DHHS/Administration for Children and Families, Division of Acquisition Management, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, DC 20447

U -- PRODUCTION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE VIDEO TO ASSIST IN ESTABLISHMENT OF PATERNITY SOL ACF-980188 DUE 091098 POC Ben Sharp, Contract Specialist, (202)401-5408; Debbie Powell, Contracting Officer, (202)205-4916 The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement, is issuing a request for quotation to produce a technical assistance video for states regarding the benefits, rights and responsibilities of unwed parents who voluntarily acknowledge paternity. This procurement action will use Simplified Acquisition Procedures in FAR Part 13. THe Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC) for this purchase order is 7812. Any contractor/vendor able to meet requirements must demonstrate in writing by RFQ due date. This notice is intended for competitive purposes. You may E-mail questions/concerns to thte contract specialist Ben Sharp.2acf.dhhs.gov. Please include the following: Company Name; Address; Phone Number; Business Class;a d E-mail Address. NO PHONE CALLS ACCEPTED. All questions must be addressed in writing and will be answered in writing. Award will be made to the firm whose offer provides the best value to the Government, price, technical capability and past performance considered. Award may be made without discussions if the most favorable initial quote results in the lowest overall cost to the Government. Four (4) copies of all proposals, for the following statement of work should be delivered to the following address, (fax/E-mail copies not be accepted): U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 901 D Street, S.W., ACF Mailroom -- 2nd Floor, Wash., D.C. 20447, Attn: Ben Sharp, 2:00 p.m. EST (Any quotes received after the due date will not be considered or opened.) WRITTEN RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE PRICES AND TECHNICAL DATA SUFFICIENT TO DETERMINE CAPABILITY. PURPOSE: The purpose of this public education video is to encourage unwed parents to voluntarily acknowledge paternity, help states comply with the oral notification requirement, communicate to unwed parents the emotional and financial benefits to a child supported by two parents and to articulate the legal rights and financial consequences of signing a voluntary acknowledgment. SPECIFIC TASKS Task 1: Within 5 days of award of contract, the contractor shall meet or discuss via conference call with the Federal Project Officer (FPO) to review the activities in the scope of work, the schedule of deliverables, reporting requirements and any other related issues.Task 2: Video Script The contractor will develop a draft video script (before video production) within 30 days of award to be approved by the FPO located in the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). The FPO in coordination with OCSE/state experts will provide the content expertise, and a narrative outline to assist the contractor in developing the script. The final script will be submitted to the FPO within 15 days after receiving feedback/edits from the FPO on the draft script. Prior to production, the story boards and scripts must be submitted by OCSE to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (OASPA). Prior to finalization of any release versions, the rough cuts must be submitted to OASPA for written approval. The video script should: define paternity; promote fatherhood;describe voluntary acknowledgment as an alternative to court-ordered paternity; explain the reason for the video;(e.g., new laws, new opportunities for unwed parents) encourage unwed parents to establish paternity at birth; explain that unwed couples living together still must sign a paternity acknowledgment in order to legally establish their child's paternity; explain why paternity establishment is in their child's best interest (e.g., emotional, psychological & financial) outline the specific steps that unwed parents need to take to establish paternity and what should they expect; mention that specific custody and visitation arrangements need to be pursued through a separate court action along with a very general explanation how this process works; to the extent possible, promote the use of parenting plans as a nonadversarial way of sharing parenting joys and establishing parenting responsibilities; and explain in simple, 6th grade-level English, the legal rights and financial responsibilities that might occur as a result of signingthe voluntary acknowledgment. Target Audience: unwed and/or single parents teens and young adultsother "designated" entities responsible for making available voluntary acknowledgment of paternity services (e.g., WIC, Head Start, etc.) Video Content Birthing hospitals and vital records offices, by law, must provide mothers and fathers with the opportunity to voluntarily establish their child's paternity at the time of birth or immediately thereafter. When moms and dads show up at the birthing hospital or vital records office, they will be given information materials on the benefits of paternity establishment. They will also be given a legal form a paternity acknowledgment that will need to be signed by both parents and either witnessed or notarized by another party. Dads will need a proof of identity. The signed acknowledgment will then be sent to the state birth records agency and the name of the legal father will appear on the child's birth certificate. There are two ways that dads can get their name on their child's birth certificate: (1) when both parents voluntarily sign a paternity acknowledgment form; and (2) when it