SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- ATSDR Public Health Assessment and Community Outreach Activities
- Notice Date
- 12/13/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Procurement and Grants Office (Atlanta), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341-4146
- ZIP Code
- 30341-4146
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-ATSDR-SBSS-12-001
- Archive Date
- 1/25/2011
- Point of Contact
- Thaddeus E Rollins, Phone: 770-488-2427
- E-Mail Address
-
tnr6@cdc.gov
(tnr6@cdc.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- 1. Introduction. This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code 541690 "Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services", should not submit a response to this notice. Please provide responses no later than 11:59 pm EST, Januery 10, 2011 2. Background. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was created under Sections 104, 107, and 120 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by Section 110 (P.L. 99-499) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). ATSDR was created to implement the health-related sections of CERCLA as amended by SARA. The mission of ATSDR requires a broad spectrum of public health evaluations including environmental assessment, surveillance, and epidemiologic activities related to preventing or mitigating adverse health outcomes related to hazardous waste and industrial release exposure. As part of its mission, ATSDR is authorized to conduct public health assessment activities such as, but not limited to, public health studies, public health education, public health assessments and consultations, technical assistance, exposure investigations, modeling, exposure dose modeling, historic dose reconstruction, and related community outreach and health education activities. Sites/projects for such assessments, consultations, and/or other public health activities usually are either facilities on the National Priorities List (NPL) established by EPA, Congressional requests, sites/projects where the ATSDR has been petitioned as a result of a hazardous/industrial substance release, site/projects at which activities have been requested by Tribal Nations or other federal, state and local government agencies, or other types of hazardous waste or industrial release sites or projects. The mission of ATSDR requires engagement in these activities to some extent every year. Rather than initiate multiple contracts every year, ATSDR proposes establishing an IDIQ Task Order contract to facilitate procurement of regularly and repeatedly technical and expert consultant services. The scientific, technical, and community outreach and health education activities of ATSDR are often far-reaching, long-term, and require resources outside the scope or capacity of ATSDR. To address ATSDR's limitations in specific areas of function or expertise, ATSDR will procure contract services to support its mission and goals. 3. Purpose and Objectives. The purpose of this contract is to provide scientific, technical, and community outreach and health education services for ATSDR in support of its public health mission with regards to public health assessment activities such as, but not limited to, public health assessments, public health consultations, exposure investigations, health studies, health education, training, community involvement, and outreach and evaluation activities. The objective and the unique nature, scope, and complexity of the scientific, technical, and operational services needed to support ATSDR's public health assessment activities will vary from site to site and project to project. Some public health assessment activities may be completed within 12 months whereas other public health assessment activities may require up to five years to complete. Project/site support may include, but not limited to the following activities: data gathering, evaluation, and dissemination, environmental sampling and monitoring and evaluation, data quality control and assurance, analysis, consultation, report preparation, and both general and community logistical coordination. 4. Project requirements. • Scientific Assistance a.) Analyze and interpret environmental, biological, and health data, selecting and using the best science, techniques, and standards most appropriate to the problem at hand. b.) Generate estimates of the number of individuals in the populations at risk of exposure, as well as actually being exposed to site-related contaminants. c.) Design and/or evaluate sampling/monitoring plans and/or conduct environmental or biological sampling for contaminants of concern (exposure investigations). d.) Evaluate toxicological information and literature to assess adverse health outcomes resulting from exposure to toxic substances. Follow current analytical or interpretive methods, as described by ATSDR's Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual which can be found at http://ww http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/w.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHAManual, or as directed by ATSDR. e.) Provide epidemiologic support for analysis of health outcome data (cancer registries, etc). Consult with and advise ATSDR on design and analysis of studies to determine potential associations between toxic exposures and adverse health outcomes (planning through execution and evaluation). f.) Design, execute, and evaluate community involvement and health education activities in communities that will inform all appropriate parties about the health risks from exposure to hazardous/industrial release substances and provide preventive actions. g.) Provide expert statistical support for evaluation of data and methodology as needed. h.) Provide national and international experts versed in tasks listed in this section. Organize expert panel discussions on specific topics and compile results of discussions. i.) Provide other scientific