RFQ OAM18024S Amendment 001 - Workforce Training Response ... · We can get badges quickly. Badges are only required for contractors who access facilities outside of normal business

RFQ OAM18024S Amendment 001 - Workforce Training Response to Vendor Questions

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Item # Section Reference Vendor Questions Government Responses

1. Pg. 4 B.1.a - c. In terms of travel, should the vendor price travel for the approximately 900 regional offices? Or will that be handled separately upon project kick-off?

Vendor should propose regional training to train all district staff by the deadline. Training will not take place at each district office or in each state, but take place regionally. For example, consider setup regional training (see the sample map at https://www.eeoc.gov/field/index.cfm) with a certain number of trainings in each region that Member offices can travel to (i.e. 10 per region) at vendor provided locations.

2. Pg. 4 B.1.b (1.) What is the total number of people per class the Government expects or desires? Or should vendor propose class size?

Vendor should propose class size to successfully train all House staff within the deadline.

3. Pg. 4 B.1.b (1.) If vendor proposes class size, what is the maximum capacity for the rooms at the Capitol (or space provided by CAO)? How many "classrooms" are there? With regard to regional/local Congressional offices, what is room capacity? Number of rooms?

Depending on schedule, government has access to dozens of rooms ranging in size from 30 people to 450-person auditorium.

4. Pg. 4 B.1.b (2.) Is it the CAO's expectation that a training is held in person at each of the approximately 900 regional/local Congressional offices? Should vendor plan for grouping classes based on districts' proximity to each other to increase class size?

See response to question 1.

5. Pg. 4 B.1.b (7. & 14.) How are vendors to estimate travel of the price proposal without pre-determined regional sites? Is CAO prepared to provide list of sites in response to this question?


6. Pg. 4 B.1 - general In order to provide a more effective and cost-efficient solution, is CAO open to an alternative proposal for addressing the training requirements for regional/local Congressional offices through delivery of training via online instructor-led webinar to all sites outside of Washington, DC?

No. Per the Section A.b of Attachment 2, in-person training is required unless a waiver is granted by CHA.


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7. Pg. 8 C.5.1 Please confirm that vendors, if they so choose, will have access to and be able to use RegisterMe.House.Gov. And that this tool does meet all the requirements as stated in Section C.5.1 Registration.

Vendor may use registerme.house.gov. Yes, it meets the requirements of C.5.1.

30-day deadline will not apply to trainings scheduled before May 1, 2018.

8. Pg. 8 C.5.2 Should vendor provide cost estimate for training materials reproduction such as printed Instructors Guides, Participant Guides, and classroom handouts, evaluation sheets, etc.? Or will CAO or House do the printing services, and the vendor should be prepared to deliver print-ready files?

The offeror shall provide the cost of training materials as an optional cost in their price proposal.

9. Pg.11 F.3 Please confirm that the USG will furnish all facilities for face-to-face training whether in Washington, DC or regionally across the United States.

Government will provide all training facilities in Washington, DC.

Vendor will identify locations for district training.

See response to question 1 and 7.

10. Pg. 21 H.1 Please clarify the combination of FFP and T&M/Labor Hour Contract types. Is vendor required to use both types or choose one over another? Does CAO expect each classroom offering or online delivery will have a FFP associated with it and that services, such as coordination, content development, materials development will be T&M/Labor Hour?

Items 1-6 and items 8-13 in Section B of the RFQ are firm fixed price. The vendor should add a line item to their cost proposal for per session training. This training may be purchased individually by a Member office in the event they wish to purchase a session to be conducted for their office.

11. Pg. 29 H.23 How long does the badging process usually take? Will work be allowed to commence prior to and during this badging process in order to meet the aggressive timeline?

Badging process will not affect timeline for developing training. We can get badges quickly. Badges are only required for contractors who access facilities outside of normal business hours, or House IT systems.

12. Pg. 43-45 L Are there font size and page count restrictions for the volumes? If so, what are they?

See section L.1 and L.2 for restrictions. The is no page or font size limit.

13. Pg. 43 L.1.b.i (1.) Please clarify "Sample curriculum." Is the Government looking for a sample of this requested course from the vendor? Or simply a prior example of similar training the vendor produced for another client?

Either is acceptable.


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14. Pg. 44 L.1.b.iv What is the total number of Past Performance references required? 3 or 6 (3 current or recent plus 3 past)? What is the difference between current or recent and past? (Note: "Past" references that go back longer than 3 years may no longer have current contacts that are viable to the contract cited.)

Recent or current means being performed now. Past means a completed contract. Ensure references are accessible. Only 3 reference are required.

15. Pg. 28 H.22.d

How likely is it that vendor team members will be exposed to House Sensitive Information?

