SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE 1. Notice ID: AP-FNS-21-0176 2. Title: WIC Participants and Characteristics Study 2022 3. Classification Code: AQ91 Other Services-Other Social Services-Basic Research 4. NAICS Code: 541690 Other Scientific Technical and Consulting Services 5. Description: This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources to conduct the WIC Participants and Program Characteristics Study 2022. This notice is issued to help determine the availability of qualified companies technically capable of meeting the Government requirement and to direct the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. This notice is strictly for research and information purposes only. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. Background: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) intends to issue a procurement for a contractor to conduct the WIC Participants and Program Characteristics Study in 2022 and is seeking statements of capability from potential offerors. Purpose and Objectives: FNS is seeking a contractor to conduct the WIC Participants and Program Characteristics Study 2022 (WIC PC 2022). This includes other than small business, small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDB), 8(a) small businesses, woman-owned small businesses (WOSB), veteran owned small business (VOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB) and Historically Under-utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business. All responding small business firms are requested to identify their firm size and type of business to anticipated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code. Project requirements: Since WIC PC 1992, FNS has collected information on WIC participants nationwide by compiling data that State agencies regularly collect from participants at the time of certification and for ongoing case management. These agencies maintain the data in their management information systems (MIS). The WIC PC data collection is routine, predictable, and largely consistent from year to year. A critical part of this routine is the reliance on the biennial transfer of an agreed-upon set of regularly collected data to FNS. The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a set of 20 data items and was developed under an agreement between FNS and the National WIC Association, which represents WIC State agencies. An additional set of 11 data items FNS recommends State agencies collect, the Supplemental Data Set (SDS), is submitted by those State agencies with the data system capability to do so; these items further serve the needs of reporting, research, and policy development. Once the State agencies have submitted their data and documentation, the data are then cleaned and analyzed to produce several final products including a final report, a food packages and costs report, and several data files (Table 1). The latest FNS-approved WIC PC reports provide more details on the background, methodology, analysis, and results of the WIC PC Final Report and the Food Packages and Costs Report (links provided below). The work to be performed under the WIC PC 2022 contract will include all work necessary to produce the final products described below including: Communicating regularly and clearly with FNS throughout the study; Collecting the study data and supporting documentation from the WIC State agencies; Providing WIC State agencies with technical assistance during the data collection process; Cleaning and compiling the study data; Producing data files, tabulations, reports and visuals representing the data and variables of interest; and Disseminating and communicating the data and information. WIC PC Primary Final Products and Purposes : WIC PC Final Report (to include information on WIC participant demographics, income, nutritional risk characteristics, risk priority levels, anthropometrics, anemia rates, breastfeeding of WIC infants, and migrant characteristics) https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-participant-and-program-characteristics-2018 Describes participants and provides critical information to monitor trends Monitors primary eligibility criteria Provides data on critical program goals Meets regulatory requirements under 7 CFR § 246.25(b)(3)(i) Food Packages and Cost Report https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/participant-program-characteristics-2018-food-packages-costs-report Describes quantity and characteristics of food packages prescribed to participants Final Data Files Ninety State agency census files (to contain the complete set of participant data submitted by State agencies, plus variables created for analysis) One file that combines all of the State agency census files and adds geographic data Nationally representative sample of all WIC participants by certification category (both internal FNS and public use file) Race/ethnicity data file, plus spreadsheets that summarize these data Food package data file with data on participants in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; linkable to participant-level data files Provides cleaned and edited data for additional research on WIC program and participants State agency tabulations Ninety State agency tabulations for internal use Ninety State agency tabulations for public use (with small cells suppressed) Provides State-agency level results for all tables in the WIC PC Final Report Anticipated period of performance: FNS intends to issue the procurement in Fiscal Year 2021, with an anticipated period of performance through the end of FY 2024. Capability statement/information sought: The FNS Office of Policy Support is conducting market research to identify sources that can explain in appropriate detail how they intend to demonstrate competency in each of the following points (A) through (D) and demonstrate their experience, skills, and qualifications with projects of similar scope and size completed within the last three years. Interested firms responding to this market survey must provide a capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the below prerequisites in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.502-2(b): A. Deep familiarity with the operations and administration of WIC, including State Agency MIS capabilities and the data elements in the MDS and SDS and Food Package data; B. Performing high quality data collections while adhering to tight timelines from many public agencies, including demonstrating appropriate cultural sensitivity when collecting data from Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs); C. Performing complex analyses of administrative data from government programs to estimate participant characteristics and costs; and; D. Writing succinct, technical, high quality, well-edited reports, which may be targeted to technical readers or to policy officials, and summarizing technical information into language appropriate for non-technical audiences. (Please provide citations to relevant peer reviewed publications, government reports, infographics, web sites, or fact sheets.) Respondents should expound, utilizing specific examples in the form of federal reports or peer-reviewed journal articles, on how the firm has undertaken and/or demonstrated these prerequisites. The capability statement shall be in sufficient detail, but not exceed ten (10) pages TOTAL, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of the firm to meet the four (4) capabilities (A-D) listed above. The Government technical team will then assess the experience & capabilities based on: 1) technical expertise relevant to the requirement; 2) technical approach relevant to the requirement, 3) management approach relevant to the requirement, 4) corporate experience relevant to the requirement, and 5) relevant past performance. The capability statement should include a list of three (3) customers (Government/non-Government) within the past three years highlighting similar work in nature, scope, complexity, and difficulty and a brief description of the scope of work. The information submitted must be in an outline format that addresses each of the elements of the project requirement and in the capability statement/information sought paragraphs stated herein (elements A-D above). A cover page and an executive summary may be included but are not required. The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business pursuant to the applicable NAICS code, NAICS size standards (revenue $ or no. of employees), GSA Schedule Contract Number and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. The response must include the respondent’s technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. One (1) copy of the response is required and must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format using 11-point or 12-point font, 8-1/2” x 11” paper size, with 1” top, bottom, left and right margins, and with single or double spacing. The response is limited to ten (10) pages. The 10-page limit does not include the cover page, executive summary, or references. Only electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and shall be submitted to: Halley Gessel, Contract Specialist via email at
[email protected] and Antoine Boissonniere, Contracting Officer via email at
[email protected] . The email shall contain the following subject line: Response to Sources Sought Notice –12319821Q0005, WIC PC 2022. Facsimile response are NOT accepted. The response must be received on or before Thursday, March 25 , 2021 at 11:00 AM, Eastern Time. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response to this Sources Sought. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work as providing detail responses to questions included in this document. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation will not be published on GSA E-Buy. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).