REQUEST FOR QUOTES
CREATIVE FORCES: NEA MILITARY HEALING ARTS NETWORK
DESIGN SUPPORT FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT DIGITAL TOOLKIT, CONTENT MANAGEMENT AND DATA COLLETION SYSTEM
ACROSS CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY NETWORKS.
DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK
SECTION A
DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK
A. INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The intent of this contract is to provide human-centered design and technical engineering support across communications strategies, systems engineering, digital content management, data collection and IT support to support complex local and national networks consisting of Military Treatment Facilities, Veteran Hospitals and state and local arts agencies and community stakeholders seeking to support military families confronting the signature wounds of our most recent wars; Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTS.
Since 2011, this military healing arts partnership with the Department of Defense has supported creative arts therapies for service members with traumatic brain injury and associated psychological health issues at two military medical facilities in the Washington, DC, area—the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed Bethesda in Maryland, and the NICoE Intrepid Spirit-1 at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The expanded Creative Forces program, which was announced in fall 2016, places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at ten additional clinical sites – for a total of twelve – and increases access to therapeutic arts activities in local communities for military members, veterans, and their families. More information about Creative Forces can be found on the NEA website.
The Creative Forces program is also investing in the development of a Resource Center content management system (the “Creative Forces digital toolkit”) that will include Creative Arts Therapies clinical curriculums, standardized surveys and additional written and multi-media content to support consistent delivery of high quality care in clinical settings and increased access to therapeutic arts engagement activities in community settings across the Network.
The contractor shall produce presentation materials that clearly articulate the vision of the initiative and provide concrete strategies on how to design and build the clinical and community engagement strategies and technical build of the digital toolkit through two phases of planning and execution. Phase 1 will include a) the design and development of internal and external communications strategies to clearly articulate a comprehensive vision of the services to be initiated and sustained across the Network, and b) an implementation plan document that will lay out the technical elements, work flows and implementation requirements for the fully functional digital toolkit that will support services across the Network. Phase 2 will a) provide ongoing support for community engagement strategies, including development of engaging outward-facing content to aggregate and distribute capacity-building knowledge in areas of support such as; military family needs-assessment, art-sector response strategies, and survey instruments to measure benefits and impacts for program participants, and b) Execute engineering requirements of the digital toolkit, implement and sustain enterprise application software to support programs across Creative Forces clinical and community settings.
Contractor shall plan and facilitate a small convening of CF team members and collaborators to review and exchange information and ideas. Feedback provided during the early 2017 meeting shall be incorporated into the alpha test tool, playbook layout, and content design. The goal of this contract is to provide user friendly tools and information for CF network members and the general public to access and to improve the understanding of the impact the arts has on service members, veterans, and their families to improve health, wellness, and community re-integration. Based on work conducted under this contract, the contractor shall produce a strategic framework document that describes the relationship between arts therapies and improved health and well-being of military service members, veterans, and their families.
SECTION B
STATEMENT OF WORK
B. PROJECT SCOPE
The project scope is broken out into two phases. The requirements annotated in Phase 2 are projected requirements based on planning strategies outlined in Phase 1 deliverables. The contractor shall perform the below listed duties:
- Teleconference project kick-off meeting with the project director (and staff as necessary).
- PHASE 1 -- Plan and facilitate a small convening of key CF team members, including NEA cooperators, Cooperator’s contractors, DoD staff, and NEA employees currently engaged with the Creative Forces initiative, in Washington, DC, with the goals of 1) identifying and prioritizing content, helpful tools, and capabilities of tool users; and 2) developing a the Creative Forces playbook design and content. The convening shall include:
- Discussion regarding CF vision
- Review of existing CF Playbook content
- Discuss system elements (digital tool, clinical services, community engagement, arts accelerator, and toolkits
- Meeting might involve (but not limited to) one on one meetings with stakeholders, “looking out” (AKA Therapists) CF personnel, etc.
