SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Recruiting and Retention IDIQ
- Notice Date
- 1/2/2008
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- National Guard Bureau, Contracting Support, ATTN: NGB-AQC, 1411 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-3231
- ZIP Code
- 22202-3231
- Solicitation Number
- W9133L08R0009
- Response Due
- 1/24/2008
- Archive Date
- 3/24/2008
- Point of Contact
- tglasgow, 703-607-1267
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to National Guard Bureau, Contracting Support
(theresa.glasgow@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Partial Small Business
- Description
- Purpose of the Contract Strength Maintenance Divisions mission is to provide policies, programs, procedures, and guidance to the States and Territories to meet their end-strength objectives in accordance with the Strength Maintenance Philosophy. This philosophy is to recruit quality soldiers, conduct attrition management designed to reduce first-term soldier losses and training pipeline losses, and ensure retention and extension of quality soldiers before the expiration of their term-of-service.<B R>The Strength Maintenance Philosophy builds a partnership for strength readiness between unit leaders and the recruiting and retention force. Working together, they can develop programs and incentives to meet the units strength objectives. There are thre e strength maintenance tenets: a. Recruiting Quality Soldiers, b. Retaining Quality Soldiers, and c. Managing Attrition. The purpose of this contract is to acquire contractor support services to continue, improve, and develop innovative Army National Guard Strength Maintenance Division (NGB-ASM) Recruitment and Retention programs. Statement of Need The Army National Guard Strength Maintenance Division (NGB-ASM) requires contractor support services to continue, improve, and develop i nnovative Recruiting and Retention programs. These Recruitment and Retention programs respond to ARNGs foremost goal, which is to attain and maintain congressionally authorized end-strength. Currently, NGB-ASM contract service support uses various cont racting vehicles executed by multiple contractors. In contrast NGB-ASM desires to address the situation by having one integration contractor as the single focal point. Simultaneously, NGB-AQ Contracting Division wants to introduce post-award competition b etween multiple Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) services contractors to obtain improved cost and technical product. This situation also presents an opportunity to incorporate a partial small business set-aside among the multiple IDIQ awards. NGB-ASM requires a solution that addresses both the single focal point and the competition requirements. The integration contractor scenario addresses the NGB-ASM need for a single focal point to monitor all program activities, perform strategic market analysis, support strategic decision making, collect and report program performance metrics, and ensure consistent application of an overall consistent branding and message theme as determined in the Advertising contract. Basically the integrator se rves as NGB-ASMs Recruitment and Retention Program Management Office. The integrator is a mediator between NGB-ASM and the five IDIQ services contractors: it supports the NGB-ASM in evaluating the IDIQ services contractors technical and cost task proposa ls; it reviews all programs for NGB-ASM to ensure consistent branding and messaging irrespective of the services contractor; it collects, analyzes, and reports services contractor performance metrics for NGB-ASM evaluation; when required, it supports NGB- ASM in preparing data to respond to Department of Defense and Congressional inquiries; and it performs unbiased strategic market analysis from a perspective that is independent from the IDIQ services contractors to support NGB-ASM strategic decision-making . NGB-ASM obtains support from any of the five IDIQ services contractors on a task order basis. As envisioned the five IDIQ services contractors have to compete for work by 1) submitting technical and cost proposals in response to NGB-ASM task requirem ents, or 2) submitting original proposals based on their own initiative. NGB-ASM, with support from the integration contractor, evaluates the proposals and awards the task to the service contractor who, based on their informed judgment, provides best value to the Government. NGB-ASM has determined that using two types of contractsone a single award contract with an integration contractor and another multi ple award IDIQ contract with five contractorsis the most effective way to achieve NGB-ASM goals. The integration contractor will institute a permanent organization staffed with full time subject matter experts, specialists, and managers. The IDIQ services contractors will develop and implement a comprehensive set of programs that helps ASM meet their objectives. Each IDIQ contractor will be able to team with outside subcontractors and vendors to round out the full complement of skills required by this soli citation. Consistent with performance-based contracting practices, NGB will define the work in terms of objectives rather than specific tasks. As a result, it then becomes the offerors responsibility to propose how the stated objectives would be ac hieved and to define the metrics to measure performance. Offerors may propose for the integration contractor role or the IDIQ services contractor role, but not both. The integration contractor acquisition will result in one contract being awarded under the Small Business Administrations 8(a) Business Development program. SET ASIDE CONSIDERATIONS 1. Integration Contract. Procurement for Integration Contractor shall be set aside for competition among 8(a) vendors 2. IDIQ Service Provide rs Contracts. If the Government receives 2 or more acceptable proposals from Small Businesses, the Government will award two or more IDIQ Service Provider Contracts to Small Business entities. All other IDIQ Service Provider Contracts will be considered full and open. INTEGRATION CONTRACTOR a. Minimum Guaranteed Funding Amount: The contractor shall receive a minimum of $25,000 over the life of the contract. This is the total amount that will be paid to the contractor in the event that the total sum of all task orders issued under the contract does not equal the minimum amount specified. b. Maximum Contract Amount: The total maximum contract amount is $33 million in task orders over the life of the contract. The contract establishes a to tal contract maximum capacity, without subdividing the capacity any further. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (INTERGRATION) C-1 GENERAL C-1.1 Background The National Guard Bureaus Army Strength Maintenance Divisions (NGB-ASM) mission is to provi de policies, programs, procedures, and guidance to the states and territories to meet their end-strength objectives in accordance with the Strength Maintenance Philosophy. Specifically, to recruit quality soldiers, conduct attrition management designed to reduce first-term soldier losses and training pipeline losses, and ensure retention and extension of quality soldiers before the expiration of their term-of-service. The Strength Maintenance Philosophy builds a partnership for strength readiness between unit leaders and the recruiting and retention force. Working together, they can develop programs and incentives to meet each units strength objectives. There are three strength maintenance tenets: ? RecruitingRecruiting Quality (Non-Prior and Prior S ervice) Soldiers, ? RetentionRetaining Soldiers who reach their Expiration Term of Service (ETS, and ? Attrition ManagementReducing Losses While Still Under Contractual Military Obligation. As part of these activities, the Army National Guard al so has a related objective, which is to capture and improve access to performance data and program data. The interaction of the NGB Army Strength Maintenance processes of Recruiting, Retention, and Attrition Management are shown in the following diagram . This diagram indicates the flow of combat-ready soldiers within the National Guard. It indicates how the processes of recruiting, retention, and attrition affect the end-strength objective. The Army National Guard has multiple related yearly objectives t hat it uses to while managing these processes to achieve the congressionally mandated end-strength objective. To support these three tenets, the NGB-ASM requ ires contractor support services to continue, improve, and expand current efforts and to create and develop innovative Recruitment and Retention programs. These must be achieved while demonstrating improved outcomes consistent with the National Guards thr ee tenets of Recruitment, Retention, and Managing Attrition and responding to ARNGs foremost goal: to attain and maintain congressionally authorized end-strength. C-1.2 Purpose The Recruiting and Retention contract period of performance expire s in February of 2007. However, various task orders from that contract have periods of performance that stretch out in to the middle of calendar 2007. In addition, other separate contracts that NGB-ASM intends to absorb into the new Recruitment and Retenti on contract have periods of performance that also spread across 2007. NGB-ASM has determined that using two types of contractsone a single award contract with an integration contractor and one a multiple award IDIQ contract with five contractorsare t he most effective way to achieve NGB-ASM goals. The integration contractor will institute a permanent organization staffed with full time subject matter experts, specialists, and managers. The IDIQ services contractors will develop and implement a comprehe nsive set of programs that helps ASM meet their objectives. Each contractor will be able to team with outside subcontractors and vendors to round out the full complement of skills required by this solicitation. Consistent with performance-based contract ing practices, NGB-ASM will define the work in terms of objectives rather than specific tasks. As a result, it is then becomes the Offerors responsibility to propose how the stated objectives would be achieved and to define the metrics to measure performa nce. Offerors may propose for the integration contractor role or the IDIQ services contractor role, but not both. C-2. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES The objective of this solicitation is to acquire contractor services to conceive, develop, implement, and i ntegrate recruitment and retention programs for the National Guard Bureau Army Strength Maintenance (NGB-ASM). Specific NGB-ASM objectives for the integration contractor are discussed below. C-2.1 Integration Contractor 1. Select an integration contr actor with demonstrated successful past performance a. Developing and implementing recruitment and retention programs b. Possessing a record of accomplishment of working effectively with a Government agency implementing new programs and transitioning existing programs to achieve Government goals c. Working and coordinating effectively with the NGB, the public, the Advertising contract holder who is responsible for National Guard branding and message themes, and other contractors to achieve Governme nt goals. 