Statement of Work
                          RFP-HS97-0170

                        Technical Support
                for the Department of Education's
   Initiative to Link Research and Practice to Improve Results 
                for Individuals with Disabilities

                 Division of Research to Practice
               Office of Special Education Programs


I.   Introduction

     Purpose of the Procurement

     The U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP), Division of Research to Practice (DRP)
requires technical support under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (P.L. 101-456).  This Task
Order Contract shall be established for six functional tasks:  1)
strategic program planning and management; 2) policy assessments;
3) program assessments; 4) communication of research; 5)
management services for conferences and meetings; and (6)
performance management systems.

     Background

     The U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP), Division of Research to Practice
(DRP), previously the Divisions of Innovation and Development,
Personnel Preparation, and Education Services, is the principal
unit in the Department of Education responsible for supporting
the advancement, access, and use of research to improve
practices, programs, and policies for educating infants,
toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.  Senior
department officials, U.S. Congress, and the public use the
results from the discretionary programs in special education
policy making, program design and program implementation.  The
Department's officials include the Assistant Secretary for the
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services;
Director, Office of Special Education Programs; Undersecretary of
the U.S. Department of Education, including Planning and
Evaluation Services and Policy and Budget Office. Other audiences
include state and local educational agency officials, OSEP state
monitoring and improvement teams, researchers, professional and
advocate organizations, teacher unions, and persons throughout
the U.S. committed to educating individuals with disabilities.

     Through its discretionary and formula programs, authorized
under the IDEA, Congress has charged the OSEP to improve results
for children with disabilities and their families.  Over the last
five years, the OSEP has piloted innovative strategies for
linking research to practice and policy audiences under Contract
Number HS92017001.  The major activities have included strategic
program planning and evaluation, synthesizing a professional
knowledge base, and providing access to and support for the use
of the knowledge base.  The Agency has used several strategies: 
(1) using opinion leader polls and focus groups to develop
communication messages and understand the readiness of the
audiences; (2) reaching out to audiences by building strategic
allies and networks of researchers and practitioners; (3)
communicating with the media; (4) using expert panels for
refining research management strategies such as peer review
processes; (5) synthesizing and summarizing research and practice
knowledge; (6) providing technical assistance to grantees to work
with the media; (7) working with editorial boards to develop user
friendly products to meet audience needs; (8) visiting sites to
document best practices and programs; and (9) setting forth
strategic program plans, goals, and processes for discretionary
programs that builds momentum with stakeholders to reach program
goals and informs future initiatives.

     Currently, DRP is responsible for research, demonstrations,
technical assistance, training, outreach, and dissemination
activities for improving results for infants, toddlers, children,
and youth with disabilities and their families.  OSEP/DRP
requires the services of a contractor to assist the agency to
achieve greater impact from its research investments.  To achieve
this goal, DRP sets forth three objectives:  1) to advance the
knowledge base; 2) to produce credible information from research
and practice knowledge; and 3) to create accessible and useable
products and events for supporting audiences to improve special
education practices and policies. The Contractor shall assist the
DRP to achieve these goals through sis recurring activities:  1)
strategic program planning and management; 2) policy assessments;
3) program assessments; 4) communication of research; 5)
management services for conferences and meetings; and (6)
performance management systems.  This technical support is
required during a 12-month period with four 12-month option
periods.
     
     Authorization

     The authorization for this procurement is contained in Parts 
B-Section 618, C,D,E,F,G of Public Law 94-142, Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended by Public Law 101-476.


II.  Scope of the Contract    

     Task Orders. Four task orders are included as attachments to
this statement of work. 

     Types of Task Order Activities.  All work performed by the
Contractor shall be specified in individual task orders.  Six
general types of activities shall be conducted under this Task
Order Contract.  They follow.


