MODIFICATION
U -- Negotiation Skills Training for Contracting Personnel
- Notice Date
- 9/3/2010
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- Contracting Office
- Department of Education, Contracts & Acquisitions Management, Contracts (All ED Components), 550 12th Street, SW, 7th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia, 20202
- ZIP Code
- 20202
- Solicitation Number
- ED-CFO-10-Q-0091
- Archive Date
- 9/25/2010
- Point of Contact
- Nicole Evans, Phone: 202-245-6172
- E-Mail Address
-
Nicole.Evans@ed.gov
(Nicole.Evans@ed.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, "Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items," as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. This solicitation is a request for quotations (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-43. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 611430, with a small business size standard of $7 million. The Department of Education, Contracts and Acquisitions Management, is seeking to purchase training services to increase negotiation skills of contracting personnel. All interested companies shall provide quotations for the following: Services Line Item 0001 Description - Negotiation training, for 45 students, FOB DESTINATION (include travel and all other costs in fixed-price quote) Quantity = 1 Total Price Line Item 0002 OPTION Description - Negotiation training, up to 60 additional students, FOB DESTINATION (Price the option as minimum quantity plus price per additional student up to 60) Quantity = 1 Total Price The Department of Education has a need to increase the negotiation skills of contracting personnel. The commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that meets this need will be interactive, including time for instruction, discussion, and team-based negotiation simulations. The overall desired outcome is increased negotiation skill - participants should learn techniques and strategies that improve their effectiveness as negotiators. The successful solution will include: • Negotiation planning - participants should learn the benefits of and techniques for effective negotiation planning, including working in teams to set negotiation targets and goals • Negotiation practice - each student should participate in one or more negotiation simulations during the course of the class • Team building - the training should incorporate opportunity for team building among participants • Engaging and complex negotiation scenario(s) - the scenario(s) need not be contracting-related, but must enable participants to build skills transferable to their on-the-job negotiating responsibilities Period of Performance The delivery/task order period of performance is one year from the date of award. Dates and times for the training shall be arranged by Contractor and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in September and October. Training shall be provided in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, ideally in November. Training ordered under the option shall be provided in fiscal year 2011. Duration of training, topics covered in the negotiation simulations, and other elements of training delivery are to be proposed by the quoter. Market research has shown that the ideal solution will likely be 2-3 days in duration, but quoters are welcome to submit their proposed duration. Place of Performance Services shall be provided at metro-accessible Department of Education facilities in Washington, DC. Exact building and room locations to be determined by the COR and communicated to the Contractor as part of the logistical arrangements after award. Evaluation of Quotations The government will evaluate quotes in accordance with the simplified requirements of FAR 13.106-2 and with FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation of Commercial Items, with paragraph (a) of that provision reading as follows: (a) The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible quoter whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: • Training format - ability to accommodate all students accommodated in one session, use of team arrangements for exercises and simulation(s), type of simulation(s), time devoted to instruction, discussion, and simulation • Negotiation scenario(s) - complexity, potential to engage students through entire training • Past performance - gauged based on student reviews of similar previous courses, provided references for recent similar course delivery, and information available in electronic past performance databases. See 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, paragraph (b)(10) for information on including past performance information with the quote. The "other references" mentioned in this paragraph should include student reviews of same or similar courses delivered by the proposed instructor(s). • Proposed instructor(s) - demonstrated ability to effectively instruct and facilitate • Price, FOB destination (include travel costs and all related costs in price), including option APPLICABLE PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/far. The full text of Education Acquisition Regulation (EDAR) clauses may be accessed electronically at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/clibrary/edar.html. The following provisions apply to this acquisition: • FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (JUN 2008) • FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (JAN 1999) (see above for paragraph (a)) • FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (AUG 2009) Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: • FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (JUN 2010) • FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders (JUL 2010) The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 (b) and (c) are applicable: (b)(9), (b)(19), (b)(20), (b)(22), (b)(23), (b)(25), (b)(39), (c)(6). SUBMISSION OF QUOTES All quoters shall submit the following: • A plan to meet the