MODIFICATION
B -- Market Research, Product Development and Product Evaluation Services
- Notice Date
- 8/9/2006
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 541613
— Marketing Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service (PBS), Physical Capital Asset Management Division (PGE), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4302, Washington, DC, 20405
- ZIP Code
- 20405
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-SOL05312006
- Response Due
- 8/18/2006
- Archive Date
- 9/2/2006
- Point of Contact
- Demetria Brown, contract specialist, Phone 202-208-3201, Fax 202-208-7413,
- E-Mail Address
-
Demetria.Brown@gsa.gov
- Description
- The General Services Administration (GSA), Public Buildings Service (PBS), Physical Capital Asset Management Division (PGE) has a requirement for Market Research, Product Development and Product Evaluation Services in connection with the agency's Market Offerings Division. The PBS Market Offerings Division is responsible for product/service development and management. This involves creating new products and/or services to meet demonstrable customer needs-existing as well as anticipated-and evaluating the performance of PBS' existing suite of products and services. Broad-based market research (i.e., demand planning) and more specific customer input is needed to drive both tasks. GSA/PBS/PGE intends to award a firm-fixed price contract under the NAICS 541613. The services will be provided to GSA Central Office in Washington, DC and all eleven (11) Regional Offices throughout the United States. The services to be provided shall include: National "voice of the customer" market research on customer wants and needs as relates to the design of new or improved products, services or processes. National market research on customer-perceived value of these products and services. Systematic evaluation of PBS' existing products and services, including an analysis of pricing. Assessment of existing and potential public and private sector competitors to PBS. All interested contractors must email Ms. Demetria C. Brown at demetria.brown@gsa.gov (no telephone inquiries will be accepted) to request a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) on or before August 11, 2006. ATTACHMENT NO. 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Date: August 8, 2006 Question #1: The RFP states that you require an assessment of public and private sector competitors of PBS. Do you have a list of these competitors and how many competitors would you want to analyze as part of this project? Answer #1: We do not have a predetermined list of these competitors. We do know who some of our competitors are but the task includes assessing who the competitors are. Therefore, there is no predetermined number of competitors that we want analyzed. Question #2: We understand that the research is National i.e., all 11 Regions. How many customers in each Region do you want to include in the research? Can you provide an estimate of the number of customers that will be provided upon contract award? What is the expectation of the number of interviewees and in which locations to achieve a reliable sample? Answer #2: It is anticipated that the successful vendor will have some targets for a reliable number of subjects for the proposed market research. We will then be able to provide customer contact information. Approximately 300 customers participated in our most recent survey of ordering officials from these two customer segments for all PBS products and services. It is anticipated that the number of subjects for this specific market research task will be less due to the narrower scope of study on one product line. Customers are located throughout the United States. Question #3: Do we need to have some type of security clearances in place to be qualified for this project? If so, then what type of clearances and process to get them? Our understanding is that we do not but might need to get them if we get this project. Answer #3: You do not need to have security clearances in place to be qualified for this project. However, based on the requirements resulting from Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-12, the successful vendor and any proposed personnel must be able to return a favorable response to a National Agency Check with Inquiries and Credit (NACIC) background investigation prior to working on the contract. Question #4: What is the suggested number of pages for the proposal? How many pages of attachments can we have? Answer #4: The number of pages for the proposal and attachments should be whatever you deem as necessary in order to succinctly present your proposal. Question #5: Can you provide an estimate of the number of people involved in the purchasing process in each region? Answer #5: PBS has approximately 6000 employees nationwide (FY2004 data). These employees are spread across 11 regions and headquarters in support of PBS’s mission to provide workspace to federal agencies. Question #6: Do task 1A and 1B refer to work place occupancy products only, also? Answer #6: Yes, the focus of this study is on the Workspace Occupancy products outlined in the RFP. Question #7: Will you accept, in addition to the outlined pricing proposal, an alternate pricing method in order to save money? Answer #7: In order for your response to be considered it must contain the outlined pricing proposal. Alternate pricing may be considered if firstly the provisions of the outlined pricing proposal have been met. Question #8: What is the range of functional roles of the customer contacts within their respective agencies? That is, are they senior-level executives, middle-level executives, project managers, professionals, tenants, or other classification, and what is the approximate proportion of each of the roles in the contract lists to be provided? Answer #8: This will of course depend on the nature of the successful proposal for conducting the market research however, it is anticipated that accomplishing the market research will require interaction with customers at all levels. Question #9: What is the range of relational roles of these customer contacts in regard to the GSA PBS? That is, are they decision makers, approver, influencers, or users of GSA PBS products and services, and what is the approximate proportion of each of these roles in the contact lists to be provided? Answer #9: This also will depend on the nature of the successful proposal for conducting the market research however, it is anticipated that accomplishing the market research will require interaction with customers similar to our ordering officials levels who are all users of PBS products and services as well as being decision makers, approvers, or influencers. In addition, we have a significant amount of customer satisfaction survey information from tenants as well as ordering officials that will be made available to the successful vendor. Question #10: Will the contact information provided include telephone numbers and email addresses? Answer #10: Yes Question #11: Will the primary research conducted under this RFP be conducted only with the customer contacts provided by the GSA PBS, or will non-customers also be targeted? Answer #11: It is anticipated that most of the primary research will be with customers. However, some primary research with competitors may also be necessary in order to complete the assessment of competitors as stated in task 3 of the RFP. Question #12: In regards to the Department of Commerce, will this research target only the Census Bureau, or will other DOC agencies be included? Answer #12: Other bureaus of the Department of Commerce, such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Patent and Trademark Administration, International Trade Administration, and the Headquarters will be included. Question #13: In regards to the Treasury Department, will this research target only the Internal Revenue Service, or will other Treasury agencies be included? Answer #13: Other bureaus of the Treasury Department, such as the Bureau of Public Debt, Office of Financial and Management Service and Headquarters will be included. Question #14: Are there customer contacts (or contact levels) for which GSA PBS prefers we provide special treatment- such as the use of introductory letters from senior management of the GSA, telephone calls instead of survey forms, personal meetings instead of telephone calls, etc? Answer #14: We are anticipating that PBS will notify all proposed customer participants prior to contact from the successful vendor. The successful vendor will have an opportunity to review the customer notice to be sent out to ensure it will not impact the research. Question #15: Is it the intention of the GSA PBS that deliverable 2 Evaluation of PBS Products and Services also be based, at least in part, on primary research with customers? Answer #15: It is anticipated that some level of primary research with customers would have to be conducted in order to accomplish the evaluation of PBS products and services. The focus is on only the workspace occupancy product line identified in the RFP. Question #16: For which of the deliverables (if any) is evaluation and reporting of findings broken down by Region desired? Answer #16: It is preferred for the report of findings to be broken down by region and if appropriate the evaluation may be broken down by region. As a full-service real estate provider to public and private sector clients, we had a number of questions regarding the tasks identified in the Scope of Work. Question #17: If awarded the work outlined in this RFP, would we be precluded from providing other products and services to the GSA or its customers now or in the future? Answer #17: All information researched and collected for this project shall be for GSA, Public Buildings Service use only and shall not be sold, marketed, or used for any other purpose unless authorized by the COR. The Contractor shall be required to sign a Non-Disclosure form and a Conflict of Interest statement upon award. In addition, any work resulting from this project shall become the property of the U.S. Government. Question #18: Given the nature of the services our firm provides, which are similar to those provided by PBS, is there any perception of conflict of interest in the development of findings and recommendations that would comprise our ability to win the work. Answer #18: The perception of conflict of interest will be eliminated by a Non-Disclosure form and a Conflict of Interest statement to be signed by the Contractor upon award. Question #19: Similarly, we are on of the “public and private sector competitors” for whom you are requesting an assessment in Scope of Work, item 3 (comparison of products and services and the pricing methodology…utilized for similar products and services). Given our position, does GSA perceive any conflict of interest in the development of the findings and recommendations requested? Answer #19: The perception of conflict of interest will be eliminated by a Non-Disclosure form and a Conflict of Interest statement to be signed by the Contractor upon award. GSA alludes to “five segmented customer grouping” of federal client agencies. We understand that the analysis is limited only to the “Public Access” and “Regulatory” segments. Question #20: What are the other three segments? Have there been any similar assessments for these segments from which lessons learned can be gained? Answer #19: The other segments contain our remaining customers and this is the first such assessment of its kind. Question #21: The RFP requires submission of two separate volumes, pricing and technical. The description of the technical proposal, however, references pricing information. Is it the GSA’s intention for pricing information to be included in the technical proposal, or should pricing be separate? Answer #21: The pricing information should be listed separately from the technical proposal however pricing should track back to the separate itemizations contained in the technical proposal. Question #22: If short-listed, how much time will contractors be provided to prepare for oral presentations? Answer #22: It is our intention to provide a week to prepare for oral presentations however this depends on a number of variables out of our control including the number of responses to this RFP. PBS portfolio accommodates in excess of one-million employees in more than 100 federal agencies. As suggested in the RFP, primary research will entail facilitated workshops and evaluation of satisfaction surveys. Question #23: Does GSA have any expectations that field employees (the users of space) be surveyed by the contractor, or can we assume that the workshops focus on higher level staff in the field and headquarters? Answer #23: We have a significant amount of customer satisfaction data from users of our space as well as from ordering officials for our services. It is not anticipated that users of our space will need additional surveying. It is anticipated that the primary research with leadership and ordering officials would focus on the workspace occupancy product line with specific attention to the need for new or redesigned products and the customer-perceived value of our offering in this product line. Also, as stated in the RFP, this market research is for the two customer segments identified, i.e. Public Access and Regulatory. Question #24: Does the GSA expect that primary research (items 1A and 1B of the Description of Services/Tasks – including focus groups and conversations) be conducted with the “Top 10 Customer” groups identified in Appendix B of the RFP or can more or fewer be proposed? Answer #24: It is anticipated that primary research will only be conducted with the two customer segments identified in the RFP, i.e. Public Access and Regulatory. Question #25: To