It is very unlikely vendors will be exposed to sensitive information.

16. B.1.b(1) In order to provide accurate pricing for this effort, please provide the projected facility availability for all on-site training in the Washington D.C. House Complex sessions to include: location, number of rooms provided, room capacity, days and hours the room is available for instruction and setup purposes.


17. B.1.b(2) In order to provide accurate pricing for this effort, please provide the projected facility availability for all on-site training in the Congressional District offices: location, number of rooms provided, room capacity, days and hours the room is available for instruction and setup purposes.


18. Section B With respect to the following instructions to offeror (L.1(a)(ii), ITO states: "Section B - Price Schedules. Offeror shall review section B and provide a proposed price which will address all requirements by completing Attachment J.1." Attachment J.1, "H.Res.630 - 115th Congress" is a PDF of the House Resolution. Is it the government's intent to provide a pricing template.

Provide a price schedule pursuant to the requirements of section B. see response to question 10. There is no pricing template. Offerors should submit the pricing information as separate document to their price proposal.

19. With respect to the following instructions to offeror (L.1(b)(ii) (1), ITO states that the management approach for the proposal shall include: "demonstrated methodology for performing the tasks as contained in the Statement of Work;" Is it the government's intent to provide a Statement of Work as described in this section of the ITO?

Section C is synonymous with the term “statement of work”.


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20. Contract Type: on page 4

It states that each task is Firm Fixed Price (FFP). This contract type is also implied in Section L; File 1; ii. (page 43) of the instructions. Page 21 however states the contract type is FFP and Time & Materials. Question: Can you please confirm that the contract type is Firm Fixed Price?


21. Are we correct in assuming that the price proposal should be for each of the 7 tasks (broken out by those tasks) listed in section B.1.b on page 4 for each of the five years?

Yes. Also include a line item for training materials and individual training. See response to question 10.

22. Onsite Training locations: In section B.1.b #1 #2 #5 #6 (page 4) and C.3 (page 5) indicate the number of employees and congressional district offices that need onsite trainings.

Approximately how many employees are at each of the 900 district offices?

•Assuming the need to group multiple district offices within one training, what is the acceptable distance for employees of those offices to travel to attend the training?

•What is the optimal number of onsite trainings?

•Also, are there approximate number of new hires by month for the district offices in order to fulfil the required new employee trainings as laid out in section B.1.b #12 and 13 (estimate of new staff coming in monthly that have to be trained between April and January)?

The number of employees at each district office ranges from 1 to 10 depending on size of office.

See answer to question 1.

23. Executive level personnel

a. Who qualifies as executive level personnel in B.1.b #3 (page 4)?

b. How many are there approximately and where are they located?

c. Who will they be delivering trainings to? d. How is this training distinguished from the training

that contractor will deliver?

There are two levels of training identified in the SOW (employee, executive level/Member of Congress), the training curriculum to be delivered to both groups must be identical. The purpose of identifying the two levels is to stress the requirement for highest-level quality of instructor who is comfortable presenting to VIP audience. These trainings will have a great impact on the legitimacy and overall reputation of the program.

There are 441 Members of Congress who located in Washington, DC.

24. Section B.1.b #4 (page 4)

Can webinar/teleconferences referenced be conducted from the home office of the contractor or do they need to be conducted at congressional facilities?

The webinar/teleconferences may be conducted anywhere as long as it is through a secure connection.


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25. In order to complete the content design, can you please grant us access to documents mentioned in section C.4.1 (page 6) and/or any other list of policies, laws, guidance, details, that specify what needs to be included/referred to in the trainings?

You will have access once awarded.

26. Can we suggest equal monthly amounts based on the FFP tasks for invoices referenced in section G.2 and G5 (page 16)?

See G.5.

27. SLA’s in Section I.11 (page 36)

Are SLA’s applicable to this work covered by this RFQ? If not, might you remove SLAs from this solicitation?

The clause has been removed.

28. Referencing B.1.b, does the government consider pages and/or interns as “employees” under this RFP?

Yes, both paid and unpaid interns are considered an employee. see Attachment 1-H.Res 630.

29. Referencing B.1.b -3, is the government requesting the vendor provide training that executive level personnel would then provide to all Members of Congress? Is this then a “train the trainer” component?

Clarification – this is not “train the trainer”. We just want very good trainers to deliver the training to Members, and so have listed it as a separate requirement. That you have well qualified trainers for this high profile audience. See response to question 23.

30. Referencing C.4.1 – 1, is the government agreeable to training that lasts more than one hour in length, or should one hour be considered the target?

The requirement is at least 1 hour. Given the environment and number of employee to be trained, shorter is better. However, the Offeror shall propose the length of the training that will satisfied the requirements in the SOW and Attachments.