assistance for public health assessment activities as requested by the Project Officer. • Technical Assistance a.) Obtain site-specific data (preferably electronic media format) on relevant sites. Identify appropriate sources of environmental health data for specific projects e.g., sources of environmental data maintained by State and Federal agencies; and identify means of acquiring these data. Assist ATSDR staff in using, evaluating, analyzing, and presenting these data in agency draft and final reports b.) Conduct environmental and/or biologic sampling, monitoring, and exposure investigations for sites and projects. Provide technical assistance and expertise on sites/projects that may present unusual and/or unique sampling and/or monitoring challenges. Assist ATSDR staff in collecting, using, evaluating, analyzing, and presenting these data in agency draft and final reports. Provide equipment and supplies needed to support these activities. c.) Provide environmental and/or biologic laboratory services. Assist ATSDR staff in collecting, using, evaluating, analyzing, and presenting these data in agency draft and final reports. Provide equipment and supplies needed to support these activities. d.) Design, develop, implement, maintain, and evaluate environmental, administrative, and/or health databases for specific projects in terms of data quality, time frames, environmental, administrative, and/or public health factors using established guidelines. e.) Conduct surveys (i.e., fish consumption, well locations and use, health education needs and understanding). f.) Design, develop, and produce data collection forms, including abstract forms, survey instruments, and questionnaires, needed for surveillance and epidemiologic and other public health assessment activities. g.) Coordinate and facilitate the preparation of documents for quality professional presentation including, but not limited to, review, editing, desktop publishing, and preparation of camera ready originals. h.) Develop curricula and other materials for health professional education and community health education and outreach appropriate to needs of these target groups. I.) Conduct impact assessments, needs assessments, program evaluations, and other instruments for program enhancement and evaluation purposes. j.) Develop training materials and conduct public health and technical training. k.) Maintain, develop, and evaluate databases of products, services, cost recovery data, Sequoia data, environmental data, training data, and other data for time studies, cost effectiveness and program/research evaluation purposes, quality review efforts, and training review efforts. l.) Provide national and international experts versed in tasks listed in this section. Organize expert panel discussions on specific topics and compile results of discussions. m.) Provide other technical assistance for public health assessment activities as requested by the Project Officer. • Community Outreach and Health Promotion a.) Preparation or customizing of a community outreach and involvement plan (with specific consideration of minority or environmental justice designated communities or Tribal Nations). b.) Develop a conceptual framework to conduct public health social, behavioral, and educational assessments for communities at sites which would include demographics, local health status, community readiness, resources, capacity, social reconnaissance, social determinants of health, perceived risk, cohesion, health concerns, needs, activism, knowledge, language, attitude, perceptions, behaviors, practices, and communication channels, etc., and how and what data need to be collected to baseline and evaluate community readiness and outcome of activities conducted at a site. This task also covers the development of OMB and IRB packages and change orders to support implementation of the conceptual framework. c.) Conduct community engagement, involvement, participation and health promotion (including education, focus groups, workshops, health fairs, symposiums, etc.) activities based on the results of the community assessments. Assess the agency's continuing community involvement and participation strategy. d.) Conduct community outreach activities based upon the agency's review of the community assessment submitted by the contractor. e.) Develop and disseminate, in various languages, general and site/project-specific fact sheets and informational material for communities surrounding hazardous waste and/or industrial release sites. f.) Develop customizable health education courses and materials (e.g. tool kits, employee development guides, guidance manuals, environmental health topics, risk communication, etc.) for use by, and for training new health educators/health communicators, to use in communities surrounding hazardous waste and/or industrial release sites. g.) Provide community meeting support in the form of meeting facilitators or moderators, transcripts, and reports. h.) Provide logistical support for ATSDR to conduct Agency sponsored public meetings, and availability sessions, and receive public comments during formal public comment periods for site documents. Logistical support will include, but not be limited to, such activities as developing announcements and mailing lists for meetings and public comment releases, locating and procuring preferable locations for public availability sessions and other agency meetings, preparing and mailing letters of intent for future site visits and disseminating fliers of public meetings. i.) Provide technical support for community engagement, involvement, and participation activities in accordance with the community involvement or health promotion plan. Support shall include assistance with such efforts as establishing and documenting caller information, assisting in determining the most effective means of communicating with all community groups, placing public comment documents in repositories, providing