B -- BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS' INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM PRE-SOLICITATION CONFERENCE.

Notice Date

December 21, 2000

Contracting Office

Broadcasting Board of Governors, International Broadcasting Bureau, Office of Contracts (CON), 330 C Street, SW, Room 2500, Washington, DC 20237

ZIP Code

20237

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the Technical Point of Contact (sdemitz@IBB.GOV)

Description

I. INTRODUCTION: The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) intends to hold a pre-solicitation conference starting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 22, 2001 in Room 3318, Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue (SW), Washington, DC. At this conference the BBG will receive suggestions and comments from potential offerors and discuss with them the below summarized Request for Proposal (RFP) "concept" that may eventually result in a contract with a single firm to implement and administer the BBG's "International Audience Research Program." Any resultant contract or other acquisition arrangement pursuant to this pre-solicitation effort is subject to Congressional authorization and appropriation of funds. This pre-solicitation conference will provide prospective offerors an overview of the BBG's "concept" for the proposed International Audience Research Program, an overview of proposal submittal requirements, and a question and answer session. Offerors are cautioned that oral discussions and replies to questions posed at the conference, or at any other time, are not binding on the Government, or constitute any changes to the draft RFP. II. BACKGROUND: The BBG is an independent Federal entity which conducts U.S.-funded non-military international broadcasting. It derives its authority from P.L. 105-277. Based in Washington, DC, the BBG consists of the Voice of America (VOA), Radio and TV Marti (OCB), and Worldnet Television. Worldnet TV may become VOA-TV. VOA and Worldnet are headquartered in Washington, DC. OCB is located in Miami, FL. The BBG also makes and supervises grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL, Inc.) located in Prague, Czech Republic and to Radio Free Asia (RFA, Inc.) located in Washington, DC. Each of these entities has a unique mission under the law, and collectively they account for over 100 million regular listeners and viewers around the world. Broadcasts take place in 59 languages, and programs are delivered via shortwave, medium wave, and FM radio, as well as Internet, and in some cases satellite television. VOA and RFE/RL, Inc. increasingly rely on networks of overseas "affiliate stations" to reach expanded audiences. III. THE "CONCEPT" FOR CONTRACTING FOR THE BBG INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM: BBG audience research is currently conducted using two basic approaches. Under the first approach (e.g., VOA) research studies are designed, commissioned, and their results analyzed by in-house research staff. Under the second approach (e.g., RFE/RL, Inc.), a research director works with an outside contractor who performs or procures the studies and then produces reports for RFE/RL, Inc. Because of staffing limitations, RFA, Inc. uses a hybrid of these two approaches. Each entity currently develops an annual "Research Plan", using various combinations of quantitative and qualitative studies that produce information for end-users, such as the various VOA language services. The BBG believes that there are a number of advantages, both economic and otherwise, to competitively soliciting and contracting with a single outside research entity to perform and/or provide the bulk of the quantitative and qualitative research studies, as well as some of the analytical and archiving functions essential to meeting BBG's overall research needs. Upon completion of its initial coordination with industry via this conference, the BBG intends to issue a RFP during Spring, 2001, for a multi-year contract with a single audience research contractor. Assuming that the necessary funds are appropriated and available, the contract would commence on October 1, 2001 for a base period of one (1) year, plus two (2) additional option years. IV. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE PROPOSED AUDIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM: a. The BBG recognizes that current, accurate, and comprehensive audience research is essential to professional broadcasting. b. The BBG mandates that all language services have impact in their target areas. c. The language services must have access to a wide range of audience and market research to discern listening rates, media habits, content preferences, transmission means, distribution opportunities via local radio or TV affiliates, etc. d. Broadcast management and the BBG need audience research to measure broadcasting effectiveness. The BBG requires the latest audience research to perform general oversight and the BBG's annual language service reviews. e. Audience research is increasingly in demand to drive the overall BBG effort to reach the widest possible audience consistent with its broadcasting missions. V. CURRENT RESEARCH METHODS: The following types of quantitative and qualitative audience research methods are currently used by the BBG to meet the standard of basic annual research for various language services. Not every type of research method will be required for each language service. The specific research environment and the specific needs stipulated by the broadcasters, the Board, and/or in-house program evaluators will determine the exact mix of research methods used by the BBG and the proposed contractor. A. Quantitative Research: The aim of quantitative audience research is to achieve a basic measure of audience listening characteristics by answering such questions as who is using our services, how frequently, when, for how long, via which medium (AM/FM/shortwave radio, TV, Internet), etc. The BBG has mandated a standard whereby quantitative research data be available for each BBG language service on an annual basis. Procuring these data will take various forms, as outlined below. As has been the practice of BBG broadcasters, to the maximum extent possible the research shall be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Conference on International Broadcasting Audience Research (CIBAR). The commonly used forms of quantitative research in international broadcasting are as follows: 1. NATIONAL SURVEYS. Surveys conducted within the entire target country or region, and which are in most instances the BBG's preferred quantitative research method. 