Reference Text File for INFORMATION MATTERS, LLC GS-10F-0322L

Information Matters, LLC (IM) is a woman-owned small business with personnel who are highly experienced in a variety of business areas including communications, research, business, engineering, training, facilitation, and program management. IM em ploys a dozen people full-time, and draws on more than 50 variable, part-time professionals whose experience is both broad and deep. Their colleagues and peers have recognized these seasoned professionals with awards and laurels. Our professionals have special exp ertise in the areas of energy, environment, nuclear, employee and public opinion studies, business and marketing, privatization, project management, risk communications, public involvement, security and safeguards, and a host of engineering disciplines.

IM is qualified for the following Special Item Numbers (SIN):

SIN 874-1 Consulting

SIN 874-2 Facilitation Services

SIN 874-3 Survey Research

SIN 874-4 Training

SIN 874-6 Privatization Support Services and Documentation

SIN 874-7 Program Integration and Project Management Services

Mission and goals should be translated into objective, results-oriented performance measures to establish a baseline for measuring effectiveness and making sound decisions. IM helps organizations define their business goals and requirements using a planning process to assist clients in the development of their strategic/ business plan. The process includes:

• Defining the mission and available resources
• Identifying current and potential customers and determining their requirements
• Analyzing the socioeconomic, political, technical, market, and competitive aspects of current and potential operating environments.
• Producing the strategic/business plan to include vision, situation, breakthrough objectives, and performance measures.

Performance measurement encompasses the continuous and systematic process of measuring and comparing actual to planned performance. IM helps clients in develop both performance baselines and measurements to track program or project objectives.

Communications is a critical part of planning and operations in virtually every organization. Just as a successful business requires a good, detailed strategic plan for its business operations, it must also have a good, detailed mas ter plan for internal and external communication, called a "communications strategy." And each action or communications piece in that strategy must be well-implemented, well-executed and well-produced to achieve desired goals. But each brochure, news story, Web po sting, speech, presentation, etc., is never an end in itself. Instead, each must be a means to achieve part of an overall, coordinated communications strategy that:

1. Identifies and crystallizes target audiences
2. Identifies what information each audience wants
3. Determines desired responses from each audience
4. Develops messages, topics and themes appropriate to each audience.
5. Determines the best strategies / tools for reaching each target

IM also facilitates the development of both a dynamic communications strategy and of powerful messages designed to communicate effectively with target audiences. Organizations have in hand a "battle plan" for communications that identifies who gets what message s, what are the messages, and how they get them. This plan coordinates communication messages products and tools for maximum impact. It avoids duplication of products and maximizes both impact and cost effectiveness of communications programs. IM provides a powerf ul management communications support including:

Planning strategies

Message development

Consulting on developing internal and external communications

Risk and Crisis communications, stakeholder involvement, diffusing outrage

Business process improvement or reengineering assesses and evaluates current operations, identifies the value they deliver, and finds ways to deliver the same or increased value while utilizing fewer resources and costing less.

Process improvement/ reengineering seldom supports a "canned" approach. IM utilizes a process with the flexibility necessary to successfully improve operations.

IM draws upon it s core competency in both the communications and business areas to offer a broad base of facilitation services. IM understands how to ensure that group dynamics and common efforts are best used to expedite collaborative decision-making. All of our staff and consultants have the comprehensive background and the experience necessary to bring diverse groups of people together to establish a common objective while recognizing and identifying conflicting interest within the group.

IM staff and consultants understand how to work with both small and large groups, how to impact and interact with integrated groups, processes, and self-directed work teams. They understand how to avoid group conflict, how to manage conflict within the framewor k of a group if it should occur, and resolve the conflict so that a collaborative result is attained. They also understand the importance of remaining non-partial to the situation. They have skills to establish synergy and reach decisions through consensus while a dding value to the process. Additionally, they understand what is required to guide groups, how to generate a detailed agenda for each and every meeting, and how to utilize this agenda to expedite logical and definitive results. IM personnel also understand the dy namics of generating discussion, how to get the most out of each and every meeting, how to eliminate wasted time, and how to achieve good value-added decisions.

IM facilitators ensure that meeting minutes are recorded and used for followup actions, decisions, and information. They understand the importance of reviewing meetings to understand what went well, what could be improved, and how we might change things to impr ove the results from the next meeting.

In addition, IM has writing professionals who can assist with drafting and finalizing high quality reports. The IM professionals include an individual who is second to none in supplying logistical support and handling myriads of details so meetings go off witho ut a hitch. The facilitators themselves are accomplished speakers, excellent at debriefing and overall meeting planning.

IM facilitators are experienced with alternatives-generation analysis, value engineering, hazard analysis, generation analysis, interpretation of regulations, and other tools that can be used as needs arise. Appropriate tools will be used with anger management or conflict associated with strong "ownership" issues. In so doing, IM facilitators help organizations become even more productive and useful.