- PHASE 1 -- Create visual assets to articulate the Creative Forces vision to include:
- Strategy and storytelling to articulate vision of Creative Forces for internal and external audiences.
- Activities playbook design layout with sample sections to shape CF revisions on existing program documentation (revisions of content are not included in this RFQ)
- Visual mockup of system elements (digital tool, community engagement, arts accelerator, toolkits, etc) via a logic model highlighting the tool inputs, outputs, and content value
- Technical web enabled tool assessment and implementation strategy to include items such as, but not limited to:
- Internal technical specifications
- Capabilities review
- Inclusion of visual asset items into knowledge base for tool design consideration and implementation plans
- Placeholder splash page and wire design framework for website tool
- PHASE 1 -- Presentation of and discussion on deliverables via small convening in Washington DC to include;
- Contractor’s presentation of deliverables synthesis;
- Presentations by Contractor’s tool manager to review concepts, tool functions, and user engagement recommendations
- Presentation by playbook design layout; and
- Presentation of a sample of the playbook content modification to streamline information and present digestible information to the CF network communities and stakeholders
- Facilitated discussion to identify and prioritize gaps in content, tool testing, and playbook layout timeline to achieve program vision. A constant focus needs to be creating tools and content to increase the understanding of the relationship between arts therapies and community arts engagement and improvements in health and well-being for military service members, veterans and their families.
- PHASE 2 – Follow-on research and discovery activities with CF Stakeholders
- May include travel to site(s), community engagement stakeholders, etc;
- Provide content audit, research summary with findings, recommendations, etc, and research synthesis to design guide
- PHASE 2 – Strategic design approach and supporting documents
- Community engagement recommendations for interactions such as (but not limited to) 1 on 1, face to face, online toolkit, etc
- Online toolkit and enterprise application software implementation and maintenance support
- Performance metric impact factors, data collection, reporting, etc to support performance measurement program, evaluation, and change management
- PHASE 2 – Design style guide, playbook, and design directions, and alpha and beta web tool
- Release plan, agile development, of web based living style guide
- Design and distribute content and other ongoing support for community engagement summits taking place across the Network throughout the 2017
- Detailed documents of technical environment, code conventions, front-end architecture for digital toolkit
- Alpha launch, testing, and adjustments to digital toolkit
- Beta launch, testing, and adjustments to digital toolkit
- Deliverable of operational and fully functioning web based tool with full code package/repository
Requirements for All Report Deliverables
Each report deliverable resulting from this contract will include a Microsoft version consistent with other NEA publications, this report should follow The Chicago Manual of Style and the NEA style guide, which will be provided to the contractor at the time of award. Electronic versions of all tables, charts, graphs, and data visualizations should be submitted in the program that was used to create them (e.g., Excel, Photoshop, Tableau), and the contractor shall work with NEA staff to determine an appropriate and compatible file format to use. The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring compatibility of submissions.
SECTION C
SPECIFICATIONS
C. DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
The contractor shall perform the following tasks:
C.1 Project Kick-off Meeting. The contractor shall meet with the project director to review project tasks and co-plan the project. The contractor shall prepare a memorandum summarizing the discussion and making note of decisions made. This meeting may take place on-site or via videoconference or teleconference.
C.2. Timeline/Work Plan. The contractor shall prepare a detailed timeline and work plan for accomplishing the remaining tasks of the contract, incorporating input from the kick-off meeting. The contractor shall first submit a draft timeline and work plan for review by the project director following the kick-off meeting. Following the receipt of feedback from the project director, the contractor shall prepare and submit a final timeline and work plan, which will include a detailed description of all analytical methods and data sources to be used in the study and proposed table of contents for the exemplar report.
C.3. Communications. The contractor shall participate in regular teleconferences with the project director and prepare minutes documenting these meetings. Teleconferences shall be held at least monthly and may be held more frequently at the discretion of the project director. The contractor also shall submit on or by the 30th day of each month a monthly progress report not to exceed 1 page.
C.4 2016 Synthesis. The contract shall prepare a detailed synthesis of all the draft and final deliverables as a means to track activities tied to the work plan and timeline.
