SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- ATTESTATION ENGAGEMENT AND GPRA ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES
- Notice Date
- 9/1/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, Procurement Services Center, N5416 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20210-0001
- ZIP Code
- 20210-0001
- Solicitation Number
- DOL059RP20271
- Response Due
- 9/15/2006
- Archive Date
- 9/30/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- 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; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (USDOL/ILAB) seeks the services of a contractor to provide Advisory and Assistance Services to meet on-going needs of the ILAB International Child Labor Program (ICLP) on attestation engagement and Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) issues. Solicitation number DOL069RP20271 is issued for this 100% small business set-a-side competition. The Government intends to award a Labor Hours contract established on the basis of firm-fixed rates for labor hour services. The NAICS code for this requirement is 541611-Administrative Management and General and General Management Consulting Services. The size standard is $6.5 million. The period of performance expected is for (1) base year and (1) option year. The government intends to award only (1) award for this requirement. APPLICABILITY OF FAR PROVISIONS: The following Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) provisions and clauses apply to this solicitation and are incorporated by reference. 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (SEP 2005) 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000) 52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 1999) 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS COMMERCIAL ITEMS (MAR 2005) 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) SUBMISSION OF QUOTATIONS (Business/Cost and Technical): Submit signed and dated proposals/quotes on or before 09/15/2006 at 3:00 PM, E.S.T. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OR RESPONSE, Micro Soft Word file of the RFQ with the business/cost and technical proposals/quotes is authorized for one (1) copy. Concurrent with this, please forward one (1) original and three (3) signed hardcopies of each business/cost and technical proposal/quote must also be provided to the address below by the due date and time using COURIER or POSTAL SERVICE. Due to heightening building security conditions around the U.S. Capitol and surrounding federal buildings, hand-carrying of proposals/quotes is discouraged. However, if proposals/quotes are hand-carried or sent by courier, the carrier/courier must contact the OPS office at 202-693-4577 or deliver to the room number mentioned below or wait with the proposal/quote until it is picked up. Do not drop off proposals/quotes with the building security officers or leave packages unattended. This office cannot guarantee the delivery of documents. Office of Procurement Services (OPS) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) Attn: Name: Linda Spillman 200 Constitution Ave, NW, Room N-5416 Washington, DC 20210 The services required are to bid on a labor hour contract. The prices(s) are inclusive of any and/all labor, indirect cost, material, parts, equipment, pick-up and delivery, ancillary costs and applicable fees. No other compensation will be paid to the contractor. QUESTIONS: The cutoff date for receipt of all questions regarding this RFP or the attached SOW shall be submitted via e-mail NOT LATER THAN 9/11/2006, 9:00 AM, Washington, DC, E.S.T Zone to spillman.linda@dol.gov. The offeror shall include, with their business/cost proposal, a cover letter that must be signed by an official authorized to bind the offeror, and it shall contain a statement to the effect that the proposal is firm for a period of at least one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date of receipt by the Government. The RFP does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of your proposals or to contract for the articles or services. It is also brought to your attention that the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can commit the Government to the expenditures of public funds in connection with this procurement. Request for any information concerning this RFP is directed by e-mail to the Contract Specialist, during the RFP process and before award, Linda Spillman who may be reached at Spillman.linda@dol.gov. STATEMENT OF WORK IS AS FOLLOWS: STATEMENT OF WORK ATTESTATION ENGAGEMENT and PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR USDOL'S INTERNATIONAL CHILD LABOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this contract is to obtain Advisory and Assistance Services to meet on-going needs of the ILAB International Child Labor Program (ICLP) on attestation engagement and Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) issues. Applicants should submit proposals addressing the objective(s) identified in the Introduction (Section I), the scope of work (Section II), and identified delivery requirements (Section IV). A. Background USDOL's International Child Labor Program (ICLP), within the Bureau of International Labor Affairs conducts research on international child labor, administers grant and contracts to organizations engaged in efforts to eliminate exploitive child labor, and raises awareness about this important international child labor issue. The ICLP's grant administration responsibilities have grown quickly since 1995. ICLP has administered some 180 child labor projects in over 70 countries around the world through: 1) the International Labor Organization's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC); and 2) various organizations that implement Child Labor Education Initiative projects to expand access to basic quality education in areas with a high incidence of child labor. The demands for increased accountability in both the financial and performance arenas have grown significantly with the expansion in the numbers of ICLP projects in operation throughout the developing world. To address these demands, ICLP initiated a project level attestation engagement program in FY 2005 to examine the timeliness and accuracy of grantee GPRA data, financial reporting and compliance USDOL and USG regulations. The program has contracted under a Blanket Purchase Agreement with an accounting firm to perform attestation