SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Voting Systems: Analysis of Auditory Ballot Interfaces
- Notice Date
- 8/11/2011
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- SB1341-11-RQ-0557
- Archive Date
- 9/15/2011
- Point of Contact
- Carol A. Wood, Phone: 301-975-8172, Chon S. Son, Phone: 301-975-8567
- E-Mail Address
-
carol.wood@nist.gov, chon.son@nist.gov
(carol.wood@nist.gov, chon.son@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Enacted by Congress in October 2002, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) legislation gives the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a key role in helping realize nationwide improvements in voting systems. NIST's Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) is coordinating the agency's HAVA efforts through its expertise in areas such as computer security, laboratory accreditation procedures, and usability. The HAVA created an Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to oversee voting standards work. Reporting to the EAC is the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC), which makes recommendations on voluntary standards and guidelines related to voting equipment. These are called the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG). NIST has assisted the TDGC by providing technical and administrative support including the development of three versions of the VVSG (1.0, 1.1, and 2007 TGDC Recommended Guidelines). The VVSG contains both usability and accessibility design requirements and usability performance-based requirements. NIST has developed draft pass/fail test methods for these requirements, which will be used to certify voting systems for conformance to the VVSG. Preliminary investigations of the accessible voting systems have uncovered additional issues specific to voters with disabilities, which point out the need to look more carefully at these systems and how they are tested. Based in part on input from TGDC members, NIST has found that the requirements for accessibility for people who have visual disabilities need to be improved, specifically for people with visual disabilities significant enough to require the use of audio-tactile interfaces, as opposed to simply large print or enhanced contrast. Accessible voting systems must meet both the usability requirements and the accessibility requirements of the VVSG. HAVA mandates one such system per polling place. It is very important that the accessible systems for voters with disabilities provide both accessibility and usability to voters with visual disabilities who use auditory ballot interfaces, so that these voters can vote privately and independently. NIST has some preliminary data about both the design and performance of systems for voters with visual disabilities, but there are large gaps in understanding how to best accommodate this population. Work under this procurement will obtain Contractor assistance to analyze the needs of voters with visual disabilities requiring the use of auditory ballot interfaces, summarize relevant literature and research, make design recommendations, and conduct pilot studies with prototype auditory ballot interfaces in order to improve the requirements in the VVSG for auditory ballot interfaces. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541990 with a small business size standard of $7.0M dollars. The required services are non-commercial in nature and will be procured using Simplified Acquisition Procedures under the authority of FAR Parts 12 & 13. This requirement is 100% set-aside for small business. A firm fixed price purchase order is anticipated. The competitive Request for Quotation (RFQ), amendments, and all questions and answers related to this procurement shall be made available via the Internet at HTTP://WWW.FEDBIZOPPS.GOV under RFQ number SB1341-11-RQ-0557. Potential offerors shall be responsible for obtaining this solicitation and related Amendments, if any, from www.fbo.gov after the solicitation has been posted. It is, and will continue to be, the responsibility of each potential Offeror to monitor www.fbo.gov for any amendments or other information related to the solicitation. The Government will not maintain a mailing list. Any communications regarding this acquisition must be made in writing and forwarded via email to carol.wood@nist.gov, and shall identify the solicitation number, company name, company address, as well as point of contact email address and phone number. Offerors shall be actively registered in the Central Contractor Registration website at www.ccr.gov, in order to be eligible to receive a contract under this acquisition. NIST anticipates posting the solicitation on or about August 16, 2011.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/SB1341-11-RQ-0557/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Contractor's Site, United States
- Record
- SN02531237-W 20110813/110812000119-cbe4f0be08a116b2a996c7e92439363d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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