SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Education and Training Seminars
- Notice Date
- 3/5/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- General Accounting Office, Acquisition Management, Acquisition Management, 441 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20548
- ZIP Code
- 20548
- Solicitation Number
- OAM-2002-N-007
- Response Due
- 3/27/2002
- Point of Contact
- Pearline Danner, Contract Specialist, Phone 202-512-3552, Fax 202-512-3999 or 2879, - Darcel Hall, Contracting Officer, Phone 202-512-3099, Fax 202-512-3999 or 2879,
- E-Mail Address
-
Dannerp@gao.gov, HALLD@GAO.GOV
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 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. This is a Request for Proposals (RFP OAM-2002-N-007). This combined synopsis/solicitation is organized in eight parts: (1)Background and Specific Requirements; (2) Cost Proposals; (3) Format and Instructions for Technical Proposal, (4) Technical Evaluation Criteria; (5) Applicability of Federal Acquisition Regulation Provisions, (6) Technical Questions and Bidders' Library, (7) Point of Contact and (8) Submission of Offers. 1. BACKGROUND AND REQUIREMENTS: The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has a need for delivery of Retirement (Mid-Career) Seminars and Retirement Planning Seminars. The Compensation and Benefits Group, a component of GAO's Human Capital Office, is responsible for providing retirement services to GAO employees. Many federal agencies, including GAO, have offered pre-retirement planning seminars as one of those services. Typically, the mid-career retirement seminars are made available to employees who are within 10-15 years of retirement eligibility and the Retirement Planning Seminars are made available to employees who are within 5 years of retirement eligibility. Both seminars last for several days, and provide in-depth information to assist the employees in making critical decisions as they approach and prepare for retirement. The Compensation and Benefits Group does not possess the necessary subject matter knowledge to conduct pre-retirement seminars of the scope desired, nor is such expertise available elsewhere in GAO. In addition, by addressing groups rather than single employees, the seminars represent a cost-effective way of conveying need of information. (A) Scope of work: The contractor will provide an off-the-shelf seminar meeting GAO's requirements. The Mid-Career seminar session will be delivered two (2) days in length. 60 participants normally will attend each session. It is estimated that the Mid-Career seminar will be delivered at least three (3) times each fiscal year (FY) from FY 2003 through FY 2007. The Retirement Planning seminar session will be delivered three (3) days in length. 30 participants normally will attend each session. However, there may be a need to enroll up to five (5) additional participants. It is estimated that the Retirement Planning seminar will be delivered at least (4) four times each fiscal year (FY)from FY 2003 through FY 2007. The contractor will also be required to perform a walk-through of each seminar. The walk-through is intended to be an oral presentation to be made by one or more of the contractor's representatives. It must describe the contents of each seminar and the teaching methodologies intended to be used for each seminar component. This will give GAO representatives the opportunity to ask questions and seek additional information, as they deem necessary. The estimated time for the walk-through is 2 to 8 hours for each seminar, the actual time can not be determined since GAO is unable to determine how much detail that the contractor will be providing and the extent of questions GAO representatives will raise. The contractor may be required to perform a second walk-through (depending on the extent of changes resulting from the initial walk-through) at no additional charge to GAO. (B) Course Contents: The objectives of the seminars are to provide employees with an array of information to increase the participants' level of understanding and awareness of policies and procedures. Also the training will enable them to better plan and make better decisions about retirement. The contractor will use teaching techniques appropriate to the subject matter and the audience. Each seminar will cover at a minimum the following subjects: Mid-Career: Federal Retirement System (FERS and CSRS); Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program and Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program as they affect retirement; Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); Social Security Benefits; and Financial planning. Retirement Planning: Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS); Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program and (Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program as they affect retirement Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); Annuities and survivors' benefits; Social Security, as it relates to federal retirees, and Medicare; Financial planning; Estate planning; Legal issues related to retirement, including wills; Life after retirement; and Health and fitness in retirement. (C) Course Materials: The contractor will prepare seminar binders containing written materials for each of the subjects to be covered and provide GAO with a binder for each participant. GAO will provide the contractor with a list of retirement-related publications that it makes available to its staff so that the contractor can avoid unnecessary expenses in providing materials already available to seminar participants. The contractor will be responsible for providing any audio or visual materials to be used in delivering the seminars. GAO will provide an overhead