SECTION L—INSTRUCTIONS,
CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS
L.1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) (FAR 52.252-1)
This solicitation incorporates the following solicitation
provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given
in full text. The full text of a clause may be assessed electronically at this
address: http://www.arnet.gov/far/.
L.2 DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING
(DUNS) (OCT 2003) (FAR 52.204-6)
- The offeror
shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its
offer, the annotation "DUNS" or "DUNS+4" followed by the DUNS number or
"DUNS+4" that identifies the offeror's name and address exactly as stated in
the offer. The DUNS number is a nine-digit number assigned by Dun and
Bradstreet Information Services. The DUNS+4 is the DUNS number plus a
4-character suffix that may be assigned at the discretion of the offeror to
establish additional CCR records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds
Transfer (EFT) accounts (see Subpart 32.11) for the same parent concern.
- If the
offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet
directly to obtain one.
- An offeror may obtain a DUNSnumber—
- If located within the United States, by calling Dun and Bradstreet at
1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet at http://www.dnb.com; or
- If located outside the United States, by contacting the local Dun and
Bradstreet office.
- The
offeror should be prepared to provide the following information:
- Company legal business name.
- Tradestyle, doing business, or other name by which your entity is commonly
recognized.
- Company physical street address, city, state and Zip Code.
- Company mailing address, sity, state and Zip Code (if separate from physical).
- Company telephone number.
- Date the company was started.
- Number of employees at your location.
- Chief executive officer/ key manager.
- Line of business (industry).
- Company Headquarters name and address (reporting relationship within your
entity).
(End
of provision)
L.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION (MAY 2001)
ALTERNATE I (JAN 2004)(FAR 52.215-1)
- Definitions.
As used in this provision—
"Discussions" are negotiations that occur after
establishment of the competitive range that may, at the Contracting Officer's
discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal.
"In writing," "writing," or "written" means any worded or
numbered expression that can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and
includes electronically transmitted and stored information.
"Proposal modification" is a change made to a proposal
before the solicitation's closing date and time, or made in response to an
amendment, or made to correct a mistake at any time before award.
"Proposal revision" is a change to a proposal made after the
solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Contracting
Officer as the result of negotiations.
"Time," if stated as a number of days, is calculated using
calendar days, unless otherwise specified, and will include Saturdays, Sundays,
and legal holidays. However, if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or
legal holiday, then the period shall include the next working day.
- Amendments to
solicitations. If this solicitation is amended, all terms and conditions that
are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any
amendment to this solicitation by the date and time specified in the
amendment(s).
- Submission,
modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.
- Unless
other methods (e.g., electronic commerce or facsimile) are permitted in the
solicitation, proposals and modifications to proposals shall be submitted in
paper media in sealed envelopes or packages (i) addressed to the office
specified in the solicitation, and (ii) showing the time and date specified for
receipt, the solicitation number, and the name and address of the offeror.
Offerors using commercial carriers should ensure that the proposal is marked on
the outermost wrapper with the information in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and
(c)(1)(ii) of this provision.
- The
first page of the proposal must show—
- The
solicitation number;
- The name,
address, and telephone and facsimile numbers of the offeror (and electronic
address if available);
- A
statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and
provisions included in the solicitation and agreement to furnish any or all
items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item;
- Names,
titles, and telephone and facsimile numbers (and electronic addresses if
available) of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror's behalf with the
Government in connection with this solicitation; and
- Name,
title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals
signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of that agent's authority,
unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.
- Submissions,
modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.
- Offerors
are responsible for submitting proposals, and any modification or revisions, so
as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time
specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation,
the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government
office on the date that proposal or revision is due.
- (A)
Any proposal, modification, or revision received at the Government office
designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of
offers is "late" and will not be considered unless it is received before award
is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would
not unduly delay the acquisition; and—
- If
it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the
solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government
infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date
specified for receipt of proposals; or
- There
is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government
installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's
control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or
- It
is the only proposal received.
(B)
However, a late modification of an otherwise successful proposal that makes its
terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is
received and may be accepted.
- Acceptable
evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation
includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the proposal wrapper,
other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral
testimony or statements of Government personnel.
- If
an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so
that proposals cannot be received at the office designated for receipt of
proposals by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent
Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation, the time
specified for receipt of proposals will be deemed to be extended to the same
time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal
Government processes resume.
