Blaise 4 & 5 Software

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires renewal of Blaise 4 and 5 software licenses and support for its National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS needs licenses for 16 developers, 800 interviewers (214 usage units for CATI and CAPI), a Blaise Component Pack, and two CATI Server licenses. This requirement covers a 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods. NASS has used Blaise for over 20 years, programming over 200 critical surveys. Transitioning from Blaise would be a multi-year, multi-million dollar undertaking, and no other software offers comparable features. Westat, Inc. is the sole distributor of Blaise software in North and South America until 2027, making them the only capable vendor. The software must support CATI for complex surveys, incorporate a call scheduler, integrate data from various modes, allow statisticians to review and update data, store up to three million respondents, transfer edited data, enable flexible instrument design, and include customer support. Deliverables include yearly software licenses and as-needed support within two days of request. This proprietary software is subject to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, ensuring accessibility. Non-compliance will result in remediation or contract cancellation.