31. Referencing C.4.1 – 11, can the government provide clarity on their desire for participants to ask questions anonymously? Does this mean the identity of the person asking the question should not be known by other participants, or the instructor as well?

The Offeror shall propose the best method for collecting questions from participants. Various methods are acceptable for example, writing questions to be collected by instructors.

32. Referencing C.4.2.1 – b, will Congressional district offices provide space for trainings conducted for their employees or is the vendor responsible for finding venues?



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33. Referencing C.4.2.1 – d, it is understood that participants granted a waiver may receive training via webinar. Is it the vendor’s responsibility to determine who is granted a waiver, and to develop an application and approval system for such waivers?

The Committee on House Administration will grant waivers. The vendor will be provided a list of approved waivers.

34. Referencing C.4.2.2, does the government have an estimate of the typical number of employees who would qualify as “new staff” between July 3, 2018 and January 2, 2019?

Approximately 2,500.

35. Referencing H.1, can the government provide clarification on how the contract type is both FFP and Time and Materials/Labor Hours? Is the government willing to accept either type of bid, or are there certain components of the anticipated scope of work that would be expected to be each type? Elaboration and direction regarding the matter would be appreciated.


36. Referencing K.10, can the government confirm that a company’s absence on the GSA Schedule does not preclude them for consideration for this opportunity?

Correct. A GSA Schedule is not required.

37. Referencing L.1 -b.i - 1, can the government elaborate on the expectation for the Sample Curriculum described? Would a thorough outline be considered sufficient, or is the expectation broader? Elaboration and direction would be appreciated.



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38. Referencing L.1 – b.i – 2, it is assumed this item is in place to confirm the vendor’s ability to effectively use the webinar platform and technology. Therefore, does the content of the webinar matter, or should there be an attempt to align the content with the requirements outlined in Section C? Additionally, how will the government go about receiving delivery of this webinar? Will they be making appointments with interested parties? Will this occur before or after the submission date of 6 FEB? Should this webinar instead be recorded and submitted with the Technical Proposal? Elaboration and direction would be appreciated.

The webinar follow the same curriculum as the in-person training which must meet the requirement outlined in Section C.

39. Referencing L.2 – a, can the government clarify that there is no page maximum for proposals? Can the government clarify whether there is a preferred font size and style?

There are no page, font or style restrictions.

40. Referencing L.2 – b, can the government confirm that the e-mail to be utilized for proposal submission is [email protected]?

Proposals can be submitted to either [email protected] or [email protected].

41. Referencing L.2 – c, can the government confirm whether or not hard copy proposals are required?

A hard copy of the proposal is not required.

42. Referencing M.1 – a – iii, if the government exercises its right to hold oral presentations, what would be the surrounding circumstances? Elaboration would be appreciated.

To elaborate on capabilities to perform successfully for proposals considered in compliance with the RFQ.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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43. In Attachment Two – Section One, it states for “employees whose duty station is not in Washington, D.C., an interactive webinar or videoconference may constitute in-person training where an in-person training is not offered and available for registration within a reasonable commuting distance.” Does the government consider it the responsibility of the vendor to determine where in-person trainings are offered? Does the government have a definition for reasonable commuting distance? Does the government have an expectation as to how many employees will be trained by webinar versus in person?

The Committee on House Administration will determine who is not able to attend in-person training.

The intent is to train all staff through in person training with a small minority of waivers for online training.

44. Regarding Attachment Two - Section Five, would the vendor have access to the results of the climate survey described, and if so, when?

No.

45. I am a Virtual Assistant and Project Management contractor, can you advise as to what is needed along with my proposal to bid on the Workforce Training solicitation?

See section L of the RFQ.

46. Sect B.1.a.c Travel, housing, and related expense must be separately priced and shall be reimbursed only if approved in advance in writing and in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations

For any travel required outside of the Washington DC area, please clarify the advance notice window and approval process for travel, housing and related expenses.

The government will make all reasonable attempts to approve in a timely manner.

47. Sect B.1.b.3 Training for executive level personnel to deliver training to all Members of Congress Please clarify the following

QUESTION: Are the Executive Level Members of Congress count included in the 6,500 total in-person training sessions listed in B1.b.1? QUESTION: Is the only difference between the training sessions listed in B.1.b.1 and B.1.b.3 are the participants? In essence, are there any other different requirements for the training session(s) for the Members of Congress from the remaining participants?

See answers to questions 23 and 29.

Yes, the only difference in the trainings listed in section B are the participants.