has been ordered by the court, most often after genetic testing is done to prove or disprove a father's paternity. Since paternity can be established for children born to unmarried parents until they are 18 years or older (dependent upon state law), parents might choose to voluntarily sign a paternity acknowledgment and file it with the vital records agency. In the future, there may be other sites (e.g., family planning centers, pre-natal clinics, WIC sites, and Head Start centers) where unwed parents can voluntarily acknowledge paternity. Inform both parents that they have 60 days from the date they sign the paternity acknowledgment to change their minds. After this date, it would be difficult for a parent to rescind the acknowledgment and could only be challenged on the basis of fraud, duress or material mistake of fact. The burden of proof would rest on the challenger. Explain in simple terms that a signed paternity acknowledgment becomes the judicial equivalent of a paternity order unless it is challenged within 60 days of signing. It also establishes a legal relationship between father and child. Once paternity has been established, a child born to unmarried parents has the same rights as a child to married parents (e.g., financial support, medical support, survivor benefits, etc.) One "side-benefit" is the child having access to grandparents and an extended family. Voluntary acknowledgments can also serve as the basis for establishing visitation, custody, and child support although a separate court action would have to be initiated. (Explain in greater detail how this works & emphasize the point that most parents can reach agreement on these issues). Inform parents that if they are unsure or have their doubts regarding paternity, they could choose to: request blood or genetic tests to prove or disprove paternity; seek legal counsel before signing the paternity acknowledgment form; and/or waive the opportunity to sign an acknowledgment.Task 3: Video Production: It is envisioned that portions of the video will be produced at a studio and a maximum of 7 different on-site locations that might reflect the following suggestions: (a) Make sure that unwed persons interviewed or portrayed in the video represent a balance in racial, ethnic, geographic (rural vs. urban), age, and economic diversity; (b) Conduct interviews with teen parents or young adults regarding what it was like for them to grow up without fathers; (c) Interview unwed parents in describing the realties of becoming a parent; (d) Use "up-beat", contemporary music that would appeal to a younger audience (i.e., 15 -- 29 years); (e) Provide space at the end of the video so that states are able to include a "tag lines" with state-specific information. Length of Time: 10 minutes Deliverables to FPO: 80 Beta Masters, 200 labeled VHS tapes All materials produced under this contract belong to the federal government which has final approval authority for the final video. Task 4: Estimated Costs for Separate Video in Spanish Offerors are asked to provide a separate cost estimate regarding the development of a similar but separate video in Spanish according to the same information requirements and production specifications outlined in the English-speaking video. In other words, the same tasks that are required for the English-speaking video would also be applied to the Spanish-speaking video. The government reserves the right to fund this task at a later date. Task 5: Progress and Financial Reports: English Language Video (and Spanish Language if funded) The contractor should provide bi-weekly status reports on the status of each task including resources/funds expended, potential issues and suggested resolutions. The report should be a brief narrative. The contractor shall submit a final status report and a financial report at the end of the project. The final status report shall include the final results of the contract and the final financial report should include budget line items, e.g., number of hours/people engaged in various tasks. EVALUATION CRITERIA -- a. Understanding the Scope of Work/Technical Approach -- 25% The offeror's proposal must demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of the video, especially in addressing the needs of hospital and other types of designated agency staff to train them on helping parents voluntarily acknowledge paternity. The proposal must also demonstrate the technical requirements to produce a high quality video that meets the specifications as outlined in the scope of work. b. Project Management Plan -- 20% The offeror must provide a project management plan which outlines the tasks and includes the types of staff designated and hours required to perform the various tasks as well as a schedule of the deliverables. c. Corporate Experience -- 25% The offeror shall demonstrate its experience in the production of videos for Federal social service programs; experience with child support and paternity establishment programs is required. Offerors are requested to send a demo video copy along with their contract proposal as a way to demonstrate experience. d. Past Experience -- 15% The offeror shall provide references demonstrating the performance of similar projects. e. Costs -- 15% Reasonableness of costs in relation to specific tasks. The anticipated period of performance is three months. This requirement is being set-aside for small business concerns. Proposals are due September 10, 1998. Contractors are hereby are hereby advised any purchase order resulting from this solicitation will require a written acceptance. Posted 08/24/98 (W-SN241038). (0236)

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