MODIFICATION
U -- Leadership Development Training
- Notice Date
- 5/8/2007
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- Contracting Office
- Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Acquisition Management Division (VA), 1100 Wilson Boulevard Room 2133, Arlington, VA, 22209-3939, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- DOL07MRP20028
- Response Due
- 5/15/2007
- Archive Date
- 6/16/2007
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- THIS NOTICE IS TO PROVIDE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO THIS SOLICITATION. Question 1: Is there an existing program that has been offered within the last two years? Answer 1: No Question 2: Paragraph 7.1.6 requires that each learning team (of up to 8 participants), be provided an assigned facilitator. This implies that, with up to 25 students per cohort, three (3) or more contractor facilitators will be required for each course delivery. Is this true? Answer 2: Yes Question 3: In addition, according to the provided schedule cohorts overlap for one week (two cohorts are being trained at the same time). Does this mean that for those weeks, six (6) or more facilitators are required? Or, can three facilitators be assigned to move between the two simultaneous cohorts? Answer 3: Yes three facilitators can move between cohorts if this does not affect quality, efficiency and reduces costs to the Government. Any time that small groups are working independent from the cohort a facilitator is required. Question 4: Paragraph 7.1.3 specifies 8 cohorts, as does the period of performance and the provided cohort schedule. However, paragraph 7.1.7 specifies ?Cohorts 4-10? as option periods. Are there 3 base and 5 option cohorts, or 3 base and 7 option cohorts? Answer 4: There are 3 base cohorts and 5 optional cohorts. Question 5: Paragraph 14, PRICE PROPOSAL requests a firm fixed price ?per cohort.? Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 are designated as base cohorts, and Cohorts 4 through 8 are designated as optional cohorts. Paragraph 16 (b) states that the Government will evaluate option prices separate from base prices. Therefore, is the Government seeking 8 separate prices (one for each of the 8 cohorts, separately priced), 1 price (same price for each of the eight cohorts), or 2 prices (one price for each of the base cohorts, and a 1 price for each of the optional cohorts)? Answer 5: The Government requires that each Cohort be priced separately. One price for each base and option cohort. Question 6: Paragraph 18 states that proposals are due electronically by 3:00 EST May 15, 2007, with a hard copy follow-up. Is the hard copy also due to MSHA by 3:00 May 15, 2007, or may it arrive later? Answer 6: As long as the electronic proposal is received by the due date and time, the hard copy proposal can be delivered within 3 business days later. Question 7: Paragraph 7.1.9 states that the contractor shall administer an individual 360 degree feedback instrument to each participant. 360 feedback instruments require the participation of supervisees and supervisors of the participant. Is our price to include the coordination of the assessment administration (i.e., coordination with the participant for the identification of supervisors and supervisees, administration of questionnaires to them, compilation of results, and so forth), or, will the contractor provide the instruments to the MSHA who will see that they are administered? Please note that implementation of a 360 instrument will required considerable lead time before each Module 1 to conduct all the required 360 assessment activities. Answer 7: The Government anticipates using an Internet based 360 degree assessment and including supervisors of participants. MSHA is not going to conduct or administer the questionnaires or the instrument. Offerors should allow enough lead time to perform the 360 assessment prior to each cohort. Question 8: Can I mail my response rather than email? Some of my documents are from sources that can't fit the 12 point font? Answer 8: We recognize that some elements of a proposal can not meet the 12 point font request. If there are elements of the proposal that are provided in a different font that enable you to better present your proposal, that will be acceptable. Question 9: Will all documents have to meet the 12 point font? Answer 9: Only his written proposal that is created in WORD. Other documents can be sent in the font they are created in. Question 10: Could you please clarify the term COHORT? Answer 10: A Group, in this case of participants that will complete the subject training as a unit. Question 11: Are the participants already supervisors/Managers? Answer 11: Yes for the pilot and maybe for the rest of the groups. Question 12: How much time will be allowed for pre-assessment activities. Answer 12: For the first group that will depend on when the contract is finalized