Department of Education awarded $16.3M for technical assistance to ARRA-funded teacher incentive grants
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $16,307,242 ($16.3M)
Contractor: Westat, Inc.
Awarding Agency: Department of Education
Start Date: 2010-09-24
End Date: 2015-10-30
Contract Duration: 1,862 days
Daily Burn Rate: $8.8K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 3
Pricing Type: COST PLUS AWARD FEE
Sector: Other
Official Description: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND (TIF) GRANTS FUNDED UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA)
Place of Performance
Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20202
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Education obligated $16.3 million to WESTAT, INC. for work described as: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND (TIF) GRANTS FUNDED UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA) Key points: 1. Contract focused on administrative management and consulting services, supporting educational initiatives. 2. Awarded through full and open competition, suggesting a robust bidding process. 3. The contract duration of 1862 days indicates a long-term need for these services. 4. Performance was structured as Cost Plus Award Fee, incentivizing high-quality delivery. 5. The primary recipient of services was the Department of Education itself. 6. Geographic focus was primarily the District of Columbia.
Value Assessment
Rating: good
The contract value of $16.3 million for technical assistance over approximately five years appears reasonable given the scope of supporting ARRA-funded grants. Benchmarking against similar large-scale educational support contracts is challenging without more specific service details. However, the Cost Plus Award Fee structure suggests a mechanism for controlling costs while rewarding performance, which can be a good value proposition if managed effectively. The absence of specific performance metrics makes a definitive value assessment difficult, but the long duration implies sustained need and potential for economies of scale.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
This contract was awarded through full and open competition, indicating that multiple qualified vendors had the opportunity to bid. The presence of three bidders suggests a competitive environment, which typically leads to better pricing and service offerings for the government. The specific details of the bidding process, such as the number of proposals received and the evaluation criteria, are not provided, but the competition level is a positive indicator for price discovery.
Taxpayer Impact: Full and open competition generally benefits taxpayers by fostering a market that drives down costs and improves service quality through vendor rivalry.
Public Impact
Teachers and educational institutions receiving ARRA-funded grants benefited indirectly through improved support and guidance. The services delivered aimed to enhance the effectiveness and administration of teacher incentive programs. The primary geographic impact was within the District of Columbia, where the Department of Education is headquartered. The contract supported the Department of Education's administrative functions related to grant management.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Potential for scope creep in long-term technical assistance contracts.
- Effectiveness of award fee structure in truly driving desired outcomes needs monitoring.
- Reliance on a single contractor for critical administrative support could pose a risk if performance falters.
Positive Signals
- Awarded via full and open competition, indicating a competitive process.
- Cost Plus Award Fee structure incentivizes contractor performance.
- Long contract duration suggests a sustained and recognized need for the services.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, specifically administrative management and general management consulting. This sector is crucial for government operations, providing expertise that agencies may not possess internally. The market for such services is large and competitive, with numerous firms capable of delivering specialized support. The $16.3 million value places this contract in the mid-to-large tier for individual federal service awards.
Small Business Impact
The contract was not set aside for small businesses, and there is no indication of subcontracting requirements for small businesses. This suggests that the primary contractor, Westat, Inc., likely performed the majority of the work internally or with larger partners. The impact on the small business ecosystem is likely minimal for this specific award, as it did not prioritize small business participation.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight for this contract would have been managed by the Department of Education's contracting officers and program managers. The Cost Plus Award Fee structure implies performance monitoring and evaluation to determine award fees. Transparency is generally facilitated through contract award databases like FPDS, but detailed performance reports are typically internal. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply in cases of fraud, waste, or abuse.
Related Government Programs
- Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) Grants
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Programs
- Department of Education Grant Management Support
- Federal Technical Assistance Contracts
Risk Flags
- Long contract duration may increase risk of performance degradation.
- Complexity of ARRA programs requires robust oversight.
- Effectiveness of award fee structure depends on clear performance metrics.
