SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Revalidation and Update of GM's DRAM and ORAM
- Notice Date
- 5/22/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541720
— Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B130, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1410, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1410
- Solicitation Number
- SB1350-15-I-02702
- Archive Date
- 6/13/2015
- Point of Contact
- Monica Brown, Phone: 2024820932
- E-Mail Address
-
monica.brown@trade.gov
(monica.brown@trade.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This notice is for market research and planning purpose only and does not obligate the Government to any contractual agreement. This is not a request for proposal. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses, nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted, nor will respondents be notified of the review of the information received. The information obtained from this Request for Information (RFI) will be utilized as market research for consideration in development of the Acquisition Strategy and Acquisition Plan for this requirement. The Government will not reimburse interested sources for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. Information provided herein is subject to change and in no way binds the Government to solicit for or award a contract. The purpose of this Request for Information is to determine the companies capable of performing the effort described herein. 1. BACKGROUND: The mission of the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the Department of Commerce is to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promote trade and investment, and ensure fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of U.S. trade laws and agreements. Global Markets (GM) is one of three business units within ITA that promotes this mission. GM promotes U.S. exports, particularly those of small- and medium-sized enterprises, and protects United States commercial interests abroad through market access case work. GM operates a network of offices in 108 domestic locations and in more than 120 cities in 79 markets. Overseas offices are staffed by 245 Foreign Service Officers (approximately 40 officers also serve in domestic assignments) and approximately 960 locally hired employees. Domestic offices are staffed by 322 trade specialists, Foreign Service officers on domestic tours, and support staff. GM uses a "Domestic Resource Allocation Model" (DRAM) and an "Overseas Resource Allocation Model" (ORAM) to guide decision-making about domestic and international employee allocation. The DRAM includes small and medium-sized (SME) enterprise counts weighted by factors derived from Industry Export Intensiveness data at the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and County levels, as well as forecasts for growth in SME counts. The ORAM model includes economic/commercial data related to market potential for U.S. exports and to GM's mission, and produces a ranking of countries, with higher-ranked countries warranting more staff than lower-ranked countries. The data are used by GM's senior management in making informed resource allocation decisions. The model relies upon current (as of the time of contract award) economic data, although the existing data can be used as a template to guide the construction/validation of the new model. The DRAM model includes data informing the export intensiveness of key industry sectors, and the counts of SMEs by sectors at the MSA and County levels. Both models are reviewed and vetted internally by ITA's Industry & Analysis (I&A) unit, which is the unit within ITA that provides data, analysis, and recommendations on policy and promotion issues affecting U.S. industry competitiveness in a global setting to maximize U.S. gains in trade negotiations. 2. DESCRIPTION/: GM is seeking Contractor support services to update its ORAM and DRAM. Both models were last updated in December 2014. The duration of this contract is five (5) years; this will include a base year and four (4) option years. - The Contractor shall propose, develop, and implement a methodology to revalidate and update the DRAM, ORAM, and Industry Export Intensiveness data. ‘Validate' means that the model is accurate and reliable in serving its intended purpose. Factors determining reliability and accuracy include application of variables directly relevant to GM's mission, using best available data sources, eliminating extraneous or redundant variables, and assessing implications of variances. The purpose of the models is to provide an objective reference point and an aid for GM decision making for the allocation of domestic and overseas resources based on the best potential for U.S. exporters. - The Contractor shall have the personnel and resources to provide efficient and cost-effective support services to revalidate, revise accordingly, and update the Domestic Resource Allocation Model, Overseas Resource Allocation Model, and the Industry Export Intensiveness data. - The Contractor shall develop and implement a methodology to revalidate, revise, and update the DRAM. ‘Validate' means that the model is accurate and reliable from the standpoint of serving its intended purpose. Factors affecting accuracy and reliability to be included in the model: - Variables directly relevant to GM's mission and resource allocation decisions - Use of best available data sources - Elimination of extraneous or redundant variables - Comparison of current resource allocation practices to model-suggested allocation to assess implications of variances. - Among the activities the Contractor shall include in development of the models: - Meet with Industry & Analysis (I&A) officials conducting economic/commercial analyses in support of NEI (National Export Initiative) Next (e.g., to identify top country/export sector combinations) to consider whether/how these analytic approaches should be incorporated into the DRAM and the ORAM. - Identify variables that could be dropped (based on redundancy or for other reasons). - Consider variables that could supersede existing data streams as more reliable, more comprehensive, or better indicators of what the variable signifies. - Consider new variables based on availability of new data streams directly relevant to the model's purpose or consider a new analytic approach if merited based on the model review process. - Consider incorporating add-factors to the model that are based on Administration priorities, if relevant to the model's purpose and aligned with GM's central resource allocation strategy. - Perform sensitivity analysis. For example, check model results for consistency across countries, and alter weights ("shock" the model) within data categories to determine whether this affects the overall tier in which a country is ranked. - Cross-check model-suggested allocation with current staff allocation and assess implications of anomalies. - Provide documentation for data selection/elimination and citations for data sources. - For the DRAM, ensure that data at the MSA and county levels on SME counts by sector is included. Propose a means to map those data with ITA-defined industry sectors in the assignment of both Sector leaders positions and the proper assignment of industry sector responsibilities to client-facing personnel. - Design and document the model such that ITA technical staff can conduct routine updates and make modifications in the future. Meet with ITA technical staff prior to finalizing documentation to answer questions and ensure documentation answers questions raised. 3. INSTRUCTIONS This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. This RFI is in support of market research being conducted to identify potential capable sources. The Government intends to award a firm fixed price contract for this effort. Contractors responding to this notice shall submit the following information to Monica Brown, Contracting Officer, at monica.brown@trade.gov Response Date: 12:00 pm on Tuesday, May 5th EST by email to Monica Brown, Contracting Officer monica.brown@trade.gov Submission contents: 1. Company Information to include: a. Points of contact, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers b. Identification as a large U.S. business, small U.S. business, or foreign business c. Contract numbers under GSA Schedule 874, Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS), SIN 874-1, Integrated Consulting Services 2. Summary of related capabilities information based upon the questions listed below. It should be brief and concise. Limit responses to a total page limit of ten (10) 8 ½" x 11" pages. Pages shall be single-spaced and one-sided. Font shall be Times New Roman and no smaller than 10 pt with at least a one-inch margin. Electronic submissions must be in a Microsoft Word compatible format. 3. Past Experience: Provide no more than 3 examples of relevant company experience within the past three (3) years. No more than 3 pages per example. a. Company/division name b. Program/Project Name c. Contracting Agency d. Contract Number e. Type of Contract f. Period of Performance g. Original and Current Contract Value h. Brief description of the contract effort i. Name, address, and telephone number of Government Program Manager/Director, Administrative Contracting Officer, Procuring Contracting Officer 4. Any other information you deem necessary to evaluate your capabilities. The following questions must be answered and elaborated on as part of the package: 1. Describe your company's experience with directly-relevant and extensive experience completing projects that required economic modeling, market size estimation, and competitor analysis. The staff will consist of economists representing wide-ranging subject matter expertise and strong statistical and econometric capabilities. 2. Describe your company's available resources, in number, worldwide location, and technical expertise to furnish and utilize proprietary risk assessment data through in-house advisory groups that conduct risk assessments at a country and regional (i.e. Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Western Hemisphere) level. In particular, the "World Economic Service" describes extensive economic forecast information and expertise directly relevant to validating and updating ORAM, as "Global market sizing in a current and forecast context for over 66 industry sectors in 80 countries in a manner consistent with global market forces." 4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Washington, DC Any information submitted by respondents to this sources sought is strictly voluntary. The Government does not intend to respond to questions concerning this requirement at this time. The Government reserves the right to contact the submitting parties on an as required basis for further clarification on material provided.
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