DHHS, Office of the Secretary, Office of Acquisition Management; Room 443H, Humphrey Building; 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20201

R -- DESIGNING WORK FOR LIFE PILOT PROJECTS SOL RFP-16-99-HHS-OS DUE 061899 POC Point of Contact: Cheryl Howe, Contract Specialist, 202-690-5552 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 included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested in response to the following statement of work and a written solicitation will not be issued. This is a request for proposal, RFP-16-99-HHS-OS. This solicitation document and its incorporated provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular #97-11. The period of performance shall be from the effective date of contract award through December 2000. Award of a Task Order type contract with Labor Hour task orders is anticipated. The government's intent is to make a single award. Purpose: The Office of Human Resources, ASMB, seeks expert consultation for the design and evaluation of pilot projects on designing work in ways that support employees in fulfilling not only the mission of their organization, but their family,community and personal obligations as well. Background and Purpose: In November 1998 the Union-Management Partnership Council and the Work/Life Center of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly sponsored the Secretary's Quality of Work Life Conference. .A highlight of the conference was a discussion of some cutting-edge experiments in the private sector in redesigning work processes, procedures and scheduling in ways that improved organizational performance and increased employee satisfaction with their abilities to manage all the priorities in their lives (work, family, community, and personal). These experiments were initially funded by the Ford Foundation at Xerox, Corning, and Tandem Computer corporations and later continued at Fleet Bank under the auspices of the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute. The Ford and Radcliffe projects proved that redesigning how work was accomplished in ways that acknowledged the complex and competing demands life places on people was not only good for employee satisfaction, it was good for business. The HHS Union-Management Partnership Council approved a conference recommendation to sponsor similar experiments in the Department as part of its on-going Quality of Work Life Initiative, and the Office of Human Resources (OHR) was given the lead on developing pilot projects to adapt for the Department's public sector environment those processes that have already been successful in the private sector. OHR is charged with documenting what occurs during the pilot(s) and evaluating outcomes so others can replicate them. OHR seeks expert consultation in adapting the approaches used in the private sector pilots, assistance in preparing managers and employees in the pilot sites for participation in the process, shadow consultation with OHR staff during the life of the pilots, development in consultation with OHR and the pilot site employees of evaluation criteria, and evaluation of the pilot projects (both process and outcomes). Period of Performance: June 1999 to the endof December 2000: Initial consultation with managers at the two pilot sites and design of the processes and evaluation criteria would occur during the summer of 1999, with on- site implementation of a pilot in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in Washington, DC., to begin in September 1999 with another at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) to follow in October. The pilots are expected to last nine- to 12-months each. Reference Material: A report published by the Ford Foundation and posted on their web site (www.fordfound.org/publications/relink/relink.toc.html ) provides background information and evaluation results of the three projects funded by Ford. Statement of Work: The Office of Human Resources, ASMB, seeks expert consultation for the design and evaluation of pilot projects on designing work in ways that support employees in fulfilling not only the mission of their organization, but their family, community and personal obligations as well. Specifically the tasks include: 1. Provision of expert consultation on adapting the processes and concepts used in successful private sector experiments to engage staff in redesigning work in ways that will enhance work/life. 2. On-site briefings for managers and employees at the two pilot sites prior to implementation of the pilots to talk to them about the process and gain their support. 3. On- going consultation with OHR staff throughout the pilots to answer questions and deal with any problems encountered during implementation. 4. Development, in collaboration with OHR and pilot site staff, of qualitative and quantitative measures to track the effectiveness of the pilot projects, including both accomplishment of work goals and employee satisfaction. 5. Design of an evaluation strategy that will track agreed-upon measures throughout the life of the pilots; the design is to use Federal staff for on-going data collection, with the contractor expected on-site at the mid-point and end of each pilot for further data collection. 