Activity 1: Strategic Program Planning and Management

     In Section 610 of the 1990 reauthorization of IDEA, Congress
required that a systematic process for developing program goals,
objectives, strategies, and priorities for the discretionary
programs be established by the OSEP. The Contractor shall design
and implement a process to build a Strategic Agenda that results
in: a) advancing the knowledge base on educating infants,
toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities; b) meeting the
compelling needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
disabilities and their families; c) linking research results with
decision makers, teacher educators, teachers, families,
consumers, and advocates at national, state, and local levels;
and d) building commitment of stakeholder, both internal and
external to OSEP, to use the Strategic Agenda as a means for
improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
disabilities.  The Contractor shall design and implement this
strategic planning process to link the discretionary programs
into a clear, compelling, and measurable research to practice
strategic agenda.  The Contractor shall design and implement this
strategic planning process that supports DRP to meet the
requirements authorized under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA).

     Additionally, the management of discretionary programs
affects the progress of the programs for meeting its legislative
intent and strategic goals.  Management of a research program may
include processes for soliciting, reviewing, and awarding grants;
analyzing patterns of investment strategies; and developing
databases for tracking progress of initiatives and project
performance. The Contractor shall conduct analyses of past
solicitations, peer review process, evaluation criteria, and
grant application procedures.  Research management also focuses
on the patterns of investment strategies.  These patterns might
include: a)  offering research, demonstrations, outreach
competitions; b) supporting multiple investigators under small
monetary awards, supporting one investigator under one large
award, or multiple awards with a cross site research design; or
c) offering field initiated competitions across research,
training, and technical assistance to support the market place to
link research and practice. The Contractor shall conduct analyses
of funding patterns to determine the effectiveness of various
investment strategies for advancing a knowledge base, for meeting
the needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
disabilities and for linking the advances with practice and
policy.

     In a typical strategic program plan task order, the
Contractor shall design a planning approach; implement the
approach; identify confirm, and support internal and external
stakeholders to contribute to the approach, brief officials,
prepare report and supporting materials.  In a typical research
management task order, the Contractor shall design the analyses,
implement the analyses, brief officials on the findings, and
prepare a report on the findings.

     When implementing strategic planning activities, the
Contractor shall make materials accessible to the deaf, hard-of
hearing, blind, and low vision participants and meetings
accessible to all individuals with disabilities. 

     Types of Deliverables: The Contractor shall prepare
background papers, draft and final reports, briefings, and
program support and training materials.

Activity 2: Policy Assessment

     Policy assessments are quick turnaround analyses of major
policy issues receiving active consideration by the Director of
the DRP.  These assessments contribute directly to internal
discussions on budgetary, legislative and program modification
decisions, provides background analysis and support for major
initiatives of the Administration, Congressional requests, and
occasionally produces the information base for Congressionally-mandated reports.

     Policy assessments are focused broadly and prospectively on
emerging issues and changing policy directions.  Because
timeliness of information is critical to policy assessments, the
Contractor shall typically analyze current information and
existing databases and may collect limited data from fewer than
nine individuals.  

     In a typical Task Order on policy assessment, the Contractor
shall develop policy issue framework; prepare data collection and
analysis plan; organize, analyze and summarize data; brief
department officials; and report findings.  The Contractor shall
prepare these policy assessments responses within a 1-15 day
turnaround time.

     Specific work requests shall be issued for all work under
Activity 2 of this task ordering contract.  Work request may only
be made by the COTR or the Contracting Officer.

     As a minimum, each specific Work Request shall contain the
following:

     Work requests will be issued on an as-needed basis over a 12
month period.  Using the Work Request form, the COTR or CO will
direct the Contractor to conduct one or all of the four types of
activities.  At a minimum, each specific Work Request shall
contain the following:

     o    A control number;
     o    A description of the specific work required
          in relation to the task order statement of
          work;
     o    The deliverables that are required;
     o    The due date, which shall not exceed 15
          working days.
     o    A not-to-exceed number of hours for each
          labor category and other direct costs.

     The Contractor shall be required to submit a copy of each
work request with the completion date, along with their invoice,
in order to be paid for that request.