projector, projection screen, and flipcharts. If the contractor intends to use other equipment, the type of equipment should be identified in its proposal. GAO will provide it if it already possesses it but otherwise it will be the contractor's responsibility to provide it. (D) Deliverables: (1) within 20 working days after the effective date of the contract, the contractor will conduct an initial walk-through of the Retirement Mid-Career and Retirement Planning Seminars. All course materials, (including but not limited to the instructor's guide, participant manual, overhead transparencies, handouts, other visual material, and audio material) to be used must be provided at that time; (2) Within 20 working days after the initial walk-through, the contractor will make revisions to both seminars contents as agreed upon with the COTR. If requested by the COTR, the contractor will conduct a second walk-through at no additional cost to GAO; (3) On agreed-upon dates, the contractor will conduct sessions for the retirement planning and mid-career seminars, using qualified instructors. GAO will provide classroom space for the seminar sessions; and (4) no later than the working day before each seminar session, the contractor will provide GAO with a binder for each participant. (E) Training Location: All seminar sessions will be held in the GAO Headquarters Building (441 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C.) or in other designated space in the downtown Washington, DC area provided by GAO. (F) Schedule of Classes - Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year of the contract, the GAO COTR will inform the contractor how many seminar sessions for each of the Retirement (Mid-Career) and Retirement Planning sessions that it anticipates conducting during the year. In addition, the COTR will indicate if GAO has preferences as to session dates. Although the contractor will, to the extent feasible, provide sessions on the dates requested, the dates for each session will be arrived at by mutual agreement between the contractor and the COTR. During the course of a fiscal year, GAO may request additional seminar sessions. Subject to mutual agreement between the contractor and the COTR on session dates, such sessions will be added at the contract price in effect at the time of the request. Each class day (including lunch and break time) will be 7 to 8 hours, beginning no earlier than 8 a.m. and ending no later than 4:30 p.m. There will be a one-hour lunch break between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and at least one 15-minute break in each the morning and afternoon (H) Evaluation of Course - GAO will evaluate the course using participant questionnaires developed by GAO, and provide the results of the evaluations to the contractor. If the contractor wants to use its own evaluation form (which should be included in its technical proposal), GAO will distribute it to seminar participants. However, it will augment--not replace--GAO's form. 2. COST PROPOSALS: Offerors are required to request via email (Dannerp@GAO.gov) or fax (202) 512-3999 a copy of the pricing schedule. Failure to complete and submit the pricing may exclude your offer from consideration. The Pricing Schedule will identify fixed rates over the five-year contract period. An original and four (4) copies as a separately from the technical proposal are to be submitted. 3. FORMAT AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSALS: The proposal must be signed by an official authorized to bind the offeror. Proposals must contain: (a) the name, address and telephone number of the offeror, (b) cost proposal (c) Representations and Certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (d) technical proposal (original and four copies) addressing the management and approach of how GAO's requirements will be satisfied, (e) course agenda including amount of time to be allotted for each and the teaching techniques to be used (f) resumes of the instructors, (g) a participant binder containing written materials for each of the subjects to be covered and (h) identification of at least 3 government references . Technical proposals should not exceed 25 pages. Pages beyond 25 will not be considered. Offerors that fail to furnish required representation and certifications or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from further consideration. 4. TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA: FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation - - Commercial Items. This a best value procurement. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the government, price and other factors considered. For this solicitation, technical quality is more important than cost or price. As proposals become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluated cost or price becomes more important. Also, the government reserves the right to make an award on the basis of initial proposal, without holding discussions. Therefore, the offeror initial proposal should contain their best terms from a technical and cost standpoint. The following elements are to be included in your technical proposal. The following factors will be used to evaluate offers and should be addressed in your technical proposal: (a) Technical Approach and Management (20 points): The offeror must submit a description of the services it will provide that demonstrates it clearly understands the Statement of Work and all required details of the RFP. The offeror also must submit a management plan, indicating how it will assure that the contract work is properly and timely performed. The plan must include a description of how it will interact with GAO's Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (a member of GAO's Compensation and Benefits group). (b) Seminar Materials (15 points): The offeror must submit a course agenda, indicating all major topics to be covered, the order in which they are to be covered, the amount of time to be allotted to each, and the teaching techniques to be used (e.g., lecture, discussion, audio-visual presentations). The offeror also must submit a participant binder containing written materials for each of the subjects to be covered in the seminar. (c) Corporate Experience and Past Performance (including references), (35 points): The offeror must demonstrate that it has substantial experience in presenting pre-retirement planning seminars or in performing similar work, and that it has performed such work satisfactorily within the last three (3) years. To do so, the offeror must submit names of all federal government agencies for which it has presented pre-retirement seminars or performed similar work. The offeror also may submit names of non-federal entities for which it has performed such work. For each named federal government agency and non-federal entity for which the offeror has, within the past three (3) years, presented pre-retirement seminars or performed similar work, the offeror must include the name, address, and phone number of a contact person who works for the agency or entity and, if relevant, contract numbers. GAO reserves the right to contact any of the named agencies and entities. If the offeror intends to subcontract any of the work (except through personal service contracts with individual instructors), it must provide, for each subcontractor, the information requested in the previous two paragraphs as well as copies of any subcontract agreements already in effect. In evaluating past performance, GAO will consider information obtained from past and present customers. By past performance, GAO means the offeror's record of conformity to specifications and to standards of good workmanship, of adherence to contract schedules, and of cooperation and commitment to customer satisfaction. (d) Experience of Instructors (30 Points) - The offeror must identify the instructors it intends to use in presenting seminars, indicating which topic(s) are to be covered by each instructor. If the offeror intends to rotate instructors (i.e., to use different instructors for a particular topic at different seminar sessions rather than using only one for the topic at all sessions), it must identify each instructor it intends to use. If the offeror intends to use only one instructor for a topic at all sessions, it must identify an alternate instructor to be used in the event the principal instructor is not available. For each principal and alternate instructor, the offeror must submit a resume containing sufficient information to enable GAO to determine whether the individual possesses the experience and/or education needed to meet its requirement. 5. APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION PROVISIONS: The following Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) provisions and clauses apply to this solicitation and are incorporated by reference. FAR 52.212-1 - Instructions to Offerors (Commercial items). Offerors must include a completed copy of FAR provision 52.213-3 - Offeror Representations and Certifications (Commercial Items) with their offer. FAR 52.212-5 - Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders (Commercial Items). FAR 52.212-4 - Contract Terms and Conditions (Commercial Items), Conditions. 6. TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND BIDDERS' LIBRARY: Technical questions concerning this requirement must be submitted in writing via fax no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the published date of this announcement. GAO may respond to questions in the form of an amendment that may have an ffect on offers received. A bidder's library has been established in order to give offerors an opportunity to review materials pertinent to this requirement. The library is located at: U. S. General Accounting Office, Acquisition Management, 441 G Street, NW - Room 6B46, Washington, DC 20548. Access to the library shall be made by appointments only, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 7. POINT OF CONTACT: The point of contact for this requirement is Pearline F. Danner, Contract Specialist, Telephone No. is: (202) 512-3552; FAX No. (202) 512-3999; E-mail address: Dannerp@GAO.gov. 8. SUBMISSION OF OFFERS: Proposals must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. (EST), March 27, 2002. Due to the current mail situation and the extra time needed to process incoming deliveries (mail, documents, and packages), the only acceptable methods in delivering proposals to GAO are handcarried deliverables and Federal Express (FEDEX) delivery service. Other delivery methods are not acceptable for this requirement at this time. Packages handcarried will be processed at the Guard's Desk. Arrangements should be made with the specialist prior to delivery in order to have package picked up at the Guard's desk. The Guards will not accept packages at the desk. Proposals submitted should be address to the U.S. General Accounting Office, Acquisition Management, 441 G Street, NW, Room 6B46, Washington, DC 20548, Attn: Pearline F. Danner. . NOTE: THIS NOTICE MAY HAVE POSTED ON FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (05-MAR-2002). IT ACTUALLY APPEARED OR REAPPEARED ON THE FEDBIZOPPS SYSTEM ON 13-MAR-2007, BUT REAPPEARED IN THE FTP FEED FOR THIS POSTING DATE. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.fbo.gov/spg/GAO/GAOAM/GAOAM1/OAM-2002-N-007/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20548
- Zip Code: 20548
- Record
- SN01250299-F 20070315/070313224620 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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