SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Development of Evaluation Manuals to Build the Capacity of CBOs to Submit Evaluation Indicators and Data to CDC
- Notice Date
- 6/13/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 561990
— All Other Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Procurement and Grants Office (Atlanta), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA, 30341-4146
- ZIP Code
- 30341-4146
- Solicitation Number
- 2006-N-08566
- Response Due
- 6/28/2006
- Archive Date
- 6/28/2006
- Description
- Statement of Work Title: Development of Evaluation Manuals to Build the Capacity of CBOs to Submit Evaluation Indicators and Data to CDC NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces its intention to negotiate a sole source contract with MACRO International, 11785 Beltsville Dr., Calverton, MD 20705. The Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) is a national-level strategy that provides high quality training and technical assistance in diffusing science-based HIV behavioral interventions to state and community HIV programs. The CDC, with its partners, provide training and technical assistance on twelve interventions identified in CDC?s Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness. These interventions have been proven effective through research studies that showed positive behavioral (e.g., use of condoms; reduction in number of partners) and/or health (e.g., reduction in the number of new STD infections) outcomes. The Contractor, as an independent agent and not as an agent of the government, shall furnish all personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies and materials necessary to expeditiously complete the DEBI Specific Implementation Manuals, and to develop a TOT Evaluation Technical Assistance Curriculum. (The evaluation training itself, associated costs, supplies, materials and activities related to implementing the training are not part of this contract but subsumed under another contract). To achieve this purpose, this request for proposals will be used to increase the capacity of CBAs who in turn will provide training and technical assistance to health departments and CBOs) to develop their capacity to evaluate EBIs and to collect and report process and outcome monitoring and program performance indicators. The Contractor will accomplish this through the use of training of trainers (TOT) approach for CBAs. Organizations eligible to receive the TOTs through this contract are selected CBAs funded to work in Focus Area 2 by the Capacity Building Branch, Division of HIV Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, the Contractor shall perform the following tasks in this project: Task 1: Orientation and Review of Project Objectives Within ten (10) business days of the award, the contractor shall meet with the CDC Technical Monitor to discuss the successful implementation of the tasks set forth in this document. The contractor and the Technical Monitor will review and discuss: 1) the objectives of the task order and the overall work-plan, and (2) the roles, responsibilities, procedures, and communications between the contractor, the Technical Monitor, and CBB staff. This meeting shall be held in Atlanta GA. Task 2: Develop Draft and Final Work-Plans Within ten (10) business days after the date of the meeting (Task 1), the contractor shall develop a draft work-plan incorporating the decisions made during the initial meeting with the CDC Technical Monitor (Task 1). The plan will include a description of the action steps to be taken in the completion of 10 DEBI Specific Implementation Manuals (1) SISTA, (2) RAPP, (3) Healthy Relationships, (4) Safety Counts, (5) VOICES, (6) POL, (7) Community Promise, (8) Many Men Many Voices, (9) Street Smart, and (10) Mpowerment), and the development of seven new DEBI Guides (1), Shile/Willow, (2) Together Learning Choices, (3) Focus on Kids (4) RESPECT, (5) CLEAR, (6) Prevention in Care, (7) Holistic Health Recovery). In addition to the specific details to implement the tasks funded within this scope of work, the plan should be designed to allow both the Contractor and CDC to continuously evaluate and track the quality and quantity of services outlined under this task order. The draft work-plan shall be submitted to the Technical Monitor who will provide feedback within five (5) business days. 2.1 The Contractor shall revise the work-plan incorporating feedback from the Technical Monitor, and submit the final work-plan within ten (10) business days. Task 3: Develop an Evaluation Capacity Building Training Curriculum Within 45 days from the start of this Contract, the Contractor shall develop an Evaluation Technical Assistance Training Curriculum aimed at developing CBAs? skills to train and provide technical assistance for DEBIs. The Contractor shall incorporate the two-day curricula, ?Using Evaluation for Program Improvement and Capacity Building and Monitoring, developed by ORC Macro, (This curricula is available electronically) and adapt materials and activities from the General Capacity Building Evaluation Manual and the DEBI Implementation Manuals as deemed appropriate. (Tasks related to this training such as scheduling, securing space, coordinating schedules with recipients, making staff travel arrangements (trainers/researchers), preparing manuals and materials for participants, and miscellaneous costs necessary to implement this training shall be subsumed under another contract). An electronic copy of the draft Evaluation Capacity Building Training Curriculum shall be submitted to the Technical Monitor for review. The Technical Monitor will provide feedback within 10 days. 3.1 As part of this task, the Contractor shall develop evaluation criteria and an evaluative process to determine skills and abilities necessary for participants to conduct future trainings. 3.2 The Contractor shall incorporate the Technical Monitor?s comments and submit a final copy of the Evaluation Technical Assistance Training Curriculum to the CDC Technical Monitor within two weeks of receipt of comments. In the development of this training, the Contractor shall consider information on: (1) the General Evaluation Capacity Building Manual (previously called DEBI Evaluation Guide), and DEBI Specific Evaluation Implementation Manuals (previously called DEBI Implementation Plans); (2) program performance indicators and PEMS requirements; (3) programmatic issues regarding work with FA2 CBAs, state and local departments of health, community-based organizations and other partners (e.g. NASTAD); and (4) roles, responsibilities, and collaboration with CDC, CBAs, HDs and CBOs. Task 4: Pilot the Evaluation Capacity Building Training Curriculum Within two weeks of revising the final draft of the Evaluation Technical Assistance Training Curriculum (developed in Task 3), the Contractor shall plan and implement a pilot training. This training shall include but not be limited to CDC staff, a CBA, a health department and a CBO representative. The pilot training shall be conducted and evaluated in reference to the process of the training, the comprehensiveness of the modules, participants? abilities to understand the modules, ease of use and replicability of the train-the-trainer framework. 