- Proposals
may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before award. Oral
proposals in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the
solicitation authorizes facsimile proposals, proposals may be withdrawn via
facsimile received at any time before award, subject to the conditions
specified in the provision at 52.215-5, "Facsimile Proposals." Proposals may
be withdrawn in person by an offeror or an authorized representative, if the
representative's identity is made known and the representative signs a receipt
for the proposal before award.
- Unless
otherwise specified in the solicitation, the offeror may propose to provide any
item or combination of items.
- Offerors
shall submit proposals submitted in response to this solicitation in English,
unless otherwise permitted by the solicitation, and in U.S. dollars, unless the
provision at FAR 52.225-17, Evaluation of Foreign Currency Offers, is included
in the solicitation.
- Offerors
may submit modifications to their proposals at any time before the solicitation
closing date and time, and may submit modifications in response to an
amendment, or to correct a mistake at any time before award.
- Offers
may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Contracting
Officer.
- Proposals
may be withdrawn at any time before award. Withdrawals are effective upon
receipt of notice by the Contracting Officer.
- Offer expiration date.
Proposals in response to this solicitation will be valid for the number of days
specified on the solicitation cover sheet (unless a different period is
proposed by the offeror).
- Restriction
on disclosure and use of data. Offerors that include in their proposals data
that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the
Government except for evaluation purposes, shall—
- Mark
the title page with the following legend:
This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed
outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed—in whole
or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If, however, a
contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of—or in connection with—the
submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use,
or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This
restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained
in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The
data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or
other identification of sheets]; and
- Mark
each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:
Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject
to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.
- Contract
award.
- The
Government intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this
solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) represents the
best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors and subfactors in
the solicitation.
- The
Government may reject any or all proposals if such action is in the
Government's interest.
- The
Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals
received.
- The
Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract after conducting
discussions with offerors whose proposals have been determined to be within the
competitive range. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of
proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number
at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the Contracting Officer may
limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number
that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated
proposals. Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the
offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint.
- The
Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less
than the quantity offered, at the unit cost or prices offered, unless the
offeror specifies otherwise in the proposal.
- The
Government reserves the right to make multiple awards if, after considering the
additional administrative costs, it is in the Government's best interest to do
so.
- Exchanges
with offerors after receipt of a proposal do not constitute a rejection or
counteroffer by the Government.
- The
Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the prices proposed
are materially unbalanced between line items or subline items. Unbalanced
pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of
one or more contract line items is significantly overstated or understated as
indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques. A proposal
may be rejected if the Contracting Officer determines that the lack of balance poses
an unacceptable risk to the Government.
- If
a cost realism analysis is performed, cost realism may be considered by the
source selection authority in evaluating performance or schedule risk.
- A
written award or acceptance of proposal mailed or otherwise furnished to the
successful offeror within the time specified in the proposal shall result in a
binding contract without further action by either party.
- If
a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall
disclose the following information, if applicable:
- The
agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the
debriefed offeror's offer.
- The
overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and the
debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.
- The
overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency
during source selection.
-
A summary of the
rationale for award.
-
For acquisitions
of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the
successful offeror.
-
Reasonable
responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offerors as to whether
source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable
regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.
(End
of provision)
L.4 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APRIL
1984) (FAR 52.216-1)
The Government
contemplates award of a firm fixed price contract resulting from this
solicitation.
L.5 SINGLE OR MULTIPLE
AWARDS (OCT 1995)(FAR 52.216-27)
The Government may elect to award a single
contract or to award multiple contracts for the same or similar supplies or
services to two or more sources under this solicitation.
L.6 SERVICE OF PROTEST (AUG
1996)(FAR 52.233-2)
- Protests, as
defined in Section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed
directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the
General Accounting Office (GAO) shall be served on the Contracting Officer
(addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt
from:
Director, Division of
Contracts Management
Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, Maryland 20850
- The copy of
any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of
filing a protest with the GAO.
L.7 POINT OF CONTACT FOR
TECHNICAL INQUIRIES
The technical contact for additional information and
answering inquiries is the Project Officer.
All questions regarding this solicitation shall be in
writing and received by the Contract Specialist no later than 12:00 noon EST August
11, 2008. All questions should be
E-mailed to Linda Simpson at Linda.Simpson@ahrq.hhs.gov.
L.8 REFERENCE MATERIALS (IRESERVED)
L.9 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Introduction
The following instructions will establish the acceptable
minimum requirements for the format and contents of proposals.