Information Matters, LLC, (IM) approaches survey and research services with an intensive up front "think time" effort that carefully defines the purpose of the study, and determines its applications (i.e., what decisions will be made and what actions will be taken based on survey results). IM personnel work closely with the customer representatives to clearly define the study purpose plus identify the required specific decisions and actions. Then, together, we determine what information and data items are nee ded to support each decision and the resulting action. These become the objectives.

Once IM has established the purpose, applications and objectives (PAO) of a study, a clear, concise study design will be formulated to achieve the study PAO. This design includes the methodology for sampling when appropriate, for gathering data, and the means f or analysis and reporting information. The PAO also allows a good, solid questionnaire to be developed for either a quantitative or qualitative study, which ever is appropriate to the study design. When questionnaires are used, the methodology identifies the popul ation to be studied, the sampling process, the data gathering process, the means for pretesting questionnaires, and whatever follow-up is appropriate

IM personnel have an in-depth understanding of and extensive experience in both primary and secondary research. Primary research involves gathering information first hand from respondents in focus groups interviews, in public opinion surveys (of predefined popu lations), or perhaps one-on-one executive interviews.

Secondary research often involves searching and reviewing the literature and identifying research studies that apply to the needs of our client s study. Searches of public and university libraries and the Internet may provide useful information. Proper primary and secondary researches require thoughtful planning before any implementation.

Following a survey, analysis of quantitative data begins with a computer tabulation of the frequency and percentages of response items in each question. Further statistical analysis will be applied as is appropriate to the type of data and the application.

Analysis of qualitative data includes a report of focus group or one-on-one interviews. The report describes the overall thinking; it details significant thoughts and ideas, using specific quotes of participants. Also included are the results of any measuremen t tools that were used, such as a semantic differential instrument. The report summarizes the potential actions that would be appropriate and best decisions to be made based on the PAO at the beginning of the research.

Information Matters, LLC, (IM) offers a new communications training course, with principles so powerful that when applied, private contractors, government agencies, oversight regulators and environmental activists organizations were in full agreement . Communicating effectively with low-trust, high concern audiences requires a totally different approach than the typical "Public Relations 101" model. The tried and true "PR 101" approach usually works well among those who trust and like you. Tell the good news. Spin bad news in a positive light. Let audiences know that you are on their side. But these approaches are ineffective, actually counter-productive, when communicating with audiences that don t trust the source.

Faced with a highly adversarial audience climate, research was conducted with private dollars by a contractor at a Department of Energy facility in an attempt to discover messages that would help diffuse outrage and promote better communications. Findings from that research pointed to powerful principles of communication which, when applied, had startlingly effective results.

The day-long seminar teaches what works and what doesn t work with outraged publics. It teaches powerful principles related to communicating with low-trust, high-concern audiences. Participants are led to discover some of the principles through the research and then have a chance to put them into effect. A syllabus for each participant facilitates taking notes.

Video examples, case studies taken from real events, self-directed learning techniques, articles from the current business press, and kinesthetic activities are used throughout all the workshops to stimulate interest and increase post-class retention. Descr ibed below is the content of each module.

LE I: Tools for Enhancing People and Performance: Highly interactive workshop in which participants learn a six-step process for motivating employees that results in improved performance and increased rates of employee retention. Also demonstrated are wa ys to intervene when performance issues are noticed and how to apply human resource policies and procedures to the cost-effective resolution of the performance issue.

LE II: Traction Level Application Skills: As the "how-to" of managing human performance, this workshop takes up where the Leadership Essentials I course left off. Participants will learn how to set and establish expectations with people; how to discuss p erformance expectations; how to track performance & provide feedback; how to coach when people get off track; how to establish action plans for improved performance.

LE III: Beginning Leadership - The Bridge Over the River Kwai: Using the classic movie, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and the powerful book by Delorese Ambrose, Leadership: The Journey Inward, participants learn a process for earning foll owers. The process starts by engaging participant desires and values. This introspection is the prerequisite before leaders can take the "journey outward" and effectively lead others. In this workshop participants will: Identify what causes participants want to le ad and the burdens that places upon them; Examine potential barriers as well as gateways to leadership; Be more intentional about leadership; Engage and practice tools of leadership; Direct the insights gained through self-reflection and clarity of purpose toward the larger community -- those participants wish to lead; Create personal lessons on leadership.

LE IV: Advanced Leadership - The Ernest Shackleton Expedition: Leadership is not a position on an organization chart but rather a set of behaviors that attract people who want to give their intellectual and emotional energy to the goals they and their le ader find worthwhile.

Using the Ernest Shackleton voyage of the Endurance to Antarctica in the early 1900's as a case study, as well as the journey of Lewis and Clark, the lives of Elizabeth I of England, and Martin Luther King, among others, the participants will learn the behavior s necessary to attract followers.

