Department of Education Awards $7.3M Contract to Westat, Inc. for NAEP Sampling Services
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $7,312,125 ($7.3M)
Contractor: Westat, Inc.
Awarding Agency: Department of Education
Start Date: 2024-11-01
End Date: 2026-10-31
Contract Duration: 729 days
Daily Burn Rate: $10.0K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 3
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE
Sector: R&D
Official Description: NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS SW CONTRACT SELECTS SAMPLES PREPARES SAMPLING WEIGHTS.
Place of Performance
Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20202
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Education obligated $7.3 million to WESTAT, INC. for work described as: NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS SW CONTRACT SELECTS SAMPLES PREPARES SAMPLING WEIGHTS. Key points: 1. Contract focuses on sampling and weight preparation for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 2. Westat, Inc. is the sole awardee under a full and open competition. 3. The contract duration is 729 days, ending October 31, 2026. 4. This award falls under Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities sector.
Value Assessment
Rating: good
The contract value of $7.3 million for a two-year period appears reasonable for specialized statistical sampling services. Benchmarking against similar large-scale educational assessment contracts would provide further context.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded under full and open competition, suggesting a robust price discovery process. The use of a definitive contract indicates a clear scope of work.
Taxpayer Impact: The firm fixed price contract type helps ensure cost certainty for taxpayers, with the final cost determined at the time of award.
Public Impact
Ensures the integrity and reliability of national educational data through accurate sampling. Supports evidence-based policymaking by providing a foundation for educational research. Impacts students and educators nationwide by informing educational standards and interventions.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Positive Signals
- Full and open competition
- Firm fixed price contract
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the Research and Development sector, specifically focusing on social sciences and humanities. Spending in this area supports data collection and analysis for educational improvement.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates that small business participation was not a specific set-aside or requirement for this contract, as both 'ss' and 'sb' are false. Further analysis would be needed to determine if small businesses were subcontractors.
Oversight & Accountability
The Department of Education is responsible for overseeing this contract to ensure the accurate and timely completion of sampling services for the NAEP. The definitive contract structure provides a clear framework for accountability.
Related Government Programs
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
- Department of Education Contracting
- Department of Education Programs
Risk Flags
- Potential for sampling error impacting data representativeness.
- Challenges in participant recruitment and retention for surveys.
- Data security and privacy risks.
- Dependence on a single contractor for critical sampling functions.
Tags
research-and-development-in-the-social-s, department-of-education, dc, definitive-contract, 1m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Education awarded $7.3 million to WESTAT, INC.. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS SW CONTRACT SELECTS SAMPLES PREPARES SAMPLING WEIGHTS.
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is WESTAT, INC..
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Education (Department of Education).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $7.3 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2024-11-01. End: 2026-10-31.
What is the historical performance of Westat, Inc. on similar government contracts, particularly those involving large-scale data sampling?
Westat, Inc. has a significant history of performing complex survey design and data collection for federal agencies, including the Department of Education. Their experience with large-scale assessments like NAEP suggests a strong capability. Reviewing past performance evaluations and contract close-outs would provide a more detailed understanding of their reliability and efficiency in delivering similar services.
How does the cost per sample unit compare to previous NAEP sampling contracts or similar federal surveys?
Without specific data on the number of samples or the cost breakdown per sample unit, a direct comparison is difficult. However, the total contract value of $7.3 million over approximately two years for a national assessment suggests a substantial undertaking. Benchmarking against the cost per sample unit for other large federal surveys or previous NAEP iterations would be necessary to assess cost-effectiveness.
What are the potential risks associated with the sampling methodology or data integrity for this contract?
Potential risks include sampling errors leading to unrepresentative data, challenges in participant recruitment and retention, and data security breaches. Westat's established methodologies and the contract's defined scope aim to mitigate these. Robust quality assurance protocols, clear communication channels with the agency, and adherence to data privacy regulations are crucial for maintaining data integrity.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Scientific Research and Development Services › Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Product/Service Code: SPECIAL STUDIES/ANALYSIS, NOT R&D › SPECIAL STUDIES - NOT R and D
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE
Solicitation ID: 91990025R0001
Offers Received: 3
Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 1600 RESEARCH BLVD, ROCKVILLE, MD, 20850
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $15,183,876
Exercised Options: $7,312,125
Current Obligation: $7,312,125
Actual Outlays: $4,459,768
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Cost or Pricing Data: NO
Timeline
Start Date: 2024-11-01
Current End Date: 2026-10-31
Potential End Date: 2029-10-31 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-03-12
More Contracts from Westat, Inc.
- THE Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (path) Study Period of Performance: 04/01/2016-11/30/2016 Base Award — $505.3M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- "critical Functions" Igf::ct::igf the Sampling and Data Collection Contractor Designs and Conducts the Sampling and Data Collection Activities and Prepares the Sampling and Variance Estimation Weights for the Operational Assessments, Pilot Tests, and Special Studies Required by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (naep) for the 2013-2017 Assessment Cycles. Additionally, the SDC Contractor Conducts the Naep High School Transcript Study (hsts). the SDC Contractor Shall Pursue Creative and Innovative Lines of Methodological and Operational Inquiry for Improving Sampling, Data Collection and Weighting Methodologies That Will Strategically Position Naep and the Hsts to Meet the Upcoming Challenges in the Next Decade Such AS Technology-Based and Multi-Stage Adaptive Testing; Making Naep More Educationally Relevant by Linking With Other State, National, and International Assessments; and Improving Access to the Broadest Range of Students Including Students With Disabilities and English Language Learners — $344.4M (Department of Education)
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey — $302.2M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- R&d-Other R & D-B RES — $292.6M (Department of Health and Human Services)
- Nhanes Contract — $279.2M (Department of Health and Human Services)
Other Department of Education Contracts
- Administrative Action — $2.2B (Conduent Education Solutions, LLC)
- - Tivod Supports the Origination, Disbursement, and Reporting of Title IV Federal Student AID Programs, Including - BUT NOT Limited to - Direct Loans, Pell Grants, and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants. the Title IV Solution Shall Also Provide Ongoing Support for the Discontinued Title IV Federal Student AID Programs, Including - BUT NOT Limited to - Academic Competitiveness Grants and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grants — $1.5B (Accenture Federal Services LLC)
- Federal Student AID Common Origination and Disbursement Services — $1.1B (Accenture LLP)
- Provide Direct Loan Services Such AS Call Center and Financial Reporting - Nelnet From 12/15/2019 Through 12/14/2020 — $983.7M (Nelnet Servicing LLC)
- Debt Management and Collections System (dmcs) Igf::ct::igf — $906.9M (Maximus Federal Services, Inc.)