community cultural contacts and translators (including sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired) for public meetings and translating documents from English into the primary languages of a community. j.) Assist ATSDR in coordinating with all other involved and local agencies. Maintain and/or document ATSDR staff contact with technical review committee members, community groups, individuals, elected officials, tribal, state and local health, federal, environmental and health department staff. k) Conduct evaluation, analyze, and assess effectiveness of community outreach efforts in meeting or exceeding community needs and expectations. l.) Develop and deliver web-based training applications and other distance learning applications of the health assessment process for local and state health departments, the community, and other partners for specific sites or regional areas. More specifically, provide support to the development and implementation of the Environmental Public Health Training Program by developing annual needs assessments for ATSDR staff, State, and Tribal partners, to assess staff training needs and determine training priorities, in accordance with health assessors' competencies. m.) Provide national and international experts versed in tasks listed in this section. n.) Provide other community outreach and health evaluation assistance for public health assessment activities as requested by the Project Officer. 5. Anticipated period of performance. Anticipate an IDIQ contract with a base period of 12 months, with four (4) option periods consisting of 12 months each. However, this is just an assumption at this time and may change. Various periods of performance are possible, but the total contract length will not to exceed 60 months from contract award. 6. Other important considerations. • Provide fully trained and experienced personnel, to include permanent staff, subcontractors, and consultants, to perform the tasks as paragraph 4 above. • The Contractor may be required to travel to accomplish project/site activities. All work projects, tasks and requests and associated costs that involve travel by Contractor personnel, including subcontractors and consultants, must be approved by the ATSDR Project Officer before travel begins. Travel costs shall not exceed the maximum per diem rates as listed in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) unless approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer before incurring travel costs. • The Government may at times provide for office space and use of Government property, software, and/or equipment, etc. as stipulated in specific Task Orders. The Contractor shall comply with CDC/ATSDR's polices and guidelines that govern the relation between Government and Contract staff. 7. Capability statement /information sought. Please provide your professional answers or insights to the following: i. What opinion(s) do you have about the difficulty and/or feasibility of contracting for the requirements stated in paragraph 4 "Project Requirements" above? Also please consider what impact the other factors stated in paragraphs 5 and 6 may have on the feasibility or difficulty of contracting for this requirement. Please identify any possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace. Also, please provide any other information regarding innovative ideas or concepts you have to meet these requirements. Also include your opinions about the selection of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of 541690 "Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services". ii. Please provide your capability to meet this requirement based on the information provided in paragraphs 4 through 6 above (but not on what you stated in paragraph ‘a' above). Please explicitly state how you could meet this requirement in terms of the following: I. Staff expertise, including their availability, experience, and formal and other training; II. Current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; III. Prior completed projects of similar nature; IV. Corporate experience and management capability; and V. Examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information; 8. Administrative information. i. Please provide the following information in your response to this sources sought: DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, etc) pursuant to NAICS code 541690 "Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services", with a business size standard of $7 Million. ii. Information can be emailed or sent via regular mail: 1. By email please put "HHS-ATSDR--SBSS-12-001" in the subject line and address it to tnr6@cdc.gov 2. By regular mail please send to the following address: Thaddeus Rollins Contract Specialist U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Procurement and Grants Office, Branch IV, Team 1 2920 Brandywine Road, MS K70 Atlanta, GA 30341 **** Please provide responses no later than 11:59 pm EST, January 10, 2011****** iii. Information sent electronically can be provided in Microsoft Word 2007 or in Adobe PDF file formats. iv. Please limit responses to no more than 6 pages. The limit does not include any reference material provided. v. If sending hard copies, please provide two (2) copies. vi. Provide the technical and administrative points of contact, including their names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of persons within your company. vii. Any questions regarding this sources sought must be sent via email and should be addressed to tnr6@cdc.gov 9. Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s)."
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/CDCP/PGOA/HHS-ATSDR-SBSS-12-001/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TBD, United States
- Record
- SN02343251-W 20101215/101213234008-b9f980d3679dccf8e5ca7e19d1941704 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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