SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Traffic Operations Training
- Notice Date
- 9/27/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- 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
- DTFH61-07-R-00103
- Response Due
- 10/20/2006
- Archive Date
- 11/3/2006
- Description
- MARKET RESEARCH forDevelopment and Delivery of Design and Traffic Operations (OPS)Training The Government is conducting market research to: Determine if responsible, qualified, capable sources exist that are interested in satisfying the Government?s requirements described below; Determine the capabilities of potential contractors, including an estimate of prices; Determine size and status of potential sources; and Determine the nature of competition (e.g. 8(a), small business set-aside or full and open) The National Highway Institute (NHI), within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation (DOT), plans to award task orders under multiple 5-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contracts for the development, revision, and presentation of training courses in the areas of Design and Traffic Operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and Freight Transportation Logistics. The work requires skilled, knowledgeable, experienced subject matter experts and instructional designers working together to develop and update course materials, and instructors who possess adult learning facilitation skills and credible subject matter expertise. The NHI is the technical training arm of the FHWA, and as such plays a vital role in the FHWA?s overall effort to provide training in new and evolving highway related technologies. NHI courses respond to changing workforce development requirements and are a part of the technical professional development of engineers, planners, and others in the surface transportation industry. The target audience for these courses is very broad, and includes Federal, state and local highway and transportation agencies located within the United States, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Centers, associations, consulting firms, private industry, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), universities, and other national and international entities engaged in highway operations of interest to the United States. The NHI maintains a training curriculum of approximately 135 courses and presents over 600 training sessions per year to more than 15,000 participants nationwide. For each session, NHI provides course materials and instructors who are trained in the presentation of learner-centered, interactive course facilitation and highly qualified in their technical fields. NHI courses in the Operations areas are currently taught by university faculty with advanced degrees, professional transportation planners, highway and signals designers, current and former FHWA engineers, very experienced professional engineers (PE) and combinations thereof. NHI courses are varied and support many customer needs. They are an integral part of development activities for graduate engineers in many states as they learn about transportation engineering and prepare for professional licensure. Additionally, because NHI emphasizes the implementation of new research, standards, and procedures, many courses are directed toward experienced, practicing engineers. NHI awards International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to those who must earn professional development hours to maintain their license. Some NHI courses have prerequisites that are part of state certification curricula. In order for the NHI to best accomplish its training mission, it is necessary to accurately determine the needs of the target audience, and then develop and deliver a variety of training packages that will most effectively and efficiently present the intended messages, thus improving attendees skills and knowledge. Since Congress established the NHI in 1970 it has been performing this role primarily by delivering traditional, instructor-lead, classroom training on a broad range of topics. In addition to instructor-led classroom training, NHI is developing distance-learning offerings. NHI has an active web conferencing system that delivers instructor-led synchronous web conference training directly to participant workstations. Self-paced web-based training is also offered, as well as a blended approach of all three methodologies. Considering the complexity of the technical subject matter, NHI believes the flexibility of the blended learning model has great potential for reaching a large national audience in the future. To this end, NHI and the Office of Operations will be looking to improve and expand this capability during the life of the new ID/IQ. NHI?s goal is to optimize training for maximum effectiveness, ensuring that the greatest amount of learning takes place within defined constraints. Part of this process involves development of material precisely targeted to participant needs and providing clearly articulated Learning Outcomes. The principles of adult learning and instructional systems design (ISD) must be incorporated into the courses, as well as a learning assessment (i.e. post tests, exercise, skill demonstration, etc) in order to be consistent with IACET requirements. Training includes a combination of instructional strategies such as lectures, videos, case studies, and group exercises/discussions. To meet this goal, the contractor will be required to provide a development team consisting of both Instructional Systems Designers and Subject Matter Experts to design and develop new courses, and update and enhance existing ones. The contractor will be required to provide highly qualified, experienced, approved instructors to teach these courses. To be truly effective, instructor led training requires skilled, competent, knowledgeable, credible, instructors with adult education experience. All instructors