[Capchapohio] FW: Statewide Vocational Rehabilitation Fee Schedule Request for Proposal

Tue Sep 20 10:27:59 UTC 2011

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Jw

Dr. J. Webster Smith

President, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

PO Box 458 Athens, OH 45701

740-592-6326

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From: Shirley Marchi [mailto:eileen at rsc-ohio.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of
Shirley Marchi
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 2:08 PM
To: jwsmithnfb at frontier.com
Subject: Statewide Vocational Rehabilitation Fee Schedule Request for
Proposal

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Description: Image removed by sender. Ohio Rehabilitation Services
Commission

 ***ANNOUNCEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS***

Statewide Vocational Rehabilitation Fee Schedule Request for Proposals

Request for Proposals (RFP) 
RFP# FS--VR-101711

Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation 
Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired
150 East Campus View Blvd
Columbus, OH 43235-4604

September 19, 2011

Statewide Vocational Rehabilitation Fee Schedule

Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired

400 East Campus View Blvd. - 3AD

Columbus, OH 43235-4604 

To:         Interested Individuals/Entities

From:    Susan Pugh, Deputy Director

Re:         Vocational Rehabilitation Fee Schedule Request for 

                Proposals (RFP) 

Date:      9/19/11

The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) is seeking proposals for a
statewide Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) fee schedule. 

This contract is anticipated to be awarded by 10/24/11 and will conclude by
5/1/11.

The requirements and the selection criteria for proposals are set forth in
the BELOW WEBSITE:

 http://www.rsc.ohio.gov/Funding_Grants/default.aspx
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sodtqjcab&et=1107715130656&s=7826&e=001J63yud
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2Xg6_6yTV2ioFM0G8jtKHQfLOx2uX4KiMaS5udp-mgCteEyQqOiU_8L-V7DaYJhYX9aA==> 

Once you are on the website, click on VR Fee Schedule RFP - VR-101711.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 10/17/11.

The vendor is to submit five (5) HARD COPIES.   The proposal must be
received by the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission by 5:00 pm on
10/17/11.  Proposals should be delivered to: 

Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
400 East Campus View Blvd. - 3AD

Columbus, Ohio 43235-4604

Attn:  Susan Pugh

Questions concerning this announcement or the Request for Proposals can be
directed to Greg Dormer at  <mailto:Greory.Dormer at rsc.ohio.gov>
Gregory.Dormer at rsc.ohio.gov or (614)-438-1468. 

Answers to questions will be posted on RSC's webpage.  

Interested individuals are responsible for checking the website for any
questions and answers that are posted and/or updates to the RFP.

I. Purpose of Project

The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) is the state agency
charged with partnering with Ohio citizens with disabilities to achieve
employment and independence. 

The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) and Bureau of Services for the
Visually Impaired (BSVI) partner with individuals with disabilities to
achieve quality employment outcomes.

In spite of higher unemployment and economic downturns, 5,707 Ohioans with
disabilities obtained or retained competitive employment through RSC in
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2010.  These individuals worked an average of 31.6
hours per week at an average hourly rate of $12.75.

During this same fiscal year, RSC received 40,319 referrals for Ohioans with
disabilities. A number of services purchased to prepare and place an
individual with a disability in a job setting are currently purchased in an
"open market" setting.  For example, a 2009 analysis (see Appendix F) found
that Community Based Assessment fees ranged from $18.00 per hour to $87.00
per hour.  Likewise, Job Coaching services ranged from $20.00 per hour to
$120.00 per hour.  A fee schedule was not implemented as a result of this
2009 analysis.

The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission desires to contract with a
vendor to recommend a statewide Vocational Rehabilitation fee schedule for
services for Ohioans with disabilities.

For the purpose of this RFP, the following definitions apply:

*	Vendor- an individual/entity interested in this opportunity.  
*	Contractor- the successful vendor selected through this RFP
*	Fee Schedule- a list of services a provider(s) performs and the
amount that the provider(s) can charge for each service. 

This Request for Proposal document is released by the Rehabilitation
Services Commission and the subsequent contract expected to result from this
RFP process will be a contract between the selected vendor and RSC.

The vendor's response to the Request for Proposal will be considered part of
the contract.  

RSC will designate a staff member as the RSC Contract Manager to provide
on-going supervision of the contractor selected through this RFP.

No extensions or renewals are planned for the contract expected to result
from this RFP.

RSC will only accept proposals from vendors that demonstrate their
capability of providing services as described in this RFP. 

RSC is under no obligation to enter into a contract with any vendor as a
result of this solicitation if, in the opinion of RSC, none of the proposals
are responsive to the objectives and needs of the Agency.  RSC reserves the
right to not select any vendor should RSC decide not to proceed.  

