EDIES12D0011

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS (NCES) WITHIN THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES (IES) OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) HAS THE FOLLOWING MISSION: (1) TO COLLECT AND ANALYZE EDUCATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS IN A MANNER THAT MEETS THE HIGHEST METHODOLOGICAL STANDARDS; (2) TO REPORT EDUCATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS IN A TIMELY MANNER; AND (3) TO COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND REPORT EDUCATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS IN A MANNER THAT: (A) IS OBJECTIVE, SECULAR, NEUTRAL, AND NON-IDEOLOGICAL AND IS FREE OF PARTISAN POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND RACIAL, CULTURAL, GENDER, OR REGIONAL BIAS; AND (B) IS RELEVANT AND USEFUL TO PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND THE PUBLIC. P.L. 107-279, PART C, SEC. 151(B); H.R. 3801, PART C, SEC. 151(B), 2002. AS A FEDERAL STATISTICAL AGENCY CHARGED WITH PROVIDING OUR NATION S EDUCATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS BASED ON LARGE-SCALE SURVEYS, ASSESSMENTS, AND OTHER MODES OF DATA COLLECTION, NCES HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT ITS FINDINGS ACCURATELY AND IN A TIMELY MANNER. FURTHER, THE STATISTICS SHOULD BE RELEVANT TO PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, POLICYMAKERS, AND THE PUBLIC. NCES SUPPORTS A WIDE RANGE OF POLICY RELEVANT DATA COLLECTION ACTIVITIES FOR MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA CONSUMERS AND USER GROUPS. CHANGES IN THE NATION S POLICYMAKERS CONCEPTION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND THE ROLE OF DATA IN EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT HAS REQUIRED NCES TO EXPAND BOTH THE AMOUNT AND TYPES OF INFORMATION IT COLLECTS, ANALYZES, AND REPORTS. ED WILL CONTINUE ITS REQUIREMENT TO SUPPORT NCES WITHIN IES WITH ITS MISSION THAT INCLUDES PROVIDING OUR NATION S EDUCATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS BASED ON LARGE-SCALE SURVEYS, ASSESSMENTS, AND OTHER MODES OF DATA COLLECTION. THE EDUCATION STATISTICS SUPPORT INSTITUTE NETWORK (ESSIN) FORMED UNDER THIS CONTRACT WILL CONDUCT SPECIALIZED STATISTICAL SUPPORT SOLELY FOR NCES, FORMALLY PROVIDED BY THE ESSI AND NESSI CONTRACTS. THE ESSIN ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SOLICITATION AS A MULTIPLE AWARD, IDIQ CONTRACT WITH FIRM-FIXED PRICE (FFP), FIRM-FIXED PRICE LEVEL OF EFFORT (FFP/LOE), OR COST REIMBURSEMENT (CR) TASK ORDERS. THE EDUCATION STATISTICS SUPPORT INSTITUTE NETWORK (ESSIN) FORMED UNDER THIS CONTRACT WILL CONDUCT WORK SOLELY FOR NCES. NO GROUP OTHER THAN NCES WILL AWARD TASK ORDERS UNDER THIS CONTRACT. THE ESSIN WILL ENABLE NCES TO CONTINUE ITS EFFORT TO RESPOND TO THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY IN CONTRACT MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.