SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Speech Writing Services
- Notice Date
- 5/5/2009
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541618
— Other Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, Parklawn Building Room 5-101, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland, 20857
- ZIP Code
- 20857
- Solicitation Number
- SAM1368
- Archive Date
- 6/4/2009
- Point of Contact
- Nora V Tyson,, Phone: 301-443-5229
- E-Mail Address
-
ntyson@psc.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (SCMHS), through the Program Support Center, Division of Acquisitions Managements, intends to award a sole source contract using simplified acquisition procedures to Advocates for Human Potential, 490-B Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. The purpose of this professional services contract is to obtain services of a contractor to provide speechwriting, speech editing and speech coaching services. The Center Director and other key Center officials give many speeches on mental health issues to inform the public, state and local officials, constituency groups, families, teachers, businesses, and a wide variety of groups about vital mental health issues. CMHS requires the services of a contractor to supplement its in-house work. Work will be performed by the contractor on an individual task basis, at the request of Director, when such services are needed. It is critical that effective speeches are given to convey the information about public mental health issues. The contractor shall be responsible for but not limited to the following tasks: The Contractor will perform technical and speech writing/copyediting/rewriting as well as developing PowerPoint presentations as assigned for the OD, CMHS in support of the Center’s mission. The Contractor shall research and write all speeches and talking points necessary for the CMHS Center Director and other CMHS officials as needed. Target audiences shall include culturally and geographically diverse individuals with mental disorders, family members, providers, educators, the media, professional organizations, policymakers and advocates, Federal, State and Local agencies. The Contractor shall produce all slides, charts and graphs as needed to accompany these speeches and presentations. The Director’s speaking schedule is extensive and is supported by CMHS staff and by an external speechwriter. The speechwriter must have a nearly unique set of qualifications and characteristics. First, the speechwriter must be thoroughly familiar with all of CMHS’ policies and programs, as well as be cognizant of how HHS and Administration policies affect CMHS. Second, the speechwriter must learn and employ the “voice” of the Director – writing in a style which is particular to the individual who will ultimately deliver the speech. Third, the speechwriter must tailor each presentation to the particular audience being addressed. This latter requires knowing in advance whether the audience is professional service providers, state and/or local officials and policy makers, consumers of recovery services, the general public, or a combination of one or more of the above. The speech writer must also tailor the words to be spoken to the size of the audience, the location, and whether or not audio visual materials will be used as part of the overall presentation. The speechwriter is also responsible for the preparation and delivery of these materials. The Contractor shall be required to perform the following activities: prepare and edit for content and substance, speeches for the Director of the Center and senior staff on mental health related issues. Emphasis is on structure, content, and cohesive articulation of the issues. Bullets on the event, including the topic of the speech and audience makeup will be provided to the contractor by Office of the Director generally 30 days in advance of the event. Contractor will have 7 days to provide first draft of speech to the Director if contractor is writing speech in its entirety. Second and final drafts will be provided back to Director within 24 hours after receiving edits. When the task consists of editing rather than a full speech, the Office of the Director will provide the draft to the contractor generally 14 days in advance of the event. The contractor will have 5 days to provide the Director the completed speech. The Office of the Director will provide background material, including identification of the type of audience. Contractor shall produce a finished product tailored to reach the specific audience with clarity. The speech will contain a clear, coherent, and compelling message designed to capture and maintain the audience’s attention. All drafts and final product will be double-spaced and provided in both electronic format and hardcopy (two copies). The period of performance for the resulting service agreement is twelve months. Baseline: Contractor shall plan to provide 33 speeches/writing assignments per year. A. Meet with Project Officer (PO) to discuss project timetable, deliverables, scope and scale of work to be completed. (1-4 weeks from start of contract) B. Contractor to produce and submit draft document at least (3) three weeks prior to the event date. C. The Project Officer will have the document reviewed and will submit any changes to the writer within (1) week of receiving the draft. D. Contractor to produce and submit final document within 24 hours of receiving edits. Once a final product has been received and accepted by the PO, the contractor may bill for the service. AHP is uniquely qualified for this procurement based on expertise in and in-depth knowledge of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) particularly with regard to program and policy issues, statistical analyses, budget and appropriations processes, and legislative matters. AHP exclusively employs an accomplished senior writer/editor with more than 30 years of experience, who for the past 20 years has researched, written, and edited documents about homelessness and mental and substance use disorders. This particular staff member is the primary author of SAMHSA’s Blueprint for Change to end chronic homelessness and of SAMHSA’s Federal Action Agenda in response to the final report of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health; helped draft SAMHSA’s Report to Congress on co-occurring disorders and a guidebook for the CMHS GAINS TAPA Center on Jail Diversion called Practical Advice on Jail Diversion; serves as the principal speechwriter for the CMHS Director and is helping the agency develop a strategic forecast. AHP’s unique positioning, professional history, and expertise in CMHS programs has facilitated a cohesive, inclusive and consistent message to the American public with regard to CMHS’s role in better serving individuals with mental illnesses and to facilitating prevention of such disorders on a national scale. Additionally, AHP has proprietary data and information used in the preparation of materials which is unavailable through alternate contracting mechanisms. The proposed simplified acquisition is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of far 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest by responding to the requirement within 10 days after the date of publication of this notice. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed simplified acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. For further information, please contact Nora Tyson in Rm. 5C-03, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 20857 or on 301-443-5229.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=907e10c917d2bb2ae6de8fc114419b18&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: contractor's place of business, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776, United States
- Zip Code: 01776
- Zip Code: 01776
- Record
- SN01809619-W 20090507/090505221855-907e10c917d2bb2ae6de8fc114419b18 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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