SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- National Prevention Information Network
- Notice Date
- 7/2/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Procurement and Grants Office (Atlanta), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA, 30341-4146
- ZIP Code
- 30341-4146
- Solicitation Number
- 2003-N-00777Rev
- Response Due
- 7/24/2003
- Archive Date
- 8/8/2003
- Point of Contact
- William Richardson, Contract Specialist, Phone 770-488-2653, Fax 770-488-2671, - William Richardson, Contract Specialist, Phone 770-488-2653, Fax 770-488-2671,
- E-Mail Address
-
rtr4@cdc.gov, rtr4@cdc.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- C.2.1 PROJECT IDENTIFICATION AND PURPOSE The purpose of this project is to provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), its various Divisions and other components of CDC with support for disseminating information and transferring knowledge related to research, treatment and care, and prevention efforts to CDC constituents, partners and stakeholders and the general public. This shall be accomplished by providing expertise and systems for the proactive diffusion and dissemination of information and the reactive response to the needs of the NCHSTP, other CDC programs and CDC target audiences. To respond to the current user needs and to utilize state-of-the-art technology will require a major redirection in the design and operation of services of the CDC National Prevention Information Network (CDC NPIN). The future CDC NPIN will implement and incorporate the recommendations and the findings of the NPIN Assessment Study, which is based on current user needs and CDC programmatic requirements and will remain flexible as needs and technology change. The project will support multiple information systems on behalf of NCHSTP and other related CDC program needs. It is a complex requirement incorporating data from federal, state, and local governments as well as private and not-for-profit sectors. It is not a traditional clearinghouse operation?these requirements involve techniques of knowledge and information transfer based on state-of-the-art technology that will afford rapid response mechanisms. Delivery of technical assistance is a primary requirement with the goal of building capacity for transferring information and knowledge into public health practice. Information services and support must be rapid, accurate, and flexible in their delivery mechanisms, dealing with different working conditions and environments. The project will be required to offer ?value-added? products and services where research, guidelines, policies and information from CDC must be translated, summarized, organized, stored for retrieval, and disseminated in various formats, through a variety of channels, in a timely manner. C.3 BACKGROUND AND NEED C.3.1 Introduction The challenge of this procurement is to make the CDC National Prevention Information Network (CDC NPIN) services and support a ?state-of-the-art? customer-based operation that can take advantage of technology now and in the future. For the duration of the project and beyond, the Office of Communications, NCHSTP, looks to advance the development of information services that provide: A. Interactivity designed to enhance partnerships, individual responsiveness, promote better communication, disseminate information, and assess professional and public information needs. B. Ease of access for all. C. Use of current technology to broaden the range of prevention information dissemination and to reduce information-transfer costs. D. Networked linking and transfer of science-based health information with and to our primary audiences. E. Increased awareness of NCHSTP and other CDC programs that use these services and the value of their information. F. Adoption and utilization of NCHSTP and CDC prevention information by all of its audiences. C.3.2 Background The services and products of the CDC National Prevention Information Network (CDC NPIN) provide a primary mechanism for the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP) and other CDC programs to support prevention partners, stakeholders, and other constituents. The business of CDC NPIN is knowledge/information transfer. C.3.3 The Challenge In the past decade, with the expanded use of the Internet as a channel for health information, there has been a proliferation of providers of information about HIV/AIDS. The Web also offers sites for STD and TB information, although not in the volume that can be found for HIV/AIDS. The newer technology has changed the way people access information and there has been a corresponding expansion and demand for information. The original mission of these services was cast in the broadest terms by the Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic and by the Omnibus Legislation of 1988. Early efforts were clearly ?demand driven? as CDC NPIN and its predecessor, the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse, struggled to be responsive to all legitimate information needs and the resulting pressures of increasing demand. The dramatic changes taking place in the dissemination of information and the increased number of sources of information, have fostered a spirit of change and a need to rethink the services and products of NPIN, to tailor them to current user needs, and to take advantage of evolving technology. In addition, the level of sophistication of NPIN audiences is heightened, and their information/knowledge needs require more depth and breadth in content areas. The Office of Communications (OC), NCHSTP, has the responsibility to assure close collaboration of the Center?s various information and communication efforts, along with those being undertaken by other parts of CDC. The OC provides coordination of information services and support for NCHSTP and for other CDC users of these services. A customer-based assessment of the mission/purpose, audience, services, and products of NPIN was carried out in the past year. The evaluation project offered an opportunity to determine user needs, to find out which services and products are meeting those needs and which are no longer relevant. The competition of a contract to provide information services and support can then assure