2. SELECTED CITY SURVEYS. Nationwide research is sometimes not possible for political or logistical reasons in some countries, such as Cuba. Nor is such research relevant in countries where BBG services lack shortwave distribution and offer only localized service through FM affiliates. In both cases, BBG will nonetheless pursue an appropriate quantitative measure using surveys in selected cities. 3. TRAVELER/EMIGRE SURVEYS. For a select group of countries, including Iraq and North Korea, no form of in-country research is possible. BBG will in these instances try to construct appropriate research studies among travelers and emigres. 4. ELITE SURVEYS. AElites@ are here defined in terms of functions or occupations and include leading politicians, business people, academics, journalists, and sometimes leading dissident thinkers. Elite surveys complement the measurement of the overall audience derived from national surveys. B. Qualitative Research: The aim of qualitative audience research is to provide feedback on existing or proposed programming for the purpose of discerning and probing the opinions of current, as well as potential, audience members as to programming content and presentation. Hence, qualitative research is designed especially to aid programming evaluation and development. The forms of qualitative research commonly used in international broadcasting are as follows: 1. FOCUS GROUPS. Focus groups consist of 6-8 people in a controlled research setting, who look at specific programming examples and concepts to evaluate current material, test programs, and generate new ideas. Focus groups can provide a group dynamic which can serve as a laboratory for innovative programming ideas and suggestions. 2. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. In some environments, political and logistical considerations preclude bringing people together for focus groups. The alternative is to hold one-on-one interviews. The purpose is the same, which is to obtain feedback on existing or proposed programming. These interviews usually include a listening exercise. 3. LISTENER MONITORING PANELS. Listener monitoring panels are a variant of qualitative audience research whose express purpose is to evaluate current programming. Typically, these panels involve 5-6 actual audience members in the broadcast area who listen individually to a set amount of programming during a fixed period and respond to a questionnaire. The panels are supplemented by an external expert control listener who reviews the same programming. VI. DATA-PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS: BBG presently envisions that the contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that survey data are cleaned and are available to end-users in electronic form. The selected contractor shall also produce written reports against specified deadlines in standardized formats as specified by the BBG. VII. THE PRE-SOLICITATION CONFERENCE: Based on the above information, the intent of the pre-solicitation conference is to provide a forum for attendees to objectively discuss the above Item III proposed "Concept Approach" for the BBG's conduct of a competitive audience research contracting effort with interested firms who have significant experience in the performance of international audience research or methodologically similar international social science research, and to obtain feedback from potential offerors on their suggested content of a Statement of Work (SOW) and other parts of a solicitation (RFP) document to be developed for this effort. It will also provide an opportunity for the BBG to hear and discuss industry's views on the "concept" approach summarized herein and its feasibility and timing of implementation. The ideas and information obtained from conference attendees will be taken into consideration by the BBG in its preparation of a SOW for the proposed contract, as well as other items to be included in the forthcoming RFP document. Background information concerning the entities in U.S. international broadcasting can be found at the following Internet URLs: www.ibb.gov/bbg/ and www.ibb.gov/ and www.ibb.gov/worldnet and www.ibb.gov/marti/ and www.rferl.org and www.rfa.org and www.voa.gov/ and www.voanews.com/. Currently planned agenda topics for the conference are tentatively as follows: 1) BBG concepts for the research program; 2) Basic objectives and constraints; 3) Proposed required qualifications of offerors; 4) The contracting selection process; 5) Highlights of the proposed solicitation document, including the Statement of Work and the terms and conditions of the solicitation document; 6) Definitions and standards of research; and 7) Working relationships under the proposed contract. Business firms or other organizations, and/or individuals who have recent (e.g., last 5 years) verifiable experience in international audience research or methodologically similar international social science research, and who plan to attend this conference, are herein requested to contact via E-mail message [sdemitz@ibb.gov] Broadcasting Board of Governors, Attn: Mr. Sherwood Demitz, at telephone (202) 619-1643 or facsimile at (202) 205-2176 to confirm their planned attendance. Contact NLT January 19, 2001. This special CBD Notice does not reflect the Government's firm requirements, and any statements made by Government representatives at the pre-solicitation conference shall not be construed as firm requirements of the Government. Firms and/or other attendees at this pre-solicitation conference and/or any of its follow-up activities will not be reimbursed for any costs associated with either the conference or any follow-up proposal preparation work; should the attendee become an offeror who submits a proposal in response to a forthcoming RFP. This special Public Notice is not an IFB or RFP or any other form of formal solicitation document.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001226/SPMSC008.HTM (W-356 SN5094S2)