6. Analysis of evaluation data and drafting of an evaluation report that documents both the processes and outcomes of the pilots in ways that will foster replication. (End of List) OHR staff and selected staff at the pilot sites will provide on-going support and consultation, manage the specific activities undertaken to identify ways to redesign work, and assist in collection of evaluation data. At present, two pilot sites have been identified: a division within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in Washington, DC (approximately 35 people) and the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) in Phoenix, Arizona (the hospital has a staff of about 850, but the pilot would initially involve only a subunit or division). Over the life of the pilots, it is anticipated that the contractor would be on-site in each of the two locations three times (once at the beginning for planning purposes, at roughly the mid-way point, and again at the end to conclude the collection of evaluation data). Schedule of Deliverables: To be defined on a task order basis. Monthly consolidated reports on all outstanding task orders will be required. The following labor categories will be established for this effort: Senior Consultant/Project Director, Consultant, Research Associate, and Clerical Staff. (End Statement of Work) Statement of Work -- Task Order #1: Tasks required against the basic contract are as follows. Task 1. One visit to each of the two pilot sites (Washington, DC, and Phoenix, Arizona) to meet with the management team and key staff to develop draft project and evaluation plans for each of the pilot sites. Task 2. Four days of consultation with the project officer. Consultation may be done via phone, FAX, and/or e-mail. Task 3. Development of data collection strategy for evaluation, including design of survey or other collection instruments that could be administered on-site without contractor support. Schedule of Deliverables for Task Order #1: Task 1. On-site consultation -- August 13, 1999; Task 2. Evaluation strategy -- September 10, 1999, and Task 3. Consultation -- October 15, 1999. (End Statement of Work for Task Order #1) Proposals will be evaluated on the technical proposal/resumes (65 points), past performance (30 points) and pricing (5 points). Technical Proposal Format: The technical proposal shall consist of a cover sheet on letterhead stationary listing the RFP being responded to, the offeror's name, location, and telephone/fax numbers, a brief statement indicating understanding of the requirements and the resumes of the proposed personnel being provided. A separate technical proposal for the task order work should be submitted. Technical Evaluation Criteria: 1. Working knowledge and successful application of the processes for redesigning work for life. Weight -- 25; 2. Ability to design and conduct an evaluation of the pilot projects, especially the development of quantitative and qualitative measures in collaboration with pilot site employees to track the effects on work processes as well as employee satisfaction with work/life integration. Weight -- 25 points; 3. Staff qualifications and availability, including ability to document the processes, successes and opportunities posed by the pilot projects and to produce and publicize an evaluation that promotes learning and replication of the pilot efforts. Weight -- 15 points. Past Performance Information Format: The firm providing these services must list 3 references for past performance evaluation that include a brief description of services/personnel provided, a contact name and a current phone and fax number. The services referenced must have been performed during the last three years and should be similar to the requested services. The pricing shall be submitted using the following format. Other direct costs such as travel costs shall be handled on an as needed/per task order basis and should not be included as part of the pricing proposal for the basic contract. Pricing Proposal Format for Basic Contract: Senior Consultant/Project Director -- $____________ hourly rate x 240 hours = $______________; Consultant -- $_____________ hourly rate x 120 hours = $______________; Research Associate -- $_____________ hourly rate x 120 hours = $______________; Clerical Staff -- $_____________ hourly rate x 80 hours = $______________; TOTAL ALL LABOR: $______________. Pricing Proposal Format for Task Order #1: List labor categories to be used and number of hours (using hourly rates proposed for the basic contract) to be expended plus listing any anticipated other direct costs (such as travel) A separate pricing proposal for the task order #1 work should be submitted. The hourly rate given for the basic contract must be supported by a detailed breakdown indicating how it was derived, or, if the hourly rate is a previously established commercial or government rate, offeror may submit copies of prior invoices paid and add documentation for any changes made in the option year pricing. Submissions shall consist of a pricing proposal, a technical proposal, and a list of references (an original and two copies of each). The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this acquisition. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with their offer (as part of the pricing proposal). The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Any clauses or provisions referenced in this notice can be accessed through the Internet address that follows: http://www.arnet.gov Offers are due June 18, 1999, by 12:00 Noon EST, at the following location: Department of Health and Human Services, OS/Office of Acquisition Management, Room 443H, Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20201, ATTN: Cheryl Howe. The contact point shall be Cheryl Howe, 202-690-5552. Amendments to this solicitation, if any, shall also be published as a Commerce Business Daily synopsis. Posted 06/11/99 (D-SN341766). (0162)

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