     Work requests are subject to the terms and conditions of
this task order contract.

     Types of Deliverables: The Contractor shall prepare issue
and discussion papers, reports summarizing state of knowledge or
describing current practice on particular topics; reports on
identifying current knowledge gaps; preparation of data tables
and summary analyses; and briefings for senior officials.  The
Contractor shall provide deliverables to DRP in hard copy and, if
applicable, IBM-compatible microcomputer diskettes and electronic
files suitable for use on DRP's microcomputers.

Activity 3: Discretionary Program Assessments

     Assessments of discretionary programs focus on the programs
authorized under IDEA and defined issues or problems for meeting
the needs of children with disabilities and their families.
Senior Officials will use results from program assessments: a) to
understand what progress is being made towards meeting the
legislative mandates of the program and the goals specified in
the strategic agenda, and b) to decide upon program changes or
modifications or a need for further assessment.  Program
assessments may produce feasibility designs with optional
technical design solutions, identify successful practices and
sites or preliminary data on the effectiveness of a program,
conduct historical analyses of programs, synthesize research from
program investments, design instruments, and implement program
assessment designs.  Because of the nature of the programs, the
studies may include both quantitative and qualitative evaluation
approaches.         
     When designing and conducting program assessments typically,
the Contractor shall use existing data sources including document
reviews, research literature, and trade journals and mass media;
and collect data from fewer than nine individuals or programs. 
The Contractor shall use telephone contacts, site visits, expert
panels, focus groups and work groups from fewer than nine
individuals to obtain information for the program assessment.         

     When conducting site visits and telephone interviews, the
Contractor shall develop a methodological plan including site
visit plan, protocols, analyses of individual and across sites,
and report(s) on findings.  When expert panels, working groups,
and focus groups are convened, the Contractor shall develop a
discussion protocol for the meeting, invite members, arrange
meeting logistics, convene the meeting, report on meeting
outcomes, and, when specified in the task order, develop
information products. 

     In a typical Task Order on program assessment, the
Contractor shall develop a conceptual framework for the
assessment, conduct literature review and data base analysis,
report on findings and recommend options for collecting
additional data on site, through telephone or work group
discussions; develop data collection and analysis plan, develop
instruments, collect data, analyze data, brief and report
findings to Division officials.

     Types of Deliverables: The Contractor shall prepare concept
papers, supporting materials, syntheses, bibliographies, draft
and final reports, information displays and graphics, and
briefings.  The Contractor shall provide deliverables to DRP in
hard copy and, if applicable, IBM-compatible microcomputer
diskettes and electronic files suitable for use on DRP's
microcomputers.


Activity 4:  Communication of Research

     Linking research to practice and policy is a compelling and
necessary goal for achieving better results for children with
disabilities and their families.  Yet, often research and
evaluation findings are isolated from everyday special education
practices and policies.  Through this activity, the Contractor
shall develop and use innovative communication approaches to
coordinate and link individuals and organizations with research
and researchers nationally and regionally.  The Contractor shall
use approaches to support audiences to not only consider and
review new findings and information, but to ultimately act upon
the information to benefit children with disabilities and their
families. The Contractor shall design the activities to support
the U.S. Department of Education in linking with (a) professional
and parent associations, education, other human service agencies,
and business to define and clarify issues or launch communication
initiatives and (b) researchers, policy makers, families,
businesses, and practitioners to exchange research findings and
practices. 

     In some instances, the Contractor shall provide technical
support to grantees to synthesize and communicate findings from
several projects with a similar focus.  The Contractor shall
demonstrate an understanding of the Department of Education
guidelines, regulatory, and legislative requirements for product
development, both print and video, and for convening events.

     In a typical communication Task Order, the Contractor shall
conduct market analyses, develop communication plans, create
strategic alliances, develop communication messages, create
information and communication products to link audiences, provide
communication and synthesis technical assistance, and disseminate
products.  The Contractor shall make the communication products
and events accessible to persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing,
blind or with low-vision and to persons with physical
disabilities.

