State seeks social media monitoring tools
State Department files a sources-sought notice to determine if small business could fulfill its requirements.
The State Department is asking industry for help in developing a system to listen and react to social media conversations.
The department’s Office of Logistics Management is seeking sources to gather information for a potential contract involving social media monitoring and engagement software. The six-month pilot program would give State the ability to participate “systematically and strategically,” in social media, according to a March 1 notice posted on FedBizOpps.com.
The purpose of the notice is to determine whether there might be interested small businesses that could meet the department’s requirements. It will use this information to conduct market research and determine an acquisition strategy. The chosen contractor also would be responsible for training all users.
The fact that no such system is in place, “is a significant detriment in our ability to understand and influence key policy discussions taking place through modern connection technologies,” the Performance Specification document says.
A goal of the program would be to help the State Department “more effectively engage with foreign populations and track conversations in the wider world,” it explained.
The objective, according to the specification, is to develop a strong understanding of what conversations are influential in given localities. This would help the department develop strategies to address challenges.
When answering the notice, companies are asked to detail specific commercial off-the-shelf products they have available for deployment. The notice asks for software-as-a-service products, requiring no installation on the department’s system.
Global Technology Solutions LLC, of Richmond, Va., has signed on as an interested vendor.