Tags
education, department-of-education, technical-assistance, grant-management, consulting-services, administrative-management, cost-plus-award-fee, full-and-open-competition, american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act, teacher-incentive-fund, definitive-contract, district-of-columbia
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Education awarded $16.3 million to WESTAT, INC.. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND (TIF) GRANTS FUNDED UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA)
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 $16.3 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2010-09-24. End: 2015-10-30.
What was the specific nature of the technical assistance provided to TIF grants?
The technical assistance provided under this contract was aimed at supporting the effective implementation and administration of Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants, which were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This likely included guidance on grant management best practices, compliance with ARRA and TIF program requirements, data collection and reporting, strategic planning for teacher incentive programs, and troubleshooting challenges faced by grant recipients. The goal was to ensure that ARRA funds were used efficiently and effectively to improve teacher quality and student outcomes, as intended by the legislation. Westat, Inc., as a provider of administrative management and general management consulting services, would have deployed subject matter experts to offer this support.
How did the Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) structure influence contractor performance?
The Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) structure is designed to incentivize contractor performance by allowing the contractor to recover allowable costs plus a base fee, with the potential for an additional award fee based on performance against pre-defined criteria. For this contract, Westat, Inc. would have been reimbursed for its direct and indirect costs associated with providing technical assistance. The award fee component would have been determined by the Department of Education based on how well Westat met or exceeded performance expectations related to the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of the technical assistance. This structure encourages the contractor to go beyond minimum requirements to achieve higher levels of satisfaction and potentially earn a greater overall fee, aligning the contractor's profit motive with the government's desired outcomes.
What were the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to evaluate Westat, Inc. under this contract?
Specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for this contract are not publicly detailed. However, typical KPIs for technical assistance contracts supporting grant programs often include metrics related to the timeliness of responses to grantee inquiries, the quality and relevance of guidance provided, the successful resolution of grantee issues, adherence to reporting requirements, and overall grantee satisfaction. For a CPAF contract, the Department of Education would have established specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) criteria against which Westat's performance was evaluated to determine the award fee. These KPIs would likely have been tailored to the unique needs of supporting ARRA-funded TIF grants.
Were there any significant challenges or risks associated with this contract?
Potential challenges and risks associated with this contract could include the inherent complexity of managing large-scale federal grant programs, especially those funded by stimulus legislation like ARRA, which often have tight timelines and specific objectives. Ensuring consistent quality of technical assistance across diverse grantees and maintaining effective communication channels between the contractor, the Department of Education, and the grant recipients would be critical. Furthermore, adapting to evolving program requirements or unforeseen issues within the TIF grants could pose risks. The long duration of the contract also presents a risk of contractor performance degradation over time if not actively managed and monitored.
How does this contract compare to other federal spending on educational technical assistance?
This contract, valued at $16.3 million over approximately five years, represents a significant investment in technical assistance for a specific set of educational grants (ARRA TIF). Compared to the overall federal education budget, it is a modest portion, but for targeted grant support, it is substantial. Federal spending on educational technical assistance varies widely depending on the program and agency. Contracts for large-scale, multi-year technical support like this are common in areas requiring complex program oversight, such as grant management, research initiatives, or the implementation of new educational policies or technologies. Its value is comparable to other major consulting contracts awarded by agencies like the Department of Education for program support.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services › Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE
Solicitation ID: ED-ESE-10-R-0013
Offers Received: 3
Pricing Type: COST PLUS AWARD FEE (R)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 1650 RESEARCH BLVD, ROCKVILLE, MD, 20850
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $16,411,988
Exercised Options: $16,307,242
Current Obligation: $16,307,242
Subaward Activity
Number of Subawards: 5
Total Subaward Amount: $6,946,320
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL ITEM PROCEDURES NOT USED
Cost or Pricing Data: NO
Timeline
Start Date: 2010-09-24
Current End Date: 2015-10-30
Potential End Date: 2015-10-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2025-04-01
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