2020 Census Integrated Communications Evaluation (ICE)
1. PURPOSE
This RFI is issued solely for informational, market research, and planning purposes to support planning for the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Evaluation (ICE). It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the USCB is not seeking proposals at this time, and will not accept unsolicited proposals. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be soley at the interested Offeror's expense. The USCB is not liable for any costs (direct or indirect) associated with the preparation, submissions or responses to the market survey or any costs associated with the USCB use of the information.
Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Although the term "Offeror" is used in this RFI, your response will be treated as information only and shall not be used as a proposal. It is the responsibility of the interested Offeror to monitor www.fbo.gov for additional information pertaining to this RFI.
The USCB is developing requirements for the 2020 Census ICE. As part of this process, the USCB wants to learn more about the methods and best practices currently used by industry when evaluating the effectiveness of a national social marketing campaign.
The information gathered in response to this RFI will assist the Census Bureau in:
- Determining methodologies available to evaluate the effectiveness of several components of the 2020 Census Integrated Partnership and Communications (IPC) Program;
- Determining the resources necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2020 Census IPC Program; and
- Identify the most effective acquisition strategy to meet the objectives of any resulting procurement.
2. BACKGROUND
Once every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a complete enumeration of the U.S. population and housing, determining how many people reside within our nation's borders, who they are, and where they live. The mission to count every person once in their primary place of residence under unmovable deadlines makes the decennial census one of the Federal Government's most complex and largest mobilizations. It is an extremely complex undertaking that requires the participation of every household in the country, reaching people from the most remote Alaskan villages to the most crowded inner cities.
The census is basic to our democracy as it is the basis for:
- The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives;
- Realignment of state legislative districts;
- Policy decisions guidance; and
- Allocation of more than $400 billion of federal funding each year to local communities.
As complex as it is, the 2020 Census count must be as complete and accurate as possible and conducted at a reasonable cost to the American taxpayer. Whether through the Internet, telephone, or traditional paper questionnaires, the Census Bureau is committed to making the once-a-decade headcount quick, easy, and safe for all to participate. The agency hopes to provide substantial taxpayer savings while maintaining high quality and accuracy standards.
2.1 2020 Census Communications Campaign
An effective integrated communications program is critical to 2020 Census success. To support the national headcount in 2020, the Census Bureau is planning a communications program, entitled the 2020 Census IPC Program, to increase awareness of and participation in this constitutionally mandated activity. The 2020 Census IPC Program includes all partnership and communications activities completed in-house and by contractors to support the 2020 Census and will integrate paid advertising, earned media, public relations, social media, school materials, events, outreach and partnerships into one holistic and cohesive program. The 2020 Census Integrated Communications Contract (ICC) is a large and critical component of the overall 2020 Census IPC Program.
On September 2016, the Census Bureau awarded a contract to assist the Census Bureau in creating and implementing the 2020 Census ICC Contractor, Team Y&R. This contract must create awareness about the census and motivate each household to answer the census questionnaire promptly. Team Y&R is developing a data-driven approach to segment and target households to deliver an efficient communications campaign.
More information regarding the 2010 IPC Program and 2020 ICC can be found in the attachments.
3. EVALUATING THE CENSUS COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN
Measuring the success of a large communications campaign with many components presents challenges for the Census Bureau. In addition to its size, scale, and complexity, the 2020 Census IPC program will not be implemented with a randomized design, making it difficult to isolate the effects of different campaign components. Furthermore, exposure to campaign messages historically have not been tracked, except through retrospective recall questions with long reference periods, which are subject to substantial recall error, even when aided with the use of videos or pictures. The Census Bureau would like to learn more about aspects of campaign evaluation such as quasi-experimental design and coincidental measurement of campaign communication effects in an effort to overcome the challenges associated with evaluating the 2010 Census communications campaign.