- Contract Type and General Provisions: It is contemplated that a
firm fixed price contract will be awarded. In addition to the special
provisions of this request for proposal (RFP), any resultant contract shall
include the general clauses applicable to the selected offeror's organization
and type of contract awarded. Any additional clauses required by Public Law,
Executive Order, or procurement regulations, in effect at the time of execution
of the proposed contract, will be included.
- Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal:
The proposal shall be signed by an official authorized to bind your (the
offeror's) organization. Your proposal shall be submitted in the number of
copies, to the address, and marked as indicated in the cover letter of this
solicitation. Proposals will be typewritten, reproduced on letter sized paper
and will be legible in all required copies.
- Separation of Technical, Past Performance
Information, and Business Proposal: The proposal shall be in 4 separate parts.
To expedite the proposal evaluation, all documents required for responding to
the RFP should be placed in the following order:
- TECHNICAL
PROPOSAL: See Technical Proposal Instructions for recommended format (L.10).
Please mark as original or copy.
- PAST
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: See Past Performance Information Instructions for format (L.11)
- BUSINESS
PROPOSAL: See
Business Proposal Instructions for recommended format (L.13).
Each of the parts shall be separate and complete in itself
so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of, and
concurrently with, evaluation of the other.
- Evaluation
of Proposals: The Government will evaluate technical proposals in
accordance with the criteria set forth in Section M, Evaluation/Award
Criteria.
- Rejection
of Proposals: The Government reserves the right to reject any or all
proposals received. It is understood that your proposal will become part of
the official contract file.
- Unnecessarily
Elaborate Proposals: Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other
presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective
proposal are not desired and may be construed as an indication of the offeror's
lack of cost consciousness. Elaborate art work, expensive visual and other
presentation aids are neither necessary nor wanted.
- Privacy
Act: The Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law (P.L.) 93-579) requires that a
Federal agency advise each individual whom it asks to supply information: 1)
the authority which authorized the solicitation; 2) whether disclosure is
voluntary or mandatory; (3) the principal purpose or purposes for which the
information is intended to be used; (4) the uses outside the agency which may
be made of the information; and 4) the effects on the individual, if any, of
not providing all or any part of the requested information.
Therefore:
- The Government is
requesting the information called for in this RFP pursuant to the authority
provided by Section 301(g) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and
P.L. 92-218, as amended.
- Provisions
of the information requested are entirely voluntary.
- The
collection of this information is for the purpose of conducting an accurate,
fair, and adequate review prior to a discussion as to whether to award a
contract.
- Failure
to provide any or all of the requested information may result in a less than
adequate review.
- The
information provided by you may be routinely disclosed for the following
purposes:
- to the cognizant audit agency and the General Accounting Officer for auditing;
- to the Department of Justice as required for litigation;
- to respond to Congressional inquiries; and
- to qualified experts, not within the definition of Department employees for opinions as a part of the review process.
In addition,
the Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-579, Section 7) requires that the following
information be provided when individuals are requested to disclose their social
security number.
Provision of the social security number is voluntary.
Social security numbers are requested for the purpose of accurate and efficient
identification, referral, review and management of AHRQ contracting programs.
Authority for requesting this information is provided by Section 305 and Title IV
of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.
- The RFP does
not commit the Government to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of
a proposal. It is also brought to your attention that the Contracting Officer
is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure
of public funds in connection with this or any acquisition action.
The Government reserves the right to award a contract
without discussions if the Contracting Officer determines that the initial
prices are fair and reasonable and that discussions are not necessary.
L.10 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
The technical proposal shall contain an original and ten (10)
copies. The technical proposal described below shall be limited to 50 pages
not including biographic sketches, with no less than a 11 point font,
double-spaced (lists of deliverables, person loading charts, and similar
materials need not be double-spaced, so long as they are legible) and numbered
pages. Brief biographic sketches or CVs (less than ten pages in length)
providing the relevant qualifications necessary for this effort are only required for key personnel. The
technical proposal shall not contain reference to cost; however resources
information, such as data concerning labor hours and categories, labor mix,
materials, subcontracts, etc., shall be contained in the technical proposal so
that your understanding of the Statement of Work (SOW) may be evaluated. It
must disclose your technical approach in as much detail as possible, including,
but not limited to, the requirements of these instructions. Lengthy proposals
and voluminous appendices are neither needed nor desired as they are difficult
to read and evaluate and may indicate the offeror's inability to concisely
state their proposal.
