SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- DCAA RECRUITING SERVICES - THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
- Notice Date
- 4/21/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561330
— Professional Employer Organizations
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Agency, North Region, ARCC Fort Dix Directorate of Contracting, Army Reserve Contracting Center - East, 5418 South Scott Plaza, Fort Dix, NJ 08640-5097
- ZIP Code
- 08640-5097
- Solicitation Number
- W911S108T0014
- Response Due
- 5/30/2008
- Point of Contact
- Jessica Ely, 609/562-3251
- Description
- Request for Information (RFI) Sources Sought Notice Recruiting Services BACKGROUND The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) is seeking an interested, experienced recruiting firm to assist the Human Resources (HR) department with recruiting graduating college business and accounting majors from among 100 +/- colleges, universities, and career consortia within the northern mid-Atlantic geographic areas of: southwest New York, Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Statement of Objectives (SOO) General Recruiting Objectives: Contractor support services will generally include DCAA-partnering efforts such as: 1) coordinating job and career fairs on college and university campuses and among business, industry, and Federal government recruitment consortia, 2) acting as liaison between and among the colleges and universities professors, department heads, deans, provosts, career center directors., etc., and DCAAs HR recruitment personnel, 3) maintaining DCAA website presence linked with each colleges and universitys career center, accounting department, employer partner website, etc., 4) scheduling designated DCAA auditors and managers as part of DCAAs Adopt-a-School program to participate as guest speakers at accounting club meetings, in classroom discussions, in faculty plenary sessions, in on-campus interviews, etc. A more detailed list of recruiting objectives is outlined in each of the individual specific SOO below. Specific Recruiting Objectives: * Partner with DCAA in supporting the development and sustainment of a meaningful, in-depth relationship with each designated college, university, and career fair consortium. Grow the relationship and name recognition among faculty, academic advisors, career center professionals, accounting department chairs, business department deans, etc. Grow the relationship and name recognition among student organizations that support the interests and concerns of the accounting and business students, such as accounting clubs, professional accounting associations, ethnic accounting organizations, veterans and service disabled veteran groups, physically challenged interest groups, etc. The goal is to have a consistent footprint on campuses and successfully compete with the best private accounting firms for top quality accountants. * Partner with DCAA to educate faculty members and students on the basic aspects of federal careers, including salary and benefits (health, life insurance, retirement, leave, holidays, quality or work life, paid overtime, etc.). Educate students on DCAA incentive programs (student loan repayment, recruiting bonuses, relocation incentives, retention allowances, awards, etc.). Educate students on the specifics of the DCAA career paths; General Schedule (GS) grade increases from GS-5/7/9 thru GS12 full performance, GS-13 Technical Specialists, Y-pay band supervisory positions, etc. * Partner with DCAA to develop a multi-tiered messaging campaign at career events for faculty and students aimed at getting all to understand what federal opportunities look like and how they compare with other private-sector positions (i.e., long hours in the private sector vs. 40-hour work week with the Fed, plus rapid advancement, serving ones country, etc.). * Coordinate with local DCAA offices to schedule auditors as guest speakers, presenters, fair participants, etc., to create and present a Face to the faculty and students. Manage the Adopt a School program at DCAA and create new, innovative ways to involve local auditors in on-campus interviewing opportunities. * Partner with DCAA to market the concept that DCAA as an organization with a culture of change, and that new accountants/auditors joining the organization will be a big part of this change; moving DCAA in a continuously improving mode. * Link DCAA websites to those of college, university, and consortia websites that host accounting and business employment opportunities. Upload DCAA factual information onto college and university websites. * Partner with DCAA to reach students and faculty where they are: conduct interventions and events, tailor information to the specific audience-backgrounds and skills, involve alumni (as available) who work at DCAA, encourage interaction, use private sector tricks of the trade when practicable. * Partner with DCAA in utilizing Career Centers (CCs) to the maximum. Coordinate recruiting efforts leveraging CC professionals and the established framework of each college and university. * Partner with DCAA to enlist and educate faculty and staff as communication allies to pass the word of DCAA. Establish a quick reference guide on faculty and student intranet sites to provide