This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Submissions are voluntary, and responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT DESCRIPTION This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought (heretofore referred to as the RFI) is being published for the purpose of conducting market research to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of small businesses to perform potential requirements for the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Monitoring (OREM) in the Office of Policy Development & Research (PD&R) within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) supports the Department's efforts to help create cohesive, economically healthy communities. PD&R is responsible for maintaining current information on housing needs, market conditions, and existing programs, as well as conducting research on priority housing and community development issues. The Office provides reliable and objective data and analysis to help inform policy decisions. PD&R is committed to involving a greater diversity of perspectives, methods, and researchers in HUD research in keeping with HUD’s published Evaluation Policy Statement[1]. The Office of Research, Evaluation, and Monitoring (OREM) conducts HUD research, evaluation, and monitoring efforts for a wide variety of HUD programs and activities. In prior years, HUD/PD&R/OREM awards have typically been issued as Task Orders against the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Awards Schedule (MAS) to firms with NAICS code classification 541611, for the provision of Management and Financial Consulting, Acquisition and Grants Management Support, and Business Program and Project Management Services. The Product Service Code (PSC) of most of the services procured by HUD/PD&R/OREM are categorized as PSC AK12 for R&D- Housing: Housing (Applied Research/Exploratory Development). HUD prefers awarding Firm Fixed Price contracts but may considered other types of contract vehicles (IDIQs, BPAs, and Task Orders under GSA contracts as examples). AT THIS TIME HUD HAS NOT DETERMINED IF GSA MAS WILL BE UTILIZED. IF IN REVIEW OF THIS RFI/SOURCE SELECTION YOUR FIRM SUGGEST OTHER NAICS PROVIDE THE SUGGESTED NAICS AND RATIONALE IN YOUR RESPONSE. Information gathered under this RFI will support market analyses to help identify any qualified and interested small businesses that can provide evidence of having the skills and abilities to support the successful execution of research, evaluation, and monitoring efforts related to a broad set of policy topics in the domain of housing, health, and community development. Research, evaluation, and monitoring and evaluation efforts pursued by HUD/PD&R/OREM typically require firms with the following skills, abilities, and experience. Below you will find the list of questions/responses required in your firms response. Definitions: EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE – 5 to 6 years with a magnitude of $5 million and above. Number of data points over 1800 (or more). Note: Firms should submit whatever information they think supports their claim that they have corporate capabilities to complete the type of work in this RFI. EXPERIENCE – 4 to 5 years with a magnitude of $1 million to $4.9m. Number of data points 1000 to 1799 LESS EXPERIENCE – 1 TO 3 years with a magnitude of $500k to $999k, Number of data points 1-999 HUD intends to issue at least one solicitation based on the received Market Research from this announcement and other Market Research. However, the results of this RFI may result in additional solicitations over the next twelve months. Any small businesses that are capable of providing the services described in this RFI and that are interested in providing evidence of having the skills and abilities to support the successful execution of research, evaluation, and monitoring efforts as described in this RFI should provide detailed responses to the information questions indicated below: Company name, address, and contact information; Indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), SBA Certified 8(A) firm, etc.). List all GSA Schedule Contracts, etc. where your firm is listed. If your firm would like to provide another NAICS that might be also suited to projects like this may list as response to the RFI with an explanation for the substitution. Submit detailed evidence of having the capability to support the successful execution of research, evaluation, and monitoring efforts related to a broad set of policy topics in the domain of housing, health, and community development, including specific examples of large-scale social science research studies that the business has undertaken, or partnered to undertake, in the past 6 years. Examples provided should demonstrate experience and capacity with the skills, abilities, and experiences listed in this RFI, as well as any links or references to resulting publications. Provide no less than 3, but no more than 6, past performance references that describe the type of contract, the work performed under the contract, the value of the contract, current point of contact for the subject contract name, including phone number, and email addresses. Business DUNS number. Provide detailed evidence as to your firm’s extensive experience in conducting large-scale and rigorous research social science research, including the design and execution of randomized controlled trials and the design and implementation of quasi-experimental research methods that include a statistically valid counterfactual; Provide detailed evidence as to your firm’s knowledge and experience in the design and implementation of large-scale and complex surveys in relevant topic areas, including direct experience in the establishment of sampling frames, the development of survey instruments, fielding and tracking survey implementation, and coding, analyzing, and synthetizing resulting survey data; Provide details that demonstrate your firms extensive experience obtaining, cleaning, linking, analyzing, and protecting large datasets of either survey data or administrative records that may include personally identifiable information (PII), especially HUD administrative records and the administrative records of other relevant health, employment and social service benefit programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare administrative records, wage and employment records, etc.; Provide evidence of your firm’s deep knowledge of the statutory requirements related to Federally-sponsored data collections and the secure management of PII, including the requirement of the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 and experience in developing Information Collection Requests for review by the Office of Management and Budget and the development of Privacy Impact Assessments and Systems of Record Act Notices; Respond with evidence as to your firm’s experience in qualitative research methods, including developing data collection instruments and protocols, conducting interviews and focus groups, and coding, analyzing, and synthetizing qualitative data; Provide information that supports your firm’s subject matter expertise in HUD-funded programs, included the public housing program, the Housing Choice Voucher program, multi-family programs, homeownership programs, and community development programs. (NOTE: if your knowledge is not at the Federal level provide evidence that demonstrates your knowledge for these HUD-funded programs listed in this and other paragraphs; Provide evidence that your firm has strong writing capabilities and demonstrated experience translating large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data into effective research reports and issue briefs that are accessible to a broad variety of audiences; Your response shall provide details as to your firm’s communication skills that support successful data collection from entities such as HUD grantees, Public Housing Agencies, and HUD program participants. This response should include published documents, drafting of reports to OMB or ??? and This response should provide detailed evidence as to why you think your firm has exceptional organization and managerial experience conducting large, multi-site, multi-method, and complex research efforts on time and within budget. Submissions received in response to this RFI must not exceed 10 pages in length . No material submitted beyond the ten-page limit will considered by HUD. NO SOLICITATIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. Submission font size should be 12 but harts and tables maybe smaller if legible. This RFI will assist in identifying any Small Businesses that are interested and capable of accomplishing the types of requirements that HUD/PD&R/OREM typically undertakes. Any future solicitations will be issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). Joint Ventures will be considered in accordance with all applicable FAR and SBA rules and regulations. NOTE: Currently, HUD does not have estimated values of any of the possible requirements. Interested parties should submit a response to the Contract Specialist, Toni Hoskinson at
[email protected]; NLT 13:00 MDT, February 2, 2022. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced later. All interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. [1] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/13/2021-17339/hud-program-evaluation-policy-policy-statement