SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- NHGRI Community Genetics Forum 2008: Continued Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Model Collaborative Community Engagement Program
- Notice Date
- 7/13/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD, Office of Acquisitions 6701 Rockledge Dr RKL2/6100 MSC 7902, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7902, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-NHLBI-PB(HG)2007-191-KLW
- Response Due
- 7/23/2007
- Archive Date
- 8/7/2007
- Description
- THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLB), for the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is conducting a market survey to determine the availability and potential technical capability of small businesses to host, plan, develop, implement and evaluate a public genomics community outreach program using a community forum as the core component of the program. The materials developed and example set by the Community Genetics Forums held in 2005, 2006, and plans for the 2007 Forum, should be used to learn from those experiences. The overall goal of the project is to develop new models of community engagement or enhance existing models (i.e. previous Forums or other community engagement projects) of public engagement and public participation within the geographic communities targeted for the project. It is a further goal to develop and evaluate genetics education and public participation supportive materials for the community that can be adapted by others wishing to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate a public genetics forum with community engagement in their respective communities. The statement of work is as follows: Title: NHGRI Community Genetics Forum 2008: Continued Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Model Collaborative Community Engagement Program Mission - The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) led the National Institutes of Health?s (NIH) contribution to the International Human Genome Project, which had as its primary goal the sequencing of the human genome. This project was successfully completed in April 2003. Now, the NHGRI?s mission has expanded to encompass a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease. To that end the NHGRI supports the development of resources and technology that will accelerate genome research and its application to human health. A critical part of the NHGRI mission continues to be the study of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genome research. The NHGRI also supports the training of investigators and the dissemination of genome information to the public and to health professionals. The Education and Community Involvement Branch (ECIB) leads the Institute?s public education efforts. ECIB also advises the NHGRI director and senior staff on a broad range of issues regarding public education and community involvement. The branch initiates, develops, implements and evaluates education and community involvement programs to engage a broad range of the public in understanding genomics and its translation to health and society. The branch also acts as the liaison between the NHGRI and communities to further its mission, and oversees programs and initiatives for minorities and special populations. Background of the Project - In the spring of 2005, ECIB, in conjunction with the University of Washington, held the first annual Community Genetics Forum (http://www.genome.gov/14514654). The goals of this Forum were: to engage Northwest communities in dialogue about genetics and the ethical, legal and social implications of genetics research (ELSI); to create a forum and environment for future dialogue independent of federal sponsorship; and to create a model community engagement program and supportive materials that would be adapted by others wishing to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate a public genetics forum with community outreach in their respective communities. More than 400 members of the public participated in three days of activities. In September of 2006, the second annual Community Genetics Forum was held in North Carolina, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina and Duke University http://genome.gov/19517845 . The goals of this Forum were to engage communities across North Carolina, including African American communities, Hispanic communities, and student and faculty audiences from North Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Currently, planning for the 2007 Community Genetics Forum is underway, to be hosted by the University of Michigan (UM). UM has successfully engaged National Community Committee (NCC) organizations across five states in the Midwest (Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois). Five forums are set to be held on October 12, 2007 in each of the locations, and they will be connected by videoconferencing. The outcomes and lessons learned from the three Community Genetics Forums contribute to the establishment of a model community engagement program. ECIB plans to use this developing model to support future annual Community Genetics Forums. For more information please visit http://genome.gov/19518473. Potential contractors are encouraged to speak to previous Forum planners or ECIB staff to learn more about the specific projects. Geographic Region: - In an effort to reach different geographic areas of the country, the NHGRI has selected DHHS regions VIII and IX as appropriate locations for the 2008 Forum. An objective of the Forum is to extend beyond the immediate geographic reach of the NIH. The 2008 Forum should seek to engage communities from one or more locations from this region. This region is defined to include: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau. Please refer to www.hhs.gov/about/regions for more specific information about other regions. Objectives for Project - The NHGRI is seeking an organization to host, plan, develop, implement and evaluate a public genomics community outreach program using a community forum as the core component of the program. The materials developed and example set by the Community Genetics Forums held in 2005 2006, and plans for the 2007 Forum, should be used to learn from those experiences. The overall goal of the project is to develop new models of community engagement or enhance existing models (i.e. previous Forums or other community engagement projects) of public engagement and public participation within the geographic communities targeted for the project. It is a further goal to develop and evaluate genetics education and public participation supportive materials for the community that can be adapted by others wishing to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate a public genetics forum with community engagement in their respective communities. The Community Genetics Forum project is to be a collaborative effort between the NHGRI and the contractor. It is expected that the NHGRI?s Education and Community Involvement Branch will participate actively in the planning and development of the program, and that members of the NHGRI will