Association Of State And Territorial Health Officials 2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 450 Arlington, Virginia (202)

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1 Association Of State And Territorial Health Officials 2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 450 Arlington, Virginia (202) Request for Quotes Announcement The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is seeking qualified groups or individuals to serve as a Consultant to help support ASTHO s vector-borne disease work. ASTHO is looking to contract with a consultant to help support ASTHO s Vector Control Workgroup and assist with the development of vector control guidance documents. It is recommended that submissions for services not exceed a total budget of $15,000. The deadline for submissions is December 2, Any questions should be directed to Abe Kulungara, akulungara@astho.org, REQUEST FOR QUOTE NAME OF PROJECT: Support for Vector-borne Disease Work in State Health Departments ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials is a non-profit 501 (c) (3). The membership of the organization consists of the chief health officials representing the states and territories of the United States. ASTHO s primary function is to consider the impact and formation of policy of any agency, public or private, pertaining to human health which may affect the administration of the department of health of any state or territory and to provide policy guidance to its members in advancing public health. SCOPE OF CONTRACT: The purpose of this Request for Quote is to enter into a Contract with a qualified firm or consultant to provide technical assistance and support to ASTHO s Vector Control Workgroup. Specifically, the Consultant will assist the workgroup in writing the ASTHO vector control guidance documents on communication, emergency management and program sustainability. Specific information on the roles and responsibilities for this project are outlined in the Statement of Work contained in Appendix A. BASIS FOR AWARD: ASTHO will evaluate the quotes on the basis of the information provided by the offerors and the evaluation criteria attached. Primary consideration will be given to technical excellence, price/cost, value, and quality. In the event that there are two or more technically equal proposals, 1

2 price/cost, value, and quality become more important. In any event, ASTHO reserves the right to award the contract to the offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the project goal. PROPOSALS EVALUATION CRITERIA: The factors to be considered in the award of the Contract(s) are contained in Appendix B. PERIOD OF CONTRACT: The Contract(s) will begin on date of award (estimated to be December 19, 2017) and expire June 30, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERRS TECHNICAL PROPOSAL OR QUOTE: The offeror must submit, in response to this RFQ, the name of the organization submitting the quote/proposal; main office address; DUNS#, EIN or SS#; and if a corporation, when and where incorporated. The Contract proposals must also indicate the name and telephone number of the firm's representative who will be the primary point of contact during Contract period. COST/PRICE PROPOSALS SECTION: The offeror, at a minimum, must submit a Cost/Price quote with the appropriate level of detail. PRICING: The subsequent award is anticipated to be a fixed price contract of a total budget of up to $15,000. SUBMISSION OF QUOTE: One (1) original (duly marked): Please submit an electronic copy of application and all related materials to Abe Kulungara at akulungara@astho.org DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: December 2, 2016 AWARD NOTIFICATION: The successful applicant(s) will be notified of selection by December 19, FORMAT: Interested persons should submit: (1) A proposal describing qualifications and relevant experience, not to exceed three pages; (2) A brief outline of the approach to accomplishing the activities described in the Statement of Work, not to exceed three pages; (3) A budget, including detailed projected costs for the completion of this project; and (4) An example of the contractor s previous work of similar scope. TRADE SECRETS/PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror in connection with a procurement transaction shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia/Washington, DC Freedom of Information Act; however, they must invoke the protections of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials. The Offeror must identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. Disposition of material after award(s) is/are made should be stated by the offeror. 2

