Office of Policy, Programs, and Legislative initiatives (OPLIO) Communications, Outreach, and Program Support Services

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability and capability of qualified small businesses (including certified 8(a), Small Disadvantaged, HUBZone firms; Veteran and Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses, Women-owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB), to acquire contractor support for fair housing litigation and appraisal. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is responsible for administering and enforcing federal fair housing laws and establishing policies that make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice. The public must be aware of their fair housing rights and responsibilities to ensure FHEO can enforce Title VIII using a complaint-driven process. Title: The Office of Policy, Programs, and Legislative initiatives (OPLIO) Communications, Outreach, and Program Support Services. FHEO seeks Marketing and Outreach Support Services to help educate the public of these rights and responsibilities . FHEO seeks digital media efforts to target and reach key audience groups that HUD serves. FHEO works with Field Policy and Management (FPM), the Office of the Assistant Secretary of FHEO, and the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) to ensure continuity of content for these efforts. The digital marketing approach should equip E&O staff with the materials, training, information, and messages to ignite equity and fair housing conversations across traditional and non-traditional media. A detailed description of the requirements can be found in Section 5. Communication, Outreach, and Program Consulting Services Develop Communication and Outreach Strategy Report The Contractor shall provide communication outreach and support services. The Contractor shall review, update, and incorporate the existing Communication and Outreach Strategy and modernize it to ensure it is consistent with current industry standards and best practices, within 60 calendar days of contract award. All revised plans for shall provide unified customer experiences across all digital touchpoints. Digital touchpoints include webpages, social media, email, and other electronic outputs. The Contractor shall provide a research and journey mapping report within 30 calendar days. The research and mapping report shall inform FHEO of the current and future communications planning and to improve marketing and outreach. The Contractor shall create a Fair Housing Communications and Outreach Strategy (COS). The COS is due within 60 calendar days of contract award for government approval. The COS shall address, at a minimum, the following items: a. Communications gaps b. Communications research for historically underserved communities. c. Outreach best practices to historically underserved communities. d. Ways to improve communication gaps with the historically underserved communities. e. Digital marketing and outreach strategies. f. Ways to improve communication for all HUD communities. g. Contractor proposals for expanded opportunities for outreach efforts. The Contractor shall make corrections to the reports within 5 calendar days of request of change by the government. 10.The Contractor shall submit the approved report to the Government, using the approved format and delivery method, within 5 calendar days of approval. 11. The contractor shall provide updates to the COS address FHEO evolving communication and outreach needs and identify additional gaps as they arise. Targeted Focus Groups and Outcomes Report The Contractor shall conduct eight virtual communications and outreach focus groups during weekdays between the hours of 9 AM and 9 PM to conduct research and develop marketing personas. The focus groups shall include the following participant guidelines: National-based audience Diversity of Geography (Urban, Suburban, Rural, etc.) Balanced Diversity of Race, Sex, Religion, and Ethnicity (Hispanic, Asian, White, LGBT+, etc.) Income Diversity Other criteria, as established by the Contractor's approved COS report. The focus groups shall be started no later than two months after contract award and finished within 60 calendar days of starting the focus groups. The Contractor shall work with HUDs Customer Experience team to collect existing data and studies already available to HUD to minimize duplicative work and better plan and manage the focus groups. Any duplicate work shall be approved by HUD prior to being conducted. The Contractor shall coordinate with HUDs Customer Experience team to ensure compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Contractor shall develop and submit personas based on the data collected from existing sources and focus groups within 90 calendar days of the final focus group. Develop Best Practices Report for Customer Relationship Management and Digital Marketing Tools The Contractor shall draft a report for government approval, within 20 calendar days of request from HUD, that includes a strategy that provide FHEO the following information: Outline how FHEO will use the CRM and Digital Marketing Tool to increase brand awareness. Mitigate existing educational and outreach risk. c. The contract will develop a report that outlines how FHEO will utilize a CRM and Digital Marketing tool to improve communications and outreach to historically underserved communities. The Contractor shall make corrections within 5 calendar days of being notified by the government. Customer Care Library Strategy The Contractor shall develop a social customer care strategy to help FHEO manage its customer experience within 20 calendar day of the request by HUD. The Contractor shall provide the implementation plan for the social customer care strategy and implement the strategy once approved by the government within 20 calendar days of the request by HUD. The Contractor shall develop a non-public facing response library for HUD staff that provides approved customer service responses for web, social, SMS, and e-mail marketing within 20 calendar days of the request by HUD. The Contractor shall develop public facing Fair Housing FAQs for web, social, SMS, and e-mail marketing within 20 calendar days of the request by HUD. The Contractor shall coordinate with FHEO, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Field Policy and Management, as well as other HUD divisions as required, in developing the library. Media Monitoring and Reputational Threats Strategy The Contractor shall create a digital media monitoring and reputational threats strategy for FHEO that allows FHEO to monitor and mitigate reputational threats within 30 calendar days of request by HUD. The contractor shall develop social listening and media monitoring monthly reports for FHEO which outline reputational threats and strategic communications opportunities. The Contractor shall coordinate with FHEO, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Field Policy and Management, as well as other HUD divisions as required, in developing the strategy. Develop Public Affairs Manual and Content Approval Protocols The Contractor shall develop a Public Affairs Manual that outlines the following items within 120 calendar days of contract award: Internal and external communications Standard operating procedures Editorial calendar Goals Objectives Team structures Paid media flighting Metrics reporting Terms glossary Content development Voice and tone Cultural awareness Press/media relations Style guide and templates following references to existing HUD style guides and documents Content approval process. Provide Communication, Outreach, and Program Support Services Customer Care Library Development and Support The Contractor shall implement the approved customer care strategy within 60 calendar days request by HUD. The Contractor shall maintain the non-public facing response library and provide customer service responses