C.5 2017 Deliverables. The contractor shall adhere to the deliverables requirements outlined in section F.1.
C.6 Other. The scope of services under this contract are critical to the Creative Forces program and the timeline is accelerated to meet program requirements.
SECTION D
DELIVERABLES
D. Delivery Schedule
Project Phase/Task / Deliverable / Due Date(Weeks after
Kick-off Mtg)
1. Project kick-off / Planning meeting with NEA staff / 0 weeks
Memo summarizing discussion & decisions / 1 week
2. Timeline/ work plan / Draft of timeline & work plan / 1 week
Finalized timeline & work plan / 1 week
3. Communications / Regularly scheduled meetings and minutes / Monthly (min.)
Monthly progress reports / Monthly
4. Synthesis / CF team members provide into to contractor / 1 weeks
Draft synthesis / 2 weeks
Final synthesis / 2 weeks
5. Deliverables / Ph 1:Convening (and synthesis) / 1 weeks
Ph 1:Brand development concepts (2 to 3) / 3 weeks
Ph 1:Technology Assessment and Implementation Strategy / 4-6 weeks
Ph 1:Splash Page and Framework for Site / 6 weeks
Ph 1:Final Visual Assets Presentation (Brand materials, templates, etc) / 5 weeks
Ph 2:Digital Style Guide / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Visual Experiential Map w/ architecture / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Final Design Principles / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Technical Roadmap / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Primed Backlog of User Stories / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Alpha Launch / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2:Beta Launch / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2: Detailed documents of technical environment, code conventions, front-end architecture / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2: Deliverable of operational and fully functioning web based tool with full code package/repository / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2: Draft user manual and Resource Center manual / TBD (based on funding availability)
Ph 2: Final user manual and Resource Center manual / TBD (based on funding availability)
* The contractor shall provide for up to two (2) rounds of feedback from the Project Director on all draft deliverables.
SECTION E
EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
The cost for support services and deliverables for Phase 1 of this RFQ shall not exceed $90,000. Projected pricing budgetary needs for Phase 2 should be proposed in the application and will be reviewed but not included in the selection evaluation price criteria (#4 below). The implementation of Phase 2 of the implementation plan will be subject to availability of funds.
1. Understanding of the Project (20 points)
2. Technical Approach (40 points)
3. Personnel Qualifications and Experience (30 points)
4. Price (10 points)
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Understanding of the Project (20 points)
The contractor demonstrates a thorough understanding of the project, as shown through discussion of the rationale and purpose for the project. The contractor provides evidence of a clear understanding of the state of research on impacts and benefits of arts therapies with military service members and veterans. The contractor does not simply repeat the statement of work, but shows an independent understanding of the issues and context inherent to qualitative research.
Technical Approach (40 points)
The contractor’s approach is succinct and logical in format, consistent with the tasks to be accomplished, and fully addresses the purposes described in the statement of work. The proposed technical approach clearly specifies and describes the intended work under each task and presents a work schedule by task that includes a timetable for deliverables. The proposal discusses the contractor’s proposed approach to all deliverables, including the structure and contents of the research synthesis and strategic framework document. The contractor identifies potential challenges to the project’s success and presents strategies for addressing them. Overall, the technical approach is of a high quality and demonstrates a thorough technical proficiency.
Personnel Qualifications and Experience (Past Performance) (30 points)
The contractor demonstrates that the proposed personnel, including subcontractors (if applicable), possess experience providing past services to clients similar in nature with excellent outcomes; collecting information through interviews; applying human-centered approaches and design thinking strategies to confront complex challenges or problems, planning and facilitating convenings; preparing visual assets and platform tools that represent the government aspect of the Creative Forces program; and success in taking a systematic approach to developing content to support the vision of the program. The contractor provides evidence of having conducted tasks similar to the work outlined in the RFP (with examples cited). The proposed project manager has demonstrated experience in managing projects of comparable scale and complexity (cite examples).