This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Request for Proposal (RFP) No. AHRQ-09-10006
Amendment 1
The purpose of this amendment is to:
- Respond
to Questions
- Provide
an Interested Vendor List
1. Response
to Questions
- Is there
an incumbent(s) for this contract?
Yes.
- Is
CMM/CMMI certification mandatory for offerors?
No. The offerors are asked to provide what certification
level, if any, they have obtained
- The RFP
states: "For this particular acquisition, the 2009 AHRQ
recommended goal (as a percentage of total contract value for the base
period) is 19 percent for Small Businesses, which shall include at least 5.5 percent
(as a percentage of total planned subcontract dollars for the base period)
for Small Disadvantaged Businesses, at least 5 percent (as a percentage of total
planned subcontract dollars total planned subcontract dollars for the base
period) for Women-Owned Small Businesses, and at least 3 percent (as a percentage
of total planned subcontract dollars for the base period) for HUBZone [Historically Underutilized Business Zone]
Small Businesses and at least 3 percent (as a percentage of total planned
subcontract dollars for the base period) for Service Disabled
Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. These goals represent AHRQ's expectations
of the minimum level for subcontracting with small business at the prime
contract level."
- Pages 1
and 113 of the RFP address the recommended goals for small business and
small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs). The percentage of small
business participation is given in terms of the total contract value for
the base period (19 percent of the total contract value for the base year), while
the percentages for SDBs are given in terms of the percentage of total
planned subcontract dollars for the base year. On page 113, the
overall percentage goal is given as 20 percent of the total contract value. Is it
intended that the small business participation should be in terms of the
total planned subcontract dollars for the base year instead of the total
contract value for the base year? That is, should it read "the 2009
AHRQ recommended goal (as a percentage of the total planned subcontract
dollars for the base period) is 19 percent for Small Businesses"?
No. It is 19 percent of the total contract value for the base
period.
- Page 1
indicates that a cost reimbursement performance-based contract is
contemplated. Elsewhere in the RFP (page 97), it indicates that it
will be a cost reimbursement type contract. No additional
information is provided concerning "performance-based" fee award criteria
and the evaluation procedures. Please clarify the type of contract
that is intended. If fee award is intended, please provide evaluation
procedures, evaluation criteria, and rating scale.
This is an error. This contract will NOT be a
performance-based contract.
- What is
the current format of the MEPS [Medical Expenditure Panel Survey] data files?
ASCII files with SAS format statements.
- Will the
HCUP [Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project] files remain on both the AHRQ and contractor site, or will they be
consolidated?
Yes, the HCUP files will remain on
both the AHRQ and contractor site.
- Is the
online statistical computing system (MEPSnet/HC [Household Component]) a proprietary solution or
COTS?
It was developed by the incumbent contractor, but the new
vendor will be provided the code and documentation.
- Page 15—"Additionally, the contractor shall provide
mainframe support for AHRQ research activities upon request."—What mainframe computers does AHRQ use?
AHRQ has access to National Institutes
of Health (NIH) mainframe
computers.
- The
proposal states in section B.4 that IT [information technology] Hardware and Software are
non-allowable—we anticipate that the execution of the contract will
require hardware and software—are these items allowable if incorporated
in the proposal?
B.4 states that IT Hardware and Software are unallowable as
a direct cost unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer.
An offeror may propose IT Hardware or Software; however, the successful offeror
must still request advance permission to incur costs for IT Hardware and
Software under the contract.
- The RFP
notes that AHRQ has plans to Web-enable all data sets using Oracle—has
this project commenced? Is the use of Oracle a requirement? Is
this within the scope of this project?
The MEPS Web site was developed using JAVA server pages
with Oracle as the back end relational database management system.
- A.1.B—Analytic File Construction: Would this be hourly work
to specific orders or would we be encouraged to provide insight and
leadership? Does the contract envision transitioning this to a set
of re-usable, interchangeable components over time?
Hourly work to specific orders. Most
analytic files are for one-time projects.
- Where is
the data stored presently? What formats are used?
At the contractor's facility; ASCII files with SAS format
statements.
- Is data
normalization part of this proposal?
Not for MEPS.
- To the
extent that novel data manipulation applications are developed, would
Bayh-Dole apply to those applications which do not need to be public use
and are not specific to AHRQ?
Yes, the Bayh-Dole Act applies to applications developed
under the contract which do not need to be public use and are not specific to
AHRQ. The Federal Government, however, retains "March-in" rights to
license the applications to a third party, without the consent of the patent
holder or original licensee, where it determines the applications are not being
made available to the public on a reasonable basis.
- Besides
SAS, what are the languages used to provide programming support?
SUDAAN, STATA, STAT Transfer, and LIMDEP.
- What is
the size of the MEPS and HCUP databases?
Each year, MEPS produces 50 hierarchical database segments of
raw data, which consist of about 4,000 variables.
- What
tools are currently used for software version control, defect tracking,
requirements management, test management, and software build?
None. Most of the programming support are done through
statistical packages (e.g., SAS, STATA, SUDAAN). We have not developed any new
software under this contract in quite some time.
- Who is
the current contractor? Is the current contractor allowed to submit a
proposal?
Social & Scientific Systems. Yes, as this RFP is being
competed as full and open.
- What is
the value of the current contract?
Approximately $27 million over 5 years.
- Can you
provide details about what constitutes the AHRQ Data Center?
Link to description on the Web: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/onsite_datacenter.jsp
- Provides
researchers access to non-public use MEPS data (except directly identifiable
information).
- Mode of data
analysis:
- On a secure
LAN at AHRQ, Rockville.
- Task order
agreement with data contractor.
- Combinations
of both.
- Secure room
- Terminal
connected to secure LAN
- SAS, STATA,
GAUSS, Stat Transfer, SUDAAN, Limdep, EQS software available, and others upon
request
- Limited staff
support by people who know:
- The data.
- The
confidentiality issues.
- The software
ADP contractor will provide 1 full-time-equivalent (FTE) for on-site support of the
data center.
- Is it
single site data processing facility?
Yes.
- What are
the applicable connected systems for this RFP? How are they
connected?
There are no connected systems.
- Can you provide
specifics about data center components and SLAs [service level agreements] related to Section A.1.9,
Processing Environment?
The AHRQ data center operates in a secure, standalone LAN
environment.
- What HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] Agency
hosts the AHRQ Data Center?
AHRQ.
- What is the
Uptime Institute tier classification? Does the AHRQ Data Center require Tier Certification? What level (I-IV)?
The MEPS raw data has been
classified as NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] level 3.
Top of Page
2. Interested
Vendor List
BearingPoint, Inc.
McLean, VA 22102
POC: Cyrus Choy, Managing Director
Benchmark Research & Safety
Moscow, ID 83843
POC: Curt Braun, President
Infradant, LLC
Summerfield, FL 34491
POC: Helen Phillips, President
Plano Research Corporation
Plano, TX 75024
Amol Chopra, Business Director
Quick Beam Convergence Technologies Inc.
Gaithersburg MD 20879
POC : Marsha Barbour, President
Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc.
Arlington, VA 22209
POC: Linda Hazelhurst, Director, Business Development
Top of Page
Current as of February 2009
|
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850