SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- Data Conversion Services
- Notice Date
- 5/22/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Office of Budget, Finance, and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1st Floor, Rear Entrance 7111 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD, 21244, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-RFI-DataConversionServices
- Response Due
- 6/30/2007
- Archive Date
- 7/15/2007
- Description
- This is not a request for proposals. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. This is not a solicitation announcement for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. SUMMARY The Social Security Administration (SSA) is conducting Market Research to ascertain if there are any commercial sources that can provide alternative means by which printed notices can be provided to the public. SSA currently generates the vast majority of its printed notices in IBM's Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) in 12 point font, and a very small portion in Microsoft Word format. SSA is looking to have AFP & Microsoft Word formatted notices converted to one or more of the following formats: 1) audio CD that will play on a standard CD player; 2) Data CD which contains an MP3 file, 3) audio cassette, 4) Braille, 5) large print (18-20 point font), 6) Data CD which contains an accessible PDF. SSA is seeking capability statements, a sample of the finished product for each format the vendor is capable of providing and estimated pricing from commercial sources for these services. Attached to this announcement are sample AFP files used to create twenty SSA notices, along with mailing instructions. Please provide this information no later than 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, June 29, 2007 to Jacqueline Lessig via email at jacqueline.lessig@ssa.gov. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Any information provided, including estimated pricing, will not be considered to be confidential procurement information unless clearly marked as such. DETAILS 1) Average yearly volume of 50,000 to 1 million notices per year. Each notice has an average of 5 pages; with a range of one page to over fifty pages or more. 2) Approximately 90-95% of notice files will be sent to the vendor on a daily basis in IBM's Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) Format. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Function_Presentation The remaining 5-10% will be sent to the vendor in the form of Microsoft Word files or raw text files; 3) Although notices may appear to have structural similarities, every notice is custom-designed through complex internal formatting routines. Therefore, vendors should assume that the structure of each individual notice cannot be readily defined against a "template" or "specification document." Vendors should treat each notice as a unique document; 4) SSA anticipates that the vendor will desire to use an automated conversion utility to batch convert the AFP files into a file format of their choice, which can then be more easily converted to an alternative format. SSA has identified several vendors that provide conversion utilities which convert AFP files to the Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF); utilities that convert PDF files into MP3 files, audio cd files, and text files; and utilities that convert text files into Braille and large print files. These utilities can be identified through a Google search. 5) SSA must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d) which requires all federal agencies to ensure that communications disseminated in an electronic format are fully accessible to people with disabilities. Approximately 60% of SSA's notices contain tables. In accordance with 36 C.F.R. 1194.22(g), "row and column headers shall be identified for data tables." In AFP-formatted notices that contain tables, Row and column headers are not identified for individual data table cells. Conversion and dissemination of these files in an alternative format will require row and column headers to be identified for each table cell to increase readability for the blind or visually impaired. This applies to the following alternative formats: 1) audio CD that will play on a standard CD player; 2) Data CD which contains an MP3 file, 3) audio cassette, and 4) Data CD which contains an accessible PDF. In addition, conversion and dissemination of AFP-formatted notices in large print will also require tables (as well as all other text) to be re-formatted to ensure that all information fits on a page(s). Conversion and dissemination of AFP-formatted notices in Braille will require information presented in tables to be translated into text prior to conversion to Braille; 6) Similarly, SSA anticipates that the vendor will use an automated batch conversion utility to convert Word Documents to the file format of their choice - where appropriate. Section 508 concerns mentioned in #5 also apply here; 7) SSA anticipates that the vendor will package and mail the documents in alternative formats to the mailing address supplied by SSA for each individual document. The mailing address information will be included with the AFP files provided to the vendor. 8) SSA requires the alternative formats to be developed, packaged, and mailed within 5 business days of receipt from SSA. REQUESTED RESPONSE SSA is seeking capability statements, a sample of the finished product for each format the vendor is capable of providing and estimated pricing from commercial sources for these services. 1) SSA is seeking pricing on a per page basis (at different volume levels) to convert to any of the accessible formats referenced above; 2) SSA is seeking pricing for packaging and mailing on a per page basis (at different volume levels) for each of the accessible formats requested; 3) SSA is seeking a high level description of the process that will be used to evaluate, remediate for accessibility, convert to alternative formats, perform quality control, package and mail documents in accessible formats; 4) SSA is seeking a sample of the finished product for each format that a vendor is capable of providing; and 5) SSA is seeking guidance from vendors on whether they can meet the requested turnaround time (5 days) for each accessible format, and at what daily output capability. EXAMPLES SSA has included an example of 20 redacted notices for purposes of determining the feasibility and costs of converting large volumes of AFP-formatted SSA notices into formats accessible to those with visual impairments. The example includes: AFP FILES: a) TESTAFP.M10CHAUD.R07TEST is the AFP print file that contains the sample notices; b) TESTBNR.M10CHAUD.R07TEST is the Banner file containing inserter instructions; and c) TESTMRD.M10CHAUD.R07TEST is the Mail Run Data file that the inserter equipment uses to determine the mailing packages and the enclosures required. RESOURCE FILES: 1) the form and page definition source (AFPPD2.txt ); 2) the page definition object (P1AFP02 and P1AFP01); 3) the overlays called by the page definition(O1BBOXLF, O1BBOXRT, O18125CI and O1 L8125); d) the page segments (S1SGAC10 and S1SGCOMT); and modified by SSA only Fonts (SSCR10, CSN500, CSN7B0, CSN5H0, CSN7H0, CSN5D0, CSN5B0, CSN580, CSN560 and CSU5B0) Certain IBM licensed fonts have not been included but are used in the printing are CR10, 1AOA, PNET, 394P18, 393P36. The vendor must obtain their own licenses to these fonts to process these files. The formdef F1AFPCS goes with pagedef P1AFP01 (Type D) and the formdef F1AFPRR goes with pagedef P1AFP02 (Type C). The Type D is for 2 up duplex printing. The Type C is for cut sheet printing. Both files TESTAFP.M10CHAUD.R07TEST and TESTBNR.M10CHAUD.R07TEST can be printed with either combination of the formdef and pagedef listed above, depending on the type of printer used. The printed samples used F1AFPCS and P1AFP01 to print TESTAFP.M10CHAUD.R07TEST. The TESTMRD.M10CHAUD.R07TEST file is for the intelligent insert equipment only. It is used by the inserter equipment to determine the number of sheets of paper to insert and what enclosures to pull from the enclosure bins, or if manual handling is required. AFP files can be printed using a mainframe running the Z/OS ver 1.7 operating system and IBM's PSF (Print Services Facility) ver 3.4.0. SSA uses IBM''s Utility Program, IEBGENER to send the print file to the printer for internal printing. A fully printed version can be requested by contacting Jacqueline Lessig via email at jacqueline.lessig@ssa.gov.
- Record
- SN01300807-W 20070524/070522222026 (fbodaily.com)
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