that the findings of this study be employed as guidance for the future. Major findings of the study, conclusions and recommendations can be found at Exhibit G, Reference Materials. As the report indicates, this project supports multiple information systems on behalf of the NCHSTP and other CDC CIO?s. It is a highly complex requirement incorporating data and information from the federal, state, and local governments, academia, community-based organizations, NGO?s and industry, serving a broad audience that includes health professionals and the general public. The redirection of this project requires a wide range of personnel with varied expertise, including, but not limited to: health care professionals, medical information specialists, database experts, systems analysts, Web designers, graphic artists, translators, inventory management specialists, librarians, health educators, and administrative personnel with experience in managing complex and demanding task-oriented projects. The contractor must have appropriate scientific, public health, medical, health communications knowledge as well as expertise in knowledge transfer, data abstraction, data validation, technical writing, and communicating complex scientific and medical issues in terms and formats that are easily understood. In order to take advantage of new and evolving technologies and changing user needs and preferences, NCHSTP anticipates substantial changes in work requirements during the contract term. There will be a need for transition of services as changes are made. The Contractor should be prepared to show an understanding of the transition process?preserving the value of current services and products as new or changed ones are put in place. CDC NPIN cannot simply ?shut down? and change. New directions must be put in place gradually and without interruption of services. C.3.4 Customer Base Priority targets for the services of NPIN and for communications and information efforts include state and local health agencies, community-based organizations, state and local education agencies, national and regional organizations, STD constituent clinics, training centers, the media, and academic institutions and researchers. NPIN also provides support for educational institutions, students, and business and labor organizations seeking information and assistance to deal with HIV, STD, and TB in the workplace, and to religious organizations/institutions involved in education and outreach services. The NPIN services target partners in HIV, STD, and TB prevention. However, the general public has access to the phone lines and the Web site. Therefore, the information services provided must be comprehensive, flexible, and tailored where appropriate to target audiences. Marketing efforts, however, will be directed to audiences and institutions that are targeted as primary audiences, as defined by the government. The emphasis on the Internet and evolving technologies is a primary channel for information dissemination, requiring refocusing services as appropriate. The government is hopeful that this competition will produce a Contractor with creative ideas about how to reach target audiences and how to serve the needs of all customers of NPIN services. The Office of Communications is also looking for creative ideas about how to monitor and assess customer satisfaction and needs in a changing technological environment. The CDC National HIV and STD Hotline historically have used NPIN facilities and personnel to maintain their referral database and to execute their fulfillment needs. This requires a great deal of collaboration and coordination between contractors. In addition, NPIN has occasionally responded to information requests from members of the general public. At some time during the life cycle of this contract, the following requirements will be transitioned to a new CDC-wide Consumer Response Contract: A. Solicitation and marketing of toll-free lines to the general public, B. Support for toll-free lines targeting the general public in the form of a reference and referral database for use by information specialists, and C. Fulfillment Operations for toll-free lines in the form of storage and distribution of materials that disseminate information to the general public in response to requests for information received through the toll-free lines. For at least the first year and first option year of this contract (2 years), the CDC National HIV and STD Hotline will remain a primary customer of NPIN services?requiring maintenance of a referral database and fulfillment of orders. (See Hotline Support, under ?Non-core requirements.?) Additionally, NPIN will continue to support occasional requests from the general public for the first year and first option year of this contract (2 years), after which these requirements will transition to the proposed new CDC Consumer Response Contract. NPIN will continue to offer full service to its primary audiences (see C.3 Customer Base), including toll-free lines, reference and referral databases, and fulfillment operations, throughout the proposed 5-years of the contract. C.4 Tasks The Contractor, as an independent organization and not as an agent of the government, shall furnish the equipment, personnel, facilities, supplies, materials, and other resources necessary to develop, maintain, and operate information services and products which will furnish and provide access to HIV/AIDS, STD, TB and other information regarding preventable diseases and conditions. The primary function of this contract will be to provide current health information services and products in support of the NCHSTP. All resource materials produced/maintained under this contract, including databases, all information products, all data, mailing lists, Web sites, telephone protocols (Intellectual Property), etc. are the property of the Government. NAICS Code 541512 w/small business threshhold @ $21 million
- Place of Performance
- Address: Centers for Disease Control, 2920 Brandywine Rd, Atlanta, GA
- Zip Code: 30348
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 30348
- Record
- SN00362500-W 20030704/030702213344 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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