3 QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RFQ: Any information relative to interpretation of this shall be requested of ASTHO in writing prior to the quote submission date. RIGHTS RESERVED: ASTHO reserves the right to reject any and/or all quotes, or to award a contract in whole or in part, if this is deemed to be in the best interest of ASTHO. NOTE: ASTHO does not discriminate against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by Federal or state law relating to discrimination in employment in the performance of its procurement activity. Appendix A: Statement of Work Overview Mosquito control is an important and basic public health function. In 2012, West Nile Virus (WNV) reached epidemic proportions. A total of 5,674 cases of WNV disease, including 286 deaths, were reported to CDC from 48 states. A widespread outbreak of the Zika virus disease is ongoing in the Americas and as of October 2016, CDC confirmed 128 locally acquired cases of Zika virus and 5 pregnancy losses with birth defects in the United States. State agencies have responsibility for overall planning, guidance, and leadership, especially during public health emergency situations. Unfortunately there is still not a clear understanding of how vector control efforts are managed across the country, including at the state, local, or municipal levels. Vector Control programs in the United States may include independent mosquito control districts; county/city/parish health departments; decentralized and non-specialized agencies, such as public works; private companies, such as mosquito control contractors and pest control operators; or federal agencies overseeing federal land, such as military installations. ASTHO, with the support of CDC s Division of Vector Borne Diseases, has a strong commitment to help state health agencies respond to vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. The loss of arboviral surveillance capacity over the years has compromised the ability to rapidly detect and respond to vector borne diseases. ASTHO proposes to build on its past work in this area (e.g., Public Health Confronts the Mosquito: Developing Sustainable State and Local Mosquito Control Programs ) with input from state environmental health directors and ASTHO s vector control work group in order to better understand how vector control programs are managed across this patchwork of agencies. Request ASTHO invites quotes from qualified firms or consultants to assist ASTHO in writing the ASTHO vector control guidance documents on communication, emergency management and program sustainability. The Contractor will engage the Vector Control Workgroup over calls and will utilize the expertise of this multi-disciplinary, expert panel to develop recommendations. Expectations of the contractor are described below. Deliverables & Activities Expectations of the contractor are divided into three parts: 1) Development of ASTHO vector control guidance documents, 2) Facilitation of Vector Control Workgroup calls, and, 3) Technical assistance. 1. Update ASTHO guidance and information available to states on three aspects of mosquito control: Communication, Emergency Management and Program Sustainability. 3

4 The contractor will work with ASTHO and its Vector Control Workgroup to update two ASTHO documents: I. Communicating About Effective Mosquito Control: Tailor Made for Our Community. This toolkit provides model fact sheets, communication strategies, and useful templates for collaborating with policymakers and members of the public to develop and support scalable mosquito control programs. II. Public Health Confronts the Mosquito: Developing Sustainable State and Local Mosquito Control Programs. This document provides final recommendations for creating sustainable mosquito control programs. The report focuses on four major components of successful mosquito control efforts: planning ahead, involving others, using the best science and data, and informing the public. Some of the revisions could include sections specific to Zika such as: pre and post-natal care, inclusion of social service agencies and engaging primary care and sexual health providers as part of Zika response planning. Revisions would also made to other sections, such as updated information about the permit requirements for pesticide use under the Clean Water Act. 2. Assistance with the organization and facilitation of ASTHO s monthly vector control workgroup calls. The Vector Control Workgroup provides advice to ASTHO members on vector-borne disease issues. The group is made up of senior state and territorial health agency staff and representatives from ASTHO affiliates. The consultant will assist ASTHO in facilitating monthly calls of the vector control workgroup. 3. Project Technical Assistance The Consultant will be responsible for providing technical assistance to this project. In addition to participation in routine conference calls the Consultant will engage state health agency participants in the transfer of information and exchange of ideas. Timeline The anticipated start date for this project is December 19, All services must be completed by June 30, All invoices must be submitted and other contract close-out activates must be completed within one month after the contract end date. Budget Budgets should include personnel time to complete the project, contractor travel expenses, and all other associated expenses incurred for successful completion of this project. It is recommended that the budget not exceed $15,000. Appendix B: Evaluation Criteria AWARD OR REJECTION OF BIDS: ASTHO shall award the Contract to the lowest bidder complying with all provisions of the RFQ, provided the bid price is reasonable and it is in the best interest of ASTHO to accept it. 4

5 In determining the responsibility of a bidder, the following criteria will be considered: The ability, capacity and skill of the bidder to perform the Contract or provide the services required. Whether the bidder can perform the Contract or provide the services promptly, or within the time specified, without delay or interference. The character, integrity, reliability, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency of the bidder. The quality of performance on previous contracts or services. The familiarity of the bidder with vector control activities in state and local health agencies. The ability of the bidder to represent ASTHO well in interactions with state and territorial health agency staff and other governmental, private sector and not-profit stakeholders. The demonstrated project management skills of the bidder. The previous and existing compliance by the bidder with laws and ordinances relating to the Contract or services. The sufficiency of the financial resources and ability of the bidder to perform the Contract or provide the services. Whether the bidder is in arrears to ASTHO for a debt or Contract. Any ASTHO member agency must be in good standing with regard to membership dues payment. 5