SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Educate County Officials about Rural Health Works
- Notice Date
- 7/22/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, Parklawn Building Room 5-101 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857
- ZIP Code
- 20857
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-04h120852
- Response Due
- 8/5/2004
- Archive Date
- 9/1/2004
- Point of Contact
- Darren Jansen, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-443-1857, Fax 301-443-3238, - Margaret Kelly, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-443-4988, Fax 301-443-3849,
- E-Mail Address
-
djansen@psc.gov, mkelly@psc.gov
- Description
- SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES DATE: JULY 22, 2004 REQUISITION NO: 04H120852 INTENDED SOURCE: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES (NACo) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: DATE OF AWARD THROUGH TWELVE MONTHS PURPOSE: THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, HRSA, OA, ORHP THROUGH THE PROGRAM SUPPORT CENTER, PLANS TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION TO NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. CLOSING DATE IS AUGUST 5, 2004. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROCUREMENT IS: BACKGROUND THROUGH POLICY DEVELOPMENT, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, GRANT MAKING AND ADVOCACY, THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION=S (HRSA) OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH POLICY (ORHP) SEEKS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR THE MORE THAN 62 MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RURAL AMERICA. ORHP WORKS WITH ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND WITH PRIVATE ASSOCIATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SEEK SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS FACED BY RURAL COMMUNITIES. ORHP ADDRESSES THESE AND OTHER PROBLEMS THROUGH ITS RESEARCH, INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT, GRANT MAKING AND POLICY EFFORTS. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE ORHP HAS BEEN FUNDING A PROJECT CALLED RURAL HEALTH WORKS (RHWKS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT HEALTH CARE SERVICES ARE TO THEIR LOCAL ECONOMY. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN TO TRAIN STATE-LEVEL OFFICIALS IN HOW TO (1) MEASURE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES (IMPLAN), (2) CONDUCT A FULL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/PLANNING PROCESS AND (3) HELP PROVIDERS IDENTIFY NEW SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES. MOST STATES HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE TRAINING WORKSHOPS. OF THE NATION'S 3,066 COUNTIES, 2,187 ARE NON-METROPOLITAN OR RURAL COUNTIES. RURAL COUNTIES FACE UNIQUE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES SUCH AS ACCESS TO LIMITED RESOURCES, LACK OF TRANSPORTATION, LACK OF PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. RURAL COUNTY OFFICIALS KNOW ALL TO WELL THAT HEALTH CARE CAN BE A PRIMARY ECONOMIC ENGINE AND CAN BE A DETERMINANT FOR BUSINESS LOCATION AND RETENTION. HOWEVER, MANY RURAL COUNTY OFFICIALS LACK INFORMATION TO ASSIST THEM IN FINDING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE AND STRONG HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS. MANY RURAL COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE EAGER TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF STRENGTHENING THEIR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS. PURPOSE THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RURAL HEALTH WORKS PROJECTS BY: (1) CONDUCTING A RHWKS DEMO IN THREE RURAL COUNTIES, (2) EDUCATING COUNTY OFFICIALS ON THE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM AND (3) PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING ABOUT RURAL HEALTH WORKS THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES (NACO) CONFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS. STATEMENT OF WORK: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ALL WORK DONE UNDER THIS CONTRACT SHALL BE DONE UNDER THE GENERAL GUIDANCE AND MONITORING OF THE PROJECT OFFICER. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL ARRANGE QUARTERLY CONFERENCE CALLS WITH PO. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SERVICES, QUALIFIED PERSONNEL, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS CONTRACT, AS NEEDED TO PERFORM THE TASKS AS SET FORTH BELOW. SPECIFICALLY, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL FULFILL THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS CONTRACT BY PERFORMING THE TASKS LISTED BELOW: TASKS TO BE PERFORMED IN FIRST YEAR TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL CONDUCT THE FOLLOWING TASKS: TASK 1: MEET WITH PROJECT OFFICER THE CONTRACTOR SHALL, WITHIN ONE MONTH OF EDOC, MEET WITH THE PROJECT OFFICER BY PHONE TO DISCUSS STRATEGY FOR MEETING THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS CONTRACT. TASK 2: CONDUCT RHWKS IN RURAL COUNTIES THE CONTRACTOR SHALL ADVERTISE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE RURAL HEALTH WORKS PROJECT THROUGH A STREAMLINED APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SOLICITING THE INTEREST OF RURAL COUNTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS WILL INVOLVE ASSESSING THE COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS' COMMITMENT AND INTEREST IN LEADING THE RURAL HEALTH WORKS PROJECT PROCESS. THREE GRANTS OF EACH WILL BE AWARDED TO SUPPORT CONSULTANTS WHO WILL CONDUCT THE RHWKS PROCESS IN THE THREE SELECTED COUNTIES. TASK 3: CONDUCT A TRAINING SESSION THE CONTRACTOR SHALL CONDUCT AT LEAST ONE TRAINING SESSION ON RURAL HEALTH WORKS AT