controlling costs; the offeror's adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance; the offeror's reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the offeror's business-like concern for the interest of the customer.
Evaluation of past performance will be a subjective assessment based on a consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances. It will not be based on absolute standards of acceptable performance. The Government is seeking to determine whether the offeror has consistently demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction and timely delivery of services at fair and reasonable prices.
The assessment of the offeror's past performance will be used as a means of evaluating the relative capability of the offeror and the other competitors. Thus, an offeror with an exceptional record of past performance may receive a more favorable evaluation than another whose record is acceptable, even though both may have acceptable technical proposals.
Past performance will not be scored, but the Government's conclusions about overall quality of the offeror's past performance will be highly influential in determining the relative merits of the offeror's proposal and in selecting the offeror whose proposal is considered most advantageous to the Government.
The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, context of the data, and general trends in the offeror's performance. The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror.
THE REMAINDER OF THIS RFP CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS:
NOTICE TO OFFEROR: This section contains proposal instructions and information which are specifically related to this acquisition. The information provided below is only a portion of the instructions and notices required for the submission of a proposal. References to additional, more general, information and forms regarding proposal preparation are contained under Section III. Applicable RFP References.
The following specific RFP instructions and provisions apply to this Request For Proposal:
RFP No. NHLBI-DR-00-03
TITLE OF RFP: Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center
FURNISH THE INFORMATION REQUESTED BELOW AND RETURN THIS PAGE BY September 13, 1999. YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTENT IS NOT BINDING BUT WILL ASSIST US IN PLANNING FOR PROPOSAL EVALUATION.
I INTEND TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL
TITLE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
NAMES OF COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS AND INVESTIGATORS
(include Subcontractors and Consultants):
GOVERNMENT NOTICE FOR HANDLING PROPOSALS
This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices which the submitter places on this proposal shall be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government for evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by, and in accordance with, the procedures in HHSAR paragraph 315.608-72.
Shipment and marking shall be as follows:
EXTERNAL PACKAGE MARKING
In addition to the address cited below, mark each package as follows:
"RFP NO. NHLBI-DR-00-03
TO BE OPENED BY AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL ONLY"
The number of copies required of each part of your proposal are:
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: ORIGINAL* AND Fifteen (15) COPIES
BUSINESS PROPOSAL: ORIGINAL* AND Six (6) COPIES
One Electronic Business Proposal Spread Sheet (EXCEL Spread Sheet) on disk
DELIVER PROPOSAL TO:
Review Branch, Division of Extramural Affairs
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
6701 ROCKLEDGE DR MSC 7924
BETHESDA MD 20892-7924
*THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL MUST BE READILY ACCESSIBLE FOR DATE STAMPING.
The standard industrial classification (SIC) code for this acquisition is 8731.
The small business size standard is 500 employees or less.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS. However, the FAR requires in every solicitation (except for foreign acquisitions) the inclusion of the SIC code and corresponding size standard which best describes the nature of the requirement in the solicitation.
It is anticipated that one award will be made from this solicitation and that award will be made in July 2000.
It is anticipated that the award from this solicitation will be a multiple-year cost reimbursement, level of effort type contract with a period of performance of five years, and that incremental funding will be used.
To assist you in the preparation of your proposal, the Government considers the effort to be approximately as follows. This information is furnished for the offeror's information only and is not to be considered restrictive for proposal purposes.
During the period of performance of this contract, the Contractor shall provide approximately 74,880 direct labor hours. The labor hours exclude vacation, sick leave, and holiday. It is estimated that the labor hours are constituted as specified below and will be expended approximately as follow:
| Labor Category | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | |||||
| Project Manager | 416 | 416 | 416 | 416 | 416 |
| Librarian(s) | 3,120 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 |
| Senior Epidemiologist | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 |
| Biostatistician | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 |
| Senior Programmer | 1,664 | 1,664 | 1,664 | 1,664 | 1,664 |
| Other Professional | |||||
| Technical Information Specialist | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 |
| Junior Epidemiologist | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 |
| Junior Programmer | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 | 2,080 |
| Support | |||||
| Various | 3,120 | 3,120 | 3,120 | 3,120 | 3,120 |
| Total | 16640 | 14,560 | 14,560 | 14,560 | 14,560 |
All staffing levels proposed should be accompanied by specific justifications as to the type and hours of work expected to be performed by all personnel. Offerors will be required to propose levels of commitment whether compensated or donated effort, necessary to complete the work described in their proposals. It is expected that realistic levels of effort will be proposed such that an offeror's understanding of the work will be apparent.