for web, social, SMS, and e-mail marketing efforts. The Contractor shall maintain a repository for public facing Fair Housing FAQs for web, social, SMS, and e-mail marketing efforts. The Contractor shall coordinate with FHEO, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Field Policy and Management, as well as other HUD divisions as required, in developing the library. Conduct Digital Media and Reputational Threats Monitoring Support 1. The Contractor shall implement the approved strategy within 30 calendar days of approval of the strategy by HUD. 2. The Contractor shall utilize the reporting and monitoring functions, in FHEOs Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, within 30 calendar days of request by HUD. 3. The Contractor shall submit monthly reports on reputational threats to FHEO management, due within 5 calendar days of the previous month's end. 4. The Contractor shall develop a workflow to utilize the CRM to inform FHEO leadership of reputational threats, within 30 days of request by HUD. 5. The Contractor shall conduct three 1-hour-long trainings to FHEO staff on reputational threat and media monitoring within 30 calendar days of request by HUD. 6. The Contractor will run conducting reputational threat reporting and monitoring within 20 calendar days of request from HUD. 7.The Contractor shall develop monthly reports that identify reputational threats and strategic communications and outreach opportunities. 8. The Contract shall ensure that FHEO leadership is promptly informed of reputational threats that may be present within 30 calendar days of contract award. Program Support 1. The Contract shall provide professional support services within 5 calendar days of request by HUD. 2. The Contractor shall provide writing and editing support to include editorial services to develop, review, and edit FHEO content to include working on FHEOs annual report and fact sheets. 3. The Contractor shall provide content management support to include graphic design, storyboarding, photography, campaigns (ex: Fair Housing 101, AFFH, ETC), analytics, events, and content development. 4. The Contractor shall follow existing and future branding and content standards on all communications and project documents. Program Support The Contract shall provide professional support services within 5 calendar days of request by HUD. The Contractor shall provide writing and editing support to include editorial services to develop, review, and edit FHEO content to include working on FHEOs annual report and fact sheets. The Contractor shall provide content management support to include graphic design, storyboarding, photography, campaigns (ex: Fair Housing 101, AFFH, ETC), analytics, events, and content development. The Contractor shall follow existing and future branding and content standards on all communications and project documents. Program Management and Support Services Provide Project Management and Support Services The Contractor shall work with the program office to develop a comprehensive project plan (roadmap) that identifies the tasks, defines project staff roles/responsibilities, and provides a timeline for completion of tasks, within 10 days of contract award. The project plan shall detail the framework and steps to be taken to implement and market this project with a timetable for completion of the work. The Contractor shall assist the staff with identifying problems and providing solutions for technical and other project related issues. The contractor shall submit a monthly progress report, detailing the project work accomplished. Start dates, completion dates, and major milestones shall be noted, and shall correspond to the due dates for deliverables as identified. The Quality Control Plan shall identify the organization or individuals responsible for quality control and the specific procedures used to ensure delivery of a quality deliverables, as noted in PWS section 6.1 to 6.3. The Quality Control Plan shall be delivered within 30 days of contract award. The Contractor shall provide the weekly meeting agenda two calendar days before the meeting. The Contractor shall provide the weekly meeting minutes within 2 calendar days after the meeting. 10. The Contractor shall create and provide a deliverables tracker that tracks all content developed during the project and is updated weekly. However, be advised that generic capability statements are not sufficient for effective review of respondents’ Response must directly demonstrate the company’s capability, experience, and/or ability to marshal resources to effectively and efficiently perform each of the tasks described above in sufficient level of detail to allow that the contractor can satisfy the minimum requirements listed above in compliance with FAR 52.219-14 (“Limitations of Subcontracting”). Failure to definitively address the requirement will result in a finding that respondent lacks the capability of performing the work. Responses to this notice shall be limited to ten pages, and must include: Company name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and FAX numbers, website address (if available), and the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with Government representatives. Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail addresses of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses. Business size for NAICS XXXX (size standard $ or number of employees) and status, if qualified as an 8(a) firm (must be certified by SBA), Small Disadvantaged Business (must be certified by SBA), Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone firm (must be certified by SBA), and/or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (must be listed in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages). DUNS number, CAGE Code, Tax Identification Number, and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.). Companies also must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 to be considered as potential sources. Identification of the firm's GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and contract number and SINs that are applicable to this potential requirement are also requested. If the company has a Government approved accounting system, please identify the agency that approved the system. Please submit copies of any documentation such as letters or certificates to indicate the firm’s status (see item #2, above) Teaming arrangements are acceptable, and the information required above on the company responding to this announcement, should also be provided for each entity expected to be teammates of the respondent for performance of this work. To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure. Teaming arrangements are acceptable, and the information required above on the company responding to this announcement, should also be provided for each entity expected to be teammates of the respondent for performance of this work. To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure. This notice is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, a Request for Proposals, a Solicitation, and a Request for Quotes, or an indication the Government will contract for the items contained in this announcement. This request is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this announcement. Responses to this announcement will not be returned, nor there any ensuing discussions or debriefings of any responses. However, information obtained as a result of this announcement may be reflected in the subsequent solicitation, and HUD, OCPO may contact one or more respondents for clarifications and to enhance the Government’s understanding. This announcement is Government market research and may result in revisions in both it’s requirements and it’s acquisition strategy based on industry responses. RESPONDENTS MUST SUBMIT CAPABILITY STATEMENT VIA E-MAIL to [email protected] no later than May 23, 2022 , 2:00 PM Eastern Time for consideration.