UPDATE AND ENHANCE JOBMOD 4.0 TOOL, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

This is a request for information for a Federal Highway Adminstration (FHWA) requirement to "Update and Enhance JOBMOD 4.0 Tool" from Microsoft Excel to a Python-based platform. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION ISSUE DATE: June 15, 2026 DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: July 7th, 2026 SUBMIT RESPONSES TO: Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and Donna.Franzese@dot.gov SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO: Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and Donna.Franzese@dot.gov 1. INTRODUCTION Request for Information. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Transportation Policy Studies (HPL), is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources for an anticipated contract to update and modernize the JOBMOD tool. 2. BACKGROUND FHWA has a long history of developing methodologies, such as the JOBMOD input-output economic model, to assess the employment impacts of highway construction spending. Model Foundation: JOBMOD estimates employment vacancies supported by federal-aid highway construction based on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Benchmark Input-Output Accounts, modified for highway-specific labor and material usage. Evolution of JOBMOD: JOBMOD 1 (2003): Introduced three employment components: Direct (on-site construction and materials), Indirect (supplier industries like steel and finance), and Induced (consumer spending by employees). JOBMOD 2 (2005/2007): Refined the methodology using BLS employment cost indices to account for wage inflation and defined a "job" as a Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) of 40 hours per week. JOBMOD (ARRA) (2009): Developed to assess projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; it remains the most rigorously evaluated model in the series. JOBMOD 3.1 (Current): Integrated "Buy American" import penetration analysis and first-year employment realization estimates. Policy Applications: The model is used to estimate highway expenditures as economic stimulus during recessions and to identify potential workforce shortfalls when the economy is near full employment. Need for Modernization: While functional, JOBMOD 3.1 is a spreadsheet-based tool with hard-coded data and limited transparency. FHWA aims to move this workflow into a Python environment using Py-Shiny to automate analysis and reduce manual errors. 3. SCOPE The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, and services necessary to develop JOBMOD 4.0, a transparent tool that utilizes the latest Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) I-O tables, BLS National Compensation Survey data, and highway construction cost data. Key objectives and requirements include: I-O Account Updates: The Contractor shall update input-output accounts to the latest available version, ensuring seamless integration into JOBMOD. Technical Coefficient Refinement: The Contractor shall review and refine technical coefficients for each highway improvement category, incorporating updated cost breakdowns based on BidTabs data and other relevant data sources. Framework Implementation: The Contractor shall implement FHWA-approved improvements, ensuring consistency with JOBMOD’s employment estimation framework. Improvement types will be provided by FHWA based on the Financial Management Information System (FMIS). Python Development: Develop a transparent, Python-based model with centralized input sheets for easy data updates. Dashboard Implementation: Implement a user-friendly Py-Shiny dashboard for data visualization and parameter adjustment. Documentation: Deliver comprehensive documentation to ensure FHWA staff can operate and maintain the model independently. Performance Details: Period of Performance: Twelve (12) months from the date of award. Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP). Place of Performance: Contractor’s facility. 4. REQUESTED CONTENT OF RESPONSES TO THIS RFI Interested organizations are invited to submit a Capability Statement (maximum 5 pages excluding resume) identifying the following: 4.1 Corporate Information Name, Address, Po...