SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FOR SAMHSA OPERATIONS BASED ON THE NIATx MODEL
- Notice Date
- 8/31/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, Parklawn Building Room 5-101 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- 07M000179
- Response Due
- 9/12/2007
- Archive Date
- 9/27/2007
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Acquisitions Management posts this solicitation for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA requires a contractor that shall provide consultation that will support the direction and supervision of a SAMHSA Process Initative. The statement of work is as follows: Background: The approach to SAMHSA's internal process improvement will be based on the model developed by the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx), a partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Paths to Recovery program, SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention (STAR) program, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and a number of independent addiction treatment organizations. NIATx works with addiction treatment providers to make more efficient use of their capacity and shares strategies for improving treatment access and retention. In April 2007, SAMHSA's Administrator requested an internal assessment of SAMHSA core functions in order to identify opportunities to improve SAMHSA operating systems. The assessment was conducted on April 9, and 10 and identified two functions: grant making and controlled correspondence review and approval that could be the initial focus for process improvement efforts to gain efficiency and clarity. The assessment also identified a series of next steps including: finalize aim, establish measures, idea testing, outside review, change leader and executive sponsor selection, testing ad tracking. Statement of Work: A. Purpose/General Objective: The purpose of this request is to obtain ongoing consultation that will support the direction and supervision of a SAMHSA Process Initiative. Similar to the work done under the NIATx Model, the Initiative will focus on improving the systems used to organize and conduct work, but at every available opportunity will address the styles and methods of communication used to facilitate work and the arrangements and amenities that house and support work. The project is viewed in an 18-month time frame beginning in August 2007 through December 2008. The initiative will focus on two systems that were most frequently discussed during the April assessment as presenting opportunities for improvement: 1. Controlled correspondence review and approval. Controlled correspondence is the umbrella term used to review and sign off on several different categories of functions, including but not limited to: external correspondence from constituents, Congress and the Department; internal policy practices; policies, standard, and notices for 'public consumption' developed by an operating center; all critical steps in the 'grant making process'. Controlled correspondence of all types is managed by a single point of control (the Executive Secretary), who assigns and determines the particular path, and process any particular piece of paper will follow. The themes described above emerge in positive and negative consequences in the review and sign off systems. Most commonly cited were instances of refusal to sign or 'disapproval' with comment signatures as a manifestation of previously unresolved differences. 2. Grant making Grant making is the umbrella term used for the range of activities starting with, and not limited to: a new program concept originating in an operating center; budget programming, approval; Request for Application (RFA) development and dissemination; grant review and recommendation; and 'funding package' approval, stages of grant making. Each of these stages in the grant making process is comprised of multiple and overlapping 'systems' to complete the work. There is early interest in focusing on the RFA development and grant review stages of the process. B. Specific Objectives: This initiative will start with the controlled correspondence system, and add the selected stage of the grant making systems to the project within 2 months (There will be 2 overlapping projects). Specific objectives are as follows: 1. Finalize the aim. At the close of the April assessment, the overall aim of the SAMHSA Process Improvement Initiative appeared to be in a direction that would respectfully, streamline and un-bunch the grant making and exec sec review and approval processes. This aim will be revisited during the initial meetings with the Administrator and leadership team to ensure continued agreement and support. 2. Measures will be developed to quantify progress toward these overall aims. These measures will be simple, easy to collect, and effectively reflect progress toward the aims. 3. Messaging. The overall aim and measures will be tailored to convey their meaning in a clear and motivating manner. A communication strategy will be developed to ensure that all staff are aware of them and the plans to achieve them. In addition an 'elevator speech' will be created to rapidly and effectively communicate the essence of what this initiative is about. 4. Executive Sponsor. SAMHSA will identify an Executive Sponsor who possesses the commitment, influence and insight necessary to lead the overall Initiative. This senior leader will be the primary point of contact for the Offeror. 5. Project selection. Within the broad aims of grant making and controlled correspondence review and approval, two specific projects will be selected to start. For instance, in grant making it might be to respectfully streamline and un-bunch the grants review process. And within the correspondence area, the selection might await a subdivision into communication types. 6. Rapid Cycle Deadlines. The leadership team will work with the Offeror to establish near term deadlines to make progress on each of these project areas. 7. Change Leader. A senior leader should be appointed to lead the overall initiative. This person should be influential and have the Administrator?s confidence and support. In addition a person should be appointed to lead the two project areas. It is very important that both enthusiasm for the topic and influence should be characteristics of the Change Leader. The Change Leader will have the responsibility for making change and improvement happen in their areas. They will form a cross functional Change Team of SAMHSA staff to support them that has an equivalent level of enthusiasm for improving the process and brings needed expertise, energy and knowledge to the project. 8. Process review. The Offeror will set up and facilitate a walk-through for the Change Leader, Change Team, and Executive Sponsor of each process being examined. In the case of correspondence, this might entail following a piece of correspondence through arrival to departure; for grant review it might involve bringing together a group of people familiar with the process (including the person who receives the results of the grants review) to create a flow chart describing what happens during this process and the time it takes to do each step. During this process, participants will be asked for their ideas about things that might be done to improve the process. 9. Outside review. Proposal review and correspondence review and approval are common tasks in a wide variety of industries. The Offeror will conduct a rapid identification (via literature review or interview) of organizations that are high performers on project and correspondence review and approval followed by a rapid analysis of how these high performers carry out these functions. 