SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training (COMET)”
- Notice Date
- 11/15/2013
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Thailand USAID-Bangkok, American Embassy/Bangkok, USAID Box 47, APO, 96546
- ZIP Code
- 96546
- Solicitation Number
- SOL-486-14-000010
- Archive Date
- 2/18/2014
- Point of Contact
- Maria RosarioArenas, Phone: 66-2-257-3000, Rebecca White, Phone: +66-2-257-3000
- E-Mail Address
-
marenas@usaid.gov, rwhite@usaid.gov
(marenas@usaid.gov, rwhite@usaid.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Skilled workers in the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) partner countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) are in high-demand by local employers in the sub-region but in short supply. The low level of skilled human resources in the Lower Mekong countries compared to their Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts is an area for concern since these nations will not be able to truly reap the benefits of ASEAN integration without job-relevant education and training assistance in key professions. The "Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training" (COMET) will harness the recent huge strides in online learning platforms to increase the number of skilled workers in ASEAN targeted priorities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, accounting, and tourism (STEM+AT) in the Lower Mekong sub-region. Over the life of the project, COMET will improve the skillsets of approximately 20,000 current and upcoming workers in STEM+AT fields through leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) to strengthen the quality and reach of vocational trainings and education courses. COMET will address human resources gaps in STEM+AT through interventions at vocational and higher education institutions that are based on the inherent necessary skills to drive economic growth in the sub-region. The ultimate objective of COMET is to enhance ASEAN's ability to improve economic integration and global competitiveness through human resource development in the Lower Mekong sub-region. The contractor will accomplish this goal by analytical job forecasting and empowering approximately 500 trainers/instructors in STEM+AT in vocational centers and higher education institutions in the LMI partner countries. These 500 trainers will ultimately become the principal agents of change in developing an inclusive, skilled, integrated and mobile workforce capable of addressing development challenges in the Lower Mekong sub-region. COMET will ultimately help narrow the development gap in ASEAN and empower the LMI partner countries with a workforce that can take advantage of the benefits under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). As the Lower Mekong nations are all facing similar challenges in developing their current and upcoming skilled workforce in STEM+AT fields, COMET shall harness the recent huge strides in online learning platforms to increase the number of current and upcoming workers in STEM+AT through working with vocational centers and higher education institutions in the Lower Mekong sub-region. In addition to increasing the overall numbers of workers in STEM+AT, COMET activities will address socioeconomic challenges including considerations in gender, rural vs. urban and vulnerable populations. This includes leveraging mobile technology and online learning to widen the reach of vocational and higher education services to rural and marginalized populations in the Lower Mekong sub-region. The contractor will design and implement activities through three main components under COMET, namely: 1)Curriculum Development and Skilled Workforce Portal 2)Training Today's Workforce (vocational); and 3)Developing Tomorrow's Leaders (higher education). The purpose of the first component is to develop an interactive online portal that houses training curricula, promotes regional networking, and shares job forecasting information for the LMI partner countries. The second component will provide regional training and technical assistance to vocational centers engaged in STEM+AT. The third component will help strengthen the delivery of courses under the STEM+AT umbrella at higher education institutions in the Lower Mekong sub-region. Under both the second and third component, trainings and workshops will strive to include equal representation from throughout the LMI partner countries in order to leverage resources and to promote regional networking. As English is the determined working language in ASEAN, trainings and workshops will primarily be conducted in English. The actual location of regional trainings and workshops shall ideally take place at universities and vocational centers throughout the LMI partner countries. USAID/RDMA envisions a combination of technical assistance, training and grants to ensure rapid response to emerging opportunities to achieve activity objectives. USAID also places emphasis on the utilization of regional expertise and partnerships in the provision of technical assistance. A Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Completion type of contract, for a period of about five years is contemplated with an estimated budget ranging between $12M to $15M. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. This notice does not obligate USAID to release a solicitation or award a contract nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. In addition, final award cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed and internal USAID procedures have been completed. This notice satisfies the synopsis requirement in FAR 5.201.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/THA/SOL-486-14-000010/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bangkok, Thailand and Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) partner countries, United States
- Record
- SN03235471-W 20131117/131115234648-53fe870c72d09beb0dca24482fcfdc3f (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 |