SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- English as a Second Language ? Computer Based Learning (E-CBL)
- Notice Date
- 6/21/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 611630
— Language Schools
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, India USAID-New Delhi, Dept. of State, Washington, DC, 20521-9000
- ZIP Code
- 20521-9000
- Solicitation Number
- 386-R-00-06-00015-00
- Response Due
- 7/5/2006
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; a request for proposal is hereby requested by this solicitation. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-09. The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation?Commercial Items,applies and its addenda will be made available by amendment. The specific evaluation criteria to be included are noted in the provision. Offeror is to include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications?Commercial Items, with its offer. The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions?Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and its addenda will be made available by amendment. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders?Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and if any, the additional FAR clauses cited in the clause applicable to the acquisition will be marked by ?X? to show applicability. This is a sole source, acquisition to acquire delivery of an English as a Second Language computer based instructional program and implemented training that can be used in either a blended instructional setting or as a stand-alone for self study. Contractor will travel to different sites in Sri Lanka to train teachers, IT staff and other participants; to install it?s software and ancillary hardware for same; as well as effectively use the software in blended English language instruction in a 120 day performance period. Delievery and acceptance will be F.O.B. Destination. Schedule of Price CLIN DESCRIPTION UNIT QTY UNIT PR TOTAL 0001 Supply and install hardware IAW Para. 3.1 Lot 1 $ $ of the SOW. 0002 Supply and install software IAW Para. 3.2 Lot 1 $ $ of the SOW. 0003 Devise training modules and train students IAW Para 3.3 of the SOW and SUBCLINS of this CLIN 0003AA Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.1 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AB Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.2 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AC Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.3 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AD Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.4 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AE Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.5 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AF Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.6 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AG Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.7 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0003AH Train IAW Para. 3.3.3.8 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0004 Train IAW Para. 3.4 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0005 Provide manuals IAW Para. 3.5 of the SOW and SUBCLINS of this CLIN 0005AA Manuals IAW Para. 3.5.1 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0005AB Manuals IAW Para. 3.5.2 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0006 Provide reports and plans IAW Para. 3.6 of the SOW and SUBCLINS of this CLIN 0006AA Plan IAW Para. 3.6.1 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0006AB Report IAW Para. 3.6.2 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0006AC Plan IAW Para. 3.6.3 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0006AD Report IAW Paras. 3.1-3.2 and 3.6.4 of the SOW Lot 1 $ $ 0007 Provide transportation and/or subsistence Lot 1 $1700 $1700 stipend IAW Para. 3.7 of the SOW (NTE) Statement of Work 1. General English is an essential skill for workforce development. USAID through its strategic plan, in particular with focus on competitiveness and workforce, is ideally suited to field test English as a Second Language Computer Based Learning (E-CBL) tools that may provide this critical job-skill for Sri Lankan youth from age eighteen to thirty, from all ethnicities and genders, particularly in rural areas. Sri Lankan employers often complain that they cannot obtain a workforce with the necessary job skills and new entrants to the workforce are frustrated that they cannot obtain decent jobs. Matching supply and demand is a core element of the USAID strategy, particularly in the Economic Growth program?s focus on workforce development. Learning English is no longer limited to ?chalk and talk? or radio instruction. With global affordable computerization and ?Internetization,? tools such as CD-ROM and the Internet have emerged to cost-effectively deliver English language instruction to the widest number of Sri Lankans. 2. Objectives Provide the instructors/teachers of young adults with training to use supplemental English language instruction through English as a Second Language ? Computer Based Learning (E-CBL). This program will be used to improve the overall English language proficiency of instructors so that they may better enable young adults to become competitive for jobs in the Sri Lankan workplace. Deliver for young adult use an E-CBL instructional program that can be used in either a blended instructional setting or as a stand-alone for self study. Travel to targeted sites in Sri Lanka to train teachers, IT staff and other participants to install and support software, as well as effectively use the software in blended English language instruction. Report on the efficacy of the New Dynamic English, Dynamic Business English and Hospitality English training among the trained participants. Indicate the need for adaptation of the software, teacher?s guide or teacher training upon assessment of the training using standard methods. 3. Specifications 1. Contractor shall provide 150 each microphones and headsets with necessary drivers and connections, suitable for operation with it?s E-CBL software on personal computers with Windows operating system (Version 98 or later), for it?s installation and set up on PC units, prior to training commencement at each training site. The Contractor will list the number of microphones and headsets installed at each training site by PC serial number. Failed installs will be noted and the reason (software/hardware) for failure reported to the CTO. 2. Contractor shall install its New Dynamic English, Dynamic Business English and Hospitality English software on each serviceable PC unit meeting minimum system requirements for the software. All installs will be completed prior to training commencement at each training site. The Contractor will create, a by-serial number listing of each minimum capable PC unit at each training site with a successful software installation. Estimated number of units is not to exceed a total of 150 PCs for all sites. Failed installs will be noted and the reason (software/hardware) for failure reported in writing to the CTO in Contractor?s format before training commencement. Contractor shall also provide a back up of its software in Compact Disc media format for each site to remedy subsequently corrupted installs or reinstalls at the site and a record copy for the designated Contract Technical Officer (CTO). 