OSD - SCALE Program - External Evaluation Services - MRAS

The General Services Administration (GSA), on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), is conducting market research to identify potential providers for external evaluation services for the Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program. This program, funded by the Department of Defense and led by Purdue University, addresses a critical shortage in personnel skilled in microelectronics, a field essential to U.S. national defense and security. The SCALE initiative employs a public-private-academic partnership model to align educational curricula with industry needs and government priorities, fostering a comprehensive ecosystem that supports education from K-12 through Ph.D. levels and continuing education.

The SCALE program's primary goal is to develop a well-prepared microelectronics workforce capable of meeting the demands of the Department of Defense and the Defense Industrial Base. Key components include engaging K-12 students from diverse backgrounds in STEM careers, preparing undergraduate students with necessary skills through specialized courses and research opportunities, supporting graduate students with fellowships and industry-linked research, and offering upskilling opportunities for professionals within DoD-related fields. The program also aims to increase U.S. citizen participation in microelectronics careers, advance national curriculum standards beyond existing practices, expand internship opportunities with defense partners, and create a transferable model for STEM workforce development.

The requested external evaluation services will provide an unbiased assessment of SCALE's outcomes and impacts across several focus areas: workforce development impact, educational outcomes, recruitment and retention effectiveness, overall program effectiveness, replicability of SCALE's model in other fields critical to defense needs, as well as governance and partnership models' transferability. The evaluation will complement internal efforts by providing metrics on how SCALE engagement correlates with participant career outcomes while identifying effective elements that contribute to these successes.

Potential evaluators are invited to demonstrate their capability in performing comprehensive evaluations similar to those outlined in this RFI. This includes previous experience evaluating large technical programs related to STEM education or defense initiatives. Interested parties should provide organizational background information along with examples of prior evaluations conducted in relevant domains.