what extent is there an opportunity to perform focus group sessions that would require participants to travel to a central location to participate in them? Answer #25: Focus group sessions will be considered as proposed. Pricing proposals should include estimates for conducting these focus group sessions. Question #26: Can we rely on GSA support in scheduling and communication that is associated with interviews and focus group or should we provide staffing to provide for the need. Answer #26: Proposals should include staffing for scheduling and communication associated with interviews and focus groups. We are anticipating that PBS will notify all proposed customer participants prior to contact from the successful vendor. The successful vendor will have an opportunity to review the customer notice to be sent out to ensure it will not impact the research. This is intended to be a notification of this study by PBS to our customers, not a coordinating or scheduling of primary research. Question #27: Appendix A states that the “planned Federal Acquisition Service will include seven zones within GSA’s eleven geographic regions.” Does the GSA expect that the primary research (Items 1a and 1b of the Description of Services/Tasks – including focus groups and conversations) be conducted in each of the eleven geographic regions? How will the seven zones of the Federal Acquisition Service be defined? Answer #27: It is not anticipated that any significant primary research with the Federal Acquisition Service will be required. The focus is on the PBS workspace occupancy product line and that is delivered by the eleven regions. We already have a great deal of customer satisfaction research with tenants and ordering officials in all eleven regions and agency leadership. GSA indicates that "Task 2" is to focus on "Workspace Occupancy," which includes the following services: Building operations and maintenance; consultation and coordination for security services; cleaning; solid waste management (incl. recycling); heating and cooling; pest control; landscaping and grounds; tenant alterations; repairs; signage; and, occupant emergency planning services. Question #28: Does this mean that “Task 2” is focused exclusively on these services – and those that are incidental to them? Or is the intention broader (that is, to give primacy to “Workplace Occupancy” but also address other service as a secondary focus)? Answer #28: Response: Yes, as stated in the RFP the scope of work focuses on the Workspace Occupancy products and services as listed in the appendix. Question # 29: Does this mean that “Tasks 1(a) and 1(b), and 3” should also be limited to “Workspace Occupancy” matters? Or will those tasks be broader and include all other workspace products and services (such as “Workspace Environment Options,” “Real Property Disposal Options,” and, “Utilization Options”) as well as additional products and services (such as “Outleasing and Retail,” “Energy Management,” etc.)? Answer #29: As stated in the RFP the scope of work focuses on the Workspace Occupancy products and services as listed in the appendix. Question #30: For associated primary research activities, is there guidance on the desired amount of face-to-face communication and associated travel (versus obtaining information from telephone conversations/interviews)? Answer #30: Proposals should address the level and type of communication proposed by the vendor to accomplish the tasks. Question #31: In line with the above question, the RFP states that work shall be performed at the Contractor’s location, at PBS’s Central office, at customer sites in the Washington DC area, and at regional offices. What is the expectation for actual time spent “on-site?” Answer #31: The Contractor’s proposal should address this issue in order to accomplish the tasks. Question #32: The RFP states that a list of customer contacts will be provided. Will multiple contacts be provided for each customer? For example, will one contact at the Small Business Administration be equipped to answer pertinent questions and discuss key elements or will there be multiple contacts at multiple facilities/buildings within that agency? Answer #32: The number of customer contacts will vary from one customer to another. It is anticipated that the successful Contractor’s proposal will have some targets for a reliable number of subjects for the proposed market research. Based on that we will then be able to provide customer contact information. Question #33: What is the approximate number of buildings that would be included in the assessment? What level of detail will GSA provide on these buildings and in what format? Answer #33: This RFP is not an assessment of our buildings. We do not anticipate providing details on our building inventory. Question #34: Is there a requirement for protecting sensitive information gained through this project (business sensitive, Official Use Only, etc.)? Answer #34: Yes. All information researched and collected for this project shall be for GSA, Public Buildings Service use only and shall not be sold, marketed, or used for any other purpose unless authorized by the COR. The Contractor shall be required to sign a Non-Disclosure form and a Conflict of Interest statement upon award. In addition, any work resulting from this project shall become the property of the U.S. Government. Question #35: What is the mailing address for submitting a hard copy of the proposal? Answer #35: 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4302, Washington, D.C. 20405-0002 Question #36: Does PBS have past research? If so, can we see it? Answer #36: PBS does not have previous market research on this subject. Question #37: What are the perceived problems with the current products and services? From customer feedback as well as from PBS management viewpoint/perceptions? Answer #37: It is anticipated that the response to this question would be one of the results of the successful performance of the contract. Question #38: Does PBS have a current list of potential new products/services they are considering offering? If so, what are they? Answer #38: This information is confidential and will not be released. NOTE: THE DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS HAS BEEN EXTENDED. PROPOSALS SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY 12:00 P.M., FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006. NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (09-AUG-2006); HOWEVER, IT DID APPEAR IN THE FEDBIZOPPS FTP FEED ON THIS DATE. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.fbo.gov/spg/GSA/PBS/PHA/Reference-Number-SOL05312006/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, D.C.
- Zip Code: 20405
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20405
- Record
- SN01111108-F 20060811/060809224514 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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