     Types of Deliverables: The Contractor shall prepare reports,
convene events, and develop information products.  The Contractor
shall provide deliverables to DRP in hard copy and, if
applicable, IBM-compatible microcomputer diskettes and electronic
files suitable for use on DRP's microcomputers.

Activity 5:  Management Services for Conferences and Meetings

     At times, needed information for policy and program
discussions must be obtained from a wide variety of sources
within and outside of the Federal Government. In these instances,
it is sometimes necessary to organize conferences or meetings
that bring together department officials and outside experts to
share knowledge and/or different perspectives on the particular
issues; to disseminate information on OSEP/DRP issues and
decisions to persons both within and outside of government; and
to convene grantees for exchange of information.  

     In a typical Task Order for conference planning and
management services, the Contractor shall develop conference
plans and procedures; develop conference agenda; develop
conference technical materials; manage all conference logistics;
and manage conference communications, including assistance with
public relations to develop and implement an outreach strategy;
provide technical expertise in preparation of papers and meeting
materials, and develop a summary of conference/meeting results.
The Contractor shall make all materials and events accessible to
persons with disabilities.

     Types of Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide a list
of participants, program agenda, background papers and briefing
books, participant materials, and follow-up materials.  The
Contractor shall provide deliverables to DRP in hard copy and, if
applicable, IBM-compatible microcomputer diskettes and electronic
file suitable for use on DRP's microcomputers.

Activity 6:  Performance Measurement System (PMS)

     The Contractor shall establish a Performance Measurement
System (PMS) that shall support the project management functions
throughout the contract through a series of interrelated
activities that include:

     a.  Development and use of work-breakdown structures that        define and organize contract work;

     b.  Use of contractor management control systems that                facilitate performance measurement within the work-                breakdown structure, and;

     c.  Use of a reporting system to report contract status.    

The Contractor shall report the information generated through the
PMS in the monthly Administrative Report.

III.  Types of Deliverables

1.   Briefings.  The Contractor shall provide briefings to the
     Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and
     other Department of Education (ED) staff on the status of
     work under each task order.  The Contractor shall conduct
     briefings to apprise ED staff of analyses.  The Contractor
     shall conduct most briefings by telephone, but some task
     orders may require on-site briefings at the Department of
     Education.  The Contractor shall provide appropriate
     materials for the briefing at the briefing (e.g. report
     summaries, overhead transparencies).  Each task order
     statement of work shall specify the number, types of
     briefings required, and when required.

2.   Draft Final Reports.  The Contractor shall summarize in a
     draft final report all work performed under each task order
     shall be summarized.  The Contractor shall submit a draft
     final report for review and approval by the COTR and by any
     other reviewers or panel of experts selected by the COTR. 
     The Contractor shall submit two copies to the COTR, unless
     otherwise specified in the task order.  The COTR shall
     provide comments to the contractor within 30 calendar days
     of receipt of the draft final report.  For less complex task
     orders, the COTR may provide the comments more quickly. 
     (The time shall be specified in each task order statement of
     work.)

3.   Final Reports.  The Contractor shall revise the draft final
     report to incorporate the comments supplied by the COTR and
     final report shall be submitted not later than 30 calendar
     days after the Contractor receives comments from the COTR. 
     The Contractor shall submit one copy of the final report to
     the Contracting Officer (CO) and 5 copies shall be submitted
     to the COTR.  

4.   Bibliographies.  The Contractor shall prepare bibliographies
     consistent with the American Psychological Association (APA)
     style manual unless otherwise specified in the task order.
     The task order shall specify whether the deliverable is to
     be a bibliography or annotated bibliography.  The Contractor
     shall submit one copy of the final bibliography to the CO
     and 5 additional copies to the COTR.

