DISABILITY EVALUATION STUDY (formerly referred to as the Medical Examination Study). Social Security Administration, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21207-0696. Wayne McDonald, Tel: 410-965-1323. The Social Security Administration is contemplating a full-and-open competitive acquisition to undertake a research project known as the Disability Evaluation Study. The Disability Evaluation Study is intended to assess the prevalence of severely disabling conditions in the general population through the evaluation of these individuals according to SSA's disability program eligibility criteria, to determine what enables some ``disabled'' individuals to remain in the labor force, and to provide critical health data required to address other pertinent research issues. The project will require the identification and screening of a large general population sample, with follow-up survey interviews and medical and functional examinations of those deemed to be sufficiently disabled. A preliminary project design protocol has been prepared; however additional background and design work will be required. A draft statement of work will be available for industry review and comment on or about August 26, 1996. Interested parties should submit written requests for the draft statement of work to the above address by not later than August 23, 1996. Comments on the draft statement of work will be due not later than October 25, 1996 and must be submitted only as a written hard copy to the attention of Mr. Wayne McDonald. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this draft statement of work or to otherwise pay for information received/comments submitted in response thereto. Furthermore, no proposals are desired based on this draft statement of work, and any submitted will not be considered. The draft statement of work and a ``Technical Reference Library'' for this project has been assembled and are available on SSA's Homepage on the Internet to be downloaded in electronic format. The name of the documents and the instructions for accessing and downloading the Technical Reference Library from the Internet are: ``The Disability Evaluation Study Draft Statement of Work'' at http://www.ssa.gov/oag/acq/toc.htm, go to category B; ``The Disability Evaluation Study Design Protocol'' at http://www.ssa.gov/statistics/des.hmtl; ``Plan for a New Disability Claim Process'' at http://www.ssa.gov/programs/disability/DPRT_intro.hmtl; ``Disability Process Redesign: Next Steps in Implementation'' at http://www.ssa.gov/programs/disability/DPRT_intro.hmtl; ``Social Security Handbook 1995'' at http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/ssa-hbk.htm; ``Disability Evaluation under Social Security'' at http://www.ssa.gov:80/pubs/disab_intro.hmtl; and, ``Occupational Classification and Disability Determination Project Summary'' at http://lists.air-dc.org/ssa/. The only materials that are not currently available are the ``Summary Report'' and ``Report on Findings and Recommendations for Future Directions which will be available on SSA's Homepage on the Internet shortly but in any case not later than August 31, 1996. It is highly recommended that interested parties obtain the draft statement of work and the Technical Reference Library via electronic methods. However, for those who do not have this capability, these materials will also be available for inspection and review at SSA Headquarters, at the address listed above on or about August 26, 1996. Parties interested in reviewing this material in person at SSA Headquarters shall contact Mr. Wayne McDonald at telephone number (410) 966-1323 or Ms. Jane Quinn at telephone number (410) 965-9495, in order to schedule an appointment for inspection/review of same. Facsimile requests for a hard copy of the draft statement of work may be sent to the attention of Mr. Wayne McDonald at telephone number (410) 966-5982.

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