- Recommended
Technical Proposal Format
The offeror's proposal should
present sufficient information to reflect a thorough understanding of the work
requirements and a detailed plan for achieving the objectives of the scope of
work. Technical proposals shall not merely paraphrase the requirements of the
Agency's scope of work or parts thereof, or use of phrases such as "will
comply" or "standard techniques will be employed." The technical proposal must
include a detailed description of the techniques and procedures to be used in
achieving the proposed end results in compliance with the requirements of the
Agency's scope of work.
- Cover
Page
The
name of the proposing organization, author(s) of the technical proposal,
the RFP number and the title of the RFP should appear on
the cover. The cover page must also include the DUNS and TIN
as well as a point of contact and contact information. One (1) manually
signed original copy of the proposal and the number of copies
specified in the RFP cover letter are required.
- Table
of Contents
Provide
sufficient detail so that all important elements of the proposal
can be located readily.
- Introduction
This should be a one or
two page summary outlining the proposed work, your
interest in submitting a proposal, and the importance of this
effort in relation to your overall operation.
- Technical Discussion
The offeror shall prepare a technical discussion
which addresses evaluation criteria A, B, C, D, below. The
offeror shall further state that no deviations or exceptions to the
Statement of Work (SOW) are taken. he evaluation criteria (described
in more detail in Section M) are as follows:
- Understanding the Problem
- Technical Approach
- Key Personnel
- Capacity and Management Plan
- Technical Proposal Requirements
Technical proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall
address each of the items described below, and shall be organized in the same
manner. Suggested page lengths are indicated for
each section. These section page lengths are not mandatory, however the total
length of the technical proposal (not including cover page, table of contents,
resumes or bibiographies) may not exceed 50 pages. Proposals shall be
prepared in double-spaced format, with numbered pages.
- Understanding the
Problem
Offeror shall
provide a brief statement of the issues and problems which underscore the concept
of and need for this task order contract. This background should include any
expertise the offeror can bring to understanding the problem. Also included in
this section shall be a description of the scope, purpose, and products of the
services and products called for in this contract. General discussion of
technical approaches to the different types of activities identified in the RFP
should be included. The offeror shall demonstrate a general, but thorough,
understanding of the objectives, organization, and operation of AHRQ.
- Technical
Approach
Offeror shall
submit a narrative which clearly addresses how he or she plans to develop,
design, and implement the statement of work within the time constraints of the
project. Within the content of the narrative, the offeror shall address plans
for identifying relevant literature and existing workflow analysis tools or
methods; the methodology for conducting the review, including search,
abstraction and summarizing; generating clear, concise reports on project
findings; incorporating findings into the toolkit development.
- Provide
a description of the literature review and environmental scan methodology, including
proposed data bases, search terms, abstraction process
-
Describe
how the literature and scan results will be analyzed and summarized
-
Describe
how the request for information (RFI) results will be summarized
-
Describe
how this will be incorporated into the development of the toolkit
-
Include
a proposed dissemination plan and activities under that plan
-
Describe
how user testing will inform the final toolkit
With reference to
each task required by the Statement of Work, the offeror shall address the technical
approach proposed for each task.
- Key Personnel
The proposal shall
specify the project team, including subcontractors and consultants. Offeror
shall provide evidence of the availability, qualifications, and demonstrated
experience of key management personnel, including the Project Director or
Manager. The project director should have demonstrated experience in managing
large scale human factors, practice redesign and/or toolkit development
research projects. The personnel should have demonstrated experience in workflow
analysis and redesign, conducting literature reviews, as well as familiarity
with medical organizations.
- Describe
how the education and technical experience of the Project Director and other
key technical personnel specifically relate to the SOW.
-
Provide
length and currency of the overall education of the Project Director, the
Project Manager and other key technical personnel.
-
Describe
the experience of the proposed Project Director in managing the SOW and
projects that contain such elements as conducting literature reviews, engaging
key stakeholders in projects, information systems for data collection and
management, report development and production, toolkit development, and
large-scale dissemination activities.
- Capacity
and Management Plan
Offeror shall
demonstrate his/her ability to achieve the delivery of performance requirements
through the proposed use of corporate management and other personnel resources
as well as demonstrate that the offeror's organizational structure and
capabilities will meet the project's milestones in a timely manner. Demonstrate
corporate experience in managing projects of a similar size and nature. Show
the capacity for identifying and achieving success in studying proposed sites.
Provide a fully
supported narrative showing offeror's understanding of the requirements in the
Statement of Work from a managerial perspective. The narrative should address
the following topics:
-
labor
skill mix determination (why you chose the skill mix for this project)
-
personnel
selection and assignment (why you chose an individual person for an individual
job), as well as percentage time dedicated to this project
-
timeline
and capacity for scheduling and executing tasks in SOW.
L.11 PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Offerors shall submit the following information
(original and 3 copies) as part of their proposal for both the offeror and
proposed major subcontractors:
- A
list of the last five (5) contracts and subcontracts, grants, or self-funded
projects completed (most relevant or most related) during the past three years
and all contracts and subcontracts currently in process in which the offeror is
a contractor, grantee, or participant in a self-funded project. Reference
contracts, subcontracts, grants, and self-funded projects completed during the
past three years and include recently completed and ongoing work directly
related to the requirements of this acquisition. Contracts listed may include
those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of State and local
governments and commercial customers. Offerors that are newly formed entities
without prior contracts should list contracts and subcontracts as required for
all key personnel. Include the following information for each contract,
subcontract, grant, or self-funded project:
- Name of
activity
- Contract
number (if relevant)
- Contract
type (if relevant)
- Total
contract/grant/project value
- Work
performed
-
Reference (Contracting Officer and telephone number)
- Program
Manager and telephone number
-
Administrative Contracting Officer (if relevant),
if different from item f, and telephone number
- List of
major subcontracts (if relevant)
- The
offeror may provide information on problems encountered on the projects identified
in (1) above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems. Offerors
should not provide general information on their performance on the identified projects.
General performance information will be obtained from the references.
- The
offeror may describe any quality awards or certifications that may indicate the
offeror possesses a high-quality process for developing and producing the
product or service required. Identify what segment of the organization (one
division or the entire organization) that received the award or certification.
Describe when the award or certification was bestowed. If the award or
certification is over three years old, present evidence that the qualifications
still apply.
- Each
offeror will be evaluated on his/her performance under existing and prior projects
for similar products or services. Performance information will be used for both
responsibility determinations and as an evaluation factor against which
offeror's relative rankings will be compared to assure best value to the
Government. The Government will focus on information that demonstrates quality
of performance relative to the size and complexity of the procurement under
consideration. References other than those identified by the offeror may be contacted
by the Government with the information received used in the evaluation of the
offeror's past performance.
The attached Past Performance Questionnaire and Performance
Form shall be completed by those organizations listed in (1) above. The evaluation
forms shall be completed and forwarded directly to:
Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality
Division of
Contracts Management
Attn: Linda
L. Simpson, Contract Specialist
540 Gaither Road, Suite 4315
Rockville, Maryland 20850
FAX: 301-427-1740
Evaluation forms must be
received by the date and time listed in order to be included in the review
process. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that these
documents are forwarded to the Contract Specialist.
L.12 BUSINESS PROPOSAL
The offeror shall submit as part of the proposal a separate
enclosure titled "Business Proposal." The Business Proposal shall include the
Cost/Price Proposal, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan, and Other
Administrative Data in accordance with the following:
- Cost/Price
Proposal
The business proposal must contain
sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of
the proposed cost or price of the work. This information shall include the
amounts of the basic elements of the proposed cost or price.
- Certified,
unloaded, labor rates for individuals expected to work on a project of this
size and nature.
- If
available, certified documentation that the offeror has a current indirect cost
rate agreement in place with a Federal agency or that is in the process of
obtaining or revising such an agreement. A copy of the indirect cost rate
agreement or the proposed rate agreement shall be provided if available.
- Other
Administrative Data
- Terms
and Conditions: The proposal shall stipulate that it is predicated upon
the terms and conditions of the RFP. In addition, it shall contain a statement
to the effect that it is firm for a period of at least 120 days from the date
of receipt thereof by the Government.
Minimum Bid Acceptance
Period (April 1984)
- "Acceptance
period," as used in this provision, means the number of calendar days
available to the Government for awarding a contract from the date specified in
this solicitation for receipt of bids.
- This
provision supersedes any language pertaining to the acceptance period that may
appear elsewhere in this solicitation.
- The
Government requires a minimum acceptance period of 120 days.
- A
bid allowing less than the Government's minimum acceptance period may be
rejected.