5.   Syntheses.  The Contractor shall prepare syntheses in
     accordance with a conceptual framework as proposed by the
     Contractor in response to each task order statement of work
     and approved by the COTR.  The Contractor shall submit
     syntheses in accordance  with the task order schedule of
     deliverables for draft and final products.  The COTR shall
     provide comments to the contractor within 30 calendar days
     of receipt of the draft syntheses.  For less complex task
     orders, the COTR may provide the comments more quickly. 
     (The time shall be specified in each task order statement of
     work.)  The Contractor shall submit one copy of the
     syntheses to the CO and 5 copies to the COTR.

6.   Issue and Concept Papers.  The Contractor shall prepare
     issue and concept papers in response to each task order
     statement of work and approved by the COTR.  The Contractor
     shall submit an issue or concept paper in accordance with
     the task order schedule of deliverables for draft and final
     products.  The COTR shall provide comments to the contractor
     within 30 calendar days of receipt of the draft paper.  For
     less complex task orders, the COTR may provide the comments
     more quickly.  (The COTR will specify in each task order
     statement of work.)  The Contractor shall submit one copy of
     the final paper to the CO and 5 copies to the COTR.

7.   Information Products.  The Contractor shall prepare
     information products, including print, electronic, and video
     formats, for use by the COTR and other specified target
     audiences to communicate background information; communicate
     research findings; strategic program agendas;
     project/portfolio findings; and competition results. The
     Contractor shall produce the information products in
     accordance with goals of the initiative proposed by the
     Contractor in response to each task order statement of work
     and approved by the COTR.  The Contractor shall obtain the
     necessary U.S. Department of Education clearances.  The
     Contractor shall submit the information products to the COTR
     in accordance with the task order schedule of deliverables
     for draft and final products.  The COTR shall provide
     comments to the Contractor within 30 calendar days of
     receipt of the draft information report.  For less complex
     task orders, the COTR may provide the comments more quickly. 
     (COTR will specify in each task order statement of work.) 
     The Contractor shall submit one copy of the final
     information products to the CO and 5 copies to the COTR.

8.   Information Displays and Graphics.  Under some task orders,
     the Contractor shall produce charts, slides, or overhead
     transparencies to supplement reports, syntheses, briefings,
     and information products.  The Contractor shall submit these
     information displays in draft form for review and approval
     by the COTR prior to their final preparation.

9.   Program Support and Training Materials.   The Contractor
     shall prepare program support and training materials in
     accordance with the goals of the initiative proposed by the
     Contractor in response to each task order statement of work
     and approved by the COTR.  The Contractor shall submit
     materials in accordance with the task order schedule of
     deliverables for draft and final products.  The COTR shall
     provide comments to the contractor within 30 calendar days
     of receipt of the draft materials.  For less complex task
     orders, the COTR may provide the comments more quickly. 
     (The time shall be specified in each task order statement of
     work.) 

IV.  Reporting Requirements

     The Contractor shall submit a monthly administrative report
within ten working days at the end of each month during which a
task order is in effect.  The Contractor shall include in the
monthly administrative report the following:

     1.  a list of the progress attained, problems that have been
resolved or are in need of resolution, and a list of the work to
be performed during the next monthly reporting period;

     2.  a manpower report prepared and signed by the Project
Director, summarizing actual personnel assignments for the month
just completed, showing for each named individual the hours
charged by task, and a projection of personnel assignments for
the following month;

     3.  an exhibit of expenditures segregating project costs by
individuals and task orders.

V.   Staffing

     During the performance of this contract, qualifications of
replacement personnel must equal or exceed the qualifications
stated for each labor category.

     The Contractor shall submit resumes of all replacement or
additional personnel to the CO for approval.  The approval or
disapproval of additional personnel shall be based upon the
personnel qualifications and experience requirements of the
contract.

     The Contractor shall append vitae for all key personnel, 
limit vitae to 3 pages each, emphasize areas directly relevant to
the work statement, specify time commitments of staff to other
projects, both Federal and non-Federal, and submit an
organizational chart.