requirements of this RFQ, addressing each item in the statement of objectives and evaluation criteria • Firm Fixed Price for each line item, including all travel and related costs • Past performance information, including student reviews of previous delivery of the proposed course by proposed instructors All quotes shall be sent to Contracts and Acquisitions Management, addressed to Nicole.Evans@ed.gov. This is an open-market combined synopsis/solicitation for the services defined herein. The government intends to award a firm fixed price purchase order as a result of this combined synopsis/solicitation that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. To facilitate the award process, ALL quotes shall include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:" Quoter shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s). Submit quotes no later than 3pm on Friday, September 10, 2010, to Nicole.Evans@ed.gov in a format compatible with Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat software. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). QUESTIONS Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Contracting Officer, Nicole Evans, at Nicole.Evans@ed.gov. Responses to Questions received on 9/3/2010 QUESTION 1: What would you prefer the workshop duration be? 4 hrs, 8 hrs, or 16 hrs? ANSWER 1: We want the quoters to propose an existing COTS solution that would meet our objectives. Exactly how to accomplish the objectives, including duration, is part of the quote. QUESTION 2: In order to determine the number of facilitators to allocate, could you specify if there would be 20 students per session or if all 45 - 100 students would attend one session? ANSWER 2: The evaluation criteria include the ability to accommodate 45 students in one session. The option for up to 60 additional students is for one or more sessions to be held at a later date. QUESTION 3: Would the training sessions be held in 1st Quarter - January or November as stated on the fbo site ? ANSWER 3: The first training session would be in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, in November (the fiscal year starts in October). The optional training session(s) (if the option is exercised) will be later in the fiscal year. QUESTION 4: Does your customer want a class for 45 people and another class for 60 people all to be taught on two separate days? Or will the 60 and 45 people be broken up into separate days with like 10-15 people in each class? ANSWER 4: The ideal solution will include one session for approximately 45 students, in November, and an option for up to 60 additional students trained in one or more sessions later in the fiscal year. QUESTION 5: Can you state your desired course length? ANSWER 5: We want the quoters to propose an existing COTS solution that would meet our objectives. Exactly how to accomplish the objectives, including course length, is part of the quote. Market research has shown that the ideal solution will likely be 2-3 days in length. QUESTION 6: What is the Period of Performance for the training? Is there deadline or expected timeframe for when the training will be given? ANSWER 6: See above answers. QUESTION 7: What is the time allotted for the training to be given? Meaning, is this going to be a 2-day class, 5-day class, 2 weeks, etc? This will help with understanding the level of detail and class activities that can be provided during the training of the first class of 45 students. As well as bidding our travel costs. ANSWER 7: See above answers. QUESTION 8: What types of commodities and/or services would/are the prospective students going to be negotiating? ANSWER 8: Department of Education contracting professionals negotiate for a wide range of supplies and services. Information on types of purchases can be found on www.fbo.gov and www.fpds.gov. Quoters should propose an existing COTS solution that would meet the stated objectives. Exactly how to accomplish the objectives, including topics to be used in negotiation simulation(s), is part of the quote. QUESTION 9: What industry (i.e. Army, Navy, NASA, Healthcare, etc.) should the training focus on? Need to understand what types of Policies and Procedures (Beyond FAR's) the students will have to adhere while in negotiations. ANSWER 9: The students are all employees of the U.S. Department of Education, and information on the types of commodities and services they buy can be found on www.fbo.gov and www.fpds.gov. Quoters should propose an existing COTS solution that would meet the stated objectives. Exactly how to accomplish the objectives, including topics to be used in negotiation simulation(s), is part of the quote. Negotiation simulation(s) need not be contracting-related, as the objectives of the course are about negotiation skills development and not specifically technical contracting knowledge related. QUESTION 10: Should the training focus on negotiating technically complex or strategically complex contracts? Meaning will that be negotiating with vendors who are providing advanced technical components or will they be negotiating with vendors on multifaceted contracts where the structure of the contract is complex? ANSWER 10: The training does not need to focus on negotiating contracts at all, but instead should be an existing COTS solution that will meet the stated objectives. The complexity of the students' routine negotiations depends on the commodity or service, and is usually a factor of multiplicity of stakeholders with competing interests, technical complexity of the requirement, or structural complexity of the contracts.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ED/OCFO/CPO/ED-CFO-10-Q-0091/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: District of Columbia, 20202, United States
- Zip Code: 20202
- Zip Code: 20202
- Record
- SN02267391-W 20100905/100903234854-6babf158fb95fb0ce2c3dbb5c82c52cc (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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