with respect to the June 24 start date. In respect to the remainder of the cohorts, the proposal should address when and how the pre-assessment activities are to be conducted to meet the already established schedule. Question 13: Is there flexibility in the timing of the response date and the start date of training? Answer 13: The start date at this point in time is set at June 24th. Unless an amendment is issued the proposal shall comply with that date. Question 14: One of the 360 tools we are considering is the Office of Personnel Management?s (OPM) 360 tool. If we go with this tool we can include it in our technical proposal but we understand MSHA will have to contract directly with OPM for use of the tool thus preventing us from including it in our price proposal. Would this arrangement be acceptable to the government? Answer 14: The proposals shall contain a 360 tool in which the contractor is able to obtain and administer. MSHA will not be contracting with other agencies for the 360 tools. MSHA is not providing Government Furnished Property for the 360 Tool. Question 15: What specific 360 instrument does the agency want to use? Answer 15: The agency does not have a specific 360 instrument designated. It is the contractors responsibility to choose an instrument that complements the program they propose. Question 16: Are the training materials to be considered a deliverable? Answer 16: YES Question 17: Has MSHA contracted for or produced a leadership development program like this in the past? If so, who developed the program? Answer 17: There have been other supervisor training and leadership classes but this is the first time that MSHA has contracted for a leadership development program. Question 18: Has DOL selected an off the shelf LDP program they want to use? Answer 18: NO Question 19: Is there a firm that has already done an assessment to determine the leadership development needs of the organization? If yes, by whom? Are the results available for use in program development? Answer 19: The agency has done it?s own needs assessment. Question 20: Are the dates for the cohort sessions firm? Answer 20: YES Question 21: Is there a customer review of the session content other than the pilot/cohort 1? Answer 21: There will be a review of the program content provided with the proposal and the program will be continuously evaluated throughout the contract. Question 22: By what means were your critical leadership competencies identified? Answer 22: DOL skill gap survey, internal needs assessment, and feedback from leadership training. Question 23: What are the ?five practices? referenced in 7.1.2. of your solicitation? Answer 23: Service Motivation, Conflict Management, Accountability, Decisiveness/Problem Solving, Organizational Awareness Question 24: Is the assigned facilitator referenced in 7.1.6. a member of the cohort program?or is the assigned facilitator someone provided by the vendor? Answer 24: Provided by the Vendor Question 25: Can you please confirm our interpretation of item 7.1.7. The intent is to have the first week or each cohort program overlap the week of another cohort which is in progress. Does this mean that the vendor would be providing six facilitators that week? Three for each cohort (as references in 7.1.6.). Answer 25: Yes Question 26: Do you have an already designed 360 feedback instrument? If not, would you preference to have the vendor design one?or to use on that is commercially available and aligned with the ECQs? Answer 26: No, MSHA does not have a 360 feedback instrument. It is the contractors responsibility to propose a tool that will be ready for implementation upon submission of their proposal and that complements the proposed training program. Question 27: Are mentors already available or do you need a process for identifying them? Answer 27: Mentors are available Question 28: What is your desired delivery for post session evaluations? Item 7.1.15 states 5 days. Item 9.2 suggests 10 days. Answer 28: 7.1.15 is referring to the evaluations that have been completed by participants 9.2 is referring to the evaluation form itself, The form shall be provided within 10 days of the contract award for Agency review and approval. Question 29: Are the training days flexible? Can we suggest alternative dates based on our availability? Answer 29: The dates are firm. Question 30: The turnaround on this work is very tight from a schedule perspective. Is there a reason for this? Answer 30: Scheduling and availability of personnel and facility. Question 31: Will the first Cohort program be considered a pilot? Or do you anticipate a pilot prior to the June 3 session? Answer 31: The first Cohort is the pilot. Question 32: What does MSHA intend to do in the May 15 (when proposals arrive) to June 3 timeframe (kickoff of the first cohort) to ensure the highest quality program? This time seems tight. How will you get the vendor