- The
bidder agrees to execute all that it has undertaken to do, in compliance with
its bid, if that bid is accepted in writing within (i) the acceptance period
stated in paragraph (3) above, or (ii) any longer acceptance period stated in
paragraph (4) above.
-
Authority
to Conduct Negotiations: The proposal shall list the names and telephone
numbers of persons authorized to conduct negotiations and to execute contracts.
- Property:
- It
is HHS policy that contractors will provide all equipment and facilities
necessary for performance of contracts. Exception may be granted to furnish
Government-owned property, or to authorize purchase with contract funds, only
when approved by the contracting officer. If additional equipment must be
acquired, you shall include the description, estimated cost of each item and
whether you will furnish such items with your own funds.
- You
shall identify Government-owned property in your possession and/or property
acquired from Federal funds to which you have title, that is proposed to be
used in the performance of the prospective contract.
- The
management and control of any Government property shall be in accordance with
HHS Publication (OS) 74-115 entitled, Contractor's Guide for Control of Government Property 1990, a copy of which will be
provided upon request.
- Royalties: You shall furnish
information concerning royalties which are anticipated to be paid in connection with the performance of
work under the proposed contract.
- Commitments:
You shall list other commitments with the Government relating to the specified
work or services and indicate whether these commitments will or will not
interfere with the completion of work and/or services contemplated under this
proposal.
- Financial
Capacity: You shall provide sufficient data to indicate that you have the
necessary financial capacity, working capital, and other resources to perform
the contract without assistance from any outside source. If not, indicate the
amount required and the anticipated source. (Financial data such as balance
sheets, profit and loss statements, cash forecasts, and financial histories of
your organization's affiliated concerns should be utilized.)
- Performance
Capability: You shall provide acceptable evidence of your "ability to
obtain" equipment, facilities, and personnel necessary to perform the requirements
of this project. If these are not represented in your current operations, they
should normally be supported by commitment or explicit arrangement, which is in
existence at the time the contract is to be awarded, for the rental, purchase,
or other acquisition of such resources, equipment, facilities, or personnel.
In addition, you shall indicate your ability to comply with the required or
proposed delivery or performance schedule taking into consideration all
existing business commitments, commercial as well as Government.
- Representations
and Certifications: Section K, "Representations and Certifications
and Other Statements of Offerors" shall be completed and signed by an
official authorized to bind your organization. Section K shall be made a
part of the original business proposal.
L.14 SELECTION OF OFFERORS
- The
acceptability of the technical portion of each contract proposal will be
evaluated by a technical review committee. The committee will evaluate each
proposal in strict conformity with the evaluation criteria of the RFP,
utilizing point scores and written critiques. The committee may suggest that
the Contracting Officer request clarifying information from an offeror.
- The business
portion of each contract proposal will be subjected to a limited cost review,
management analysis, etc.
- Past performance of the
technically acceptable offerors will be evaluated by AHRQ staff. A competitive
range will be determined. The competitive range will consist of those offers
which are highly rated, based upon the technical and past performance
evaluation. Oral or written discussions will be conducted with all offerors in
the competitive range, if necessary. All aspects of the proposals are subject
to discussions, including cost, technical approach, past performance, and
contractual terms and conditions. Final Proposal Revisions may be requested
with the reservation of the right to conduct limited negotiations after
submission of Final Proposal Revisions.
- A final best-value
analysis will be performed taking into consideration the results of the
technical evaluation, cost analysis, past performance, and ability to complete
the work within the Government's required schedule. The Government reserves
the right to make an award to the best advantage of the Government, technical
merit, cost, past performance, and other factors considered.
- The
Government reserves the right to make a single award, multiple awards, or no
award at all to the RFP.
L.15 PROPOSAL INTENT/APPROVAL FOR CONTACT
INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS LIST
It is requested that if an offeror intends to
submit a proposal to this solicitation that the attached Proposal Intent Form be
completed and returned to the address indicated by the date indicated. The
submission of the intent form is not binding on an offeror to submit a
proposal, nor does the failure to submit the form prohibit an offeror from
submitting a proposal. The purpose is to provide us with an estimated number
of proposals to assist us in our planning and logistics for proposal reviews.
We have added a request to include your contact
information to a bidders list. The bidders list will be provided to interested
offerors for subcontracting opportunities, as part of an amendment to the
solicitation. In order for AHRQ to include your contact information on the
bidders list, you must return the Proposal Intent Form and check the box that
grants permission to add your name no later than the date listed above.
