Department of Education Spends $16.6M on PISA 2015 International Assessment Program
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $16,659,122 ($16.7M)
Contractor: Westat, Inc.
Awarding Agency: Department of Education
Start Date: 2013-01-17
End Date: 2021-07-16
Contract Duration: 3,102 days
Daily Burn Rate: $5.4K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE
Sector: R&D
Official Description: "OTHER FUNCTIONS" IGF::OT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROCUREMENT IS TO FACILIATE THE US PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM FOR STUDENT ASSESSMENT (PISA) 2015. PISA IS AN INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT THAT FOCUSES ON 15-YEAR-OLDS' PERFORMANCE IN READING LITERACY, MATHEMATICS LITERACY, AND SCIENCE LITERACY EVERY THREE YEARS. PISA ALSO ASSESSES OTHER SUBJECTS, ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY, SUCH AS GENERAL PROBLEM-SOLVING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. PISA EMPHASIZES FUNCTIONAL SKILLS THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACQUIRED AS THEY NEAR THE END OF MANDATORY SCHOOLING.
Place of Performance
Location: ROCKVILLE, MONTGOMERY County, MARYLAND, 20850
State: Maryland Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Education obligated $16.7 million to WESTAT, INC. for work described as: "OTHER FUNCTIONS" IGF::OT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROCUREMENT IS TO FACILIATE THE US PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM FOR STUDENT ASSESSMENT (PISA) 2015. PISA IS AN INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT THAT FOCUSES ON 15-YEAR-OLDS' PERFORMANCE IN READING LITERACY, MATHEMATICS LITERACY, AND SCIENCE … Key points: 1. The procurement supports US participation in the PISA 2015 international assessment, evaluating 15-year-olds' literacy in reading, math, and science. 2. Westat, Inc. was awarded a Cost Plus Fixed Fee definitive contract for this research and development effort. 3. The contract duration was 3102 days, spanning from January 2013 to July 2021. 4. The spending falls under R&D in Social Sciences and Humanities, with a PSC code of 541720.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The total award amount of $16.6 million for a multi-year international assessment program appears reasonable given the scope and duration. However, without specific benchmarks for similar large-scale educational research contracts, a precise value assessment is difficult.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded through full and open competition, suggesting a competitive bidding process. This method generally promotes price discovery and can lead to more favorable pricing for the government.
Taxpayer Impact: Taxpayer funds are used to support the US's participation in a global educational assessment, providing data for policy and improvement.
Public Impact
Enhances understanding of US student performance relative to international peers. Provides data to inform educational policy and curriculum development. Supports the US's role in global educational research and collaboration. The assessment results can highlight areas of strength and weakness in the US education system.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type can incentivize cost overruns if not closely monitored.
- Long contract duration (over 8 years) may indicate potential for scope creep or evolving requirements.
- Lack of specific performance metrics or outcomes in the provided data makes effectiveness difficult to gauge.
Positive Signals
- Full and open competition suggests a robust procurement process.
- Participation in PISA provides valuable international comparative data.
- The contract supports a significant national interest in educational assessment.
Sector Analysis
This spending falls within the Research and Development sector, specifically focusing on social sciences and humanities. Benchmarking requires comparison to other large-scale educational research or international program participation contracts.
Small Business Impact
The provided data does not indicate whether small businesses were involved in this contract. Further investigation would be needed to determine small business participation.
Oversight & Accountability
The Department of Education is the contracting and administrative agency. Oversight would typically involve monitoring contract performance, expenditures, and adherence to the fixed fee structure to ensure 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 cost overruns with CPFF contract type.
- Long contract duration may indicate scope management challenges.
- Lack of detailed performance metrics in summary data.
- No clear indication of small business participation.
- Effectiveness and impact on US education policy require further analysis.
Tags
research-and-development-in-the-social-s, department-of-education, md, definitive-contract, 10m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Education awarded $16.7 million to WESTAT, INC.. "OTHER FUNCTIONS" IGF::OT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROCUREMENT IS TO FACILIATE THE US PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM FOR STUDENT ASSESSMENT (PISA) 2015. PISA IS AN INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT THAT FOCUSES ON 15-YEAR-OLDS' PERFORMANCE IN READING LITERACY, MATHEMATICS LITERACY, AND SCIENCE LITERACY EVERY THREE YEARS. PISA ALSO ASSESSES OTHER SUBJECTS, ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY, SUCH AS GENERAL PROBLEM-SOLVING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY. PISA EMPHASIZES FUNCTIONAL SKILLS THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACQUIRED AS THEY NEAR
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 $16.7 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2013-01-17. End: 2021-07-16.
What were the specific deliverables and performance metrics tied to the $16.6 million award for the PISA 2015 participation?
The provided data does not detail the specific deliverables or performance metrics. Typically, participation in PISA involves data collection, analysis, reporting, and potentially contributing to the international framework. A thorough review of the contract statement of work would be necessary to identify these specific requirements and how they were measured.
How did the Cost Plus Fixed Fee structure impact the final cost and Westat, Inc.'s incentive to manage expenses efficiently?
A Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract allows the contractor to recover all allowable costs plus a predetermined fixed fee. While the fee is fixed, the contractor is incentivized to control costs to maximize their profit margin. However, CPFF contracts can carry a risk of cost overruns if the government's oversight is insufficient or if the initial cost estimates are inaccurate.
What is the long-term impact of PISA participation on US educational policy and student outcomes?
PISA results provide a valuable international benchmark, highlighting strengths and weaknesses in the US education system compared to other nations. This data can inform policy decisions, curriculum reforms, and pedagogical approaches aimed at improving student literacy and overall academic achievement. The long-term impact is realized through the implementation of evidence-based strategies informed by these comparative insights.
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: ED-IES-12-R-0081
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE (U)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 1600 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: $17,362,143
Exercised Options: $16,679,829
Current Obligation: $16,659,122
Actual Outlays: $1,037,685
Subaward Activity
Number of Subawards: 3
Total Subaward Amount: $654,193
Contract Characteristics
Multi-Year Contract: Yes
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES PROCEDURES NOT USED
Cost or Pricing Data: YES
Timeline
Start Date: 2013-01-17
Current End Date: 2021-07-16
Potential End Date: 2021-07-16 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2026-03-31
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.)