SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Rapid Assessment of forward and reverse cold chain system for polio eradication and AFP surveillance
- Notice Date
- 2/27/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical 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
- 2012-43012
- Archive Date
- 3/17/2012
- Point of Contact
- Gwendolyn Pace, Phone: 7704882436
- E-Mail Address
-
dvv1@cdc.gov
(dvv1@cdc.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR CAPABILITY STATEMENT FOR THIS REQUEST Statement of Work TITLE: Rapid Assessment of forward and reverse cold chain systems for polio eradication and AFP surveillance I. BACKGROUND Since 1991, CDC has provided substantial financial and technical support for polio eradication and measles elimination, and is one of the founding partners of the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI). In 2010, CDC invested $153 million in global immunization. Given this significant financial commitment to immunization programs worldwide, protecting vaccine during storage and transport is of paramount importance. A critical element of any immunization program is its cold chain system (a web of storage and transport links). As vaccines are sensitive to extremes of both heat and cold, they must be maintained within strict temperature parameters to retain their efficacy. As vaccines and diluents pass through a transport chain from manufacturer to end-user, there are storage needs at each step, involving appropriate temperature, humidity and light parameters; thus, preservation of cold chain requires energy to create and maintain temperature as well as thermally-efficient packaging to protect and transport the vaccine. The CDC and WHO, along with experts from the pharmaceutical industry and public health organizations, have established guidelines for the storage and handling of vaccines specific to field conditions. Cold chain systems can fail as a function of human error, logistical breakdowns, or equipment misuse or underperformance. These failures result in costly vaccine loss, and if undetected, the administration of compromised vaccine. Temperature stability is also a critical consideration for the transport of laboratory specimens, medicines, blood, reagents, and diagnostic test kits used in public health and medicine, because freeze-thaw cycles and heat exposure can affect the viability of many temperature-sensitive products. For diseases such as polio, where case confirmation is dependent upon viral isolation in fecal specimens, a well-functioning reverse cold chain system is critical. Breaks in reverse cold chain-- the temperature-sensitive transport chain from the field back to a laboratory setting--can lead to missed cases, inaccurate surveillance and continued transmission of disease. In the case of polio, which is slated for eradication, controlled temperature is imperative for case confirmation. The effort to eradicate polioviruses from Nigeria is at a critical crossroads. There is now a time-limited opportunity to improve the quality of activities sufficiently to interrupt the final chains of wild and vaccine-derived poliovirus circulation before the accumulation of susceptible children results in major new outbreaks that would undermine the strong prospects for imminent success. This activity will comprise two key activities: 1) A rapid assessment of the forward cold chain system used to transport and store polio and "routine" vaccines ; 2) A rapid assessment of the reverse cold chain system used for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance; This activity would be carried out in collaboration with technical staff from NPHCDA, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and CDC, who will provide additional logistical and field support to the activity. II. PURPOSE 1. To provide technical support in the conduct of a program evaluation of the forward vaccine cold chain for its precision and effectiveness in maintaining target temperatures for polio and other routine antigens in select states and LGAs. 2. To provide technical support in the conduct of a program evaluation of the reverse cold chain used for AFP surveillance in support of polio eradication activities. The assessment will also include analysis of specimen receipt and handling metrics at the national reference lab in Ibadan. III. SCOPE OF WORK The vendor will provide all labor, materials, and equipment required to complete the tasks outlined below. III. TASKS TO BE PERFORMED Phase I Forward Cold Chain 1. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to measure vaccine temperature during storage and transport phases of the cold chain 2. Design and develop data collection instruments a. Vendor will design data collection instruments for tracking of temperature monitoring equipment b. Vendor will design procedures to assess and/or document packing processes that impact cargo integrity c. Vendor will evaluate other process barriers impacting cold chain system effectiveness. 3. Design and develop management information system to facilitate the collection, organization, management and analysis of study data. The system must have the capacity to manage relational data and provide appropriate analysis-ready data files as required by study investigators. 4. Vendor will conduct pre-testing data collection forms, and data collection processes in the field. 5. Vendor will develop written and visual training materials for local participants and supervisors; this includes relevant PowerPoint educational materials, printed handouts for training sessions, and practical exercises to assess comprehension of training materials. 6. Vendor will facilitate training workshops for data collectors as required, including co-instruction 7. Vendor will facilitate post-evaluation de-briefing/trainings for participants and other principles. 8. Vendor will liaise with local staff to implement the activity, including CDC-associated, NPHCDA, WHO and UNICEF staff. 9. Vendor will be responsible for procuring a training site, including requisite meals for trainings. 