Independent Evaluation of the New York Tobacco Control Program

Through this Request for Proposals (“RFP”), the New York State (“State”) Department of Health (the “Department” or “DOH”) is see kin g competitive proposals from qualified B idders to conduct an independent evaluation of the New York State Tobacco Control Program (TCP) as required by Public Health Law (HCRA 2000, Public Health Law, Section 1399 - jj ) and as further detailed in Section 4.0 (Scope of Work). Per Public Health Law, “The purpose of this evaluation is to direct the most efficient allocation of State resources devoted to tobacco education, and cessation to accomplish the maximum prevention and reduction of tobacco use among minors and adults.

The DOH Bureau of Tobacco Control administers the state's comprehensive TCP to reduce illness, disability, and death related to commercial tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, and to alleviate social and economic inequities caused by tobacco use. TCP uses an evidence-based, policy- driven and population-level approach modeled on the CDC “ Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control, ” to address tobacco control and prevention with a commitment to promote health equity among populations disproportionately impacted by tobacco marketing and use. Priority areas are preventing initiation of tobacco and e-cigarette use by youth and young adults ; reducing tobacco use among adults ; eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke ; advancing health equity among populations disproportionately affected by tobacco marketing and use ; maintaining , strengthening and refining New York’s effective tobacco control infrastructure ; and contributing to the science of tobacco control.

This request for proposals see ks a vendor to develop and implement a five-year evaluation plan that will build on and advance previous independent evaluation services consistent with the evolution of the DOH TCP and the tobacco control environment in NYS. The new tobacco evaluation plan should be informed by, but does not have to mirror, prior evaluation planning and activities. The DOH is looking for innovative and effective ways to evaluate the impact of the TCP in NYS. It should be noted that tobacco products include electronic cigarettes (also referred to as electronic nicotine delivery systems or ENDS, e-cigarettes, electronic vapor products) and as such, the evaluation plan should include e - cigarettes.

The NYSDOH will only accept bid proposals from Bidders who meet all of the following minimum requirements:

• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience evaluating large-scale public health programs, and developing, implementing, and interpreting studies to measure the effectiveness of public health programs. This experience must include all of the following:

• Expertise in conducting quantitative and qualitative research;

• Developing, implementing, analyzing, and interpreting cross-sectional, ethnographic and cohort studies;

• Developing logic models and identifying program performance measures;

• Conducting public health surveillance;

• Integrating all of the above to perform an independent evaluation of a comprehensive public health intervention; and

• Conducting equity-focused evaluation activities, which include the ability to reach historically disenfranchised populations when collecting data and the ability to apply health equity best practices to data analysis, interpretation, framing, and reporting activities.

Experience acquired concurrently is considered acceptable.

• Submission of a signed Refusal of Funds from Tobacco-related Entities Attestation ( Attachment 14 ).

All Bidders must submit a signed Attachment 14 with their proposal. The awarded bidder (Contractor) must have a written policy prohibiting any affiliation with a tobacco company or tobacco product manufacturer, including receipt of gifts, grants, contracts, financial support, in-kind support, and other relationships. The prime Contractor will ensure that subcontractors also have this written policy and that no subcontractors receiving funding through this award have any affiliations with a tobacco company or tobacco product manufacturer (See Attachment 14 ).

For the purposes of this RFP, a “prime Contractor” is defined as one who has the contract with the owner of a project or job and has full responsibility for its completion. A prime Contractor undertakes to perform a complete contract and may employ (and manage) one or more subcontractors to carry out specific parts of the contract.

Failure to meet these Minimum Qualifications will result in a proposal being found non-responsive and eliminated from consideration.

Bidders that demonstrate three (3) or more years of experience evaluating comprehensive statewide tobacco control programs are preferred.

Link to RFP opportunity: https://www.health.ny.gov/funding/rfp/c040649/