4.1 Within one week of the training the Contractor shall conduct a debrief meeting with the trainers, the Technical Monitor and appropriate CDC staff to discuss the training, to share the evaluation issues that surfaced, and to make recommendations on changes if any, in the modules. 4.2 The contractor shall make modifications to the training modules, revise and submit the final training curriculum to the Technical Monitor within two weeks. Task 5: Provide Training of Trainers to Capacity Building Assistance Providers Within two weeks of finalizing the training curriculum (in Task 4), the Contractor shall plan, coordinate, and facilitate the TOT using the Evaluation Technical Assistance Training Curriculum (developed in Task 3). Using this curriculum, the Contractor shall facilitate a four and one half day TOT in Atlanta, Georgia. This training shall include at least two staff from each of the CBAs delivering services in Focus Area 2. 5.1 Within one week of the training, the contractor shall conduct a debrief meeting with the CDC Technical Monitor and appropriate CDC staff to discuss the training, to share evaluation and approval issues for future trainers that surfaced, and to make recommendations for coaching and technical assistance. Task 6: Complete Evaluation DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals The contractor will complete ten DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals (POL, Community Promise, Many Men Many Voices, VOICES/VOCES, Safety Counts, Street Smart, Healthy Relationships, SISTA, RAPP, and Mpowerment). These shall be submitted within 60 days of receiving this contract, to the Technical Monitor for review, who in turn will submit them to the CDC assigned behavioral scientists for their review. The technical Monitor will provide all feedback within two weeks 6.1 Within two weeks of receiving all the feedback from the Technical Monitor, the Contractor shall revise the draft of each of the ten DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals (POL, Community Promise, Many Men Many Voices, VOICES/VOCES, Safety Counts, Street Smart, Healthy Relationships, SISTA, RAPP, and Mpowerment), incorporating the feedback received from the Technical Monitor. 6.2 Within four weeks of finalizing the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals the Contractor shall submit them to (1) 2 individuals who are recognized evaluation experts knowledgeable about PEMS, and (2) to the Technical Monitor for submission to the CDC Program Evaluation Branch (PERB) Chief for review and comments. 6.3 Within four weeks of receipt of comments and feedback from the identified evaluation experts and the PERB Branch Chief, the Contractor shall submit a final copy of the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals to the CDC Technical Monitor. 6.4 The Technical Monitor will submit the manuals to the CDC assigned behavioral scientists for final review before clearance by the CBB Branch Chief and the Associate Director for Science (ADS) of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. After the Technical Monitor obtains the clearance notes from the ADS, they will be shared with the CDC assigned behavioral scientists and the Contractor. The Contractor shall respond to these comments and produce the final cleared copy of the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals for use in future DEBI trainings. Task 7: Develop CBO Evaluation Capacity Building Manuals for Behavioral Interventions Within 180 days from the start of this Contract, the Contractor shall develop the following seven new DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals: (1) Shile/Willow, (2) Together Learning Choices, (3) Focus on Kids, (4) RESPECT, (5) CLEAR CRCS, (6) Prevention in Care (Integrating HIV Prevention into the Care of HIV Positive Persons) and, (7) Holistic Health Recovery). These DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals shall be developed to assist CBOs in evaluating their behavioral interventions funded under Program Announcement 04064 and should interface with PEMS. More specifically, the guides should follow the template developed under the Task Order Contract 200-2003-01926 (Electronic copies are available). The DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals should help CBOs plan for, understand, collect, and ultimately use and report PEMS-required data. The target audience for these guides includes program staff of CBOs, state and local health department employees, capacity building providers and appropriate CDC staff. An electronic copy of the draft DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals shall be submitted to the Technical Monitor for review. The Technical Monitor will forward the draft Manuals to the assigned behavioral scientists for their review. The Technical Monitor will arrange a meeting with the assigned behavioral scientists if necessary to discuss and clarify suggested changes. The Technical Monitor will provide all the feedback within four weeks. 7.1 The contractor shall incorporate the comments from the Technical Monitor and resubmit a copy of the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals to the CDC Technical Monitor within four weeks of receipt of comments. 7.2 Within four weeks of incorporating the comments to the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals, the Contractor shall submit them to (1) 2 individuals who are recognized evaluation experts and knowledgeable about PEMS, and (2) the Technical Monitor for submission to the CDC Program Evaluation Branch (PERB) Chief for review and comments. 7.3 Within four weeks of receipt of comments and feedback from the identified evaluation experts and the Branch Chief of PERB, the Contractor shall submit a final copy of the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals to the CDC Technical Monitor. 