NACO'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE. NACO'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE DRAWS AN ATTENDANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 4,000 COUNTY OFFICIALS AND IS HELD EACH JULY IN A DIFFERENT HOST COUNTY. THE ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE AT EACH OF THESE TRAINING SESSIONS WILL BE BETWEEN 50 AND 100 COUNTY OFFICIALS. THIS TRAINING SESSION WILL BE DESIGNED TO SHOW COUNTY LEADERS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RURAL HEALTH WORKS MODEL BY HAVING THE CONTRACTORS AND COUNTY OFFICIALS INVOLVED WITH A SUCCESSFUL RURAL HEALTH WORKS PROJECT PRESENT AT THE SESSION. NACO WILL INVITE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH AND ANY OTHER PARTNERS TO PARTICIPATE. THE NACO STAFF WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE STAFF OF THE 48 STATE ASSOCIATIONS OF COUNTIES TO ORGANIZE, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, TRAINING SESSIONS ON RURAL HEALTH WORKS AT THEIR MEETINGS. THESE TRAININGS WILL BE SIMILAR IN STRUCTURE AND CONTENT TO THE SESSIONS CONDUCTED AT THE NACO NATIONAL CONFERENCES. TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THESE SESSIONS WILL HIGHLIGHT MODEL COUNTIES FROM THAT STATE. TASK 4: INFORM COUNTY OFFICIALS THE CONTRACTOR SHALL MAXIMIZE THE VISIBILITY OF THE PROJECT AT NACO CONFERENCES AND OTHER VENUES WHERE NACO IS PRESENTING BY DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS AT AN EXHIBIT BOOTH. THE EXHIBIT WILL SERVE AS A DISTRIBUTION POINT DURING THE CONFERENCE FOR PROJECT MATERIALS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PRODUCE AND PUBLISH 2 - 3 ARTICLES ANNUALLY ON RURAL HEALTH WORKS IN ITS NEWSPAPER, COUNTY NEWS (CIRCULATION 26,000 COUNTY OFFICIALS) AS WELL AS THROUGH A NEWSLETTER SENT EXCLUSIVELY TO THE RURAL ACTION CAUCUS MEMBERS. THE ARTICLES WILL HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT THAT RHWKS CAN HAVE ON IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN RURAL COUNTIES. TASK 5: CONDUCT AN EVALUATION THE CONTRACTOR SHALL CONDUCT A BASIC PROCESS EVALUATION OF ACTIVITIES DURING THIS CONTRACT TO HELP MAXIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT WHICH INCLUDES A SYNTHESIS OF ACTIVITIES, OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS PROJECT. TASK 6: MEET REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THE CONTRACTOR SHALL SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING REPORTS TO THE PO 1. AN ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT WHICH INCLUDES (1) A BRIEF SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE YEAR AND (2) AN ACCOUNTING OF COSTS. SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED UPON THE FOLLOWING: THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES (NACO) WAS CREATED IN 1935. MORE THAN SIX DECADES LATER, NACO CONTINUES TO ENSURE THAT THE NATION'S 3,066 COUNTIES ARE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. NACO, THE ONLY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT REPRESENTS COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, HAS A MEMBERSHIP THAT TOTALS MORE THAN 2,000 COUNTIES, REPRESENTING OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE NATION'S POPULATION. NACO IS A FULL-SERVICE ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES AN EXTENSIVE LINE OF SERVICES INCLUDING LEGISLATIVE, RESEARCH, TECHNICAL, AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS ENTERPRISE SERVICES TO ITS MEMBERS. THE ASSOCIATION ACTS AS A LIAISON WITH OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, WORKS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF COUNTIES, SERVES AS A NATIONAL ADVOCATE FOR COUNTIES AND PROVIDES THEM WITH RESOURCES TO HELP THEM FIND INNOVATIVE METHODS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. THROUGH ITS OWN 501 (3) RESEARCH ARM, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., NACO HAS SUCCESSFULLY ADMINISTERED FEDERAL AND FOUNDATION GRANTS. NACO CURRENTLY IS MANAGING FEDERAL AND FOUNDATION GRANTS THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES' BUREAU OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION, THE FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION, AND THE W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION. NACO IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND ONGOING CONTACT WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS IN RURAL AMERICA. NACO IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT CAN IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE RURAL COUNTIES IN WHICH TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RHWKS, AND THEN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH OTHER RURAL COUNTY OFFICIALS. BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE RANGE OF SKILLS REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE NACO IS THE ONLY AND MOST QUALIFIED ORGANIZATION TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT. THE PROPOSED SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION IS FOR SERVICES FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO SOLICIT AND NEGOTIATE WITH ONLY ONE SOURCE (FAR 6.302-1). A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO COMPETE THIS PROPOSED SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. CONTRACTORS MAY FORWARD CAPABILITY STATEMENTS TO THE REFERENCED ADDRESS. INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL NORMALLY BE CONSIDERED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINING WHETHER TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT DARREN JANSEN, IN ROOM 5C-13, PARKLAWN BLDG., 5600 FISHERS LANE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20857 OR ON 301-443-1857.
- Record
- SN00628408-W 20040724/040722211827 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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