up to speed, ensure participants get adequate notice re: any pre-session correspondence/prep, ensure that a senior leader is available and that mentors are ready for their role, etc. Answer 32: The start date has been moved to June 23. Question 33: Do you have internal instructors who might be able to assist us in the delivery of training? Answer 33: NO Question 34: Will participants be able to withdraw from the cohort without risk to job security if they decide they don?t want to supervise/lead? Answer 34: Yes the participant may withdraw from the program if desired. Question 35: Will career coaching/assessment/counseling be offered to applicants? Answer 35: Yes, the contractor will be providing career coaching and assessment and counseling, please see 7.1.9. Mentoring is provided by MSHA. Question 36: While we can propose a design and content to meet MSHA?s needs we would prefer to modify what is proposed after some sort of needs assessment. Should we propose a process for doing so or do MSHA have additional information re: training needs? Answer 36: MSHA has identified needs through feedback from previous training and through skill gap assessment conducted by DOL. Question 37: Was this session offered previously? If so, who conducted the training? If you had the opportunity to hire them again, would you do so? Answer 37: This is a new program. Question 38: When was the last time this Leadership Development Program was conducted? What topics were covered? How successful was the program? What did you find the return on investment to be? Answer 38: This is a new program Question 39: What is the biggest leadership challenges faced by cohort participants, particularly as they relate to the competencies listed in 7.1.1. Answer 39: Continued improvements in Miner Safety and Health as an Enforcement Agency Facing potential large scale retirements and rebuilding a well trained and mission oriented workforce. Question 40: What is the education level of the probable participants? Age range? How diverse would the typical cohort be? What are the diversity issues they face on the job? Answer 40: Some College through Masters Degree. Question 41: What do you mean by "Total Small Business?" Answer 41: The purpose of a Total Small Business Set Aside is to award certain acquisitions exclusively to small business concerns. A ?set-aside for small business? is the reserving of an acquisition exclusively for participation by small business concerns. A small business set-aside may be open to all small businesses. A small business set-aside of a single acquisition or a class of acquisitions may be total or partial. More information can be found in FAR part 19 Question 42: What is the difference between "Total Small Business" and "Very Small Business?" Answer 42: The Very Small Business Set Aside used to be a program managed by SBA but expired in 2003. Question 43: As a Total Small Business would it require me to do 51% of the work, 100% of the work or could I use subs? Answer 43: This solicitation is a small business set aside and the small business prime is required to do 51% of the work. As the prime contractor the company is responsible for management of the entire contract. Question 44: What are the requirements to be a "Prime contractor?" Answer 44: Capabilities to perform the requirements of the solicitation. Question 45: When will the contract be awarded? Answer 45: It is contemplated that if an award is made it could be within the first week of June but it is not guaranteed. Question 46: Your solicitation states: "The contractor shall provide a one half day mentoring development session for the mentors that MSHA will identify and match to each participant. MSHA will schedule the mentors to receive their one half day training and work with their mentees the remaining one half day toward the later part of each participant?s 1st week of training. (i.e. interact with trainers/facilitators, work with mentee in the development of ILDP, develop a mentor/mentee agreement)" Please explain the "?" May we assume that in addition to the three facilitators we will need to provide a fourth facilitator to conduct the concurrent training for the mentors? Answer 46: That would be your call. If all facilitators are working with the small groups during the time you are training mentors the answer would be yes. The reason for the ?, is that when FBO converts the information and post the solicitation if there are any characters that is does not recognize unfortunately it places a ?. The information was clarified in the above question and written out in words instead of fractions.
- Place of Performance
- Address: National Mine Health and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Road, Beaver, WV
- Zip Code: 25813
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 25813
- Record
- SN01289527-W 20070510/070508220352 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |