Evaluation Capacity Building Services

The Federal Railroad Administration intends to award a contract on a other than full and open competitive basis, under the authority of FAR Part 6.302-1(a)(2) , with Daniel L. Stufflebeam for the development of a research & development program evaluation capacity building strategy and evaluation implementation plan. The anticipated period of performance for this effort is 6 months. Mr. Stufflebeam is considered uniquely qualified to provide the evaluation capacity building services described above to FRA. Mr. Stufflebeam is recently retired but was the Director of the Evaluation Center at the Western Michigan University (WMU) for 39 years, making significant scientific contributions to the field of evaluation. He led the development of standards for program and personnel evaluation and designed WMU's interdisciplinary doctoral program in evaluation. He led or assisted development of evaluation offices and systems for the U.S. Office of Education, National Center for Vocational and Technical Education, Southwest Regional Educational Laboratory, and the school districts in Columbus and Xenia, Ohio; Saginaw, Michigan; Dallas, Texas; and Montana State Education Department. He has conducted evaluations in education, community development, economic development, housing, military personnel evaluation, state and national assessment, and other areas; lectured and consulted in more than 20 countries; and advised and assisted many organizations in the United States and abroad. He helped found the American Evaluation Association (AEA). His publications include 24 books and monographs and about 100 journal articles and book chapters. His latest books include-edited with Thomas Kellaghan of Ireland-the International Handbook of Educational Evaluation (Springer, 2003) and-with Anthony Shinkfield of Australia-Evaluation Theory, Models, & Applications (Jossey-Bass, 2007). Currently, he is completing, with Dr. Chris Coryn, the second edition of Evaluation Theory, Models, & Applications and authoring a chapter on Institutionalizing/Mainstreaming Evaluation. He has developed numerous evaluation checklists and currently is completing an automated version of his Program Evaluations Metaevaluation Checklist (which is keyed to the 2011 edition of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation Program Evaluation Standards.) His AEA New Directions for Evaluation (NDE) monograph, titled Evaluation Models is NDE's all-time best seller. Recognitions include the American Evaluation Association's Paul Lazersfeld prize for contributions to evaluation theory, WMU's Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, the inaugural CREATE Jason Millman Award, WMU's annual Daniel L. Stufflebeam Graduate Student Travel Scholarship, and induction into The Ohio State University, College of Education Hall of Fame. FRA is unable to use full and open competition for this contract because of an inherent conflict of interest. A new IDIQ procurement that includes program evaluation support services is currently in review with the intention of multiple awards. Using one of our existing contractors, or one of the new contractors who may be bidding on the upcoming IDIQ contract, could create unfair competition and could cause that contractor to be disqualified from bidding on the procurement. Delaying the award of this contract until after the IDIQ contract has been awarded to avoid this inherent conflict of interest would not be in the best interest of the government due to the time delay. Even if timeliness were not a factor the inherent conflict of interest would still exist after the multiple award IDIQ contract is awarded. The outcome from this sole source procurement is intended to serve as a strategic guide not only to FRA R&D program managers, but also to the other contractors in their performance of evaluative functions for the FRA in the long term. Any contractor with a material and substantial vested interest in long-term contract work with FRA, who is also responsible for the development of strategic guidance both internal and external to the agency, would be naturally biased toward developing recommendations to suit their own interests. Moreover, having participated in the development of strategic guidance on program evaluation activities would give them a competitive edge over the other IDIQ contractors. Consequently, the hiring of a sole proprietor without any prior relationship to FRA, and who does not intend on bidding on substantial evaluative work with FRA, will eliminate any potential barriers to competition and any questions regarding unfair competition. Finally, the cost to the government of bringing a different contractor on board and up to speed at this time would be significant. Significant delays in strategic planning meetings and timely input to those meetings could cause harm to the strategic direction of the program. It is in the government's best interest to utilize the skill sets of Mr. Stufflebeam. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTATIONS. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Sources wishing to be considered MUST submit documentation prior to response date identified in this notice, in writing, to [email protected].