engagements of its cooperative agreements in accordance with the Government Auditing Standards published by the Government Accountability Office. The ICLP has also negotiated with the External Auditor for the International Labor Organization (ILO) to conduct attestation engagements of the projects that ICLP funds through the ILO. This advisory services contract will provide expert advice and training to ICLP employees to ensure that: 1) the work conducted under the BPA and by the ILO External Auditor meets ICLP?s needs and that the quality is acceptable under the relevant professional standards; 2) project level compliance and GPRA performance data reviews conducted by ICLP staff are performed in an efficient and effective manner. The numbers and complexity of ICLP projects, as well as the evolution of GPRA requirements under the budget and performance integration initiative of the President's Management Agenda and OMB's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) also require that ICLP obtain the services of a contractor with expertise in the performance management arena. In particular, the program is measuring and reporting on its cost efficiency. The contractor will assist ICLP in refining its measurement approaches, assist ILAB in setting and achieving new efficiency targets, and offer guidance on using the efficiency measures to improve ICLP decision making. In addition, the consultant will be needed to advise ICLP on assessing Education Initiative (EI) performance data and provide assistance to the program in revising the measures or data collection procedures, if warranted, to ensure that the performance data accurately and validly measure the outcomes of the EI projects. Objective(s) Statement The objective of this contract is to provide USDOL/ICLP with one or more individuals to provide expert advice and training in the area of attestation engagement and performance management. II. SCOPE OF WORK Offerer is required to identify and provide qualified individual(s) to lead and conduct activities in the following three areas: 1. Provide expert advice and training regarding the project level attestation engagement process to ILAB staff, including guidance regarding attestation engagement procedures, reporting and resolution. 2. Provide training regarding the conduct of project level compliance and GPRA performance data reviews. 3. Provide expert advice regarding Government Performance and Results Act performance data and cost efficiency measure target setting and analysis. Prior to use of any training materials, the contractor must submit the materials to the COTR for his/her approval. Management and Professional Services The Contractor shall: 1. Develop and deliver a training program of a minimum of 160 hours for ICLP personnel with responsibility for reviewing independent external attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution documents. 2. Develop and deliver a training program of a minimum of 40 hours for ICLP personnel on how to conduct project level compliance and GPRA performance data reviews. 3. Provide expert written advice on project level attestation engagement terms of reference, reporting and findings. 4. Provide expert advice regarding Government Performance and Results Act performance data target setting and measures as well as budget and performance integration strategies. 5. Participate in attestation engagement and performance management meetings and provide briefings to ICLP personnel on issues related to meetings. A. For the training program on reviewing external project level attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution documents the contractor shall include, at a minimum, the following components: 1. Contractual frameworks for project level cooperative agreement and contract attestation engagements; 2. ICLP audit terms of reference and guides for project level attestation level engagements; 3. Procedures for planning and conducting project level attestation engagements; 4. ILAB review and resolution process for project level attestation engagements. B. For the training program on reviewing conducting compliance and GPRA performance data reviews, the contractor shall include, at a minimum, the following components: 1. ICLP GPRA targets and measures; 2. Compliance requirements for ICLP technical assistance cooperative agreements and contracts; 3. Procedures for conducting and documenting project level reviews of compliance and performance data. III. INPUTS Recipient is expected to provide all logistical and administrative support for their work needed to complete the task required to provide all deliverables. IV. OUTPUTS In rendering the aforementioned services, outputs may take the form of information, advice, opinions, alternatives, analyses, evaluations, recommendations, training and/or services to complement the Government's technical expertise in accomplishing its mission. The nature of this work will at times require the contractor be capable of quick response to stringent deadlines. A. DELIVERABLES 1. Develop a workplan with timelines for the preparation of training and other deliverables. 2. Draft plan describing the objectives, methodology and timeline for training ICLP staff on external project level attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution. 3. Final plan describing the objectives, methodology and timeline for training ICLP on external project level attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution documents. 4. Draft plan describing the objectives, methodology and timeline for training staff members on how to conduct GPRA performance data reviews. 5. Final plan describing the objectives, methodology and timeline for training staff members on how to conduct compliance and GPRA performance data reviews. 6. Written guidance on project level attestation engagement terms of references, reporting and findings. DELIVERY SCHEDULE 1. Workplan submitted no later than 7 days after the start of the contract. 2. Draft training plan on external attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution shall be submitted no later than 15 days after the start of the contract. 3. Draft training plan on conducting compliance and GPRA performance data reviews shall be submitted no later than 30 days after the start of the contract. 