SOLICITATION NOTICE
U -- Executive-Level Professional Writing Training Program
- Notice Date
- 8/16/2010
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- Contracting Office
- Center Acquisition Innovation Frederick;Department of Veterans Affairs;7485 New Horizon Way;Frederick MD 21703
- ZIP Code
- 21703
- Solicitation Number
- VA79810RQ0205
- Response Due
- 8/23/2010
- Archive Date
- 10/22/2010
- Point of Contact
- James Poe
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- A.1. SYNOPSIS A.1.1. This document is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items 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. A.1.2. This solicitation RFQ-VA798-10-RQ-0205 is issued as a request for quote (RFQ). A.1.3. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-43. A.1.4. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number is 611430 and the business size standard is $7.0M. OFFERORS MUST STATE THEIR BUSINESS SIZE ON EACH QUOTE. A.1.5. This requirement is a set-aside for small business concerns. B.1. PRICE/COST SCHEDULE The list of contract line item number(s) and items, quantities and units of measure, (including option(s), if applicable): CLIN #DESCRIPTIONQTYUNITUNIT PRICETOTAL AMOUNT 0001Executive-level Writing Course. Course Size: 8 students. Price is on a per course basis. Location: VA Facility. Period of Performance: 10/01/2010 through 09/30/2011.7EA The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking competitive quotations, using Simplified Acquisition Procedures found at FAR13. Quotations are sought for professional writing training for Executive-level students. See the SOW below. The government intends to award a Firm Fixed Price contract. The location is Washington, DC. The training will be held at a VA facility. No telephone quotes or questions will be accepted. Only written correspondence received directly from the vendor are acceptable for additional information. C.1. STATEMENT OF WORK C.1.1. Background: This procurement is to obtain professional writing instructional services for 50 VA Executives (GS level 15 or SES). The training will comprise of seven (7) courses. The sessions will begin October 2010 and conclude no later than September 2011. C.1.2. Instructor(s): Instructor(s) are a vital point for the success of this program. Proposed instructors must have at least 10 years instructional experience with like or similar courses. Resumes must be included for any proposed instructors. C.1.3. Program Overview: This program will address the problem of communicating complex, multi-faceted ideas to a wide variety of readers by helping students predict how readers will respond to writing when it is structured in particular ways. Readers use sentence structures, paragraph structures, and text structures to understand what the writer has to say. Furthermore, they use these structures in predictable ways. Students will learn how: "readers rely upon structures when they read "to diagnose and fix trouble spots in their writing "to revise their writing At the end of the course, students will have tools they can use not only to make their writing clear but also to enhance its value to a wide range of readers, from VA senior leaders, colleagues, clients, congress and the general public. Students will also have the opportunity to submit samples of their work for review, and to work with others in small-group seminars. C.1.4. Learning Outcomes: This course will introduce techniques students can use to diagnose and revise their writing so it will succeed with any reader. After completing this course, VA Executives will be able to write higher quality written products for use by the Office of the Secretary, OPIA, other VA organizations, and Congress. C.1.5. Course description and goals: The course requires principles of clear writing that will allow students to anticipate and change how a variety of readers: VA senior leaders, colleagues, clients, congress and the general public, respond to their work. The course will help writers communicate complex and difficult material clearly to a wide variety of expert and non-expert readers. The course will teach students ways to communicate ideas and arguments more effectively and produce clear, useful responses to miscommunication. The course will be a study of readers rather than grammar and arbitrary rules. Readers predictably find certain sentence structures, paragraph structures, and text structures to be clearer than others. The course will teach what these structures are and how to use them; and how to identify and revise parts of your work where you can safely predict that readers will have trouble or lose track of your main idea. C.1.6. Course structure: The course's intensive structure and workload will help writers learn to focus on readers. The course will include the following elements: "Lecture focused on a principle of clear writing "Student practice of the discussed principle by writing a paper "Collaborative small-group seminar with written critique for all students in the course to read and discuss each other's work. Collaborative small-group seminars will allow students to hear how at least six real-world readers respond to their work. They will also provide students with an opportunity to prepare a written critique of other student's papers. These critiques are an integral part of the course, because they allow students to practice communicating about writing in a way that goes beyond reporting subjective responses (e.g., "I liked it," "It stunk") to offer genuine constructive criticism and concrete suggestions for improvement. C.1.7. Number of Participants: 7 to 8 students per session; total of up to 56 participants. C.1.8. Course Length: 5 day C.1.9. Course Schedule: All courses will be held from October 2010 to September 2011. C.1.8. Course Location: All courses will be held in Washington, DC. Facilities will be provided by VA. D.1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance will be from October 2010 through September 2011. E.1. Evaluation Factors Offerors' proposals will be evaluated using the following factors (E.1.1, E.1.2., E.1.3., E.1.4., E.1.5.), and must address all elements listed. Ratings will focus on the proposal's ability to meet the objectives of the solicitation. E.1.1. Technical Understanding and Approach E.1.1.1 The offeror must be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the training requirement as described in the SOW. E.1.1.2. The offeror shall submit a technical approach plan with all necessary tasks to demonstrate a plan for successfully providing services detailed in the SOW. The technical approach plan shall not exceed twenty (20) pages. Any pages provided beyond this limit shall not be evaluated. E.1.2. Key Personnel The instructor(s) proposed for this training is critical to the success of the program. E.1.2.1. The proposed instructor(s) will be evaluated to the extent which the proposed instructor(s) possess the appropriate skills to effectively instruct and facilitate Executive-level students in professional writing. All proposed instructors must have at least 10 years of instructional experience for like or similar courses. E.1.2.2. Resumes are required for proposed instructor(s). E.1.3. Past Performance E.1.3.1. The Offeror shall demonstrate successful, recent (within the last three years), and relevant experience in providing services in similar, size, scope, and complexity as described in the SOW. The past performance submission shall be comprised of a narrative to identify the following information for each reference provided: a.Name and address, including zip code, of the Contracting Agency or Commercial Client b.Contacting Officer's name, telephone number, and email address c.Program manager, project officer, or COTR's name, telephone number, and email address d.Contract Number e.Contract type f.Total contract value g.Project title and brief description of contract/subcontract, work performed, and relevance to this requirement (1)Past efforts of similar activities and a discussion of the quality/success of these efforts, including business results, impacts, and lessons learned (2)Past performance demonstrating vendor's ability to meet performance standards timely and accurately for services similar to SOW h.Contract Period of Performance E.1.3.2. IF THE OFFEROR HAS NO RELEVANT PAST PERFORMANCE, they shall affirmatively state that they possess no relevant past performance. E.1.4. Socio-Economic Status and/or Veteran's Involvement E.1.4.1. In an effort to achieve socioeconomic small business goals, VA shall evaluate offerors based on their service-disabled veteran-owned or veteran-owned small business status and their proposed use of eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses as subcontractors. This factor's information shall be included in the business proposal volume. The factor will be evaluated by the contracting officer. E.1.4.2 Eligible service-disabled veteran-owned offerors will receive full credit. To receive credit, an offeror must be registered and verified in Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. (http://www.VetBiz.gov). E.1.4.3. Eligible veteran-owned offerors will receive partial credit. To receive credit, an offeror must be registered and verified in Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. (http://www.VetBiz.gov). E.1.5. Price/Business Proposal E.1.5.1. The Offeror shall document in its proposal any assumptions. The Offeror must propose on all CLINs to be considered for an award. E.1.5.2. In the Price Schedule the Offeror shall insert the unit price for the services proposed. The Government shall use the total proposed price to determine price reasonableness. E.1.5.3. The proposal shall be reviewed to ensure CCR and ORCA are current and all Amendments have been acknowledged. Incomplete proposals may not be considered for an award. F.1. Clauses and Provisions: Offerors must comply with all instructions contained in provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. F.1.1. The following additional provisions and clauses apply: F.1.1.1. 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, Current registration in ORCA is required, ORCA website https://orca.bpn.gov. F.1.1.2. 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. F.1.1.3. 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, to include clauses: 9, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, and 39. FAR 52.212-5(c) clauses 1, 2, and 3. F.1.1.4. The following additional FAR and VAAR clauses and provisions apply: CCR Clause: Attention: Contractor must be registered in CCR to be considered for award. FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration (Oct 2003) (B) (2) the offeror shall provide its DUNS or, if applicable, it's DUNS+4 number with its offer, which will be used by the contracting officer to verify that the offeror is registered in the CCR database. (C) Lack of registration in the CCR database will make an offeror ineligible for award. Offerors and contractors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements by calling 1-888-227-2423 or 269-961-5757, or via the Internet at http://www.ccr.gov. F.1.1.5. FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by References (Feb 1998). This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. FAR 52.233-3, Protest After Award; FAR 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim; VAAR 852.252-70, Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference; VAAR 852.209-70, Organizational Conflicts of Interest; VAAR 852.215-70, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business Evaluation Factors; VAAR 852.215-71, Evaluation Factor Commitments; VAAR 852.233-70, Protest Content/Alternative Dispute Resolution; VAAR 852.233-71, Alternative Protest Procedure; VAAR 852.237-70, Contractor Responsibilities; VAAR 852.270-1, Representative of Contracting Officer, VAAR 852.273-70, Late Offers; VAAR 852.273-74, Award Without Exchanges. F.1.1.6. Full text clauses are available at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFFARa.htm. G.1. SUBMISSION OF QUOTES Submit quotes by e-mail at the following address: Lindi.Sylvester@va.gov. Quotes and any applicable attachments must be received no later than August 23, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Quotes must include the name, telephone number and email address of a company representative that can be contacted, the company's address, DUNS number, and TIN number.
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