10. Vendor will be responsible for procuring translators, security and drivers as necessary. Phase II Reverse Cold Chain There are three discrete metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of a reverse cold chain system for stool specimens:  The percent of specimens arriving at national laboratory within <3 days of being sent ≥80%;  Proportion of specimens with a turnaround time of 28 days between receipt and reporting of results ≥80%; and  Proportion of stool specimens arrive at laboratory in good condition ≥80%. "Good condition" operationalized on arrival as: (1) there are frozen icepacks (or other refrigerant) or a temperature indicator (showing <8 °C) in the container (2) the specimen volume is adequate (>5 g) (3) there is no evidence of leakage or desiccation, and (4) appropriate documentation (laboratory request/reporting form) is completed. This activity will focus on the qualitative and quantitative assessment of these metrics. 1. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to measure specimen temperature from collection in field from AFP case, through delivery at appropriate reference lab 2. Design and develop data collection instruments a. Vendor will to design data collection instruments for tracking of temperature monitoring equipment b. Vendor will design procedures to assess and/or document packing processes that impact cargo integrity c. Vendor will evaluate other process barriers impacting cold chain system effectiveness. 3. Design and develop management information system to facilitate the collection, organization, management and analysis of study data. System must have the capacity to manage relational data and provide appropriate analysis-ready data files as required by study investigators. 4. Vendor will provide technical assistance in pre-testing data collection forms, and data collection processes in the field. 5. Vendor will develop written and visual training materials for local participants and supervisors; this includes relevant PowerPoint educational materials, printed handouts for training sessions, and practical exercises to assess comprehension of training materials. 6. Vendor will facilitate training workshops for data collectors as required, including co-instruction 7. Vendor will facilitate post-evaluation de-briefing/trainings for participants and other principles. 8. Vendor will liaise with local staff to implement the activity, including CDC-associated, NPHCDA, WHO and UNICEF staff. 9. Vendor will be responsible for procuring a training site, including requisite meals for trainings. 10. Vendor will be responsible for procuring translators, security and drivers as necessary. IV. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS/EQUIPMENTS 1. Government will provide LogTag data loggers for temperature monitoring, LogTag readers and LogTag software for recording and analysis. 2. The study will be implemented in conjunction with CDC Field Epidemiology and Lab Training Program residents, who will assist in data collection under the joint supervision of CDC scientific staff. 3. The Contractor (s) is/are authorized to be transported in a Government Furnished Vehicle from the Nigeria CDC pool when the CDC project officer(s) -required to use CDC /Embassy carpool--may accompany vendor during initial meetings and for activities. VI. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The phases of these projects should be implemented separately; however, due to ongoing security concerns, CDC recognizes some phases may be delayed. All work should be completed within 12 months of award barring unforeseen circumstances involving civil unrest/security. VII. DELIVERABLES The offerors are encouraged to propose time frames for each deliverable. If these do not coincide with the government schedule, vendor should provide rationale for alternative schedule Deliverables PHASE I Date Required Draft data collection instruments and SOPs 3 weeks after award of project Draft database 3 weeks Draft training materials (PowerPoint and exercises) Revised data collection instruments 5 weeks post award Onsite assistance and data collection Pending project approval and security clearances; approximately 6 weeks post award Finalized SOPs, data collection instruments, and data base Approx 7 weeks post-award Completed data collection 11 weeks post award Completed data cleaning and analysis 14 weeks Final report 18 weeks Deliverables PHASE II Date Required* (post Phase I completion or from start of Phase 2) Draft data collection instruments and SOPs 3 weeks post Draft database 3 weeks Draft training materials (PowerPoint and exercises) Revised data collection instruments 5 weeks Onsite assistance and data collection Pending project approval and security clearances; approximately 6 weeks Finalized SOPs, data collection instruments, and data base Approx 7 weeks Completed data collection 11 weeks Completed data cleaning and analysis 14 weeks Analytic report 18 weeks VIII. PROJECT OFFICER To Be Determine IX. PAYMENT TERMS, FAR 52.232-28- Invitation to Propose Performance-Based Payments and FAR 52.232.32-Performance-Based Payments apply. The offeror must propose performance based payments with their proposal. The government will review and determines offeror's proposed performance-based payment events and payment amounts are reasonable and consistent with all other terms and conditions of the offeror's proposal. X. Proprietary Rights: The Government shall have unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the contractor. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights. XI. MINIMUM VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS a. Experience developing data systems for collecting and managing temperature data b. International field experience collecting, managing, and analyzing forward and/or reverse cold chain data c. Experience training and managing multidisciplinary teams d. Experience working with and evaluating active and passive cold chain equipment e. Demonstrated ability to collaborate across cultures, public and private sectors and among multiple disciplines f. Experience working in developing countries as shown in biographical sketches of vendor principal(s) detailing this experience. g. Demonstrable familiarity with technical and political issues relevant to polio in northern Nigeria.
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