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48. Sect B.1.b.7 Estimated travel cost

Please clarify, Sect B.1.a.c Travel, housing, and related expense must be separately priced and shall be reimbursed only if approved in advance in writing and in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations, if approved travel is reimbursable, why is a price estimate of travel requested? This is almost impossible, since there are so many variables for the Training of the regional Congressional District offices because they are located in multiple cities. The number of classes needed and the specific travel dates can’t be determined until criteria and total number of in-person waivers are determined.

See training expenses must be separately prices and shall be reimbursed in accordance with the regulations.

This information is requested so the House can fund this line item.


49. Sect C.4.1.1 at least one hour in length

Is there a maximum length for training module? See answer to question 30.

50. Sect C.4.1.11 include a question and answer component, including the ability to ask questions anonymously

Will vendor be required to be available outside of the formal training setting to comply with the ability to interact with participants anonymously?

There is currently no requirement for the instruction to be available to participants outside of the training session. However, vendors may propose best practices for this situation. See answer to question 31.

51. Sect C.4.1 In addition, the vender will design, develop, and produce all instructional content and materials to include but not necessarily limited to presentations, situation based scenarios, graphics, videos, and student handouts

Is there a requirement for scenarios presented in video content?

These were listed as examples of potential training materials.


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52. Section C.4.1 To accomplish this objective, the vendor may use existing proprietary training content and materials

What training material is currently available? Existing slideshows, scripts from previous training and access to subject matter experts.

53. Sect C.4.2.1 The vendor shall provide sufficient qualified training instructors with the professional temperament and expertise required to deliver the following identical trainings prior to July 2, 2018:

What are the days and hours parameters for training during this time period? Are there any exclusions? Same will help vendor with 30 day schedule requirements.

Training shall be conducted between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm local time, Monday through Friday except federal holidays. The government may advise on scheduling to best accommodate House legislative calendar and work flows of congressional offices.

54. Sect C.4.2.1.a in-person training to House employees located in the Washington, DC area

Based on administrative capacity within the House complex for Washington DC, what is the approximate maximum number of employees to be trained in each individual session?

Please describe the number of training rooms available in the Washington, DC area. What is the seating capacity? Is it classroom style (table & chairs) or auditorium seating? Is the A/V equip in the room fixed assets or portable? Are all the training rooms on Capitol Hill or located outside of Washington, DC proper? How will the room(s) designation and reservations be coordinated?



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55. Sect C.4.2.1.b in-person training to all House employees (roughly 4,500 staff) located in Congressional district offices across the United States, its territories, and possessions

Will the CHA provide a facility in each of the Congressional District Offices for in-person training?

Will each regional District Office be equipped with A/V equipment?


56. Sect C.4.2.1.d deliver trainings online through webinar or videoconference for participants who have been granted a waiver from the in-person requirement by CHA

What is the criteria to determine that a waiver can be granted?

Can CHA provide an estimated number of waivers to be granted for the period of performance of April – July 2018? This will help determine the number of online classes needed.


57. Sect C4.2.3 A draft of the training material must be available for review and approval no later than March 12, 2018.

Please advise how the DRAFT material must be provided – electronically or hardcopy or both?

Must final version of training materials be submitted during final dry run of training module on March 27, 2018?

Both.

Yes, the deadline for draft training shall be moved to March 19. Dry run of final training will remain on March 27.

58. Sect C4.2.4 H.Res. 630 requires House employees complete workplace rights and responsibility training annually

Does recurring training have same in-person requirements or can it be delivered online through webinar or videoconferencing?

The current requirement is that the recurring must be conducted in person unless a waiver is granted.


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59. Sect C.5.1 The House currently utilizes RegisterMe.House.Gov to administer registration

Will the vendor be able to have access to and program the RegisterMe.House.Gov system if it chooses to use it or will the vendor be required to provide the information to a House employee to program the system?

Vendor may have access.

60. Sect. C.5.2 operating audio/visual equipment supplied by the House.

Please provide the specifics of the A/V equipment available (ex: projector, screen, remote control brand, type, quantity, etc.) for use.

Washington DC A/V includes depending on room smart boards, projectors, web cameras, microphones, computers, and hookups for instructor computers.

61. Sect. C.5.3 The vendor will obtain lists from the House and will consolidate for tracking of compliance

Does House currently have a training tracking system for annual recurring training and will this training be included?

When will the list be provided to the vendor for the initial training schedule (April – July 2018)? This will impact the ability of the vendor to schedule and deliver the training.

No.

Lists will be provided in a timely fashion.

62. Sect C.5.4 The vendor will issue digital or physical certificates to participants who complete the required training and provide record of issued certificates to CHA pursuant to section 2 of the regulations. Certificates will be issued to participants no later than 48 hours after the completion of training

For employees receiving virtual training, shall certificates be emailed to each participant directly or shall same be emailed to CAO and CHA?

Are copies of participants evaluations required to be logged/forwarded to CAO and/or CHA at weekly intervals along with certificates?

Certificates shall be issued to each individual participant. The CAO and CHA shall receive a list or report with the names and office of each attendee.

Copies of the evaluation can be provided monthly.


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63. Sect H.22.b Forms for each Contractor employee and subcontractor employee working on this Contract must be submitted prior to the commencement of work and early enough so adjudication of the results by the CAO can occur prior to the commencement of this Contract.

What is the standard processing time for a background check to be completed? This could impact the ability to meet the delivery schedule timeline of April 2018.

The processing time for the processing of a background check is currently one (1) week.

64. Sect H.22.d Individual House Offices or CAO Business Units may require an Office of Personnel Management Extended Background Investigation or other security clearance, as deemed necessary, at the cost to the Contractor.

Please provide the cost to the contractor to have a Security Clearance processed by the government so this can be included in the Firm Fixed Price?

A security clearance is not required. There is no cost to complete a background check or badging process.

65. Sect H.23 Identification Badges

Will a ID badge be required for all House locations including the regional District Offices?

No


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66. Section B.1.b.2 and 6 Offerors are requested to provide the “number of in-person training sessions and firm fixed price approximately 4,500 House employees located in Congressional district offices across the United States, its territories, and possessions.” Can the Offeror propose that employees travel to nearby district offices in order to create efficiencies by lowering the number of training sessions and thereby decreasing costs?


See amendment 1 cover sheet for revised number of House employees.

67. Is there a minimum number of participants required for the course to be conducted?

No.

68. If current employees do not finish the training by July 2nd, will more sessions need to held during the July 3, 2018 - January 2, 2019 timeframe? Or will current employees be invited to the sessions with new employees?

This is not applicable.

69. In section C.5.1, it is mentioned that the House currently uses RegisterMe.House.Gov for course administration. Will vendors be provided access to use this tool?


70. Has a vendor provided similar services to the House CAO previously? If so, which vendor(s)?

No. This is a new requirement

71. Is this a continuation of an existing contract? See response to question 70.

72. Can the Government provide the estimated budget for this contract?

This information will not be released.

73. Section H.1 – The solicitation notes that this contract is both firm-fixed price and time and materials/labor hours. Can the Government specify which requirements should be proposed as time and materials/labor hours vs. firm-fixed price?


74. Which positions are considered key personnel for this contract?

Instructors and project manager are considered key personnel.


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75. Section L.1 – The solicitation notes that “the offeror shall provide references for three (3) current or recent (within three (3) years) customers and three past customers, preferably in another government agency.” Can the Government confirm that offerors shall provide six total past performances? Can the Government also clarify what is meant by “past customers”? Does this mean references that are older than 3 years?


76. Section L.2 The solicitation notes that “if required, offerors must submit one hard copy of all proposal documents within five days after close of the solicitation.” Are offerors required to submit a hard copy of the proposal documents by the closing date of this solicitation? If not, how will offerors be notified of the requirement to submit a hard copy?


77. A. Please clarify the statement in section C.4.2.1 c. training for executive level personnel to deliver training to all Members of Congress.

B. Does this mean that the contractor will train House staff to deliver the course to Members of Congress or does this mean that a senior member of the contractor's staff will deliver the training to Members of Congress?

C. The above statement seems to state that Members of Congress will receive a separate training from other staff. We believe this is an important aspect of the program.

A. See answer to questions 23 and 29.

B. See answer to questions 23 and 29.

C. See answer to questions 23 and 29.


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78. We believe the content of the training should include additional guidance for those with supervisory authority (direct or indirect) or other influence over staff. For example, such individuals have more robust bystander responsibilities. While heightened bystander and other responsibilities can be included in training with other staff, ideally there would be separate training for individuals with supervisory authority and influence to be defined in the congressional context. Is this allowable and/or expected per House rules?

We expect one curriculum which meets the requirements listed in CHA regulations. See response to question 23.

79. Does the COA have a preference for the maximum number of participants per class?

See answer to question 2 and 3.

80. Does the COA have a minimum and a maximum number of live sessions that are preferred for the district offices?

See answer to questions 2 and 3.

81. We believe live training can and should be complemented by follow up to gauge participant’s understanding and address additional questions. This could be delivered in the form of a webinar with an assessment; or in a live web session where participants can ask follow up questions after having time to assimilate the content. Is this an aspect of training that the contractor can include in the proposed budget? Would it be advisable to include the cost of follow up as an optional add-on to the initial training?

Please include this as an optional add-on.

82. Section C.4.1-Design and Development

the proposal states the contractor may use previously developed House content and materials. Would the COA share the existing workplace rights and regulations training materials before the proposal is due to aid the contractor in estimating the instructional design process?