2. Select an integration contractor that has no conflict of interest with other IDIQ service contractors and controls access to and protects sensitive IDIQ service contractors data. 3. Select an integration contractor that is capable of c onducting integration and oversight functions effectively. a. Implementing an R&R Program Management Office with a dedicated Program Manager and staff with effective skill mix. b. Integrating, monitoring, and determining effectiveness of NGB-ASM rec ruiting and retention programs and campaigns. c. Tracking and calculating IDIQ services contractor task performance metrics. d. Ensuring a consistent application of NGB-ASM branding and message themes as determined via the Advertising contract. e. Supporting the Governments fair and unbiased evaluation of IDIQ services contractor proposals. f. Performing state of the practice market analysis and obtaining informed, effective, timely, and reliable results to support strategic decision making. 4. Select a contractor to who can cost-effectively implement a performance metrics database by a. Ensuring capture of pertinent demographic, survey, sta tistical, cost, task metrics data, and other data to measure both IDIQ services contractors and R&R Program performance b. Designing to maintain data to the necessary level of detail to support metrics, analysis, and reporting from the Guard Units, Stat es, and regions up to the national level. c. Ensuring all data are reliable, accurate, secure. d. Ensuring database design controls access by Government and contractor personnel and facilitates regular and ad hoc reporting requests, supporting Congre ssional and other inquiries. 5. Select a contractor to who can cost-effectively implement a program document archive database by a. Ensuring R&R program document archiving is comprehensive: includes proposals, evaluations, market and statistical anal yses, recommendations, decisions and deliverables b. Ensuring document archive database cross-references to the performance metrics database are accurate c. Ensuring documents archived are accurate and accessible by Government and contractor personne l d. Ensuring database design controls access by Government and contractor personnel and facilitates regular and ad hoc reporting requests, supporting Congressional and other inquiries. 6. Select an integration contractor capable of performing unbias ed data collection, analysis, and reporting by a. Producing informed, meaningful, and accurate market and statistical analysis leading to creative, substantiated, actionable results, and recommendations for future recruiting and retention campaigns dec ision making b. Relying upon the visual display of quantitative and statistical information to communicate complex ideas clearly and efficiency. IDIQ SERVICE PROVIDER CONTRACTORS C-1 GENERAL C-1.1 Background The National Guard Bureaus A rmy Strength Maintenance Divisions (NGB-ASM) mission is to provide policies, programs, procedures, and guidance to the states and territories to meet their end-strength objectives in accordance with the Strength Maintenance Philosophy. Specifically, to re cruit quality soldiers, conduct attrition management designed to reduce first-term soldier losses and training pipeline losses, and ensure retention and extension of quality soldiers before the expiration of their term-of-service. The Strength Maintenan ce Philosophy builds a partnership for strength readiness between unit leaders and the recruiting and retention force. Working together, they can develop programs and incentives to meet each units strength objectives. There are three strength maintenance tenets: ? RecruitingRecruiting Quality (Non-Prior and Prior Service) Soldiers, ? RetentionRetaining Soldiers who reach their Expiration Term of Service (ETS, and ? Attrition ManagementReducing Losses While Still Under Contractual Military Oblig ation. As part of these activities, the Army National Guard also has a related objective, which is to capture and improve access to performance data and program data. The interaction of the NGB Army Strength Maintenance processes of Recruiting, Reten tion, and Attrition Management are shown in the following diagram. This diagram indicates the flow of combat-ready soldiers within the National Guard. It indicates how the processes of recruiting, retention, and attrition affect the end-strength objective. The Army National Guard has multiple related yearly objectives that it uses to while managing these processes to achieve the congressionally mandated end-strength objective. To support these three tenets, the NGB-ASM requires contractor support service s to continue, improve, and expand current efforts and to create and develop innovative Recruitment and Retention programs. These must be achieved while demonstrating improved outcomes consistent with the National Guards three tenets of Recruitment, Reten tion, and Managing Attrition and responding to ARNGs foremost goal: to attain and maintain congressionally authorized end-strength. Figure 1. Recruitin g, Retention, and Attrition Management C-1.2 Purpose The Recruiting and Retention contract period of performance expires in February of 2007. However, various task orders from that contract have periods of performance that stretch out in to the midd le of calendar 2007. In addition, other separate contracts that NGB-ASM intends to absorb into the new Recruitment and Retention contract have periods of performance that also spread across 2007. NGB-ASM has determined that using two types of contracts one a single award contract with an integration contractor and one a multiple award IDIQ contract with five contractorsare the most effective way to achieve NGB-ASM goals. The integration contractor will institute a permanent organization staffed with fu ll time subject matter experts, specialists, and managers. The IDIQ services contractors will develop and implement a comprehensive set of programs that helps ASM meet their objectives. Each contractor will be able to team with outside subcontractors