Contracts Department, P. O. Drawer 43019, MCLB, Albany, GA 31704- 3019

R -- OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR DEFENSE MANPOWER DATA CENTER SURVEYS SOL M67004-98-R-0008 DUE 050198 POC Cynthia Gubitti, Contract Specialist, Code 892, (912)439-6741 Contracting Officer, Helen Daughtry, Code 892, (912)439-6741. The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) requires operational support for surveys on an as-needed, task-specified basis. DMDC conducts surveys at the request of various DoD offices and agencies. Requests are made throughout the year, and surveys vary greatly in topic, size, operational complexity, and timing. Surveys are generally optically scanned, with sample sizes ranging from about 6,000 to about 40,000, but may occasionally be 200,000 or more. Multiple mailings are usually required -- for example, a recent survey of 77,000 members required over 4.5 times that number of pieces to be mailed and resulted in surveys being returned by about half the sample. Operational support for DMDC surveys involves assembly/distribution activities such as obtaining and assembling DMDC-approved survey material and distributing them according to a DMDC-approved administration plan using Government-supplied sample files and contact instructions. Operational support also includes receiving survey materials and processing them according to DMDC-approved coding schemes and programs; preparing flat (ASCII or EBCDIC) files and SAS datasets with all variable and value labels; and documenting survey administration and datasets with text and codebooks. The operations contractor is also responsible for developing all programs used in processing the data (e.g., for scanning Optical Mark Read (OMR) paper surveys, assembling data files from surveys distributed on diskettes, creating SAS datasets and format catalogues). Open-ended responses may need to be transcribed by keypunching, recorded as images, and/or coded either from custom designed coding schemes or from established coding procedures such as those used by the Census Bureau for occupations and ethnic groups. DMDC typically uses 4- to 24 page OMR-format survey booklets designed to be read on properly adjusted scanners such as the NCS OpScan 21. These surveys usually include areas for written respones that have to be key entered. Some small or special purpose surveys may be on non-electronic format on diskettes (e.g., produced by Sawtooth Ci3 or RaoSoft) and, therefore, require distributing and compiling computer files. Other methodologies may be used in the future, particulary Intelligent Character Reading (ICR) combined with imaging technology. East Task Order will specify which activites are required, the medium (i.e., OMR paper, non-OMR paper, electronic) to be used, and format options (file type and medium (e.g., FTP transfer, diskette, tape, CD-ROM)) for the sample files and for the deliverable datasets and documentation. Some or all of these support activities may be required for any given survey. Rapid response on each Task Order will be essential to avoid delaying tight timelines. Frequent coordination with DMDC staff shall be required for each Task Order. Therefore, the ability to send and receive files electronically (e.g., via FTP, the world wide web and e-mail) that are compatible with DMDC capabilities is required. NO PHONE REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Solicitation packages will be available on or about May 1, 1998 and the closing date will be on or about June 1, 1998. Request for solicitation must be in writing, Attn: Carol McConnell, Code 890-2 (0069)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0072 19980312\R-0004.SOL)