Deeper Dive What should we do if we want to work with a third-party contractor?
If you or your staff do not have the expertise or time to collect, analyze, and report your state’s parent involvement data, you may consider engaging third-party contractors—such as external evaluators, universities, federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers (herein referred to as Parent Centers), or consultants—who have the knowledge and skills to assist. You can engage contractors in a single aspect or in multiple aspects of the work.
In this section you will learn about how you can
If you want a Parent Center to take an active role in your parent involvement data collection activities, you may need a contract because the work may go beyond their typical IDEA-funded grant activities.
Determine how the third-party contractor can help
If you are considering engaging a third-party contractor, begin by asking yourself (or others on your team), “What aspects of the work would benefit by bringing in an external professional?”
Here are some important questions to get you started thinking about what kind of help you might need:
- Does our staff have knowledge and skills in instrument design, sampling, item development, data collection, data analysis, data use, and reporting?
- Do the staff with the necessary skills have time for planning and conducting data collection and analysis, or are they assigned to other activities?
- Do we have available support personnel for stuffing envelopes, doing and tracking mailings, programming web surveys, and following up with nonrespondents?
- How much of a third-party contractor’s time will our budget support? [38]
Keep in mind that timing is important when working with third-party contractors. Contractors brought on when the state team is planning for data collection can provide input and guidance early on in the process, which will result in better data collection and analysis and, ultimately, better results. So, be sure to think about involving third-party contractors as early as possible to ensure they can provide you the help you need!
Important questions to ask…
- What roles and responsibilities will state staff have in the data collection and analysis process (if any)?
- What, if any, types of instrumentation or forms need to be identified or developed? Who will create and pilot test the new instruments?
- How will data collectors and data entry staff be trained? What materials, if any, need to be developed? Have all data collectors and data entry staff received training in the protection of human subjects?
- What is the timeline for data collection?
- How will staff enter data into a database and verify it for accuracy? Where will data be stored?
- What security protocols will staff develop to maintain data confidentiality? Who will have access to the data after they have been entered?
- Who are the proposed staff (with full-time equivalent and qualifications)?
- At what points along the way will the contractor provide updates to the state and share the data?
- When will the contractor deliver the final Indicator B8 data? How will the state ensure data are available in time to report in the annual SPP/APR?
Be deliberate about finding and hiring a third-party contractor
There are a number of steps to take once you have decided to hire a third-party contractor. First, depending on your state’s specific requirements, you may need to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) that includes
- A description of the data collection instruments and methods
- The scope of the contractor’s work
- A list of all reports and other products the contractor will deliver and deadlines for those deliverables
- Proposal requirements
- Proposal evaluation criteria
- The RFP timeline (including deadlines for submitting questions, submitting proposals, and making award decisions) [39]
Or your state may already have an RFP template you can use or modify.
After you have your RFP, you should distribute the RFP to professional organizations, research and consulting firms, and local colleges and universities, as well as through relevant websites and listservs.
After receiving proposals, assess each contractor’s qualifications and experience related to the scope of work and be sure to check references. Select the most qualified and experienced contractor, taking into account the budget, and prepare a contract that specifies the expected responsibilities of the contractor. For specific information about finding and hiring third-party evaluators, see the Guidelines for Working with Third-Party Evaluators available on OSEP’s IDEAs That Work website.
A Note on Working With Third-Party Contractors
There are a number of benefits and limitations to working with a third-party contractor. Third-party contractors bring in technical expertise, credibility, and objectivity. They also take on the responsibility of completing key tasks, allowing state and district staff to focus on other priorities. However, using third-party contractors may mean additional costs. Also, even when third-party contractors have a substantial role in data collection, you will have important decisions to make about defining their scope of work and monitoring and managing the process.
Take steps to develop a strong working relationship
While it is important for the third-party contractor to maintain objectivity, the state and the contractor can develop a strong working relationship that facilitates completion of key tasks. The working relationship may be especially important when or if challenges arise.
Two strategies for establishing a strong working relationship with third-party contractors are
- Setting reasonable goals and expectations
- Defining decisionmaking roles and responsibilities [40]
It is important to recognize that hiring a third-party contractor does not eliminate the need for internal staff to spend time on collecting and reporting parent involvement data! Someone in the agency will need to maintain regular communication with the contractor and track the contractor’s progress to ensure they are completing necessary events and tasks on schedule and to expectations.
Remember that ultimate responsibility for reporting high-quality parent involvement data still rests with the state.
Footnotes
- 38 Carlson and D’Agostino 2015.
- 39 Heinemeier et al. 2014.
- 40 Heinemeier et al. 2014.