3. Contractor shall devise training modules for each of its software offerings, New Dynamic English, Dynamic Business English and Hospitality English, to instruct English teachers on providing training to young adults in a blended or stand alone training instructional setting. Training shall include a sub module on PC orientation and using the PC to conduct training. Training shall train the teachers to collect and monitor data for program evaluation using the records manager component of Contractor?s software. Contractor shall include in the training, a coaching session to assure that the blended or stand-alone English language instruction will be effectively delivered when teachers are training young adults independently. Training shall be based upon a six-hour instructional day, Monday through Friday. The instructional day shall incorporate no more than six, ten minute breaks and one, ? hour lunch break. 36 hours of instruction are required per site in an instructional work week (Monday through Friday) exclusive of Sri Lankan holidays. An alternate schedule uses successive week ends (Saturday through Sunday) exclusive of Sri Lankan holidays to provide the required 36 hours of instruction. The instructional day requirements remain the same. All training will commence 30 days after contract award and complete 60 days after commencement. 3.1 Train 30 part-time teachers (+/- 10%), to teach 19-22 year old disadvantaged men and women participants at the Don Bosco at Dungalpitya/Negombe site in the Gampaha District, Sri Lanka using the alternate schedule. 30 computers in the computer centre. 3.2 Train 10 English teachers (+/- 10%) to teach students learning to be engineers at the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka. 10 computers in the computer centre. 3.3 Train 20 in-service English teachers (+/- 10%) to teach English language instructors at the Peradeniya Centre for Excellence in English Teaching in the Kandy District, Sri Lanka. 20 computers in the computer centre. 3.4 Train 20 English language instructors (+/- 10%) at the Hardy Technical Institute (Sri Lankan Institute Advanced Technological Education) in the Ampara District, Sri Lanka. 20 computers in the computer centre. 3.5 Train a total of20 teachers and business people (+/- 10%) at the Municipal Council?s Language Resource Center at the Public Library in Batticaloa in the Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. 20 computers in the computer centre. 3.6 Train 20 teachers (+/- 10%) at the Women?s Development Foundation in Hambantota in the Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. 5 computers in the computer centre. 3.7 Train 20 IT and English teachers (+/- 10%) to teach students to utilize information technology at the Raja Rata University near Anuradhapura in the Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. 20 computers in the computer centre. 3.8 Train 20 teachers (+/- 10%) in two (2), 10 each students per session, to teach teachers and candidates for jobs in the Hospitality sector at the Jesuit English Academy in the Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka. 10 computers in the computer centre. 4. Train 8 ? 20 (possibly 2 per site) IT site managers, one per each site, during one instructional day, to install software and troubleshoot software/hardware issues as they develop. Training shall also familiarize the manager with the software modules to help IT managers remedy faults occurring during instructor training. 5. In advance of training provide instructional manuals, marked in accordance with the USAID Graphics Standard Manual downloadable at http://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm.html. An overview of the USAID Branding program is available at http://www.usaid.gov/branding/acquisition.html 5.1 Provide a printed E-CBL software instructional manual for each training site. 5.2 Provide a printed training manual for all trainees. 6. Prepare and submit indicated reports/plans in Contractor?s format to the CTO by email. The applicable page length limitation, if any, and due date for a report will be indicated. Acceptable native file formats for the submissions are Microsoft Office Suite applications in versions 2002 or later (.DOC, .XLS, .MDB) or Adobe Acrobat in version 5 or later (.PDF). The USAID email gateway accepts messages whose total size with attachments is less than 15 Mb. 6.1 Develop a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan including but not limited to attendance of teachers and their students, course completion rates, and English language skill gains based on data in the records management software. Include programming for an analysis of the English language skill gains and descriptions of learning strategies of different types of participants, i.e. vocational, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and their students. No page length limitation. Due date 15 days before contract performance. 6.2 Prepare a Final Project Report. No page length limitation. Due date 30 days after training completed. Using records management data from the software, M&E plan, et. al., report Contractor?s recommendations (annotated and referenced) for the following: Recommend whether participant instructions for the English instructional program operation should be presented in three languages: English, Sinhala, and Tamil. If there are necessary adaptations to the software that are needed to assure student/participant success in the Sri Lankan context, and at least general description of what these adaptations should be. Recommend appropriate environments, replicability, scalability, national distribution of the software in Sri Lanka. If other Instructional units should be developed to better meet the needs of Sri Lankan youth, including some general life skills topics and practical workforce oriented subjects such as tourism, computer-based office work or other workplace skills. Is the voice recognition capability sufficient to provide positive feedback to learners as their skills and accent approach comprehensibility by native English speakers? Is there a sufficient monitoring/evaluation component that allows the contractor and USAID to collect participant data, including usage and the success of users in English language learning as a result of using the software? That data should be linkable to job placement status of the respective individuals. 6.3 No page length limitation. Due date 30 days after training completed. Develop a sustainable business plan for the E-CBL program including site license costs by size of organization, installation and training of site instructors/operators for sites funded by USAID or privately operated in Sri Lanka. Include recommendations concerning the cost/benefit to adapt the software to also operate under a Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Distribution) operating system. 6.4 No page length limitation. Due date is one business day after site hardware/software installation session. Site listing of successful hardware/software installs by PC serial number. 7. Provide 150 trainees and up to 20 site managers with lunch (Rs.500.00) and reimburse transportation (up to Rs.1,000.00) costs as needed for participants who live more than 5 kilometers from the training site.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Various named locales of Sri Lanka
- Zip Code: 00300
- Country: Sri Lanka
- Zip Code: 00300
- Record
- SN01074284-W 20060623/060621220034 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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