4. Final training plan on external attestation engagement procedures, reports and resolution shall be submitted no later than 5 days after receipt of comments on the draft plan from the COTR. 5. Final training plan conducting compliance and GPRA performance data reviews shall be submitted no later than 5 days after receipt of comments on the draft plan from the COTR. 6.Written guidance on project level attestation engagement terms of reference, reporting and findings shall be submitted on a schedule provided by the COTR after the start of the contract. V. ADDITIONAL DATA A. Period of Performance The period of performance shall be twelve (12) months from the date of contract execution. B. Place of Performance Work will be performed primarily at a Government facility. C. Performance Standards The workmanship of all written products furnished under this contract must strictly confirm to the generally accepted quality standards of the contractor's profession and must be suitable for dissemination and use without revision, to USDOL, other government agencies and the general public. Eighty percent (80) of trainees must rate the quality of training services provided by the contractor as good or excellent. VI. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS All interested applicants are requested to submit proposals containing the following information: The general approach expected to be used for carrying out work in each three areas listed above: Description of the quality control process to be used to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of product and services provided throughout the period of the contract. Names of individual (s) qualified to conduct activities in each of the two task areas listed above. The applicants submission must contain a resume or curriculum vitae for each proposed individual. The list should indicate the employment status of the proposed individuals; whether they are in-house staff or sub-contractors. List of similar work conducted by the applicant during previous 24 months, including name and contact information of the organization that commissioned the work, its purpose, and date completed. Explanation of general philosophy of, approach to, and experience with training, with a sample of training materials produced by the applicant. Illustrative Format for Proposal: Approach to carrying out work relevant to international development and education programs. Experience with international child labor programs should be highlighted. Qualifications and experience of the individual (s) in attestation engagement and GPRA performance data work relevant to international development and education programs. Experience with international child labor programs should be highlighted. IV. REVIEW AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS FOR AWARD USDOL/ICLP will screen all applications to determine whether all required elements are present and clearly identifiable. A Technical Panel will objectively rate each complete application against the criteria described in this announcement. The panel recommendations to the Contract Officer are advisory in nature. The Contract Officer may elect to select one or more recipients on the basis of the initial proposal submission, or the Contract Officer may establish a competitive or technically acceptable range for the purpose of selecting qualified applicants. If deemed appropriate, following the Contract Officer's call for the preparation and receipt of final revisions of proposals, the evaluation process described above will be repeated to consider such revisions. The Contract Officer will make a final selection determination based on what is most advantageous to the Government, considering factors such as panel findings, geographic presence of the applicants, and the best value to the government, cost and other factors. The Contract Officer's determination for award under this announcement is final. NOTICE: Selection of an individual/organization does not constitute approval of the application as submitted. Before the actual contract is awarded, the Contract Officer may enter into negotiations concerning such items as program components, funding levels, and administrative systems. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submission, the Contract Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline the application. A. The Review Process The criteria below will serve as the basis upon which submitted applications will be evaluated. The technical panel will review applicants against the criteria listed below in order of descending importance. a. Experience and Qualifications of the Individual/Organization ? Applicants should demonstrate the organization?s experience and qualifications to successfully perform the requirements of the Scope of Work and submit the required deliverables. The Applicant?s proposal should contain those items described in Section VIII. The Applicant will be evaluated on its: Capacity to perform in the two task areas identified above. Proposed methodology and approach to conducting the work in the two task areas identified above. b. Past Performance Prior experience and qualifications of the individual/organization to perform work in the two task areas identified. Sample documents submitted to support past performance and experience (e.g., research reports, conference proceedings, etc.). c. Experience and Qualifications of Personnel Applicants should demonstrate its personnel's experience and qualifications to successfully perform the requirements of the Scope of Work and submit the required deliverables. Key personnel should have the ability to speak and write clearly and precisely in English and possess strong interpersonal, cross cultural communication, training and written communication as required by the proposed tasks. The Applicant will be evaluated based on prior experience of personnel in: Planning and providing training and advisory services involving international themes and participants. References or letters of commendation regarding the past performance of the proposed personnel.
- Place of Performance
- Address: OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES (OPS), U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL), ATTN: LINDA SPILLMAN, 200 CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW N5416, WASHINGTON, DC
- Zip Code: 20210-0001
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20210-0001
- Record
- SN01132569-W 20060903/060901220715 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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