current up-to-date recruitment and career opportunity information. * Partner with DCAA to tailor all recruitment marketing to appeal to various ethnic, under-represented, and challenged people groups. * Stress professional benefits-reimbursement for CPA, completion of graduate degree, related training for CEUs, etc. * Partner with DCAA to promote DCAAs Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). * Other marketing and recruiting requirements as defined by market conditions, geographic, demographic and psychographic population characteristics. DCAA Marketing and Recruiting Strategies Accounting Majors/Graduates INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND To adequately fill immediate and long-term auditor needs, DCAA Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) must successfully recruit top graduates from colleges and universities within the MAR. To reach this Millennial generation of graduates, DCAA must conduct personal outreach instead of relying solely on technology and drive-by recruiting actions, a.k.a. job/career fairs (only). In the Scott Research Group survey study, The Class of 2005 Speaks Out on Current Recruitment Practices, graduating seniors from 15 selected universities were asked to rank responses to three groups of job decision factors: IMPORTANT JOB SELECTION FACTORS, SOURCE OF RECRUITMENT INFORMATION, and AT CAREER FAIRS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT COMPANIES&. Group ONE: Graduates were asked to rank (1-10; 1 = most important) factors for job selection. Job Content (avg. 3.42) and Fit with the company culture/environment (avg. 4.0) were the two most important factors involved in their job selection decision making. NOTE: Salary was third most important (avg. 4.19), but benefits and job security were ranked near the bottom of the selection factors (avgs. 6.04 and 6.36, resp.). Group TWO: Graduates were asked to rank (1-10; 1 = most important) preferred sources of recruitment information. Company Representative (avg. 3.05) and Information Sessions (avg. 3.64) were the two most important recruiting contacts. Group THREE: Graduates were asked to rank (10-1, 10 = strongly agree) the important aspects of a job/career fair. Company willing to take time to answer questions (avg. 9.44), Company providing information regarding specific employment opportunities (avg. 9.16), Company accepting a hardcopy of a rsum for review (avg. 8.91) and Company represented by impressive staff (avg. 8.44) were the top four responses. The Millennial graduates prefer to use Internet technology (high-tech) to find detailed information, but rather prefer to turn to influencersprofessors, advisors, parents, and friends, (high-touch) to assist them in their career decision-making process. Employers must understand this high-tech/high-touch approach when recruiting graduates. These involve much more than just drive-by participation in job/career fairs. It involves a consistent long-term partnership with colleges and universitiesprofessors, deans, department heads, provosts, career center directors, etc. With companies experiencing double-digit growth in college campus recruiting, competition for a limited number of talented graduate accountants is likewise increasing rapidly. Graduates are bombarded with options. As a result, graduates have become increasingly reliant upon advice from othersmentors, career veterans, alumni, etc. The prospective employer who is a face to the graduatesbranded recognitionhas a much better opportunity to bring talented accountants/auditors onboard than does an obscure employer with little or no recognition on campus among the various accounting organizations, departments, or career center. Recruitment research results from the Partnership for Public Service, Call to Serve, found several key roadblocks to recruiting graduates into the Federal government. ONEStudents and faculty do not outright reject federal careers. (42% surveyed would consider a federal job). Rather, students and faculty are simply not educated about federal employment and career options that are available. Lack of this information is the single greatest barrier to a graduate pursuing a federal career. TWOStudents indicated overall that positive aspects of a federal job far outweigh the negatives, suggesting that the more they learn about the professional and altruistic benefits of federal careers, the more acceptable they would be of a job offer. In other words, the more they know, the more they like the prospects of working for the federal government. THREEBureaucratic Red Tape is the single most negative perception of entering a Federal government career. FOURHigh-Touch is as important as High-Tech. Personal network connections, especially among faculty, career advisors, department heads, etc., are crucial to the graduates career decision-making process. The more the college faculty and staff know about the employer (branding) the better they will be able to communicate and sell Federal government careers. FIVEOne size does not fit all. Having employer representatives go to the students (i.e., guest speaker, on-campus interviewer, club presenter, etc.) helps to make the students feel pursued and valued. This appeals to the Millennial student. SIXTeach the teachers. The college faculty and staff can be the best sales people for a Federal agency. So, spend time educating the schools professors, career counselors, etc. Agency personnel need to be ready to reach out and touch all members within the school. Be a face (real person) to the faculty and staff. SEVENStudents of diverse cultures need a tailored outreach. Values are diverse. The outreach must focus on the benefits that best fit the value system of the individual student/graduate. In summary, MAR DCAA must do a better job of recruiting if we hope to compete effectively with the private Big Four and other Federal agencies. But, if we market ourselves aggressively and consistently we can and will attract the top-level talent of accountants/auditors we need to Get er Done! TARGET MARKETS The Target Market is a defined segment of the market population upon which business efforts are focused and a market plan is developed. The Target Market is often defined in terms of the common geographic, demographic, and psychographic characteristics or propensities of the targeted population. The target populations in this market plan are: 1. Primary a. current juniors and seniors majoring in accounting or business-related disciplines, having at least 24-semester hours of accounting courses b. alumni accounting majors. 2. Secondary a. Business Department Dean, b. Accounting Department Chair, c. Business & Accounting Professors, d. Provost, President, Vice President, e. Career Center Director and Staff f. Student Advisors/Counselors. Primary Target Market MAR DCAA will develop and sustain meaningful, in-depth relationships with students, graduates, and alumni of select Mid-Atlantic Regional colleges and universities, moving beyond a drive-by recruiting at career fairs modus operandi to a branded presence on campuses via working in an Adopt-a-School environment with student organizations, professional clubs, ethnic groups, etc. This relationship building will prime the pump for MAR DCAA when we make our recruiting pitches at career fairs, on-campus interviews, presentations, workshops, etc. To enable us to do this, we will& ONE: Communicate the details of the DCAA auditing experience and working within in the Federal government. Invite students, graduates, and alumni to learn more at information sessions, workshops, presentations, etc. Facilitate learning about pay and benefits, retention incentives, career pathways, global opportunities, advancement, etc. TWO: Communicate the opportunities to do good and do well. Compare DCAA career benefits with those of the private sector. Stress a work that matters; serving ones country, relevance of the work, practical advantages of working with DCAA, etc. THREE: Cut through the Red Tape. Be a face to the students. graduates, and alumni and help them cut through all the bureaucratic holdups to hiring. Secondary Target Market. Secondary Target Market MAR DCAA will develop and sustain meaningful, in-depth relationships with college and university interveners; professors, deans, staff, etc. DCAA will teach the BAs/BSs, MBAs/MSAs, and PhDs about DCAA and the elementary aspects of federal careers. DCAA will maximize Career Centers as repositories of information and career advice. We will utilize the college and university faculty and staff to market DCAA careers as our partners to develop a win-win-win experience; a win for the student/graduate, a win for the school, and a win for DCAA. To enable us to do this, we will& ONE: Expand direct marketing to educate and train the influencers, mentors, and advisors of students and graduates in their career choices. This establishes a communication network through which talented accounting/auditor candidates can find DCAA as a name-recognized (branded) employer. TWO: Establish open channels of communication with faculty and staff whereby DCAA auditors are invited to speak to students at various events, increasing the footprint of DCAA on campus as a know, familiar employer. Recruiting Process Model Career Fair Event Selection * DCAA (or Contractor) provides potential leads. * DCAA determines if recruiting event is worthwhile attending. * DCAA issues Task Order (TO) against the contract for the event under a unique Career Intern Program (CIP) announcement number. Career Event Planning and Set-up * Contractor makes all arrangements to coordinate, attend, and set up (as needed) for career fair recruiting events. * DCAA provides as Government Furnished Material (GFM): display stand, table cloth, take-aways, advertising packets, CDs, application forms, etc. * Contractor provides two (2) trained recruiters* to present at each recruiting career fair event1. *Each contractor recruiter must complete a DCAA recruiter training orientation, which outlines required topics to present to prospective applicants. 1 Contractor will not provide trainers to events where DCAA auditors will act as guest speakers, lecturers, on-campus interviewers, or presenters. The Contractor will only be responsible for coordinating the schedule with a local FAO and the college/university Point of Contact (POC). * Contractor will instruct applicants to upload rsums, transcripts, and other pertinent documentation onto the proper USAStaffing website2. Post-Career Event Processing * Contractor will perform all follow-up communications with prospective applicants to ensure their rsums, transcripts, and other needed documentation is properly uploaded into USAStaffing. * Contractor will complete all applicants postings within thirty (30) days after the CIP announcement closes. Notional Concept DCAA MAR anticipates that any resultant contract will be a performance-based, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ, with five one-year options), service contract, under which a separate Task Order (TO, by CIP announcement number) will be issued per recruiting event. For estimating purposes, the following minimum and maximums (per school year) may be considered. Minimum50 career recruiting events Maximum150 career recruiting events Minimum250 qualified applicants Maximum500 qualified applicants NOTE: For planning purposes, recruiting events normally occur during the months of September thru November and February thru June of each school year. However, the coordination of guest speaker engagements et al, may occur at anytime throughout the school year. DCAA desires a firm-fixed pricing (FFP) unit price per career recruiting event to which the Contractor must travel and attend. A separate FFP unit price is expected for coordinating events that DCAA auditors will attend as guest speakers; ones to which the Contractor will not be required to travel and attend. At a minimum, the following metrics will be used to determine a Contractors success in performing recruiting services. 1. Career Events (Contractor) Attendance per TOs100% The TO will be cancelled, and no payment made if the Contractor fails to attend a DCAA-ordered event. 2. Posting rsums and supporting documents onto USAStaffing database within 30 days after CIP closes95% DCAA HR will begin reviewing postings on day thirty-one to make final qualification determinations and release applications to the FAOs to begin their interview and selection processes. Less than 95% accomplishment of this task is considered unsatisfactory.5 Invoicing will be accepted once all applications have been posted on the USAStaffing database or scheduling has been completed for a DCAA auditor to attend an event, i.e., a guest speaker. Payments will be made via Government Credit Card as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). A pre-solicitation conference is expected to materialize within the next few months at the Ft. Dix (NJ) Contracting Office. Your POC is: Jessica Ely jessica.ely@us.army.mil Responses to this RFI This RFI does not constitute a contract. The Government will not pay for any costs associated with developing a response to this RFI or attending the proposed pre-solicitation conference at Ft. Dix, NJ. No further information is available to prospective contractors at this time. An electronic submission (email with MS WORD response attached) is required. The attached response should be no longer than 20 pages. Please send responses to: jessica.ely@us.army.mil Responses to this RFI should address the following areas: 1. Your firms proposed technical approach to each of the Specific Recruiting ObjectivesHow does your firm intend to partner with DCAA HR or otherwise accomplish each of these objectives? 2. Your firms approach to the recruiting modelHow would you propose a more effective and efficient process for recruiting high-quality graduates from among the Mid-Atlantic regions colleges and universities? 3. Your firms pricing schemaWill your firm agree to one FFP unit price for each career event, regardless of its location within the Mid-Atlantic Region of colleges, and universities? For scheduling auditors to attend speaking events? 4. MinimumMaximum Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Total PriceBased on the minimum and maximum estimated career events per school year (above under Notional Concept), what is your ROM estimate for one school year of effort? 5. Identify any areas of concern or question that your firm may have about the above requested recruiting support services. 6. How will the contractor hire personnel familiar with DCAA audit practices to act as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at career recruiting events, ensuring would-be applicants leave the events with a solid knowledge of what kinds of accounting audits DCAA performs? Capabilities Statement and Past Performance Experience 1. Please tell us about your firms recruiting capabilities and similar experiences under contracts for similar services. 2. Please describe the processes and procedures your firm would use to meet our (DCAAs) goals and objectives for recruiting the Best-of-the-Best from among the Mid-Atlantic Regions colleges and universities. 3. Please identify the positions and personnel within your organization who would be involved in partnering with DCAA in its recruiting efforts. Especially identify those who will take the DCAA recruiter orientation training required to perform under any future contract.
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- Place of Performance
- Address: Army Reserve Contracting Center - East 5418 South Scott Plaza, Fort Dix NJ
- Zip Code: 08640-5097
- Zip Code: 08640-5097
- Record
- SN01557864-W 20080423/080421214939-56c9a77190f46891d3b1794445c16a4c (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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