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SECTION M—EVALUATION FACTORS FOR
AWARD
EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
- Award will be made to
that responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government,
cost and the below factors considered. Paramount consideration shall be given to
technical quality rather than cost. It is pointed out, however, that should
technical quality between offerors be considered approximately the same, then
cost may become the determining factor in award selection.
- The technical proposal
will be evaluated in terms of its responses to the evaluation factors. The
evaluation factors and assigned weights which will be used in the technical
review of the proposal submitted are outlined below.
| EVALUATION
CRITERIA | WEIGHT |
| 1.
Understanding the problem | 20 |
| 2.
Technical approach | 50 |
| 3. Key
personnel | 20 |
| 4. Capacity
and management plan | 10 |
EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Award
will be made to that responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to
the Government, cost and the below factors considered. Paramount consideration
shall be given to technical quality rather than cost. It is pointed out,
however, that should technical quality between offerors be considered
approximately the same, then cost may become the determining factor in award
selection.
THE GOVERNMENT
RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE AN AWARD WITHOUT DISCUSSION.
- The
technical proposal will be evaluated in terms of its responses to the
evaluation factors. The evaluation factors and assigned weights which will be
used in the technical review of the proposal submitted are outlined below.
Factors facilitating the evaluation of each criterion below are described in Attachment
1 of the solicitation:
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight |
| A.
Understanding the Problem | 20 |
The proposal shall
be evaluated on the completeness of the proposal and the offeror's demonstrated
understanding of the problems of the project in its response to the objectives
and tasks and solution approach thereto. The offeror must demonstrate that
they have the knowledge of how workflow analysis and redesign fits into the
broader context of Health Information Technology (HIT) implementation, in
particular in ambulatory care settings.
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight |
| B. Technical
Approach | 50 |
The proposal shall
be evaluated on the completeness, reasonableness, clarity, and feasibility of
the approach to satisfy the requirements of the literature review,
environmental scan, synthesis of request for information (RFI) results and
toolkit development. Specifically, the offeror should demonstrate an
understanding on how toolkits are successful and useful. The proposal must
specify and justify the literature to be reviewed, environmental scan approach,
outline the processes for both, and show a synthesis plan that will enable
toolkit development.
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight |
| C. Key
Personnel | 20 |
The background,
skills, professional experience and education of key personnel in the area of
workflow analysis and redesign, ambulatory clinical workflow, and health IT
shall be evaluated.
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight |
| D. Capacity and
Management Plan | 10 |
The offeror will be
evaluated on its demonstrated ability to achieve the delivery of performance
requirements through the proposed use of corporate management and other
personnel resources. Evaluation will consider the offeror's proposed
organizational structure and demonstrated capabilities to meet the projects
milestones within the timeframe of the proposed contract and within the
negotiated fixed price.
The offeror will be
evaluated on it's demonstrated understanding of the requirements of the
Statement of Work from a managerial perspective, as detailed below:
- labor
skill mix determination
- personnel
selection and assignment
- timelines
and capacity for scheduling and executing the tasks of the SOW within the
timeframe of the proposed contract and within the negotiated fixed price.
Proposals will be
evaluated on relevant projects, provided as examples, with specific narrative
of how they apply to the above criteria.
TOTAL POINTS BEFORE PAST PERFORMANCE: 100
E. Past
Performance: 25
(TO BE RATED ONLY
AFTER A DETERMINATION OF TECHNICAL ACCEPTABILITY OF THE OFFEROR'S PROPOSAL,
BASED ON THE ABOVE TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA)
The offeror's past
performance will be evaluated after completion of the technical evaluation.
Only those offerors determined to be technically acceptable will be evaluated.
Each offeror will be evaluated on its performance under existing and prior
contracts for similar products or services. Performance information will be
used for both responsibility determinations and as an evaluation factor against
which offeror's relative rankings will be compared.
The Government
reserves the right to evaluate relevant past performance information not
specifically provided by the offeror.
The Government will
assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are
those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the
acquisition requirements as indicated by the offeror's record of past
performance.
If the offeror or
the proposed employees for the offeror, do not have a past performance history
relative to this acquisition, or past performance not relative to this
acquisition, the offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on
this factor. A neutral rating will be determined.
In evaluating past
performance the Government, will consider the offeror's effectiveness in
quality of products or services; timeliness of performance; cost control;
business practices; customer satisfaction, and key personnel past performance.
TOTAL AVAILABLE POINTS: 125
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