HHS - Strategic Planning & Evidence-Building Logistics & Research Support Cont.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the General Services Administration (GSA), is conducting market research to identify potential contractors for a Strategic Planning and Evidence-Building Planning Logistics and Research Support Contract. This initiative is spearheaded by the Office of Science and Data Policy (OSDP) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). The primary goal of this contract is to facilitate the development of two key documents: the HHS FY2026-2030 Strategic Plan and the HHS FY2026-2023 Evidence-Building Plan. These plans will guide departmental priorities, policy development, and evidence-based decision-making over the specified periods.

The OSDP seeks a contractor capable of providing comprehensive logistics and research support services. This includes collecting and coordinating information from various HHS divisions to populate these strategic documents effectively. The contractor will be responsible for producing final suggested content for both plans, which will be used to brief HHS leadership on strategic directions and evidence-building initiatives. The work is expected to be conducted primarily at the contractor's location with virtual meetings facilitating communication.

The contract type previously utilized for similar projects has been time-and-materials, with a value set at $140,000 excluding PSC fees. This upcoming contract will span 18 months as a non-severable agreement, emphasizing best value award criteria over lowest price considerations. The anticipated award date is September 30, 2024, with work concluding by March 29, 2026. By establishing a ceiling price in the RFP, HHS aims to ensure proposals remain within budget while clearly signaling expected intensity levels for this project.

ASPE serves as a crucial advisory body within HHS, offering guidance on policy development across several domains including legislation development, strategic planning, policy research, evaluation, and economic analysis. Within ASPE's structure, OSDP provides authoritative advice on public health science policy issues while managing interagency initiatives in science policy and data policy. This contract represents an essential component in fulfilling ASPE's mandate by ensuring robust strategic planning processes informed by rigorous evidence-building activities.