The Navy is seeking a software suite to comb social media networks and news sites and analyze if it is sending out the right messages to the public, contract documents show.

The goal is to analyze what people are saying about the service, identify “topic influencers that can help magnify the Navy’s voice” and find tools that measure “engagement rather than sheer reach,” the request for quotations stated. “Data must be presented in powerful visualizations,” according to a separate document. The window for responses closes at 4 p.m. Eastern time Thursday.

The Navy currently contracts with Salesforce.com-owned Radian6 for social data tracking services. The company was tapped as “the only known source that provides the required range of media coverage, and as well as the required speed of compilation and needed depth of analysis,” contracting databases show. It was unclear if Radian6 submitted a rebid. A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to questions about the contract.

Most commercially available tools cater to the private sector and track business metrics such as customer satisfaction and transaction volumes; they fall short in gauging public sentiment toward federal agencies, according to the Navy. While “there are many tools and platforms that can be used to support social media monitoring,” the request for quotations stated, “there are few that are uniquely tailored to the special needs and objectives of those in the government sector.”

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