D -- WEB PLANNING AND EVALUATION

Notice Date

September 10, 2001

Contracting Office

National Library of Medicine, Office of Acquisitions Management, Building 38A, Room B1N17, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20894

ZIP Code

20894

Solicitation Number

N/A

Response Due

September 26, 2001

Point of Contact

Liem T. Nguyen, Contract Specialist, 301-496-6546

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the Contract Specialist via (nguyenl@mail.nlm.nih.gov)

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for Commercial Items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information contained in this notice. This procurement is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with FAR Part 13. It is the intent of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to procure specialized web planning and evaluation process services on a sole source basis with the following vendors: 1) Cyber Dialogue, New York, NY 10013, 2) comScore, Reston, VA 20190, and 3) Nielsen/NetRatings, Inc., Mipitas, CA 95035 under the authority 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1 (b)(1). The Internet and World Wide Web (www or web) now play a dominant role in the dissemination of NLM information services. The web environment in which NLM operates is rapidly changing and intensely competitive. These two factors combined requires the need for a more comprehensive and dynamic NLM web planning and evaluation process. Accordingly, NLM Director established a Web Evaluation Work Group that has been operating for eighteen (18) months. The continuing priorities of the Work Group include: 1) quantitative and qualitative metrics of web usage; 2) measures of customer perception and use of NLM web sites, and 3) monitoring of the quality of Internet connections by which users access NLM information services. The Work Group continues to pursue an integrated approach intended to encourage exchange of information and learning within NLM , and help better inform NLM management decision-making on web site research, development, and implementation. The Work Group will continues to review and discuss a range of internal and external activities. These vendors shall provide NLM with the services as follows: -- CyberDialogue will support NLM in its efforts of pursuing an integrated approach intended to encourage exchange of information and learning within NLM, and update NLM's management about decision-making on web site research, development, and implementation. The vendor shall provide NLM with a one-year subscription to CyberCitizen Health. This includes: 1) CyberCitizen Health survey results (2,000+ nationwide randomly sampled respondents surveyed by in-depth telephone interview -- health information online users and non-users) covering the following topics: online access characteristics; use of search engines and directories; content sought online -- general and health-specific; online commerce -- general and health-specific; offline media usage and its impact; general health profile; attitudes toward physicians, health care, and the Internet; the role of privacy, security, and trust; planned use of the Internet and health information; 2) Cybercitizen Health Survey Quarterly Updates of consumer behavior database; 3) Cybercitizen Health Monthly Industry Briefs -- commentary and expert analysis of industry events and trends based on proprietary consumer database; 4) Cybercitizen Health Weekly Trends Reports -- graphical analysis of the latest data on online user demographic, usage patterns, spending, etc.; 5) Cybercitizen Health Annual Internet Forecast Brief -- five-year forecast; 6) password access to all reports and databases online; 7) Cybercitizen Health Client Inquiry Service -- custom reports and analysis as needed by the client (up to 10 hours of analyst time); and 8) one on-site briefing session on the survey results. The vendor also shall provide NLM with the following MEDLINEplus follow-up services: 1) plan and conduct five online focus groups, with approximately 8-12 participants per focus group to be selected from the 1300 MEDLINEplus survey respondents who indicated interest in participating in a follow-up study; 2) prepare a written report on the online focus group results; 3) plan and conduct an online follow-up survey, with approximately 300 respondents to be selected from the 1300 MEDLINEplus survey respondents who indicated interest in participating in a follow-up study; and 4) prepare a written report on the follow-up survey results. Other vendors' surveys are more general in nature and if covering health, emphasize marketing, provider, and/or product line concerns rather than health information concerns. Cyberdialogue is only the only known vendor that offers the custom online and user surveys with benchmarking to its nationwide in-depth consumer surveys. NLM desires to compare the results of CybercitizenHealth 2001 with CybercitizenHealth 2000 in order to detect any significant trends or changes. This necessitates that the 2000 survey methodology be replicated. Also, NLM desires to compare the results of the MEDLINEplus follow-up focus groups and survey with the original MEDLINEplus online survey results, and with the CyberCitizenHealth results, again requiring consistent and comparable methodologies for all required work. -- comScore Networks, Inc. shall provide NLM with: a) netScore Internet Traffic Reports, with monthly data on the following parameters unique visitors, visits/visitor, pages/visitor, minutes/visitor, pages/visit, minutes/visit; and b) Custom Analysis Reports, on specific drill-down domains within NLM top level domain, with data on the following parameters unique visitors, percentage reach, unique visits, visits/visitor. Drill-down domains to be specified by NLM. In the past year NLM contracted with PCDataOnline, Inc. for Internet audience measurement services. PCDataOnline was selected based on its high degree of flexibility, opportunity for custom surveys, and lower cost factor compared to the competition. PCDataOnline provided NLM useful data through February 2001, when the company went out of business and was bought by comScore Networks, Inc. comScore Networks, Inc. honored the PCDataOnline contract with NLM by providing netScore data for the duration of the contract. Additionally, comScore took steps to reconcile the netScore data with PCDataOnline data to assure a complete and continuous time series. comScore is the only vendor able to maintain continuity with the earlier PCData time series data which offers the necessary flexibility in meeting NLM's needs for drill down data on NLM's web sites, and provide a more complete coverage of the domestic (home, school, work) and international user segments thus offering a basis for more comprehensive and accurate usage estimates. -- Nielsen/NetRatings, Inc. shall provide NLM with: a) Nielsen/NetRatings Audience Measurement Service for U.S.; and b) Custom Property Reports for two domains, MEDLINEplus and PubMed. After conducting searches of the web and consumer health sites and making inquiries of persons and organizations familiar with these markets, to identify potential contractors, NLM has determined that Cyber Dialogue, CyberSeniors.org, comScore Networks, Inc., and Nielsen/NetRatings Inc. are the only vendors that could meet NLM's needs and able to provide the needed services. Any other source would not be able to meet NLM's needs and within the limited budget. This is not a Request for Quotations (RFQ), nor is a RFQ available; however, all responsible and responsive sources may submit a proposal which will be considered by the NLM. Firms interested in responding to this notice must be able to provide all services as specified and listed above. Responses should sufficiently demonstrate the firm's ability to meet the government's requirements. Responses are required within fifteen (15) calendar days from the publication date of this notice. Inquires regarding this procurement may be made to Liem T. Nguyen, NLM on (301) 496-6546.*****

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010912/DSOL012.HTM (W-253 SN50X1U5)