Department of Veterans Affairs, Acquisition Opeations Service (93A), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420

Q -- RISK COMMUNICATION PROGRAM SOL RFP 101-11-00 DUE 031700 POC Meliss A. Powell, 202-273-8792 WEB: VA Business Opportunities, http://www.va.gov.oa&mm/bussopp.htm. E-MAIL: Contracting Officer, melissa.powell@mail.va.gov. The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to enter into a firm fixed price, sole-source contract, with Dr. Rebecca Parkin, Associate Research Professor at the School of Public Health and Health Services of the George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC). Dr. Parkins will initiate a risk communication program directed at Gulf War veterans and their families who are concerned about the long-term health effects of anthrax vaccinations that the veterans received during the Gulf War. The objectives shall include interviews with Gulf War veterans and others about the factors that affect their judgements of the trustworthiness and competence of people and organizations involved with the vaccination program; laying the foundations for a sustainable risk management approach; establishing the basis of a transferable know-how for other risk communication initiatives; and developing approaches that will be appropriate for communicating risk information to veterans. The Contractor shall provide reports from GWUMC that address the above issues, including analysis of Gulf War veterans attitudes towards various information sources including VA; "expert models" describing sources of information that influence these attitudes; and specific recommendations for improving internet communication performance. Posted 03/02/00 (W-SN430227). (0062)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0059 20000306\Q-0005.SOL)