SOLICITATION NOTICE
T -- Mail Services and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) Contact Database Updating
- Notice Date
- 7/3/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Peace Corps, Office of Planning Budget and Finance, Office of Contracts, 1111 20th Street, N.W., Room 4413, Washington, DC, 20526
- ZIP Code
- 20526
- Solicitation Number
- PC-03-R-002
- Response Due
- 7/18/2003
- Archive Date
- 8/2/2003
- Point of Contact
- Jean Bioni, Lead Purchasing Agent, Phone (202) 692-1973, Fax (202) 692-1621,
- E-Mail Address
-
jbioni@peacecorps.gov
- Description
- The Peace Corps is seeking to outsource large mailings addressed to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), often to more than 100,000 recipients, and the contact database maintenance necessary for these mailings. After each large mailing we have sent out over the past year and a half, more than 10,000 pieces of undeliverable mail have been returned to us with either forwarding address labels from the U.S. Postal Service, notification of the death of the RPCV, or indication of an invalid address. Currently Peace Corps staff enter this information from returned mail into our internal Volunteer database. However we would like to focus our personnel resources elsewhere and outsource this database maintenance and have a contractor perform the work using their own facilities. Ideally we would like to contract out this returned mail data cleanup in conjunction with the printing and a match mailing (to include inserting, labeling and posting) for all future large mailings to RPCVs. We would like to have any returned mail go directly back to the vendor, possibly via a P.O. Box in Peace Corps’ name, for immediate processing of address change or other information. (Peace Corps is also interested in obtaining telephone numbers, email addresses, and notices of death from sources other than RPCV families if these are possible options.) Presently, there are approximately 10,000 pieces of returned mail stored in the Peace Corps Headquarters building to be processed. This was undeliverable mail from the RPCV newsletter that was sent out in the winter of 2003. Additionally, there are a number of large mailings scheduled to go out this year. The current returned mail in the building has only a name as an identifier for each Returned Peace Corps Volunteer on the mailing label. However for future mailings we have decided to include a Volunteer ID (different from SSN) on the mailing label to make it easier for the vendor to identify an individual to compare against a "snapshot" file of the database that Peace Corps will send them. SCOPE OF WORK Peace Corps anticipates awarding this contract on or before July 31, 2003. Peace Corps requires the proposal to include: 1. A description of the methodology by which the contractor will prepare Peace Corps mailings; process undeliverable mail, death notices, Postal updates, and business reply mail; and provide the necessary reports and updated files for uploading into the Peace Corps database. 2. A proposed timeline to complete each, from the date of receipt of mailer documents and the mailing list from Peace Corps, to the date the file and report of final updates to the mailing list (and on occasion reply mail file updates) are sent to Peace Corps. 3. A list of references with telephone numbers and email addresses, including current clients who receive similar services. The purpose of this contract is to increase the speed and efficiency of our mailings and database update processes in order to ensure that our mailings reach RPCVs. We also expect to reduce the postage costs due to misdirected mail, as well as the costs of using Peace Corps resources to update the mailing list in-house. Ultimately, our goal is to reach all RPCVs with our mail communications by keeping their contact information current in our systems. Peace Corps wishes to enter into an indefinite delivery contract with a strict non-disclosure clause to protect the privacy of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). We request estimated pricing for handling the undeliverable mail for each large mailing from our database of over 138,000 RPCVs, starting with the processing of approximately 10,000 returned mail items (with name identifiers only) which we currently have stored in the Headquarters building in Washington, DC. General pricing should include data entry for any reply mail with information updates, corrections from the U.S. Postal Service, and any general file clean up that might be required. We plan to contract for a minimum of two mailings and a maximum of fifteen mailings in this indefinite delivery contract. Please provide estimated pricing for: 1. Undeliverable mail items already received with name identifiers on label (RPCV Newsletter – 1st issue, approximately 10,000 undeliverable items stored at HQ) 2. Total cost, from printing to return item processing, of future mailings (which will include a unique RPCV identifier on each label). Undeliverable items from these mailings will be returned directly to the vendor for list updating and/or forwarding to new addresses. (Peace Corps will provide samples of three typical mailings to base costs on, including an RPCV Newsletter, a Peace Corps Day Mailing, and a Close of Service Certificate with its accompanying letter.) MATERIALS AND ACCESS SUPPLIED TO CONTRACTOR FOR USE IN THIS PROJECT · File types possible: ASCII comma delimited or tab delimited text files. · Peace Corps personnel for coordination: Pat Walker (ASD/Office of the CIO), Susan Bloomer (Printing Officer/Office of the Director), and Mary Stark (Domestic Programs). DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME Required Deliverables We require that the contractor handle the entire cycle of the mailing, from printing, inserting, labeling, and sending mail; data entry for undeliverable for RPCV contact list updating (reporting the number, type, and source of changes to RPCV records); the inputting of responses to reply mail into a specifically provided file; when feasible, the resending of mail items to recently updated addresses; and any other procedures involved in managing all outgoing mailings from the agency under this contract. We wish to have the mailings returned directly to the mail services contractor, possibly via a Peace Corps Post Office Box or another more favorable solution provided by the contractor. RESPONSIBILITIES AND LOGISTICS Task Timeline: Task Time to Completion(Note: time frames are negotiable.) 1. Print, insert, label, and send mailings. Please propose a reasonable time frame based on samples provided. 2. Receive and process undeliverable mail by updating records with either a new address or by noting in the field provided if the address is not valid, or that the RPCV is deceased, if that information is included in the communication. Please propose a reasonable time frame based on samples provided. 3. Update any returned business reply mail data into a Peace Corps-provided file. A separate file with a report of records and fields processed will be required to be submitted weekly for up to six months from mail date, ending with a cumulative report at the end of month six. Beginning one week from date of mailing and continuing weekly for up to six months for reply mail. 4. Return an updated file to Peace Corps weekly, with a report on the number of records changed, the sources of information for these changes, and the last date of update provided by the source for each record. The final file submitted in week eight should include a cumulative report on all records processed. Beginning one week from date of mailing and continuing for eight weeks for undeliverable mail. REFERENCES Please include a list of a minimum of three (3) references with telephone numbers and email addresses, including current clients who receive similar services. ORAL PRESENTATIONS: may be required. TYPE OF CONTRACT: Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ); Firm-fixed Price PROPOSAL SUBMISSION : Please submit 2 copies of both a technical and cost proposal. BEST VALUE EVALUATION The Peace Corps is committed to applying “Best Value” contracting procedures as a means to rely on industry for timely delivery of quality products and services, while reducing the Federal Government’s administrative costs. To this end, the quality of the contractor’s solution, past performance, and price will be evaluated and selection will be made for this solicitation. Proposals are due to the Primary Point of Contact no later than 2:00 p.m. ET, Friday, July 18, 2003.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.eps.gov/spg/PC/OPBF/OC/PC-03-R-002/listing.html)
- Record
- SN00364269-F 20030705/030703221914 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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