participate in the Forum itself, as appropriate (travel costs of NHGRI individuals will be supported by the Institute, separately from this purchase order). The objectives of the Community Genetics Forum include: ? To identify existing community groups, organizations, representatives, etc, with which to engage and consult throughout planning of the Forum; ? To facilitate the establishment of ongoing community relationships that continue beyond the Forum itself; ? To create a Forum that reflects the interests, concerns, and questions of the target community; ? To build upon existing relationships between the community and the contractor; ? To establish methods and opportunities by which community members can participate and contribute to planning of the Forum; ? To engage community groups to facilitate a dialogue to identify questions, concerns, and education needs related to genomics; ? To engage communities to provide input into initiatives of the NHGRI and the NIH in genomic research; ? To facilitate sustainable relationships between the community, the contractor, and the NHGRI; ? To involve a target audience inclusive of minorities and special populations; ? To increase awareness, interest, and understanding of the field of genetics, genomics, and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics research; ? To increase awareness of current research and scientific advances in genetics; ? To increase awareness of current health education advances in genetics; ? To increase students? awareness of career options in genomics, genetics, and ELSI research; ? To increase awareness and understanding of the implications of genomic science for health care and society; and ? To have ongoing collaboration with the NHGRI in the Forum program development and implementation. Scope of Project - The selected organization will host, plan, develop, implement, and evaluate a genetics public forum with community outreach. In doing such, the contractor will develop community engagement reference materials for public dissemination, known here as the ?final project product.? This final product may be reproduced and distributed to assist other individuals in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of other genetics public symposia with community outreach in their respective communities. The contractor will work with ECIB to develop the structure of these resources. Generally, this product will add insight to previous lessons learned about how to engage communities around genetics. In the project proposal, the contractor should be able to demonstrate previous collaborations or partnerships with community groups and members of the public who will participate in the planning of the Community Genetics Forum. The proposal should also describe existing relationships with community based organizations, and a willingness of these organizations to participate in Forum planning. The goal of this Forum is not simply to present topics or information believed to be of importance to the community but, rather to actively involve community members from the outset, so that they may help to inform topics, formats, and agendas. Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the selected organization (referred to as ?Contractor?) will furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the specific tasks delineated below. Tasks Required of Project Task 1: Planning - The Contractor will prepare a document that will be based on the Contractor?s proposal and this Statement of Work (SOW) and will include activity timelines, detailed methods of community engagement, and how identified partners will be involved. In addition, the planning document should include a description of an evaluation plan for the community outreach activities and the forum including the goals and objectives to be measured, how they will be measured, and data collection, compilation, analyses, and reporting activities to be conducted. The final planning document will be due to the NHGRI six weeks after the contract is awarded. Task 2: Development and Implementation - The development of Forum activities and format should be carried out in consultation with community groups. Because a main objective of this Forum is to create a program that reflects the interests, questions, and concerns of the community, the planning of this Forum should involve comprehensive community consultation. For example, this may be in the form of focus groups, a community working group or advisory committee, or ongoing meetings with members of the public or representatives of community based organizations. These activities should also be used to encourage members of the public to attend the Forum event. The Contractor will provide and/or conduct a range of services and activities leading to the implementation of the public forum with community outreach. These services and activities include: ? Carrying out the community outreach activities to assist in identifying and defining community needs, forum themes and appropriate formats, and advertising strategies; ? Securing meeting space for the forum; ? Securing lodging space for forum speakers and participants, as needed; ? Making travel arrangements for forum speakers and participants, as needed; ? Determining and arranging for any special needs of speakers and participants; ? Determining and arranging for AV needs of forum speakers and facilitating on-site AV support; ? Handling pre-forum registration; ? Preparing forum aids, such as name badges and directional signs; ? Preparing fact sheets and other appropriate public education materials to support the Forum; ? Compiling and reproducing materials for the forum packets; ? Providing on-site support on the day(s) of the forum to include participant registration and distribution of materials; ? Providing a final registration report and a final attendance report to the NHGRI no later than one month after the forum. This report should include demographic information on attendees; ? Reimbursing forum speakers for all expenses incurred during travel to the forum according to Federal government regulations; ? Providing forum speakers with an honorarium, as appropriate; ? Establishing and handling a scholarship fund and/or reimbursement fund for the community outreach activities and forum participants; ? Providing reimbursements to forum speakers and participants within two weeks of receiving the voucher; ? Providing the NHGRI with a final highlights or summary document of the community outreach activities and the forum no later than three months after the forum; and ? Securing and providing the appropriate personnel and resources needed to document the planning and conduct of the public forum with community outreach to be able to create the final product of the project. During the course of this task, a representative from the selected organization will communicate twice monthly with a representative from the NHGRI. This communication can take the form of a phone call or e-mail and will provide the NHGRI with regular updates on the progress of the activities identified above, as well as others that will be conducted as part of the development and