U.S. Department of education
Institute of Education Sciences
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional assistance
EVALUATING PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Solicitation # ED-IES-22-r-0013
Capability Statement Instructions
The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is conducting market research to determine if sufficient interest and capability exists in the marketplace for the “Evaluating programs and strategies to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities” requirement. This notice is NOT a request for proposals, but is an invitation for potential offerors to express interest and provide information regarding their relevant knowledge, skills, and capabilities. Information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice may be used to assist the Department in finalizing its acquisition strategy.
Disclaimer: The Department will not pay for the provision of any information nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice in no way obligates the Government to award any contract to any interested party. Feedback will not be provided to any interested party who submits information to the Department in response to this notice.
Capability Statement Submission Deadline
The deadline for submitting Capability Statements and Basic Information responses is December 31, 2021 by 12:00 noon (ET) via e-mail to the following individuals: Shaneika.Berryman@ed.gov, and cc: Joseph.Gibbs@ed.gov
Primary Point of Contact:
Shaneika Berryman
Contract Specialist
Shaneika.Berryman@ed.gov
Secondary Point of Contact:
Joseph Gibbs,
Contracting Officer
Joseph.Gibbs@ed.gov
Capability Statement Instructions
In response to the attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS), the Department hereby solicits capability statements from eligible, interested parties. Capability Statements shall be no longer than 3 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12-point font).
Interested Parties shall provide responses for all content areas noted below. The information requested in the Basic Information Section ONLY does NOT count against the 3-page Capability Statement page limitation.
BASIC INFORMATION
- Please state your business/company name and address. Include contact information such as a corporate email address and website URL.
- Please state your business size status (i.e., large or small) in the stated NAICS code of 541720. Provide all socioeconomic categories for your company and the corresponding NAICS code, and a statement as to whether NAICS code of 541720 is the most appropriate code.
- State if the requirement should be set-aside for small business (or not), and why (or why not)?
- State if your business believes that GSA OASIS contracts are a viable procurement tool; and if so, under which pool?
- State if your company believes that the DRAFT PWS contains any unduly restrictive language or content? Why? Please cite specific examples and provide feedback.
- State if the DRAFT PWS content provides opportunities for small business subcontracting (or not). Why (or why not)?
CAPABILITY STATEMENT CONTENT AREAS
The capability statement must describe the collective expertise and experience of your company’s personnel, in each of the following areas:
- Experience and skill in leading, managing, designing, and conducting large-scale education evaluations using a variety of approaches, including random assignment, regression discontinuity, other quasi-experimental, and descriptive outcomes and implementation methods. Interested parties shall provide a minimum of four examples of personnel’s successful past experience in this area. The examples should demonstrate the breadth of experience across the various approaches listed above. Interested parties shall also provide demonstrated experience leading studies of the type specifically described in the first and second task order of the DRAFT PWS, in particular studies that involve recruitment of multiple states and districts representing hundreds of thousands of students under tight timelines, rigorous methodology, as well as complex data collection over multiple years (e.g., surveys, administrative records for hundreds of thousands of students across the U.S). This should include demonstrated experience managing costs and timeliness.
- Experience and skill in authoring well written, policy relevant publications with clear take-home messages for wide audiences. Interested parties shall provide a minimum of two examples of personnel’s involvement with authoring publications that clearly and concisely summarize experimental and implementation findings, and present them in a manner such that they can be understood and used by a wide audience.
Substantive content knowledge relevant to the scope described in the DRAFT PWS, including, but not limited to the needs of students with disabilities, professional development including coaching, instruction and supports for students with disabilities, and special education services and their costs. Interested parties shall provide a minimum of three examples showing that personnel have relevant knowledge to effectively study the broad scope of the proposed Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity contract, and particularly the topics described in the first and second Task Order.
In addition, the capability statement shall address the following experience and capacity at the corporate level:
- Experience with projects similar in nature to that described in the DRAFT PWS. Interested parties shall provide evidence of successful corporate experience with a minimum of two past projects that are similar to that described in the DRAFT PWS, in terms of the evaluation activities to be performed and the anticipated level of effort required.