10. Idea selection and testing. Using this outside review and a simultaneous search for ideas inside SAMHSA, the Offeror (drawing on advice from the team and others) should select an improvement idea that can be tried very quickly and has potential to substantially improve the process. One (no more) measure of the effectiveness of that idea will be identified and a rapid cycle test established and implemented. 11. Communication campaign. As much as one would hope that the benefits of a particular change would be identified immediately, it is important that a communication program be initiated to demonstrate to the staff the progress that has been made. This communication is an integral part of ?managing the expectations, and let downs? inevitably associated with the injection of consultants who come into an organization and ask questions about performance and outcomes. 12. Bundling. Just as in any field it is likely that not one, but a bundle of several changes will be needed to dramatically improve a complex process. The Offeror will identify and document other areas of needed change. Tasks to be Performed: The consultation includes the following tasks: 1.Development of a detailed 18-month Project Plan with timelines, identified task leads, and clear measures for tracking success. 2.Planning for, arranging, participating in, and providing an analysis of a series of walk through exercises for at least two internal SAMHSA processes for the Change Team and leadership group to understand the customer experience. 3.Quarterly progress assessment briefings with the Administrator, senior staff and the broader SAMHSA leadership team. 4.Regular conference calls with the designated Change Leader to address progress and implementation of the process improvement initiative. 5.Onsite meetings with Change Leader and Change Teams. 6.Continuous provision of articles, material, resources from outside the industry that inform and support the work of the team. 7.Arrangement of at least one off site visit for the Change Team to an external industry that performs similar functions (e.g. a private foundation or a corporate CEO (re controlled correspondence) for bench marking purposes. 8.Ongoing technical assistance and recommendations re: measurement of progress, and measurement of change cycles, internal team and external agency communication; change cycle intervals, and change cycle interventions. Schedule of Deliverables 1.18-month Project Plan: The Project Plan will be proposed four weeks from award. The final project plan is due one week after comments received from GPO. 2.Walk Through: The contractor shall plan for, arrange, participate in, and provide an analysis of walk through exercises for two internal SAMHSA processes within 90 days of contract award. 3.Quarterly Process Assessments: Shall include a summary of progress to date, problems that have arisen or are foreseen, suggested or implemented solutions, and preliminary data as available. Assessments are due one week after the end of the first three quarters of the first contract. 4.Onsite consultations: Bimonthly onsite visits will be conducted of 1-2 days duration and will include technical consultation and meetings with the Administrator, Senior Leadership, Change Leader, Change Teams, and other staff, on an as needed basis. 5.Offsite consultation: Within 90 days of contract award, the contractor will arrange for and facilitate one offsite consultation visit to another agency/organization that has experience in one or more of the processes that form the core aims of this Initiative. 6.Annual Report: One week after the end of the fourth quarter of the first contract year (FY2007) Evaluation Criterion for SAMHSA's Process Improvement 1.Understanding of the Problem (20 points) A clear and succinct statement of the problem, statement of work, purpose, goals, and description of the proposed work to demonstrate the offeror's complete understanding of intent and requirements of this contract and potential challenges which may be encountered in completing this work. The statement shall demonstrate the offeror thoroughly understands and has experiencing implementing the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) model. The proposal should also demonstrate a thorough knowledge of SAMHSA's current internal process improvement initiative. 2. Personnel (25 points) The proposal shall include the experience, qualifications and commitment of the proposed key personnel who will support the direction and supervision of a SAMHSA Process Improvement Initiative. The staff must have the experience and the skills required in the Statement of Work, and have the expertise needed to conduct business systems evaluations, consultative process assessments, and implement the NIATx model at SAMHSA. Resumes of staff and consultants must reflect not only their academic qualifications but the length and variety of their experiences in similar tasks and clearly demonstrate their training and experience. Information must be provided as to which key personnel will be used on the project. 3.Approach (30 points) A description of the proposed approach to comply with the requirements in one or more of the tasks specified in the Statement of Work, including planning and execution of process improvement strategies for SAMHSA's control correspondence process and grant making system. Special consideration will be given to proposals that include established collaborations and experience working with the NIATx process model and SAMHSA?s grant and correspondence management systems. 4. Past Experience (25 points) A description of the experience of the offeror with special attention to the successful past performance of technical support for process improvement projects which required specialized expertise in the NIATx model and knowledge in the areas of systems change and organizational development. The proposal shall demonstrate recent successful experience in managing similar or related work that is comparable in subject matter and complexity. Special consideration will be given to proposals that cite past experience working with SAMHSA's grant and correspondence management systems. Total: 100 Points. This combined synopsis/solicitation is set-aside for Small Business concerns, in accordance with FAR 13.105. If you have any general questions, you may contact me via e-mail, fax or telephone, and questions must be received no later than September 7, 2007. E-mail address: Raleigh.Tanner@psc.hhs.gov, fax number (202) 690-6630 or telephone number (202) 205-0625. Please forward one (1) original and two (2) copies of your completed quotation(s), technical narrative(s) and cost quotation(s) via mail, federal express or courier, by 5:00 p.m. September 12, 2007. FAX copies are not ACCEPTABLE. The address for delivery of the technical synopsis/cost proposal is as follows: PSC/SAS/DAM, Attention: Raleigh Tanner, Contracting Officer, Room 315-B, Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, D. C. 20201-0004. Evaluations for award will be made based on the evaluation provided on the technical and cost proposal of offerors with selection based on the best value to the government.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 200 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, D. C.
- Zip Code: 20201-0004
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20201-0004
- Record
- SN01391979-W 20070902/070831220620 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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