The following narrative description of personnel is offered as guidance when preparing your proposal:
Key Personnel:
Project Manager
Shall be responsible for implementation and monitoring of all contract activities. He or she must be able to anticipate potential problems and expedite necessary corrective actions; assess potential needs and plan to fulfill those needs; and be able to facilitate the coordination of logistics, planning, and documentation for the project. He or she shall serve as the liaison to the oversight management team and advisory board. The project manager must have had at least 5 years of experience in directing the maintenance and analysis of large, complex data files; data processing management including responsibility for the recruitment and supervision of programming staff, fiscal controls, and technical oversight. It is possible for either the Senior Epidemiologist or Statistician to serve as Project Manager in addition to his or her scientific position.
Librarian or Informatics Specialist
They shall have an MLS or at least Masters level training in Informatics with significant experience working with large complex data sets in a dental, medical or public health setting; the ability to conduct Medline searches; to effectively locate, acquire, organize and catalog the varied components of large national surveys such as NHANES III, including information on survey instruments, sampling methods, reliability, nonresponse data, data files, code books and other documentation, training manuals, and reliability and validity research. They shall be able to work collaboratively with epidemiologists, programmers, and other members of a research team, and have the ability to express themselves well both orally and in writing.
Senior Epidemiologist
Shall have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in epidemiology with a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in dental or chronic disease epidemiology, conducting and analyzing complex statistical studies in epidemiologic and/or public health contexts using large samples, complex data files, and a wide range of univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. He or she shall also have experience working with SAS and SUDAAN; experience in writing analytic and statistical reports; the ability to work in a consultative mode with other epidemiologic investigators; the ability to clearly express him/herself orally and in writing; and demonstrated ability to work with computer programmers. If the offeror does not have personnel with experience in oral epidemilogy, then they must demonstrate that they access to a person with expertise in oral epidemilogy.
Biostatistician
Shall have a Ph.D. in biostatistics or lower level degree with significant experience in biomedical research; demonstrated experience in designing statistical aspects of epidemiologic analysis; experience in conducting statistical testing of data from complex surveys and large epidemiologic studies; ability to consult and collaborate with epidemiologist; and experience in writing analytic and statistical papers.
Senior Computer Programmer
Shall have demonstrated experience with SAS and SUDAAN programming, UNIX operating systems, experience with SAS and SUDAAN analysis on microcomputers, understanding of and experience with epidemiologic analysis, proficiency in statistical programming including univariate and multivariate analysis and statistical testing, correlation, and regression; ability to prepare specialized tables from computerized data; experience in data storage and retrieval; experience in manipulating large data files involving complex editing, merging, and updating functions leading to the construction specialized working files from primary source data tapes; demonstrated experience in programming data from complex surveys, understanding programs for statistical testing of complex survey data, and demonstrated ability to work with analysis in epidemiologic research in biomedical areas.
Other Personnel:
Technical Information Specialist
Shall have experience and success in researching and developing robust Web-based query systems, or modifying existing systems that are responsive to the needs of the general public, policy makers, public health professionals, and the scientific community. This individual must have had prior experience in working on projects in the biomedical field, have the ability to clearly express him/herself orally and in writing, and have the ability to work collaboratively with epidemiologists and other members of a research team.
Junior Epidemiologist
Shall have a Ph.D. or lower level degree with significant experience in dental/chronic disease epidemiology; experience in conducting and analyzing statistical studies in epidemiologic and/or public health contexts; experience in writing analytic and statistical reports; demonstrated experience in working with SAS; ability to clearly express him/herself orally and in writing.
