SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Special Studies and Analysis - not R&D
- Notice Date
- 5/12/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 334611
— Software Reproducing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Acquisition and Assistance Field Branch (Pittsburgh), Post Office Box 18070 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236-0070
- ZIP Code
- 15236-0070
- Solicitation Number
- VAB-HCS13-2004-09544
- Response Due
- 5/26/2004
- Archive Date
- 6/10/2004
- Point of Contact
- Viola Barbour, Purchasing Agent, Phone (412)386-6435, Fax (412)386-6843, - John Columbia, Contract Specialist, Phone 412-386-4458, Fax 412-386-6429,
- E-Mail Address
-
vcb4@cdc.gov, akq8@cdc.gov
- Description
- Negotiations are being conducted on a sole source basis with OptTek Systems, Inc. for combining mathematical statistics and mathematical optimization to address problems in survey methodology. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The National Center for Health Statistics releases a variety of data products in the format of statistical tables. These tabulations are derived from information collected by NCHS on individual persons or establishments. A typical survey can involve a large number of interrelated higher-dimensional tables, making analysis and assessment complex. There exist a variety of statistical methods, notably iterative proportional fitting, log linear models, and Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling, for analysis or adjustment of tabular data. A variety of important problems in survey methodology, notably statistical disclosure limitation, data editing, and multi-way stratified survey sampling, have been formulated as mathematical optimization models. It is worthwhile to bridge these two methodologies to create stronger, unified survey methods. OBJECTIVE The objective of this contract is to investigate theoretical, mathematical modeling and computational issues relevant to connecting mathematical optimization models with statistical sampling and analysis methods for statistical tables, and their efficient implementation in prototype mathematical software. Existing theoretical methods, based on the mathematical theory of Gr?bner bases, appear to demand unreasonable computations. This will be investigated, but in addition computationally efficient exact and approximate methods based on mathematical programming will be explored. Immediate applications to NCHS and survey methodology are (1) confidentiality protection and producing confidentiality-protected adjusted tabular data, and (2) connecting data editing with data imputation. The software, with documentation, will be made available to the NCHS Research Data Center and data divisions for their evaluation of the practical utility of the methods, as a tool for evaluating data disclosure and edit procedures in current use, and for consideration for adoption. It will also be made available to the federal statistical community for broader evaluation. The Office of Research and Methodology will use the software as a test bed for further research in these and related areas. The resulting research and methods will be presented in published papers and software documentation for the benefit of the survey methodology community. SCOPE OF WORK Utilizing their expertise in mathematical programming methods, confidentiality protection and other statistical operations on statistical tables, and the development of related user-friendly mathematical programming software, the contractor will assist Dr. Cox in theory and methods research and produce user-friendly prototype software, with documentation, as follows. 1. Contractor will assist Dr. Cox in research on the theory, methods and heuristics for combining linear and integer programming and mathematical search methods with statistical sampling and table adjustment methods, focused on confidentiality protection and data edit and imputation for statistical data presented in tabular form. This will require considerable expertise and the ability to work with Dr. Cox on the development of efficient mathematical programming formulations and heuristics for solving such problems. 2. Contractor will assist Dr. Cox in producing two manuscripts of final-draft quality, with appropriate graphs, figures and tables, that (a) summarizes the research, data simulations and survey methodology outcomes from 1., and (b) summarize the algorithms and operations research applications from 1. The papers should be suitable for publication in a professional (a) mathematical statistics and (b) operations research journal. 3. Contractor will develop and deliver to NCHS efficient end-user prototype software implementing the results of the research in 1., with appropriate documentation. This work will involve development of mixed integer linear programming, quadratic programming and direct search methods and software combined with appropriate statistical sampling and survey methods. Contractor will supply for this purpose in subroutine form suitable mathematical programming optimizers that deals efficiently with problems of this type. Optimizers will be free of any software purchase costs and licensing fees, in order that the software products produced by the contractor be shared widely among NCHS staff and other survey methodologists. All software will be developed in the Visual C++ language for IBM PC and PC compatible computers and should execute efficiently under Visual C++ in a Windows 2000 environment. Source and executable code and technical and user documentation will be provided to NCHS. All software to be made available in the form of (1) callable subroutine and (2) direct user input interactively from keyboard based on screen prompts at a single PC. Vendor will make interim software developed during the research available to NCHS in preliminary form to continue the research with sufficient instruction in its use to enable its use by Dr. Cox and NCHS colleagues. Contractor will not have access to confidential NCHS data. Research will not involve testing human subjects. Under direction of project officer, contractor will develop appropriate test data. Additional test data, based on publicly available NCHS data products, may also be supplied by project officer. Research directions and goals will be set by project officer. CAPABILITIES REQUIREMENTS Through this announcement, alternate sources are being offered the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities to provide the services specifically identified above. To be considered qualified, sources must submit a capabilities statement which demonstrates in writing that they possess at least 2 years of experience in delivering the kind of activities outlined in the SOW, including: develop a strategy based on mathematical programming for randomly sampling within spaces of feasible solutions of mathematical programs defined by data edit and imputation problems and data confidentiality problems, for example, in editing, to impute for missing or faulty data identified by the edits, and in confidentiality to assess confidentiality threats of partially suppressed tables and to produce confidentiality protected adjusted tables consistent with released data, to develop efficient, modular, documented, standalone mathematical programming software implementing these strategies to the CDC, and to conduct joint research in these areas with and under the supervision of the CDC project officer. Responses must contain no more than 20 pages. SUBMIT RFQ TO: Qualified organizations are encouraged to submit a capabilities statement which addresses the requirements and contains material in sufficient detail to allow the CDC to determine if the party can perform this requirement. Capabilities are to be received in the contracting office no later than fifteen (15) days from the date of this amended announcement. Submit written information to: Viola Barbour , CDC/PGO/AAFB, Building 140, P. O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Reference: VAB-HCS13-2004-09544 The intent of this synopsis is to determine whether alternative sources exist. Information received will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a response, which shall be considered by the Agency.
- Record
- SN00584458-W 20040514/040512211746 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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