Answers to questions regarding this Request for Proposal will be posted on
RSC's webpage.  Interested individuals are responsible for checking the
website for any questions and answers and/or updates to the RFP that are
posted.  All vendors are responsible for obtaining any such changes without
further notice by RSC.

II. Project Overview and Objectives

The Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR 361.50, attached as Appendix A)
indicates that RSC may establish a fee schedule designed to ensure a
reasonable cost to the program for each service, if the schedule is-

(i)  Not so low as to effectively deny an individual a necessary service;
and

(ii) Not absolute and permits exceptions so that the individual needs can be
addressed i.e. geographic differences

The objectives of this project are as follows:

1. Create a Fee Schedule for services provided for vocational rehabilitation

2. Produce a report with comprehensive analysis, that:

a) Utilizes data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and
other federal entities; 

b) Utilizes data from states other than Ohio;

c) Utilizes data from other State of Ohio agencies such as the Bureau of
Workers Compensation, Department of Developmental Disabilities, Department
of Mental Health; and

d) Utilizes data from service providers and associations. 

III. Tentative Project Timelines

This project will be implemented within the following timetable:

September 19, 2011 RSC Releases RFP to Potential Vendors on DAS/RSC Web
Site; Q&A Period

- RFP becomes active

- Vendors may submit questions and inquiries for RFP clarification to:
<mailto:gregory.dormer at rsc.oh.gov> gregory.dormer at rsc.oh.gov

September 28,  2011 Preliminary Vendor Q&A Period Closes, 8 a.m. (for
inquiries for RFP Clarification)   

October 5,  2011 RSC provides Preliminary Vendor Question & Answer Document

October 11, 2011 RSC hosts live Bidder Conference for Vendors to seek Final
Clarification and receive answers from RSC

October 17, 2011  FIVE Final Hard Copy Proposals due to RSC by 5:00 p.m.

October 24, 2011 Vendor Selection is made

May 1, 2012 Project Completion

IV. Scope of Work

The vendor selected via this RFP process will recommend a fee schedule that
a provider can charge to provide services to individuals with disabilities.
The project must be completed and presented to RSC no later than May 1,
2012. The fee schedule should include the following:

a) The minimum credential and/or training required for the

individual(s) to deliver the service.

b) The recommended unit of service such as hourly, weekly, per assessment,
etc.

c) Fees that are designated as "maximum rates."  RSC recognizes that rates
may vary in different geographical areas or related to the significance of
the disability of the person served. 

RSC has created a list of services that require a fee schedule.  The vendor
will gather information from RSC staff, providers, associations, state
agencies, etc., to determine the scope of the work necessary to deliver each
of these services.  Appendix B lists the services for which the vendor will
create a fee schedule.

V. Specifications of Deliverables

This section sets forth the minimum activities and deliverables that will be
required of the selected vendor under the contract expected from this RFP:

The vendor will be responsible for the following activities: 

1.  Gathering and analyzing: 

. Fee schedules of other states that are comparable in size, budget and
quality standards to Ohio (for example meeting standards and indicators) 

. Fee structures utilized by Ohio and other state VR programs to determine
models that promote greatest efficiency and produce the best outcomes

. Industry standards for qualifications for individuals delivering services

. Fee schedules from State of Ohio agencies and federal agencies (if
applicable)

. Stakeholder's feedback; which may include, but is not limited to, the
vendor developing and conducting surveys, focus groups and key informant
interviews with associations, providers, etc.

2.  Publishing a recommended Fee Schedule to the Executive Director of RSC
that describes the following:

. How the content was developed, including resource details (staff/data),
approach and/or methodologies that were utilized, which includes, but is not
limited to, data gathering/statistically sound analyses, sound economic and
market-driven principles and recommendations and stakeholder
surveys/feedback.

3.  Present a plan to follow up and make additional recommendations
regarding the implementation of the Fee Schedule.

 . Timelines recommended are 90 days, 180 days, 270 days and one year after
implementation.

4.  Presenting reports of findings to the RSC Executive Director.

 . A bi-monthly, electronic status report detailing progress;

. A research abstract of the project;

. A comprehensive narrative technical report to reflect collected data and
analyses and comparative data across geographic areas;

. Visual representation of data findings, using charts, graphs, and maps;

. An Executive Summary of the research findings and recommendations; in
electronic PDF and editable Word 2007 format, along with 20 hard copies;

. A Microsoft Power Point presentation of the highlights of the project, the
Executive Summary, and the recommendations; and

. Electronic copies of all data used to produce the report. 

The RSC Contract Manager, if unsatisfied with job performance of any of the
selected vendor's staff and/or sub-contractors, may ask for replacements.
The selected vendor will be subject to a key personnel contractual
requirement. RSC must be notified of any impending changes in key personnel
and must approve any proposed replacement staff.