are required to be NHI certified or achieve instructor certification by an NHI Master Trainer within one year of being accepted as an NHI instructor. Potential instructors with limited or no classroom teaching experience must begin the certification process by attending the NHI Instructor Development Course and completing the Web-based NHI Instructor Development Module for Web Conference Training. The procedure for becoming certified is explained more fully on the NHI Web site, http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/. From time to time, those awarded an ID/IQ contract will be invited to compete for task orders that may also include other functions relating to training development and delivery such as needs assessment, marketing, or electronic formatting for Section 508 compliance. Limited research necessary for development of technical reference manuals may be included. Performance under the Task Orders is subject to the requirements of Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998. Section 504 deals with accessibility for all participants in training classes. Section 504 specifically addresses classroom settings, course materials and accommodations for special needs. Section 508 addresses accessibility issues relative to electronic media such as web postings, web sites, computer simulations, and videos. The NHI follows Section 504/508 Compliance in all of its training development and delivery efforts. The NHI and its contractors must, to the greatest degree possible, meet all accessibility needs of its participants. NHI course offerings currently covered by expiring ID/IQ contracts in the area of Traffic Operations/ITS and Freight (series numbers are: 133XXX, 137XXX, and 139XXX), as well as the NHI style guide (both instructor lead and distance learning) may be found on the NHI web site at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov. Additional related courses or web-based offerings may be added as needs are defined. PARTICIPATION IN THE MARKET RESEARCH IN NO WAY AFFECTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE FOR THESE SERVICES WHEN THE RFP IS SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED. Place an X beside each requirement your firm would be able to satisfy. 1. Conduct a needs assessment to identify performance/skill gaps and define training requirements in the areas of Design and Traffic Operations, ITS, and Freight and Transportation Logistics. 2. Design courseware for graduate level: Design and Traffic Operations, ITS, and Freight and Transportation Logistics courses. This will entail the ability to: define target population characteristics; identify Learning Outcomes; identify instructional strategies and methods; develop subject content, student exercises, and media; chunk/sequence content; determine instructional time allocations; develop evaluation strategies. 3. Develop and revise an Instructor Guide, Participant Workbook, and Visual Aids, based on the established principles of Instructional Systems Design (ISD) for courses offered by NHI. 4. Provide teams of technical experts to deliver instructor-led classroom training in Design and Traffic Operations, ITS, and Freight and Transportation Logistics. 5. Develop web-based training and instructor-led training via web conference in the stated subject areas. 6. Deliver web-conferencing in the stated subject areas. 7. Develop and implement marketing plan for: discipline areas, certificate programs, and specific course. Would your firm be able to support the delivery of: 8. 10 ? 19 course sessions per year? 9. More than 20 course sessions per year? Based on your firm?s experience please provide rough estimates for the following services: ITEM UNIT PRICE Item 1: Course Development for a new: a. 3-day Course Each $ b. 2-day Course Each $ Item 2: Revisions to an ongoing: a. 3-day Course Each $ b. 2-day Course Each $ Item 3: Development of Web Based Training, Per Training Hour Each $ Item 4: Course Delivery with 2 Instructors for a 2 or 3-day Course a. 3-day Course (1) Two senior instructors Each $ (2) One senior and one junior instructor Each $ b. 2-day Course (1) Two senior instructors Each $ (2) One senior and one junior instructor Each $ Item 5: Course Delivery with 1 Senior Instructor for: a. 3-day Course Each $ b. 2-day Course Each $ c. 1-day Course Each $ Item 6: Training Course Marketing Plan Each $ Item 7: Delivery of Instructor-Led Web Conference Training, Per Training Hour Each $ Note: Junior Instructor ? Typically should have five to ten years of relevant job experience. Must have considerable knowledge of, and some hands-on experience with, most of the technical areas to be covered in the course. Some instructional experience is desirable. Senior Instructor ? Should have at least ten years of job experience. Must be an expert with extensive hands-on experience in the subject areas being presented in the course. Considerable instructional experience is required. Is your firm: A small business A small disadvantage business? A woman-owned business A Hub Zone business? An 8 (a) business? Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business? A large business? Other? Please return the completed form no later than 4:00 PM EDT October 20, 2006 to: bud.cribbs@fhwa.dot.gov or fax (703-235-0593). Thank you for participating in FHWA/NHI?s market research. Among other issues, the survey results will assist us in determining whether to award contracts for individual activities (i.e. course development, presentations, distance learning, etc.) or omnibus contracts requiring each contractor to be capable of performing all required activities.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Nationwide
- Zip Code: 20590
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20590
- Record
- SN01155790-W 20060929/060927220428 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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