R -- EXPERT CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR POST-ACUTE CARE, NURSING HOME, AND LONG-TERM CARE ISSUES

Notice Date

April 4, 2001

Contracting Office

DHHS, Office of the Secretary, Office of Acquisition Management; Room 443H, Humphrey Building; 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20201

ZIP Code

20201

Solicitation Number

RFP-6-01-HHS-OS

Response Due

April 16, 2001

Point of Contact

Point of Contact: Cheryl Howe, Contract Specialist, 202-690-5552

Description

This is a combined synopsis solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested in response to the following statement of work and a written solicitation will not be issued. This is a request for proposal, RFP-6-01-HHS-OS, for work to be performed for the Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This solicitation document and its incorporated provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular #97-22. The period of performance shall be from the effective date of contract award through twelve months with four options of twelve months each. This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small businesses. The NAICS code is 541618 and the size standard is $5.0 million. Work is to be performed at the contractor's place of work. No relocation will be provided. One task order type contract with firm fixed price task orders will be awarded. Background: Expert consultant services are needed to assist the Office of Disability, Aging, and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) in ASPE in DHHS. The office has a broad range of responsibilities for advising the Office of the Secretary and other parts of the department on issues involving disability, aging, and long-term care. To further familiarize yourself with DALTCP, you may visit http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/home.htm. Often the office must undertake studies of policy initiatives, sometimes in response to recently enacted legislation. Generally, although not always, needed studies are policy sensitive and must be completed in a relatively short period of time (e.g., three to twelve months). An example of a type of study that must be produced quickly emerges from The Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 which requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress on patient health and functional information by January 2005. The Secretary must begin immediately to identify methods and approaches that could be used to respond to this Congressional mandate. This and similar circumstances make it necessary for the Government to obtain the assistance of a Contractor to assist in conducting time sensitive, policy relevant studies. The purpose of this contract is to allow the office to quickly obtain the assistance of a Contractor to conduct policy relevant studies. Work may require studies of issues related to: patient assessment data needed for Medicare and Medicaid services; eligibility, coverage, payment, and quality of Medicare and Medicaid services; and access, use, payment, and quality of other long-term care services such as assisted living services. Scope of Work: Offerors with demonstrated skills in each of three areas listed below are requested to apply. The areas are: 1. Familiarity with patient assessment information needed for Medicare and Medicaid services and knowledge of issues related to and alternatives to current processes for collecting and maintaining patient assessment information; 2. Understanding of Medicare and Medicaid policies and alternatives related to nursing home payment, coverage, eligibility, and quality of care; and 3. Familiarity with and knowledge of policy issues pertaining to long-term care services not funded by Medicare or Medicaid, such as assisted living. Offerors are requested to submit a resume and a statement of technical capabilities (technical proposal) based on the three most recent activities on which the offeror has worked that demonstrate the offeror's experience and expertise in each of the above three areas. For the statement of technical capabilities, offerors are requested to describe in NO MORE THAN THREE PAGES expertise and experiences that are directly related to the identified areas. This statement will be used in evaluating the offeror's understanding of and ability to study key policy issues. Studies completed under this contract will require the contractor to prepare deliverable products. Evaluation Criteria: Evaluation of individual submissions will be assessed, in part, by the nature and complexity of the work that has been done. Two evaluation factors will be used in the selection process: 1) understanding of and demonstrated ability in the three issues areas listed above (weight: 50%); and 2) past performance -- provide three references for the most recent past activities that reflect the offerors's demonstrated ability to conduct oral and written syntheses focusing on policy issues and options for senior public and private executives (weight: 50%). The references must include the name, company, fax and phone number and a brief synopsis of the project. The offeror must submit a loaded hourly rate for the base year and all option years. If the offeror has a previously established government hourly or daily rate, the offeror may submit copies of prior invoices paid to facilitate the evaluation. If the offeror does not have a previously established government rate, you must submit a full breakdown of the hourly rate proposed (base rate and overhead, general and administrative costs if applicable and any fee; if any indirect cost rates are to be applied, a copy of your negotiated indirect rate must be included, or a detailed breakdown indicating how those rates were derived should be given). No other direct costs or travel costs should be proposed at this time. Technical factors are dominant in source selection, however, the proposed price must be reasonable. The Department anticipates awarding one Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery type contract with Firm Fixed Price task orders as a result of this solicitation. Task orders will be awarded on an as needed basis. The cost of other direct costs, if any, under the individual task orders will be negotiated at time of task order issuance and included in the firm fixed price for that order. If travel should be necessary under a task order, a ceiling amount will be negotiated and the travel shall be paid on a reimbursable basis. The government will not pay any fees or indirect costs on other direct or travel costs. Offerors should provide one original and five copies of their offers. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with their offer (as part of the business proposal). The clauses at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items and FAR 52.212-1, instructions to Offerors Commercial, apply to this acquisition. Any clauses or provisions referenced in this notice can be accessed through the Internet address that follows: http://www.arnet.gov Offers are due April 16, 2001, by 12:00 Noon EST, at the following location: Department of Health and Human Services, OS/Office of Acquisition Management, Room 443H, Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20201. The contact point for questions shall be Cheryl Howe, 202-690-5552. If hand delivering, offerors must go to the main Independence Avenue entrance to the guard desk and call either Cheryl Howe, on 690-5552 or call 690-5946, and ask Temugen Wallace to pick up your proposal for delivery to the contracting office. The Hubert H. Humphrey Building is a controlled access building. If you intend to handcarry your proposal, you should allow at least 30 minutes for visitor access. It is your responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered by the due date and time required in the solicitation. Amendments to this solicitation, if any, shall also be published as a Commerce Business Daily synopsis.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010406/RSOL016.HTM (D-094 SN50I313)