Shackleton led his men by demonstrating his personal commitment to them by putting his life on the line to achieve a miraculous conclusion. In this workshop you will learn how to: Focus on strategic thinking; Address organizational change; Discover your persona l mission -using it as a compass; Gain control of your disposition and reactions ; Engage others in committing to a vision; Use principles of persuasion; Set an example by being an example; Recognize and utilize the contributions of everyone on the team; Leverage diversity.

For all modules, both in Risk Communications and in Leadership Essentials Series, two instructors are used. Risk Communications is one day; LE series is two days each. A syllabus is provided for Risk Communications. Manuals and textbooks are included in the LE Series.

The Federal Government is committed to the concept that competition enhances quality, economy, and productivity. Whenever a commercial activity can be reasonably performed by government employees or by a contracting organization, it becomes necessary to det ermine whether the public interest is better served by the activity being performed by government employees, or by a commercial contractor. This determination is usually made in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76 which requires tha t an agency consider outsourcing before the agency commits to using government personnel for either undertaking a new requirement or expanding an existing commercial activity. The purpose of the outsourcing study and the resulting cost comparison is to determine w hether it is more economical to award a contract to an outside commercial source or to perform the work in-house.

Information Matters, LLC, (IM) provides clients with creative approaches to managing and structuring the public or private sector workplace. IM offers strategic, tactical and operational level planning and support when considering whether to priva tize or outsource or perform work in-house. We seek to deliver comprehensive solutions to clients. We have a highly accomplished team of both in-house and consultant staff that is equipped to support outsourcing and privatization reviews/issues.

IM s experienced professionals have the ability to lead and/or provide support at every stage of an outsourcing study, from initial study planning through the evaluation, award, and implementation process. We help clients to define the work requirements that ma ke good business sense. We use these requirements to draft Performance Work Statements (PWS) which define the work requirements without describing the "how to" in performing the work. We ensure that all elements of the required support are addressed.

IM personnel recognize that often existing personnel have the best understanding of an organization s mission, and seek to design an efficient organization for maintaining the operation in-house. This is the intent of the Most Efficient Organization (MEO) porti on of the A-76 procedures, and it should be explored fully in every project. IM utilizes business process reengineering/improvement and activity base costing techniques to help clients develop their MEO and streamline their organization. IM in-house and consultant staff have practical experience in:

• Strategic, tactical and operational level planning support
• Develop of Performance Work Statements
• Development of in-house work performance cost estimates
• Performance of Management Assessment Studies to determine the Government s most efficient organization

There is a growing body of opinion that the MEO process needs to be carried on at the same time as the outsourcing portion of an A-76 study by a group independent from the main outsourcing team. This helps to prevent conclusions of the MEO team from being appli ed "fully-formed" to the Performance Work Statement. It also permits process reengineering/improvement of in-house processes in a truly competitive environment.

Business process reengineering/improvement is the primary tool for MEO development. To do this, IM assesses current operations, identifies the value of each, and finds ways to deliver the same or increased value with fewer resources. Customer service, product q uality, timeliness, and cost often determine the value of each operational activity. The basis of cost considers time, staff, and dollar resources.

IM uses a variety of effective tools, techniques and methodologies to assist clients in making fundamental improvements to their business processes in order to achieve cost savings and increase work place efficiency. Recognizing that a process improvement/ reen gineering situation seldom supports a "canned" approach , IM uses a stepwise process approach to business improvement/ reengineering that has the flexibility necessary to successfully accomplish the effort.

Information Matters, LLC, (IM) offers services to either manage and integrate, or assist agency customers to manage and integrate, various management and business improvement programs and projects. To do this, IM draws upon the demonstrated broad sui te of Federal, State, Local and private entities,

These services may include, but are not limited to:

• Project management for projects that are internal to or between Federal agencies.
• Program management that connects and maintains cohesive work flow between multiple contractors.
• Oversight and monitoring of multiple projects.

All programs/projects for which IM personnel are designated responsible will be managed and controlled utilizing time proven management and integration techniques.

IM s experienced personnel can also aid customer program integration and project management personnel by helping them to manage and control more effectively their program/ projects through understanding and utilization of tools and techniques directed toward im proving work, schedule and financial performance.

In the above, IM personnel have the depth of experience to understand that improvement of programs and projects is a function of saving time and dollars while maintaining or increasing the quality of the product. This understanding is inherent in the program.Government and commercial prices are shown below.

Effective Period: The rates provided below shall be in effect from October 1, 2001 thru September 30, 2002.

Labor Rates*. Services provided by Information Matters personnel in the labor categories listed below will be billed at the hourly rates indicated (inclusive of salary, overhead and fee):

(Course Price Data Sheet)

SCHEDULE OF AVAILABLE TRAINING COURSES

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SCHEDULE OF AVAILABLE TRAINING COURSES

(Course Price Data Sheet)

SCHEDULE OF AVAILABLE TRAINING COURSES

(Course Price Data Sheet)

(Course Price Data Sheet)