SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Effective Health Care (EHC) Scientific Resource Center (SRC) II
- Notice Date
- 12/8/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Contracts Management, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland, 20850
- ZIP Code
- 20850
- Solicitation Number
- HHS-AHRQ-SBSS-12-010
- Archive Date
- 1/7/2012
- Point of Contact
- Erin C. Lange, Phone: 3014271010, Gayle R. Sunde, Phone: 3014271573
- E-Mail Address
-
Erin.Lange@ahrq.hhs.gov, gayle.sunde@ahrq.hhs.gov
(Erin.Lange@ahrq.hhs.gov, gayle.sunde@ahrq.hhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice (SBSS). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small business; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The classification code for this project is A: R&D. The NAICS code for the project is 541990. The small business size standard is $7M. Background: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducts and supports a broad base of scientific research and promotion of improvements in clinical and health systems practices, including the prevention of diseases and other health conditions. AHRQ sponsors and conducts research that develops and presents evidence-based information on healthcare outcomes, quality, patient safety, cost, use and access. Included in AHRQ's mandate is support of synthesis and dissemination of available scientific evidence, including dissemination research and analytic methods or systems for rating the strength of scientific evidence. AHRQ sponsors and conducts research on existing as well as innovating technologies, and conducts research on methods for measuring quality and strategies for improving quality. AHRQ also recognizes that a number of populations experience persistent disparities in health status, access to care, quality of care, and poor health outcomes. To address these disparities, AHRQ encourages research projects to include special populations such as low-income groups, racial and ethnic minority groups, women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of the proposed acquisition is for a Scientific Resource Center (SRC) that will work closely with AHRQ and the multiple Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) to support and coordinate the Effective Health Care Program (EHC). Additional information on the EHC program in general, resources it provides, and descriptions of processes can be found at: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/what-is-the-effective-health-care-program1/. Information on each of the component parts of the EHC Program can be found at: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/who-is-involved-in-the-effective-health-care-program1/ Examples of products produced by each of the component parts of the Effective Health Care Program may be found at: http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/. The proposed acquisition will involve the following type of activities: 1. Coordinate and maintain updates of the EPC Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. 2. Provide scientific and technical support to protect scientific credibility and independence of EHC Program Products 3. Provide technical support, transparency, scientific support and conduct of topic development processes, including evaluations for the need to update reviews conducted under the EHC Program. 4. Develop and maintain EHC program resources, including methods library, procedure documents and guidance tools, and mechanisms for collaboration and mutual learning. Project Requirements: The function and purpose of the Scientific Resource Center (SRC) will be to work closely with AHRQ and EPCs to support and coordinate many of the cross-cutting functions of the EHC program, including: • Coordination and logistic support for consistent and robust methods and processes in comparative effectiveness research o The SRC will work with EPCs to maintain and develop consistent guidance for the systematic review methods used by the EPC program. o The SRC will work with AHRQ and the EPCs to develop a robust methods research, methods guidance, and methods implementation agenda. o The SRC will work with AHRQ to maintain and update tools and documents for greater consistency among EPC products, for smooth functioning among the different parts of the EHC program, and for improved adherence to EHC policies and procedures. o The SRC will work with EPCs to conduct searches of grey literature, including FDA site and solicitation of scientific information packets, for use in systematic reviews or for use in evaluating need to conduct or update a comparative effectiveness review. • Peer review o The SRC will coordinate and track EPC reports for peer review. o The SRC will coordinate editorial process for review of draft and final reports. The SRC will provide resources for associate editors to ensure consistency of processes in reviewing reports. The SRC will schedule, set agendas for, and lead regular associate editor calls and meetings for coordination purposes. o The SRC will invite peer reviewers and collate comments for EPC reports • Topic development and selection o The SRC will assemble, schedule, set agendas for, and lead topic triage calls. o The SRC will gather and track topic nominations. o The SRC will provide lists of topics to AHRQ and help determine which are most appropriate for development by EPC. o The SRC will develop topics for presentation to topic triage and provide resources to the EPCs to ensure consistency of processes in topic development. o The SRC will track Systematic Reviews that are eligible for updating and provide resources to the EPCs to ensure consistency of processes in assessing the need to update reports. Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance for this proposed acquisition will be from August 2012, through August 2017, for a period of five years; a Base Year, plus four one-year Option periods. The Contractor shall function in a supportive technical role carrying out specific tasks, and shall not engage in independent research as part of this contract. Capability Statement/Information Sought: Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, information concerning their capability to respond to this requirement on a large scale basis consistent with the EPC Program, including; (a) understanding of the role of the Scientific Resource Center (SRC) in relation to various EHC Program components; (b) coordinate and maintain updates of the EPC Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews; (c) provide scientific and technical support to protect scientific credibility and independence of EHC Program Products; (d) provide technical support, transparency, scientific support and conduct of topic development processes, including evaluations for the need to update reviews conducted under the EHC Program; (e) develop and maintain EHC Program resources, including a methods library, procedure documents and guidance tools, and mechanisms for collaboration and mutual learning; (f) staff experience, including their availability, experience, and training; (g) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (h) prior completed projects of similar nature; (i) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information; (j) corporate experience and management plan; and (k) facilities and resources. Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement, not to exceed 20 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement, as well as the eligible small business concern's name, point of contact, address and DUNS number. Information Submission Instructions: All Capability Statements sent in response to this SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Erin C. Lange, Contract Specialist, at Erin.Lange@ahrq.hhs.gov in MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by December 23, 2011, 3:00 PM, EST. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
- Web Link
-
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- Record
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