implementation process of this project. The twice monthly communication will also serve as an opportunity for problem solving and strategizing throughout the collaboration, including the development and implementation phase. The organization?s representative and an NHGRI representative will establish a schedule for the twice monthly communication. Task 3: Evaluation - The Contractor will secure the qualified personnel needed to conduct the evaluation activities as described in the planning document (see Task 1). The Contractor will obtain the appropriate approvals, if any, needed to conduct an evaluation including individuals participating in the community outreach activities and individuals attending the public forum. The Contractor will carry out evaluation activities to measure each objective of the community outreach and the public forum, including the development, testing and implementation of appropriate measurement tools, collection of data, compilation of data, analyses of data, and generation of an evaluation report. The Contractor will provide the NHGRI with a final evaluation report no later than three months following the last data collection activity. Task 4: Creation of the Project Product - The Contractor will secure the qualified personnel and resources needed to create the final project product, which will document the public forum and community outreach. This product could take the form of a book, DVD, or CD-ROM, be web-based or have another format as discussed and agreed upon with ECIB. The purpose of the project product is to provide the government and others with a model for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating any future genetics public forums with community outreach in their respective communities. Additionally, the purpose of this product is to enhance the lessons learned from previous Forums about engaging communities around genetics. This product should improve on models created from previous Community Genetics Forums. Users of the project product should be able to easily follow the information provided and adapt the relevant information to their project at a level of effort appropriate to their project?s scope. Examples of the concept of the project product include A Planner?s Guide: Making Health Communication Programs Work from the National Cancer Institute and Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Contractor will provide the NHGRI with the final project product no later than three months following the completion of the project?s evaluation activities. Deliverables ? The contractor should plan to attend the 2007 Community Genetics Forum in the Midwest region of the county on October 12, 2007. NHGRI will fund the contractor?s travel; ? Planning document, providing a time line for events and outlining who will be involved in the forum, and how (see Task 1 for details); ? Fact sheets and other appropriate public education materials to support the Forum; ? A Forum event, open to the public, to discuss aspects of genetics that are of importance and relevance to attendees; ? A final highlights or summary document of the community outreach activities and the Forum; ? A final registration report and a final attendance report to the NHGRI; ? A final evaluation report of the Forum (see Task 3 for details); and ? A final project product that can be used to create other Community Genetic Forums in future locations that will be posted on the NHGRI website (see Task 4 for details). The expected period of performance is September 2007 through December 2008. The anticipated award date is September 2007. This is a new requirement and there is no incumbent contractor. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 541990, Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, with a size standard of an average annual receipts of $6.0M over the last 3 years. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals and submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address and telephone number as well as size and type of ownership for the organization, i.e., small business, Small Disadvantaged Business, 8(a), woman-owned, Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) concern, Veteran, and or Service-disabled Veteran; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. Organizations responding to this market survey should keep in mind that only focused and pertinent information is requested. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements to demonstrate that small business prime contractors can maintain labor, technical, and management control of the project, meeting the Alimitation on subcontracting@ imposed on small business set-asides. Taking into account the magnitude of the scope of this effort, organizations also should address the capacity of their financial infrastructure to deliver contract performance. Although no geographic restriction is anticipated, if responding organizations are located outside the Washington Metropolitan area, indicate how the organization would coordinate with the agency program office to provide support to multiple sites. The Government will evaluate the capability information using the following criteria: 1) Understanding the Requirement and Technical Approach with provided documentation of the scientific, technical, or analytical approach to achieve project objectives, including a demonstrated understanding of potential problems; 2) Qualifications and Availability of Proposed Personnel which includes demonstrated evidence of the qualifications, experience, and availability of professional and technical personnel comprising the necessary project staff; and 3) Proposed Facilities and Equipment which details availability and proposed utilization. Interested firms responding to this market survey are encouraged to structure capability statements in the order of the area of consideration noted above. Responding firms should provide one print copy and an electronic copy of a tailored capability statement to the within ten (10) business days from the date of publication of this notice. This market survey is being conducted through the FedBizOpps to reach the widest possible audience and to gather current market information. All responses may be submitted electronically to williamk@nhlbi.nih.gov, citing Reference Number: NHLBI-PB(HG)2007-191-KLW or in writing to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Office of Acquisitions, Procurement Branch, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Rockledge Building 2, Suite 6042, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7902, Attention: Kesha L. Williams, fax number (301) 480-3345. All responses must include the name and address of the organization, telephone number, and the name and title of the Principal Investigator. All responsible sources may submit a response, which if timely received, shall be considered by the agency.
- Place of Performance
- Address: To Be Determined.
- Zip Code: 20892
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN01341731-W 20070715/070713220653 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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