3.1 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program Evaluation:
A three-wave household survey using a nationally representative sample with over-samples of hard-to-count race/ethnic populations served as the primary evaluation mechanism of the 2010 Census ICC. The evaluation concluded that knowledge of the census increased significantly for the US population as a whole and among key subgroups and that stated intent to participate in 2010 Census increased over the course of the campaign among all sampled groups. (More information on this evaluation effort can be found in the attached document, 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program Evaluation (CICPE) - Attachment 1.
This 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program Evaluation confronted several limitations. It experienced substantial measurement error due to recall error associated with a reliance on self-reported campaign exposure exacerbated by a limited number of effect measures (i.e., a pre- and post-campaign survey) and the inability to show respondents advertisements. It also may have experienced non-response error due to a lower self-response rate than the 2010 Census mail as well as attrition across the three panel waves. Furthermore, the evaluation had no experimental design to parse out individual program effects. The Census Bureau aims to limit such constraints in the 2020 Census ICE.
3.2 2020 Census Integrated Communications Evaluation
The Census Bureau expects the 2020 Census ICE to determine whether and to what extent (1) traditional television, newspaper, print, and radio advertisements; (2) digital advertisements; (3) social media; and (4) public relations/earned media, individually and collectively, affect 2020 Census self-response. In addition, the evaluation will determine whether and to what extent these four campaign components affect 2020 Census self-response:
- Across self-response modes (i.e., paper, Internet, and telephone Census Questionnaire Assistance); and
- Among yet to be determined "hard-to-count" groups.
Assuming appropriate security preparation by the contractor, the Census Bureau plans to allow the 2020 Census ICE contractor access to frame data, response data, and operational data such as the mode and date on which response occurred. The evaluation contractor will also work with the Census Bureau to obtain access to additional process measures and other data, including but not limited to:
- Adobe Analytics data that track Census Bureau website metrics and digital advertisement metrics;
- Databases with metrics on Census Bureau national social media accounts;
- Metadata from the online questionnaire, including the previous website visited by a respondent or non-respondent (e.g., Census Bureau homepage, specific digital advertisement);
- Digital advertisement impressions, spend, and clicks as well as digital advertisement placement;
- Traditional advertisement circulation, gross rating points (GRPs), impressions, delivery, estimated ratings, and corresponding pricing;
- Public relations/earned media activities conducted; and
- Advertisement copy.
4. ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program Evaluation (CICPE)
Attachment 2 - 2010 Census Integrated Communications Campaign Plan (ICC)
5. REQUESTED INFORMATION
The following company information is requested as well as the market research questions listed below are intended to assist the Census Bureau in learning more about evaluation methods and services available for the 2020 Census ICE. The Census Bureau appreciates and encourages vendors to submit responses based on their knowledge, experience, and expertise conducting evaluations of large communications campaigns.
Section I - Market Research Response Formatting:
1. A response to each of the market research questions (see below) in this RFI. Each individual response to a question shall not exceed five hundred (500) words per question using 8.5" x 11" pages, 12-pitch font size in Times New Roman, and single-spaced.
2. Companies shall only provide responses to questions where they have direct knowledge and experience to convey that is pertinent to the specific question.
Section II - Capabilities Statement:
1. A brief summary of the company's capabilities and experience with large, integrated communications campaign evaluations. This summary shall not exceed seven hundred (700) words using 8.5" x 11" pages, 12-pitch font size in Times New Roman, and single-spaced.
2. This summary shall include, but is not limited to, methodologies used and data analyzed as they relate to evaluating large, integrated communications campaigns.
a) Specify your company's ability to provide the following as described in this RFI. It should be clearly delineated as to which areas your company is able to perform.
b) Have you performed these services before? If so, please provide past performance details to include contract number, dollar value, and point of contact.
Section III - Business Information:
1. Company name, mailing address, and website address
2. Contact person's name, position, e-mail address, and telephone number
3. Brief description of the company to include:
a) Business size (i.e., large, small, SBA certified small disadvantaged, SBA certified 8(a), SBA certified HUB Zone)
b) Ownership (i.e., woman-owned, veteran-owned, service disabled veteran-owned)
c) DUNS number
d) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes
e) Federal contract vehicles, if any (e.g., GSA schedules [number and name], Government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs), agency-specific acquisition contracts)
4. This section shall not exceed two hundred and fifty (250) words using 8.5" x 11" pages, 12-pitch font size in Times New Roman, and single-spaced.