and v endors to round out the full complement of skills required by this solicitation. Consistent with performance-based contracting practices, NGB-ASM will define the work in terms of objectives rather than specific tasks. As a result, it becomes the Offeror s responsibility to propose how the stated objectives would be achieved and to define the metrics to measure performance. Offerors may propose for the integration contractor role or the IDIQ services contractor role, but not both. C-2.1 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES The objective of this solicitation is to acquire contractor services to conceive, develop, implement, and integrate recruitment and retention programs for the National Guard Bureau Army Strength Maintenance (NGB-ASM). Specific NGB-ASM object ives for the IDIQ services contractors are discussed below. C-2.2 IDIQ Services Contractor 1. Select an IDIQ services contractor with demonstrated successful past performance: a. Developing and implementing recruitment and retention programs. b. Designing and executing successful campaigns using advertising, marketing, market analysis, and a wide range of methods that are effective in targeting specific demographic groups or satisfying NGB-ASM goals. c. Demonstrating a record of accompl ishment of effective working relationships with Government and other contractors implementing new programs and transitioning existing programs to achieve government goals. 2. Select an IDIQ services contractor that has no conflict of interest with othe r IDIQ service contractors or the integration contractor. 3. Select an IDIQ services contractor that has a comprehensive understanding of NGB-ASM philosophies, procedures, programs, and branding and message themes as established by NGB-ASM via the Adv ertising contract to achieve retention, recruitment, and attrition goals. 4. Select an IDIQ services contractor capable of effectively and seamlessly transitioning existing programs and campaigns without disrupting services, agreements, and working rel ationships. IDIQ services contractor must be knowledgeable of existing commitments NGB-ASM must honor after transition. 5. Select an IDIQ services contractor capable of fully comprehending NGB-ASM strategy requiring IDIQ service contractors to compete b y submitting tasks proposals to NGB-ASM in a standardized Task Proposal Template of their own design. a. Ensuring task proposals are performance based to the extent possible. b. Ensuring task proposals define expected results; performance metrics; d ata collection requirements; and support NGB-ASM strategic vision and goals. c. Ensuring task proposal information fields capture at least the minimum technical, cost, cost basis of estimate, and other descriptive detail that allow NGB-ASM to discrimina te between competing IDIQ service contractor proposals and award task orders based on best value or other criteria. 6. Select an IDIQ services contractor cap able of designing and implementing an electronic version of the Task Proposal Template. IDIQ services contractor must be capable of implementing a Task Proposal Database that can automatically extract and upload all Task Proposal Template data. 7. Sele ct an IDIQ services contractor capable of bringing a full range of skills, capabilities, creativeness, experience, as well as understanding of NGB-ASM philosophies and goals, to bear on NGB-ASM programs and campaigns. a. Prepare a full and complete tas k proposal to address the following recruitment requirement. Task A: Increase enlistments for men and women ages 18 to 22 by five percent annually over the next three years. b. Prepare a full and complete task proposal to address the following re tention requirement. Task B: Provide training that reduces Training Pipeline loss rates by five percent annually over the next four years. c. Understanding that these are representative tasks for NGB-ASM IDIQ services contractor evaluation purpos es with respect to the following. i. Ability to describe, design, resource, conduct, and resource a realistic recruitment and retention campaigns. ii. Understanding of NGB-ASM data and information needs; ability to simplify and streamline NGB-ASMs p rocess for evaluating competing task proposals. iii. Creativity and effectiveness to use contractors own Task Proposal Template in realistic applications. iv. Ability to write clear and descriptive Task Proposals and use data methods and graphics to communicate ideas with clarity, precision, and efficiency. v. Understanding of performance and cost risk; development and application of risk mitigation strategies d. Accepting that if awarded a contract, NGB-ASM at its option may issue an actual t ask order, for which the contractor would be accountable to perform according to the schedule, cost, effectiveness, and conditions as stated in the contractors task proposals. 8. Select an IDIQ services contractor capable of ensuring NGB-ASM has re ady and reliable access to vendors, services, methods, and media necessary for successful programs and campaigns. a. Characterizing and describing these service, vendors, media, and methods b. Identifying providers and experience with same. c. Id entifying any ownership, contractual, preferential, or other arrangements with same. d. Demonstrating ability to obtain better than competitive or discount rates and prices for the Government. e. Ensuring the high quality and reliability of all vend ors, services, methods, and media.
- Place of Performance
- Address: National Guard Bureau, Contracting Support ATTN: NGB-AQC, 1411 Jefferson Davis Highway Arlington VA
- Zip Code: 22202-3231
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 22202-3231
- Record
- SN01478021-W 20080104/080102224251 (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 |