VI. Eligible Respondents

RSC will ONLY consider bids from vendors that demonstrate in their proposals
that they: 

A. Have background knowledge and experience in creating a fee schedule;

B. Have no financial interest in the outcome of this project (i.e.,
employment or contract affiliation with entities from whom RSC purchases
services).  Colleges and Universities are exempt from requirement B. 

In order to be considered for the project described in this RFP, RSC
requires that interested vendors must meet all of the above qualification
requirements.  Vendors that do not meet all these mandatory requirements
will be disqualified from further consideration for contract award. 

Vendors that meet all of these mandatory requirements will then be
considered based on the criteria set in sections 1-5 under Proposal Scoring.

RSC requires that interested vendors provide a response to all of the
criteria. Project proposals should be written in a narrative format and
include a brief project abstract.  Proposals may not exceed 10 double spaced
typed pages, excluding attachments.  The proposal should include how the
project will be managed and the qualifications of key personnel. This
information is not intended to be all-inclusive and any other significant
details about the proposal should be included accordingly. 

VII. Proposal Content and Scoring Criteria

A review panel will score the project proposals that are received by the
deadline and meet all mandatory requirements.  While the actual points for
each category are not listed, the categories are listed in descending order
of priority. Applicants can score up to 120 points based upon the following
criteria:  

1. Research Methodology 

The vendor must include a project plan with sufficient detail to provide
evidence of sound methodologies for the establishment of fees.  At a
minimum, the project plan should describe how the content will be developed,
including resource details (staff/data), data to be gathered, approach
and/or methodologies that will be utilized, which includes but is not
limited to data gathering/analysis and stakeholder surveys/feedback, and
demonstration of producing statistically sound analyses and sound economic
and market-driven principles and recommendations.

A timeline of the proposed steps and resources that will be used to complete
the activities listed in this RFP is required.

2. Subject:  Expertise, Experience and Capabilities

The vendor shall provide the number of years of experience in research and
analysis.

The vendor shall demonstrate knowledge and experience specifically related
to individuals with disabilities and the delivery of services to these
individuals.

3. Quality of Work 

The vendor shall provide examples of at least one (1) project that was
performed of comparable scope.

4. Budget 

The vendor must provide a cost proposal as part of their RFP response that
delineates the expenditures that will be necessary to complete the work i.e.
staff, travel, lodging, report writing. The unit of service to be billed to
RSC is hourly. Travel, meals, lodging, etc. should be itemized separately
(see Cost Proprosal, Appendix C).

Note: Travel costs are the expenses for transportation, lodging, meals, and
related items incurred by employees who are in travel status on official
business.  Travel costs are allowable when they are directly attributable to
specific work under the award.  Rates for per diem (meals and lodging) are
available at
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1jjnOjgbelJjhyT7IuwNr_Dfp4G2LY--67LcwzROE1TJilzSWAene33Gs=>
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120.

5. Organization and Staffing 

The vendor must demonstrate significant expertise and comprehension of the
work described in this RFP, with an implementation plan, by assigning staff
to key leadership roles for this project.  Key positions require profiles
and curriculum vitae.  The vendor must identify and assign a Project Manager
who has been responsible for producing research projects and include resumes
with education and pertinent experience of the Project Manager, etc.  

Note: The vendor must identify what, if any, portions of the project will be
sub-contracted.  RSC reserves the right to approval all subcontractors.   If
subcontracting, then the following information must be provided for each
subcontractor:

a. Name of individual; if it is a company then list both the company and
individuals that plan to be assigned.

b. Nature of sub-contractor business.

c. Scope of their involvement to the finished product.

d. Justification for needing to utilize a sub-contractor.  

Final Selection of Projects:  After completion of proposal scoring, top
candidates may be required to do an oral presentation.  RSC reserves the
right to make final decisions about contract award selection based upon the
needs of the organization.  Therefore, scores on the Request for Proposal
will not be the sole deciding factor on the selection of projects.
Submission of a response to this RFP does not guarantee that RSC will fund
the project.  

VIII.  Legal Provisions

Required Certifications:  Applicants are required to certify to a variety of
stipulations in order to be eligible for a contract award under this RFP.
By signing the Assurances Certification form (Appendix D) and submitting
this proposal, the Authorized Representative: 1) certifies that statements
made herein are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge; 2)
certifies that this document has been duly authorized by the governing body
of the Applicant, and 3) agrees to perform all actions and support all
intentions in the assurances certification section if a contract is awarded.

IX.   Proposal  Submission Deadline and  Requirements

Proposals must be received by the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
by:  5:00p.m. October 17, 2011.

Five (5) HARD COPY Proposals must be delivered to: 

Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
400 East Campus View Blvd. - 3AD
Columbus, Ohio 43235-4604
Attn:  Susan Pugh, Deputy Director

Director Kevin L. Miller

Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
614-438-1470

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