Slideshow and script from previous online module may be accessed after award. It is not in depth and does not meet requirements of this training. You will also have access to subject matter experts.

83. Please confirm approximately how many students would attend each live session (ie. class size) and each virtual session.

See answer to question 2 and amendment 001 page 1.


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84. Section B.1.b: A. Please clarify which elements in this section need to be provided as firm-fixed price line items, and which need to be provided as time and materials hourly rates.

B. In general for this section, please provide more specific quantities for each item.

C. Please confirm if all non-DC-based students would attend the training via webinar. If not, will travel costs be accounted for by the Government for the vendor to send the instructor to train these staff across the country? How should the contractor provide those accurate travel estimates without knowing where to travel to and how frequently?

D. Please provide more information that clarifies the number of sessions that would be needed for these line items. There is not enough information currently to base a firm fixed price on.

See responses to questions 10, 1, 2, 3 and 6.

85. Question 1: Page 4, Section B.1.a: Under line b, the RFQ mentions

“completing the background check and obtaining a badge” and refers to Clauses H.3 and H.4 for additional information. Clauses H.3 and H.4 in the RFQ cover “System for Award Management” and “Insurance” respectively. There is no information there, or anywhere else in the RFQ, regarding completing a background check and obtaining a badge. Are we correct to assume that “completing the background check and obtaining a badge” refers to obtaining a CAC or PIV card, and if so, must we obtain CAC/PIV cards for our facilitators/trainers to be in compliance?

No. see response to questions 11 and 64.


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86. Page 43, Section L.1, a, ii. Price Schedules: RFQ states “Offeror shall review section B and provide a proposed price which will address all requirements by completing Attachment J.1.” Section J.1 corresponds to two attachments having to do with HR630, not the completion of what we assume is supposed to be a pricing format/schedule. Could the government provide offors a price quote format that would be most advantageous to the government to review?


87. With the five variables above related to training outside of the Washington DC area, and to assure that all offerors are pricing using the same metrics, could the government provide us with A) how many training sessions the House anticipates completing at specific district offices (or will they all be regional training sessions, per variable #4), B) how many training sessions the House anticipates being held regionally (where several local district offices can convene), and C) how many district offices does the House anticipate will conduct their training sessions via webinar?


88. Page 4, Section B.1.a.c.:

The Government requests that all travel related expenses (which we assume will be facilitator travel to district office and regional training events) must be separately priced. How does the Government prefer that offerors format their estimated travel expenses? Are we correct to assume that we should provide an estimate for a reimbursable travel budget for the base year and each option year? And if so, could the Government provide an estimate of how many travel events that we should anticipate for each year?

Offerors should provide the estimate travel cost for the base year and each option period.

See responses to questions 1, 2, 22, 46 and 66.

89. Page 43, Section L.1.b Technical Proposal:

Are there any font or margin requirements or a page limit for the Technical Proposal submission? Or for sections within the Technical Proposal?

See response to questions 12 and 39.

90. C.4.1 (1) states classes must be at least one hour in length. Is there a maximum time length that is allotted for the training?



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91. H. 20 (P. 27) requires the contractor to obtain prior written approval before subcontracting out any portion of this contract. Does this apply if the subcontractor is identified in the proposal as a subcontractor?

No.

92. C.4.2.1 (P.7) requires in-house training to all House employees located in WDC. Does the House contemplate that the training will be held in House Office Building facilities or other government facilities? If not, will the House provide at no cost to the contactor the place(s) for the training –or- is that a cost to be borne by the contractor?

Washington, DC classes will occur in House office buildings or Capitol. See response to question 3.

93. Same question for training the House employees (roughly 4500) in Congressional District Offices across the US, including all territories and possessions which are: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Does the House contemplate that the training will be held in District Office facilities? If not, will the House provide at no cost to the contactor the place(s) for the training –or- is that a cost to be borne by the contractor?

See response to questions 1.

94. C.4.2.2 requires the contractor to provide training for executive level personnel who will in turn train Members of Congress. Does the House contemplate that the Contractor prepare two different training modules, one intended for employees and another intended for the executive level employees who will train the Members?



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95. Typically, workplace training in subjects like sexual harassment, discrimination and abusive conduct prevention is performed for two different audiences; 1) employees, and 2) supervisors (including mid managers). Each of these audiences has curricula developed that contain different learning objectives. In addition to the curricula developed for Members, does the House prefer that the contractor offer separate courses for staffers (employees) and senior staffers (supervisors)? And if so, this would be three separate courses and audiences?

See response to questions 23, 29 and 78.

96. Page 4, Section B.1.b, 1.

“Number of in-person training sessions and firm fixed price to training approximately 6,500 House employees in the Washington, DC area …” To assure that all offerors are pricing using the same metrics, could the Government provide us with (A) how many training sessions the House anticipates completing in Washington, DC, (B) the maximum number of attendees for each training session the House would prefer? (C) any guidance with respect to the preferred or required size of each training class?


97. 1) Page 4, Section B.1.b, 5.

2) Page 4, Section B.1.b, 6

To assure that all offerors are pricing using the same metrics, could the Government provide us with A) how many training sessions the House anticipates completing in Washington, DC from July 3, 2018 through January 2, 2019, B) how many training sessions the House anticipates completing at specific district offices from July 3, 2018 through January 2, 2019 (or will they all be regional training sessions), C) how many training sessions the House anticipates being held regionally (where several local district offices can convene) from July 3, 2018 through January 2, 2019, and D) whether training sessions for district and/or regional offices for that time period may be conducted via webinar?



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98. Page 21, Section H.1 states that the contract is “Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Contract” AND “Time and Materials/Labor Hours Contract.” Yet, the Pricing Schedule (Page 14, Section B.1) states the contract will be Firm-Fixed Price for all the items listed except for “Training for executive level personnel to deliver training to all Members of Congress.” Does this mean this one item is priced as “Time and Materials/Labor Hours”?


99. With respect to travel costs: (1) Are travel costs a pass-through expense? (2) Will the Federal Travel Regulations apply to the offeror? (3) Will the contractor be able to use “Government Rates” for travel?

Yes.

100. Page 46, Section M.1 lists Evaluation Factors for Award.

How are the Evaluation Factors for Award weighted? See section M.2 of RFQ.

101. C.4.1 “customized information for the Congressional workplace.” Does this mean customized with options applicable to Congress (pull examples from stories about interns and female legislators that have been in the news) OR with the reporting rules as they apply to Congress?

Yes to both questions.

102. How many training rooms will be available in each of the Cannon, Longworth, Rayburn and Ford House Office Buildings to conduct this training?


103. Can training be conducted concurrently in different House Office Buildings for the initial training sessions (April 2 - July 2, 2018)?

Yes.

104. Do you anticipate conducting training in any other locations in and around Capitol Hill?

If needed we can also access the Library of Congress rooms.


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105. What is the capacity of each training room, and what do you consider optimal class size for the initial training sessions (April 2 - July 2, 2018)?

See response to question 2 and 3.

106. How many executive level personnel require training? See response to question 23.

107. Will vendor be required to provide a “train the trainer” course for executive level personnel to deliver training to all Members of Congress? If so, what is the time frame for this training?

No, see responses to questions 23 and 29.

108. Is there an estimate as to the percentage of employees expected to receive waivers from in-person training?

No.

109. Will vendor have access and rights to use the House’s training/event registration system currently utilized for registration of training?

Yes, vendor may have access.

110. For the 4500 employees outside of the DC area, is there geographical groupings that are in

place to help determine how many and what locations this training would take place? Will

costs associated with trainings outside of DC be quoted post-award or should they be built into

the proposal?


111. Is there a maximum number of personnel per grouping to be trained of the 6500 DC based employees?


112. Will training venues be made available for all locations? Are the dates for potential training dependent on the availability of space?

See answers to questions 1, 2, and 3.


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113. Upon quoting option years, are there circumstances that will allow for updating quotes? If so, is that across the board? What types of justifications would be required to request additional resources?

See section G.11 of the solicitation.

Any modification will be negotiated with the vendor prior to exercising the option.

114. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, a and b, page 7. Does the government have a required instructor to student ratio to help the offeror determine maximum class sizes?

No.

115. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, b, page 7. At how many locations outside of the Washington, DC area is in-person training required?


116. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, b, page 7. Please provide the OCONUS locations where in-person training is required.

See the responses to questions 1, 2 and 33.

117. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, c, page 7. How many executive level personnel must be trained to deliver training to all Members of Congress?

See response to questions 23 and 106.

118. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, c, page 7. Are the executive level personnel slated to deliver training to all Members of Congress located in the Washington, DC area?


119. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.1, d, page 7. How many participants are anticipated to participate in the online version of the training?

An estimate for online participation is not available at this time.

120. Reference RFQ Section C.4.2.2, c, page 7. How many offerings of training for executive level personnel are required for the remainder of 2018 after July 2, 2018?

Only in the event there are newly elected Members through special elections.

121. Reference RFQ C.5.2, page 8, “…material distribution…” Is the offeror expected to include the price of printing hard copy materials for all participants in the submitted price?



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122. Reference RFQ H.1 Contract Type, page 21. Both FFP and T&M are indicated for the contract type. Which portions of the contract will be FFP, and which will be T&M?


123. Reference RFQ L.1, a, iii, page 43. Section G does not appear to have any data that requires completion. What portions of Section G must be completed and submitted with the response?

No data is required.

124. Reference RFQ L.1, a, iv, page 43. May an up-to-date SAM record substitute for completion of Section K?

No.

125. Reference RFQ L.1, b, i, page 43, “The Offeror should provide a technical response which provides evidence that the Offeror is capable of providing the services listed in the table in Section C of this solicitation.” Is the offeror required to provide sample curriculum and a project schedule with the bid response? Or does the response only require evidence that the offeror is capable of providing sample curriculum and a project schedule in performance of the contract?


The Offeror shall include a sample curriculum and project schedule with bid response.

126. Reference RFQ L.1, b, iv, page 44, “The Offeror shall provide references for three (3) current or recent (within three (3) years) customers and three past customers, preferably in another government agency.” Is the offeror required to provide a total of six (6) customer references?


127. Reference RFQ L.2, b, page 44, “For proposals submitted via e-mail, please use the following e-mail address: ________________.” Please provide the correct email address for submissions.


128. Reference RFQ L.2, c, page 44, “If required, Offerors must submit one hard copy of all proposal documents within five days after close of the solicitation.” Are hard copy submissions required?



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129. A. We are confused about the approximately 900 District offices -- what is the exact number?

B. Concerning these 900 District offices outside of Washington, does there need to be a separate class for each district office, or can a group of 20 or 30 employees that combines the staff of more than one District Office, travel to a central location in a state to maximize use of HOR funding by maximizing use of the time of each instructor on each day? C. How many of the 4,500 employees outside the DC area can be consolidated into groups of 20-30 or more, for the initial training?


130. A. Can 3 classes be done on the same day by the same instructor in Washington, DC, if each class is 2 hours long?

B. How many government classrooms/meeting areas are available concurrently in the Washington, DC HOR location area for this effort?

A. Yes

B. Depending on schedule we can book several. Again, this depends on the schedule, if the house is in, session, etc. we have dozens of rooms available. See response to questions 2 and 3.

131. What is the largest sized group that can be trained in any one sitting, both in DC and in the district offices?


132. What do you estimate as the total number of classes required to complete this project in the initial period? (a) In DC and (b) in the District Offices?


133. For NEW HIRES, can we do their training VIRTUALLY via Adobe Connect since it is impractical and not cost-effective to have instructors re-travel to the potential 900 locations outside Washington in the same FY, especially if there are only a small number of new hires in a given time frame at any office?



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134. A. Is there a Master List of ALL the District Offices and their locations that is current and up-to-date per FY-18 that will be available at the time of Contract Award signing?

B. Does an accurate and up-to-date contact roster currently exist with contact person, phone and email, & address/location for each of the 900 District Offices? Will it be available at the time of Contract Award signing?

C. Will the Contractor or the Customer or both coordinate the student registrations and confirmations for each class throughout the contract?

D. Does there exist accurate and up-to-lists of all 6,500 employees in the DC area and the employees in each of the 900 District offices? Will the contractor or HOR personnel be responsible for creating class rosters and tracking attendance to ensure that each employee attends the mandatory training?

E. Will this information be available at the time of Contract Award? Who will coordinate the logistics for each class presentation (room reservation, technology availability for PowerPoints & DVDs, flipcharts, etc.)?

A) Yes, we will provide best available data.

B) No.

C) Primary responsibility for registration will be the vendor. Government may advise and assist.

D) The contractor is responsible for creating the class roster.

E) The contractor is responsible for coordination the logstics.

135. For travel reimbursement, will travel to each of the 50 states and Puerto Rico and other Territories be reimbursed dollar per dollar per Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), including rental car, hotel, airfare, mileage--as appropriate, per diem, and incidentals?

See answers to questions 1, 2, 46 and 48.

136. Will all employees be made aware at the start of this program that this training is being provided and that attendance is mandatory?

Yes.

137. Will this contract an be IDIQ or a Firm-Fixed Price and a Time & Materials & Labor Hours Contract? Usually a contract is either Firm-Fixed Price OR Time & Materials/Labor Hours Contract.



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138. Can you tell me approximately how many of the 6,500 House employees in Washington, DC you expect at each training session?


139. Can you tell me approximately how many 4,500 House employees in District offices you expect at each training session?


140. I do not see Attachment J.1 that requires completion See answer to question 18.

141. What sections of Section G are required to be completed? See response to question 123.

142. Is there any type of set-aside? No.

Documents

RFQ OAM18024S Amendment 001 - Workforce Training Response ... · We can get badges quickly. Badges are only required for contractors who access facilities outside of normal business