6. MARKET RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Based on experiences from Census 2010, the Census Bureau is interested in considering creative evaluation methodologies - for example, randomized and quasi-experiments, natural experiments, cohorts with lagged exposure effects, continuous time series, observational studies that incorporate causal modeling, test market evaluations, and longitudinal studies. Based on your experience conducting evaluations of large communications campaigns, and taking into consideration all information provided and challenges anticipated regarding the 2020 Census ICE, please describe:
1. What creative methods exist to determine whether and to what extent (1) traditional advertisements, (2) digital advertisements, (3) social media, and (4) public relations/earned media increase 2020 Census self-response overall? (Methods should enable causal inference about the effectiveness of communication efforts while minimizing recall error and attempting to overcome the limitations experienced by the 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program Evaluation.)
2. What methods exist to effectively and accurately measure and distinguish the impact of traditional advertisements versus the impact of digital advertisements, social media, public relations/earned media, and other components of the 2020 Census IPC Program on self-response?
3. What methods exist to perform a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate whether (1) traditional advertisements, (2) digital advertisements, (3) social media, and (4) public relations/earned media would be cost effective during the 2020 Census?
4. What methods exist to assess the influences of (1) traditional advertisements, (2) digital advertisements, (3) social media, and (4) public relations/earned media on the self-response of hard-to-count groups?
5. What experience does your company have using media placement information, advertisement ratings, digital advertising, social media metrics as well as other data to track the effectiveness of a large communications campaign such as the 2020 Census IPC Program?
6. What experience does your company have developing logic models rooted in theoretical frameworks that take into account how social marketing campaigns affect decision-making and behavior?
7. What previous experience does your company have evaluating large communications campaigns? Include a brief description of the campaign(s) evaluated; target audience(s); campaign length/period(s); reach/geographical area(s) covered; campaign budget(s); and evaluation's metrics, methods, length, and cost.
8. Developing an effective acquisition strategy is critical to success. What are some suggestions on acquisition strategies that the U.S. Census Bureau can utilize for this project?
9. What is the appropriate, most utilized contract type for a project similar in size, scope, and complexity to the 2020 Census ICE (e.g., fixed price, cost reimbursement, task order type contract)?
10. Could a small business perform this work as a prime?
11. It is essential to involve small businesses in this communications campaign evaluation. Where are small businesses most active within this industry? How can their expertise best be utilized as a prime, or how could their expertise best be used as a subcontractor if you feel small businesses could not perform as the prime?
12. Does your company have any additional information not previously provided that could assist the Census Bureau in their market research?
13. Based on best practices and industry standards, how would the level-of-effort be determined to achieve the objectives of the ICE? What would be the estimated cost to achieve the objectives of the ICE?
7. RFI RESPONSES INSTRUCTIONS
Responses to this RFI shall be sent as one (1) attachment (Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat formats only) to the Government representatives listed below. That is, responses to the three (3) sections shall be in one (1) document and included as an attachment to the e-mail. The subject line shall read, "Response to RFI for the 2020 Census ICE provided by __________ (enter name of your company.)" No other information other than what is specifically outlined under Sections I, II, and III shall be submitted.
Responses shall be submitted no later than Friday, July 7, 2017, 2:00pm EST to donna.cornish@census.gov and donnell.p.nance@census.gov.
8. INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS
USCB representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential Offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks.
9. QUESTIONS
Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer, Donna Cornish at donna.cornish@census.gov. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the notice on the FedBizOpps website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after Friday, July 7, 2017 will be answered.
Donna Cornish, Contracting Officer, Phone 3017634514, Email donna.cornish@census.gov - Donnell Nance, Contract Specialist, Phone 3017637327, Email donnell.p.nance.jr@census.gov
