SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Business Writing Skills Training
- Notice Date
- 3/11/2008
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- 55 Broadway; Cambridge, MA 02142
- ZIP Code
- 02142
- Solicitation Number
- DTRT57-08-Q-80062
- Response Due
- 3/18/2008
- Archive Date
- 6/9/2008
- Point of Contact
- Point of Contact -Karen Marino, Purchasing Agent, 617-494-2437
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to Purchasing Agent
(marinok@volpe.dot.gov)
- Description
- This is a competitive combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. Solicitation No. DTRT57-08-Q-80062 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This solicitation is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP), FAR Part 13.5 and FAR Part 12. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-24. The NAICS Code is 611430 and the Small Business size standard is $6.0M. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. A written solicitation will not be issued. The Government intends to award a Firm Fixed-Price Purchase Order on a competitive basis. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) has a requirement to purchase Business Writing Skills Training. The Statement of Work is as follows: The purpose of this training is to improve the written communication skills, both business and technical, of the Volpe Center?s staff. BACKGROUND - The Volpe Center (The Center) operates under the policy guidance of the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The Center, as part of RITA, provides research, analysis and systems capability to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and other agencies requiring expertise in transportation and logistics. The Center's staff at the Kendall Square, Cambridge, complex consists of 550 Federal employees of which 40 are managers. The Center?s professional staff represents a wide range of disciplines, including nearly all areas of engineering, operations research analysis and the physical, social and managerial sciences. The primary professional or educational background of the staff is information systems or engineering. The majority of the technical/managerial staff holds graduate degrees and possess at least 5 years of professional experience in their chosen field. The professional staff is often called upon to write technical and management reports and proposals that convey a variety of administrative or technical issues. These written products may include, but not be limited to the following: Business Reports and Memos, Program / Project Plans, Business Letters and E-mails, Project Abstracts and updates, Evaluation Plans Technical Reports, Highlights, Tutorials / Training user manuals, Marketing Proposals, Conference/Journal articles, Statements of Work (SOW). TASKS: 1. The Contractor will provide at least one training event on-site. The training event will not exceed two days in length and will accommodate up to 15 staff members. The training will address the higher of two levels, Level 2, of the topic Business Writing Skills. There will be an option to conduct additional Level 1 and/or Level 2 sessions for a maximum of six sessions over a three year period. A session may be cancelled if there are an insufficient number of attendees (fewer than 10) to make the event cost effective. The cancellation notice will be given to the Contractor 14 calendar days in advance of the scheduled class; 2. The Contractor will design the training to provide attendees with instruction to enable them to produce quality written products. To be effective, the writing skills training should be appropriate to The Centers communications environment. The Contractor will provide all course materials, e.g. texts, handouts, etc; 3. At a minimum, the Level 1 writing skills curriculum will cover the following topics: A. Review of grammar, formatting and appropriate style and tone in business writing for the intended audience; B. Imparting information through the written product ? Purpose, Reader Engagement, Clarity; C. Finalize the end product through proofreading and editing, and critiquing; The Contractor will evaluate and provide feedback to each trainee on her/his writing skills; 4. At a minimum, the Level 2 writing skills curriculum will cover the following topics: A. Imparting information through the written product; Purpose; Reader Engagement; Clarity; B. Writing to: Assess options, Facilitate decision-making and Persuade. C. Effective presentation of data and technical results. The Contractor will evaluate and provide feedback to each trainee on her/his writing skills. QUALIFICATIONS - The Instructor(s) must possess a minimum of a bachelor?s degree and five (5) years experience in training engineers, information technology, social science, and administrative staff in the art of writing business letters, technical reports, articles and applying principles of English grammar correctly in the business environment. The educational requirement may be waived if the Instructor possesses an additional five (5) years of experience as defined above. Evidence of effectiveness in relevant communication training and sample of proposed training materials must be provided. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS - The Government will provide the following: The classroom facility in which to present the course; Podium, flipcharts, computer and overhead projectors, projection screen, and markers; Pens, pencils and paper for participants; Course evaluation forms in sufficient quantities for all attendees at the completion of the course. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE - The first training event will be accomplished in April 2008. Period of performance will extend through September 30, 2010. TECHNICAL CRITERIA - The Contractor?s technical proposal should include evidence of the following minimum qualifications: CORPORATE EXPERIENCE: The Contractor will have the resources to provide writing skills training to an audience consisting primarily of engineers and information technology professionals. The course curriculum will include the required training and activities described in paragraph III of the statement of work. The Contractor shall provide at a minimum two relevant references/past performance reports for similar training conducted within the last two years. STAFFING REQUIREMENTS: The Instructor(s) must possess a minimum of a bachelor?s degree and five (5) years experience in training engineers and information technology professionals in the art of writing business letters, technical reports, articles and applying principles of English grammar correctly in the business environment. The educational requirement may be waived if the Instructor possesses an additional five (5) years of experience teaching writing skills. PAST PERFORMANCE: The Contractor shall provide at a minimum two relevant references/past performance reports for similar training conducted within the last two years which may include relevant training conducted for Federal agencies. METHODOLOGY: The Contractor will describe in writing and in sufficient detail the approach to be used in presenting the writing skills training at two different levels. Sample agendas for the two day classes at each level shall be provided. Course materials from recent, similar writing skills classes the contractor has conducted will be acceptable. The failure to fully articulate the approach to be used may result in the Contractor being considered ineligible. BASIS OF AWARD: The award to the Contractor shall be evaluated in terms of and in order of priority: Technical merit, Relevant past performance experience, Instructors? qualifications, Learning approach, and Price. The items are as follows: CLIN 0001,Business Writing Skills Level II, Course Material Development and Presentation, 1 EA $_________________; CLIN 0002,Option 1, Business Writing Skills Level I Course Material Development and Presentation , 1 EA, $__________________; CLIN 0003, Option 2, Business Writing Skills Level I, (November 2008) $___________________; CLIN 0004,Option 3, Business Writing Skills Level II,(November 2008) 1 LS $________________; CLIN 0005, Option 4, Business Writing Skills Level I, (April 2009) 1 EA, $____________; CLIN 0006, Option 5, Business Writing Skills Level II, (April 2009), 1 EA, $________________; CLIN 0007, Option 6, Business Writing Skills Level I, (November 2009), 1 EA, $________________; CLIN 0008, Option 7, Business Writing Skills Level II, (November 2009), 1 EA $_____________; CLIN 0009, Option 8, Business Writing Skills Level I, (April 2009), CLIN 0010, Option 9, Business Writing Skills Level II, (April 2009); CLIN 0011, Travel 1 LS, $ ______________Total for CLINS 0001 through 0011, $_________________. This is a request for competitive quotes. FAR 52.212-1, Instruction of Offerors-Commercial Items, is hereby incorporated by reference; Addenda are as follows: (b) Submission of offers (1) The offer must be marked with Solicitation Number DTRT57-08-Q-80062. (2) The time for receipt of offers is 2:00 PM Eastern Time on 3/18/2008. The signed offer must be submitted electronically, via email to marinok@volpe.dot.gov. The offer should be addressed to Karen Marino, U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Acquisition Division, RTV-6D2, 55 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093. The Offeror must complete the Offeror Representations and Certifications required in FAR 52.219-1 by using the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at the following website: http://orca.bpn.gov. The Offeror is reminded that as of January 1, 2005, it must provide Certifications and Representations online at least annually via ORCA. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions ? Commercial Items, is hereby incorporated by reference. FAR Clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders ? Commercial Items are hereby incorporated by reference. Additional clauses cited in 52.212-5 that apply to this acquisition are: 52.203-6, 52.222-3, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.225-13, 52.232-33, 52.232-34, and 52.222-41. The following clauses are also incorporated by reference, 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options, FAR 52.217-6, Option for Increased Quantity and 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services. These references may be viewed at www.arnet.gov. No telephone requests will be honored. When award is made a firm fixed-price purchase order is anticipated. The Government will not pay for any information received. The following notice is provided for informational purposes for Minority, Women-Owned and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. The Department of Transportation (DOT), Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) offers working capital financing in the form of lines of credit to finance accounts receivable for transportation related contracts. Maximum line of credit is $750,000 with interest at the prime rate, as published daily in the Wall Street Journal, plus 1.75 percent. For further information, call DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at (800)532-1169 or visit their website at http://osdbuweb.dot.gov.
- Web Link
-
Volpe Center Acquisition Division home page
(http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/index.html)
- Record
- SN01529375-W 20080313/080311223907 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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