SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Federal Aid Training
- Notice Date
- 10/17/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Acquisition Management, HAAM, Room 4410 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC, 20590
- ZIP Code
- 20590
- Solicitation Number
- DTFH61-04-R-000xx
- Point of Contact
- Bob Prior, Contracting Officer, Phone (202)366-4247, Fax (202)366-3705, - Rick Murray, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 366-4250, Fax (202) 366-3705,
- E-Mail Address
-
Bob.Prior@fhwa.dot.gov, rick.murray@fhwa.dot.gov
- Description
- PRESOLICITATION NOTICE The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Highway Institute (NHI) wishes to announce the pending release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide course updates and enhancements and training course presentations over a 5-year period. This is strictly for your information, and may be altered in any way prior to the official release of the RFP shortly. Offerors are cautioned to use this only for planning purposes, and to read the actual RFP carefully when it is released. At this time, the Government solicits your expression of interest/comments/suggestions regarding our desire to accomplish the work described below. If you would be interested in submitting a proposal in the near future for this work, please fill out the Market Research form and send it to the Contracting Officer, Robert Prior, at either: FAX: 202.366.3705 or e-mail: bob.prior@fhwa.dot.gov If you have comments or suggestions, please send them to the same address. We will consider your comments as we finalize our acquisition plan and the RFP document. DRAFT SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK C.1 CONTRACT OBJECTIVES The objective of this contract is to accomplish, over a five-year period, the following for the 3.5-day Course #310109 - Federal-Aid 101 FHWA, and the 2-day Course #310110 - Federal-Aid 101 State: 1. Revise both courses to: a. Reflect any minor required changes over the life of the contract b. Reflect the changes required by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) of 2003, Section 508 requirements, the criteria for International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Continuing Education Units (CEUs). SAFETEA has no yet been authorized. c. Utililize asynchronous and/or synchronous distance learning 2. Develop an Instructor?s Guide for each of the two courses 3. Deliver approximately 2 sessions of both courses per month 4. Develop a cadre of FHWA employees who eventually serve as primary FHWA instructors for the Federal-Aid 101 FHWA course. During these times of economic expansion and growth, there are dramatic workforce changes taking place. The high demand for recent college graduates makes it increasingly difficult for the public sector to compete for these potential employees. The FHWA has traditionally hired recent college engineering graduates and developed them as generalists and technical specialists. Given the increasing demand by our partners and customers for more technical assistance and the smaller pool of college graduates from which to select, the FHWA has been hiring more mid-career professionals. While their technical skills are excellent, their knowledge of the Federal-aid process is generally minimal. This course was identified as one needed to train and orient new hires to the Federal-aid processes and regulations. Also, our State partners are experiencing the same hiring patterns and therefore need the same type of training. Specifically, the courses focus on: ? General requirements and laws that govern the Federal-aid highway program; ? Processes and procedures followed in the project development; ? Identifying the unique partnership between the FHWA and our State Partners in administering the program; and, ? Identifying flexibility inherent in the Federal-aid program. C.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES The training shall include a combination of instructional strategies such as lectures, videos, case studies, and group exercises/discussions. Future course development may include deliver of a portion or the entire course via distance learning. Adult learning principles are incorporated throughout the course and practiced in the delivery of the materials. Given the subject matter, it is anticipated that case studies and exercises will be transportation-related, highway-industry related and/or intermodal in scope. NHI trains to Kirkpatrick?s level two (see ?Evaluating Training Programs, the Four Levels?, Donald L. Kirkpatrick), which means that the participant acquires added skill and knowledge as a result of the training and this must be demonstrated in the classroom and confirmed by the instructor. The assessment must meet the IACET criteria for awarding CEUs. Upon completion of the course the participants should be able to: ? Identify the key elements of the overall project development process; ? Identify the FHWA Civil Rights Act of 1964 Programs (i.e., Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), EEO Contract Compliance, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Indian Outreach- DOT Order 5301.1 DOT Programs, Policies and Procedures Affecting American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Tribes) and their relationship to the Federal-Aid Highway program and the Federal/State relationships (For information, go to www.gpo.gov and click ?GPO Access? or go to www.fhwa.dot.gov. Click ?Legislation and Regulations?); ? Integrate Environmental Justice into all aspects of project planning, development, and construction; ? Develop a flowchart of the project development process from the initial planning concept through construction to open to traffic; ? Identify Safety, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), Operations, Research and Development?s roles in the Federal-aid process; ? Identify ways that are used for public involvement early in the process; ? Identify the fundamentals of several innovative financing techniques that will maximize the use of Federal-aid funds; ? Develop a network of professionals that can be contacted for help; and, ? Discuss how the Federal-aid laws and regulations relate to the other laws (i.e., National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Davis Bacon Act, OMB Circular A-87, 49 CFR part 18 (Common Rule). C.3 DELINEATION OF CONTRACTOR TASKS To achieve the contract objectives, the contractor shall perform at least the following tasks: Item 1 - Course Revisions Comments and recommendations for improvement of the course and/or course material can be expected throughout the life of this contract. It is anticipated that minor adjustments or revisions of the course material affecting specific technical data or information and ?improved? images will be made by the contractor as part of the contractor?s normal preparation effort for course delivery at no additional cost to the Government. However, significant or more formal revisions may become necessary such as to: revise/add/delete course objectives and/or lesson learning objectives, reformat major sections of the course, update the material to add new technology, adjust the sequence of presentation, or otherwise improve the curriculum and reference materials associated with this course. If it is determined that such revisions are needed, the Contracting Officer will issue a contract modification. The contractor shall revise the course to reflect the changes required by SAFETEA, Section 508 requirements and IACET criteria. The revisions shall be incorporated into the existing MS PowerPoint Slides, Participant?s Manual and into the Instructor?s Manual as it is developed. The contractor shall revise the course to incorporate distance-learning components that may be asynchronous and/or synchronous. The distance learning components shall be developed in compliance of the NHI Distance Learning Style Guide and Templates. Item 2 - Instructor Guide Development The contractor shall develop an Instructor?s Manual in compliance with the NHI Instructor-Led Courses Style Guide. The contractor shall provide to the COTR three draft copies of the Instructor?s Manual within the time established. Within 30 days after receipt of the Government?s comments, the contractor shall provide to the COTR one reproducible copy and one electronic copy of all final curriculum material. Item 3 - Course Delivery The contractor shall provide either one instructor to teach in conjunction with a Government instructor as directed by the COTR for Course 310109 - Federal Aid 101 FHWA or one instructor for the entire length of the course for Course 310110 ? Federal Aid 101 State. Courses will not be scheduled at a rate of more than two per month without prior agreement by the contractor. Specifications for Course Presentations A Federal, State, or local highway agency will usually host the courses. The host agency will furnish the training facility, the audio?visual equipment (except as noted below), and is responsible for selecting and inviting participants. The contractor shall provide a suitable laptop computer with projector for the course presentations. Approximately 30 participants will be invited to attend each course. For each course presentation, the contractor shall, as a minimum: Conduct the presentation using the Section 508-compliant curriculum material developed and approved for this course. The Government is responsible to notify the contractor in advance of any special needs and accommodations of any disabled participants. However, at this time it is not known whether any participants will be disabled. Therefore, when contacting the host agency to determine the local conditions, the contractor shall ask whether any disabled people are among the course participants. If so, the contractor shall promptly notify the COTR so that FHWA or the hosting agency can provide for their reasonable accommodation (for example, a sign language interpreter), and the contractor shall conduct the presentation in a manner supportive of those accommodations. Transport all training aids to the course location. This shall include all items to be used by the instructors such as overheads, slides, videotapes, etc. as well as materials used by each participant. Prepare and deliver to the COTR a Summary Report for the training course in response to number 3 above. The report shall briefly describe changes made to the course materials, major issues raised by participants during the period of performance, as well as recommendations from the contractor for revision and improvement to the course for future delivery. Instructor Cadre Development The contractor shall develop a cadre of FHWA employees who eventually serve as primary FHWA instructors for the Course 310109 Federal-Aid 101 FHWA. The development will be accomplished by having the FHWA instructors team-teach with a contract instructor to deliver Course # 310109. A single contract instructor delivers course # 310110. C.4 REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING SECTION 508 STANDARDS It has been determined that some of the deliverables to be developed under this contract are subject to the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998. The Section 508 requirements that apply to this contract are described below. Unless otherwise indicated, the contractor represents that all required 508 compliance requirements will be met. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to create federal standards for electronic and information technology (EIT) products to make them more accessible to people with disabilities. Access Board standards apply to EIT, a team defined as: ?Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information, or used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. The term electronic and information technology (EIT) includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, office equipment such as copiers and fax machines. It includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.? In performance of the work requirements specified in this statement of work, vendors must ensure that all electronic documents that they prepare will meet the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The act requires that all electronic products prepared for the Federal Government be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, cognitive, and mobility impairments. Vendors can view Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm) and the Federal IT Accessibility Initiative (Home Page) (http://section508.gov/) for detailed information. L.5 Escalation Given that the courses may be delivered at any time through December 2008, you are requested to provide pricing for each calendar year. You should identify an escalation factor from the base year prices to be applied each January 1st. L.7 Past Performance Evaluation Offerors with previous contract experience must list and summarize their performance on similar or related contracts completed within the last three years, as well as those currently in process. Provide your last three relevant contracts in terms of size and scope (but not more than three years old) with FHWA as well as other organizations both commercial and governmental. The offeror must also submit past performance information on proposed major subcontractors. SECTION M ? EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD M.1 Proposals will be carefully evaluated on the following technical criteria based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective contractor in relation to the needs of the contract set forth above. Each proposal must document the feasibility of its plan to successfully achieve the objectives of the contract. Offerors must submit information sufficient to permit a comprehensive evaluation of their proposals based on the detailed criteria listed below in paragraphs M.2 and M.3. M.2 EVALUATION FACTORS 1. Technical Staffing (50 Points) a. The academic credentials, professional experience, and technical competence to deliver meaningful, successful training using adult learning principles, and accurately respond to in-depth technical questions in the course topic area from course participants. (15 points) b. Adequate number of qualified personnel available to meet the needs of course delivery. Ability to present approximately twelve (12) course offerings of Course 310109 - Federal Aid 101 FHWA and approximately 20 course offerings of Course 310110 - Federal Aid 101 State. Ability to field concurrent courses with qualified instructors. (10 points) c. Role for each individual and planned percentage of course instruction for each instructor identified (Key Personnel in Section G). (As a minimum, identify the principle instructors.) Contingency plans in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance (10 points) d. The professional instructional systems design experience, and technical competence to develop meaningful and effective distance learning training. (15 points) 2. Understanding and Approach (20 Points) a. Ability to describe the contract objectives, needs, and potential problems. (10 points) b. Sound, feasible, and achievable technical approach. Application of appropriate training methods including but not limited to adult learner. (10 points) 3. Past Performance (30 Points) a. Recent successful technical experience in the course topic area. (5 points) b. Demonstrated recent successful experience in instructing courses using adult learning principles. (10 points) c. Demonstrated recent successful experience in developing distance-learning training. (5 points) d. Acceptable degree of successful performance in prior contracts. The Government will evaluate the merits of each offeror?s past performance based on its reputation with its former customers. (10 points) M.3 BASIS FOR AWARD The Government will accept the offer that is considered the best value to the Government. A best value analysis will be performed taking into consideration the results of the technical evaluation, cost and past performance analysis, and the perceived ability to perform timely, high quality, consistently reliable support services as provided herein. In the determination of best value, the relative weight given to all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, is more important than price. MARKET RESEARCH for Development and Delivery of Federal Aid 101 Courses October 17, 2003 The Government is conducting market research to: ? Determine if sources exist that are capable of satisfying the Government?s requirements listed above, ? Determine the capabilities of potential contractors, including alternative arrangements and estimate of prices, ? Ascertain the size and status of potential sources, and ? Determine the level of competition (i.e., 8(a), set-aside or full and open) PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY INFLUENCES THE COMPETITION FOR THESE SERVICES. THE SOLICITATION WILL BE PUBLISHED IN FedBizOpps.gov. Federal Highway Administration Market Research October 17, 2003 Please complete the following questionnaire: 1. Place an X beside each requirement your firm would be able to satisfy. 1. Revise both courses to: d. Reflect the changes required by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) of 2003, Section 508 requirements, the criteria for International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and any other required changes over the life of the contract. e. Utililize asynchronous and/or synchronous distance learning 2. Develop an Instructor?s Guide for each of the two courses 3. Deliver approximately 2 sessions of both courses per month 4. Develop a cadre of FHWA employees who eventually serve as primary instructors 2. Would your firm be able to support the delivery of: More than 24 sessions of each course per year? 15 ? 24 sessions of each course per year? Less than 15 sessions of each course per year? 3. Based on your firm?s experience please provide rough estimates for the following services: ITEM(Per Each Course) UNIT PRICE Item 1: Course Revisions ? SAFTEA, Sect. 508 & IACET Each $ Course Revisions ? General Maintenance Each $ Course Revisions ? Distance Learning Each $ Item 2: Instructor Guide Development Each $ Item 3: Course Delivery Each $ Item 4: Instructor Cadre Development Each $ 4. Is your firm: A small business? A small disadvantage business? A woman-owned business? A HubZone business? An 8 (a) business? A SDB business? Other Thank you for participating in FHWA?s market research.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Nationwide
- Record
- SN00453804-W 20031019/031017213104 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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