B -- SOURCES SOUGHT FOR SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS FOR WIC PARTICIPANT AND PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS 2002 AND 2004 STUDY

Notice Date

May 9, 2001

Contracting Office

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Contract Management Branch, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 228, Alexandria, VA 22302

ZIP Code

22302

Solicitation Number

FNS 01-036SUZ

Response Due

May 22, 2001

Point of Contact

Suzanne A. Pastura, Contract Specialist

Description

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is seeking capability statements from qualified small business firms nationwide with high-level data analysis capabilities adequate to conduct the biennial Participant and Program Characteristics (PC) data collections which are based on management information systems of State Agencies. Data analyses for PC2002 and PC2004 will build upon the WIC Minimum Data Set and Supplemental data items which are collected through ongoing management information systems of State Agencies that administer the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. If all Options are exercised, PC2002 and/or PC2004 will also include a survey of all WIC State Agencies and a nationally representative survey of WIC local agencies. The local agency survey will collect information on local WIC program characteristics including operating features related to nutrition services, nutrition education and counseling and referrals. The contractor shall examine patterns in the data and perform analyses which could reveal trends in Minimum Data set items when examined in conjunction with previous PC data. The contractor shall explore the potential for linking data from State or local agencies and participant characteristics in order to determine potential relationships between agency services and patterns in participation. The data collection requires sizable and sustained staffing of researchers, computer programmers and systems analysts to gain data submission from 88 State agencies, assure completeness and sufficiency of data items, and build national as well as State representative computations from these multiple data sources. The contractor must have proven experience in secondary analysis of data files on a national level, i.e., taking data from an outside source and developing strategies for analysis that produce useful information for a specific national purpose. In addition, the contractor staff needs to fully understand the regulatory requirements of the WIC Program at the federal level and also be able to adjust to the flexibility permitted States in operating the WIC Program. Widely diverse technical considerations are required to be applied covering concepts such as income and poverty, nutritional deficiencies, as well as medical and biochemical measurements signaling health risks among women of child-bearing age, infants, and children. Demographic research factors such as age, race, sex are also built into construction of computations and development of findings from the data supplied by State WIC agencies. Beyond the technical requirements of data analysis, the provision of adequate and integrated machine capacity to process data on over 8 million individuals must be sustained by the contractor. Because States provide data without uniform quality controls, the contractor must be able to work with each State agency on an individual basis and accommodate competing demands on the time and attention of State agency staffs. Again substantial, sustained staffing commitments must be made to assure continuity and uniformity in gathering and treating the data. The duration of this contract is approximately 50 months. If your organization fully meets these requirements, send a corporate capability statement to Suzanne A. Pastura, Contract Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service, Contract Management Branch, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 228, Alexandria, VA 22302 no later than May 22, 2001. The capability statement must include information which demonstrates that the contractor meets the requirements listed above. Data faxed capability statements will not be accepted.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010511/BSOL007.HTM (W-129 SN50L657)