Junior Computer Programmer
Shall have demonstrated experience with SAS and SUDAAN programming and analysis on microcomputers, experience with univariate and multivariate analysis and statistical testing, correlation and regression; experience in manipulating large data files; and demonstrated ability to work with data analyses for epidemiologic research in biomedical areas.
Consultant Staff
The contractor is expected to utilize consultants at various times during this contract. These consultants may be sub-contractors but should have knowledge of the project and be able to assist on short notice. It is expected that the contractor shall have as a consultant a individuals with expertise in dental epidemiology and public health to assist in project development and evaluation. Additional consultants may include a health economist, epidemiologists and biostatisticians with specific or advanced experience in dental, oral, and/or craniofacial data collection and analysis.
Additional Personnel
The contractor shall assure that adequate technical and logistic support personnel are available to fulfill the contract. These individuals shall include but not be limited to: technical writers, graphic and software designers, data entry personnel, data managers, computer system maintenance, and secretarial support.
In accordance with FAR 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (NOV 1988):
Mr. Robert R. CarlsenNational Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Contracts Operations Branch
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7902
Bethesda, MD 20892-7902
The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with GAO.
Please number each page of text. Type density and size must be 10-12 points. If constant spacing is used, there should be no more than 15 cpi, whereas proportional spacing should provide an average of no more than 15 cpi. There must be no more than six lines of text within a vertical inch. The technical proposal should be organized as follows:
PROVIDE NARRATIVE FOR:
In accordance with FAR Clause 52.219-23, Notice of Price Evaluation Adjustment for Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns, incorporated in Section I.3., offerors will be evaluated by adding a factor of 10 percent to the price of all offers, except offers from small disadvantaged business concerns that have not waived the adjustment. (Note: A listing of other offerors who are excepted and will not have this evaluation factor added to their offer may be found in subparagraph (b) of FAR Clause 52.219-23.
A small disadvantaged business concern may elect to waive the adjustment, in which case the factor will be added to its offer for evaluation purposes. The agreements in paragraph (d) of FAR Clause 52.219-23 do not apply to offerors that waive the adjustment.
AN OFFEROR WHO ELECTS TO WAIVE THIS EVALUATION ADJUSTMENT MUST SPECIFICALLY INDICATE WITH A STATEMENT TO THIS EFFECT ON THE COVER PAGE OF ITS BUSINESS PROPOSAL.
The offeror's business proposal shall include the basic cost/pricing information specified in the Standard RFP Instructions and Provisions, under the Streamlined RFP References Directory referenced in this RFP. Please include information to substantiate the proposed costs or prices. including payroll documentation, vendor quotes, invoice prices, and/or any other information relevant to aid the Government in evaluating the reasonableness of the price or to determine cost realism. Before award, submission and certification of cost or pricing data may be required. Please submit a computer disc with the cost proposal in Excel 5.0 (or 97) format. For your convenience, a standard cost proposal format in Excel format will be provided by NHLBI contracts office.
The entire file entitled "STANDARD RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS" is applicable to this RFP, except as modified by the inclusion of items from the "OPTIONAL RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS" below.
The following items are applicable from the file entitled "OPTIONAL RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS". The full text of the provisions is available in the file.
List of provisions which apply to this specific RFP:
The following items are applicable to this specific RFP and are located in the file entitled "FORMS, FORMATS, AND ATTACHMENTS", under Streamlined RFP References:
SUBMIT WITH TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (with original and every copy of technical proposal)
SUBMIT WITH BUSINESS PROPOSAL:
OTHER - TO BE SUBMITTED WITH THE FINAL PROPOSAL REVISION:
ANTICIPATED TO BE INCLUDED AS CONTRACT ATTACHMENTS:
The "SAMPLE CONTRACT FORMAT-GENERAL" under the Streamlined RFP References is applicable to this RFP. Selected clauses, applicable to this acquisition, will be included in the contract.
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