7.4 The Technical Monitor will submit the manuals to the CDC assigned behavioral scientist for final review before clearance by the Associate Director for Science (ADS) of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. After the Technical Monitor obtains the clearance notes from the ADS, they will be shared with the CDC assigned behavioral scientists and the Contractor. The Contractor shall respond to these comments and produce the final cleared copy of the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manual for use in future DEBI trainings. Task 8: Provide Updates and Final Report of Trainings The contractor shall provide periodic updates describing all efforts and services. The first update shall be done three months after the start date of the contract. Specific details of each update shall be coordinated between the Contractor and the Technical Monitor and approved by the Technical Monitor. 8.1 Within 6 weeks of the end of the project, the Contractor shall conduct a review of all materials, information, and data collected during the course of the contract. The Contractor shall ensure that all information has been standardized and any duplication of information is re-coded to ensure accurate reporting. 8.2 Within 8 weeks of the end of the project the Contractor shall submit a draft final report that includes a summary of the process to develop the General Evaluation Capacity Manual and the DEBI Evaluation Implementation Manuals. The training summary, the coaching and technical assistance report summary, and other project findings shall be in narrative and figurative format. The Technical Monitor will review the draft final report and provide feedback within 2 weeks. 8.3 The Contractor shall revise and submit the final report to the Technical Monitor within 2 weeks. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Monthly Reports: In addition to the reports called for in the statement of work, the Contractor shall submit to the CDC Technical Monitor and the Contracting Officer monthly reports of performance under this contract. Monthly reports shall begin 15 days after the end of month one and due on the 15th of each month. The purpose of these reports is to keep appropriate Government managers apprised of the current status of significant work activities under this task. When information has been previously reported to CDC in such formats as site visit reports or written minutes of meetings with CDC staff, it need only be referenced in monthly reports. These reports shall include as appropriate: a description of all activities, problems encountered and procedures used to solve them, stakeholder participation and issues, communications with persons, groups, organizations, and agencies and the nature of those communications, activities scheduled for the next month, and key personnel changes. Bi-Monthly Conference Calls The contractor shall participate in bi-monthly conference calls with the CDC Technical Monitor, assigned behavioral scientists and trainers and others, as deemed necessary. The purpose of these calls shall be to discuss the tasks; activities; problems encountered and procedures used to solve them; stakeholder participation and issues; communications with persons, groups, organizations, and agencies and the nature of those activities scheduled for the next month; personnel changes; copies of any documents and reports. The Contractor shall submit a one-page summary of each conference call to the Project Officer and Technical Monitor. Final Project Report Within 2 weeks of the end of the project the Contractor shall submit a draft report to the technical monitor (outlined in Task 13) summarizing the project and its findings in narrative and figurative format. The Technical Monitor/Project Officer will respond with comments on the draft final report within ten (10) working days of its receipt. The Capacity Building Branch (CBB) at CDC has been charged with the task of moving science into the field in order to more effectively address the HIV/AIDS crisis among vulnerable groups in the United States. To accomplish this task, CBB is managing and implementing the Diffusion of Effective Interventions Project (DEBI) and the evaluation manuals are needed to provide training of trainers, (capacity building providers) who will in turn train and provide technical assistance to community-based organizations. The staff at ORC/MACRO are experienced and trained on both DEBIs and PEMS and are uniquely qualified to develop the previously described materials because they have the knowledge, and have developed expertise on implementing evaluation guidance and protocols for the first 12 DEBI evaluation manuals. CDC will be providing DEBI evaluation implementation manuals to community-based organizations (CBOs) for the six DEBIs that CDC presently disseminates, and, six new DEBI implementation Manuals using the same format and similar protocols. These services are available from ORC/Macro, which CDC has worked with extensively to develop the first six implementation manuals. To move these to a new contractor will severely delay the process for the following five reasons because another contractor will have to: (1) be trained on the interventions and the program evaluation monitoring system (PEMS); (2) thoroughly review the boxed versions of the interventions used for training in order to understand the theoretical framework and logic models; (3) develop TOT materials that reflect an understanding of the required changes; (4) make those changes, and (5) respond to additional changes, if any, required by the Associate Director of Science. CBOs are already in their second year of a five-year funding cycle and need help to implement their interventions as soon as possible. The Statutory Authorities permitting other than Full and Open Competition is FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other services will satisfy agency requirements. Interested parties may submit a statement of qualifications and experience which, if timely received, will be evaluated by CDC to determine if a competitive solicitation should be issued. Inquires must be received by June 20, 2006, at 4:00PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST). Collect calls will not be accepted. Responses may be E-mailed to Jerry Outley at jmo4@cdc.gov. Questions regarding this proposed acquisition may be directed to Jerry W. Outley, Contract Specialist. 404-639-6053
- Place of Performance
- Address: Various Locations
- Record
- SN01068382-W 20060615/060613220315 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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