Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 6009 Oxon Hill Road, Suite 700, ATTN: M:P, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

U -- LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSES SOL TIRNO-00-Q-01110 DUE 012500 POC Steven G. VanderLinden, Contracting Officer (FAX: 202-283-1514) E-MAIL: click here to contact the Contracting Officer via, steve.g.vanderlinden@m1.irs.gov. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subparts 12 and 13, as supplemented with additional information included in this Notice. This Notice constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested via this Notice. A separate, written solicitation will not be issued. The IRS seeks contractor assistance in conducting Mid-Level Leadership Training courses during the period from April 1, 2000 to September 30, 2000. The Standard Industrial Classification code is 8299; the small business size standard is $5,000,000. This is an indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery contract with a guaranteed minimum of 2 courses and a maximum of 8 courses during the contract period. There are no options. Numbered Note 1 applies. Offers shall be sent/delivered to Room 700 of the above address by 4:00 p.m., EST on the due date. Proposal evaluation will be on technical, past performance and price. Offerors shall include with their proposals names and addresses of three prior clients for similar services with points of contact. This solicitation and the clauses and provisions cited are in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-14, dated September 24, 1999. The following FAR clauses apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (11/1999); 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (05/1999); 52.216-18, ORDERING (10/1995); 52.216-19, ORDER LIMITATIONS (10/1995); 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY (10/1995) ; 52.219-6, NOTICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (07/1996). The following clauses cited in 52.212-5, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (05/1999) also apply: 52.222-3, CONVICT LABOR (08/1996); 52.233-3, PROTEST AFTER AWARD (08/1996); 52.221-21, PROHIBITION OF SEGREGATED FACILITIES (02/1999); 52.222-26, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (02/1999); 52.222-35, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM ERA (04/1998); 52.222-36, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES (06/1998); 52.222-37, EMPLOYMENT REPORTS ON DISABLED VETERANS AND VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM ERA (01/1999); 52.232-33, PAYMENT BY ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER -- CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (05/1999). 52.212-3, OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (10/1999) shall be completed and returned by each offeror as part of its proposal. CLIN 0001 -- Develop and conduct Mid-Level Leadership Training courses as described in the Statement of Work (priced on a per class basis). CLIN 0002 -- Travel in support of CLIN 0001, not to exceed $10,000 (to be reimbursed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations). STATEMENT OF WORK: Course participants will generally be mid-level managers who manage subordinate supervisory managers, have been mid-level managers for more than six months but less than three years, and who are in GS grades 12 to 15. The course will be team taught by the contractor, an IRS executive, and the IRS Management Program Leader (MPL), acting collaboratively to ensure that participants meet the learning goals and objectives of the program. The instructor team's roles are to facilitate the examination and understanding of the experience of individual participants and groups, and to provide knowledge, concepts and ideas about leadership and management. The 10-day residential course typically runs from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily and includes a minimum of 7.5 hours of classroom time per day. The IRS will acquire hotel facilities, at a site or sites to be designated after award, for up to 24 participants per class, including classroom space and a breakout room for small group activities, and will furnish a full range of audio/video equipment. The instructor will reside in the same hotel and will be available after class hours for counseling individuals (up to two hours each evening). He/she will work with the IRS executive and the MPL daily (before, during and after class) to assess individual and group progress andto plan learning activities. To maximize learning during the classroom phase, the contractor will develop a pre-course assignment package to be sent by the IRS to the participants for each course. Pre-class assignments are intended to increase the time available for participants to absorb new material and to focus on learning through interaction with fellow participants and the instructor team during the assembled classroom time. Included in the mailing will be a 360 degree assessment instrument which allows the training process to begin six weeks before the classroom phase. A copy of the instrument will be provided to the contractor within 10 days after contract award to allow time to prepare for the incorporation of the instrument and pre-course reading into the package. The course will be designed using experiential learning techniques in which participants share a common group experience (usually through role play or simulation), then with the support of a facilitator, extrapolate concepts, principles and skills. Course activities and topics of instruction are interwoven throughout the course to promote continuous learning and feedback. The flow of the course is participant driven to meet individual and class needs within the parameters of the overall course objectives. Lecture is kept to a minimum. The course objectives are to engage in learning activities that promote self-awareness and possible changes; to gain a better understanding of one's personal style and its impact on others and team dynamics; to recognize the five areas of Emotional IQ and learn practical guidelines to help improve one's own and others' EI; to determine methods and practice positive ways of dealing with stress and maintaining balance under uncertain work situations and rapid change; to review the latest information on fitness and diet for health management, assess health risks and adopt necessary changes; to develop a leadership action plan utilizing the daily learning journal and the 360 degree assessment to assist in applying new classroom knowledge and experiences to enhance outcomes back on the job; to apply IRS mission, vision and goals to an organizational unit within the participant's control by using the organizational change model and/or by using a simple systems model such as Weisbord's Six Box Model; to relate ethics principles of integrity and honesty to building trust with one's customers and employees; to understand the roles people play on teams and apply those roles to the teams that are established for experiential classroom learning; to apply the steps in conflict management to resolving issues inherent within groups or in groups working side by side with conflicting functional goals; to experience how different personal styles, backgrounds, and gender impact group dynamics and to understand that when diversity is valued it supports tam dynamics and when devalued causes teams to fail; to identify skills that improve interpersonal expertise and understand how to analyze a relationship and communicate at appropriate levels; to practice interpersonal skills of active listening, giving and receiving positive and negative feedback, negotiating and obtaining commitment, and interacting verbally and non-verbally; to determine key factors in a successful working relationship with one's leader; and to determine key factors in a successful working relationship with peers working side by side in learning how to create effective workplace partnerships. Instructors must have expertise in the area of leadership in the workplace and be able to develop experiences to create opportunities for skills enhancement and behavioral modifications. A minimum of five years of teaching and/or organizational development experience with advanced leaders and a Masters degree or equivalent additional experience in course design and delivery are required. Instructors may achieve course objectives by whatever methodologies are acceptable to the other instructor team members and to the Director, IRS Leadership Institute. Methodologies, fine-tuning of course context and conduct, application of IRS Leadership Competencies, and other aspects of the course environment will be agreed to by the instructor team during a planning session and executive briefing which will take place approximately one month before each course begins. The MPL will provide information about IRS culture and change initiatives within the Service for the contractor to learn and understand. The contractor shall present within 20 days of contract award an initial course outline, including permission and written release for use of any copyrighted materials owned by the contractor or obtained from other sources. The design will require participants to write journals about their learning experience and will include structuring of groups to support of organizational and individual change efforts during the class. The design will also incorporate time for two to three evening guest speakers who will address IRS change initiatives. Within 10 days of submission, the IRS will review the initial course design and provide written comments for changes to be made. Within 60 days of award, the contractor will prepare and present draft course materials for review, including a course syllabus, instructor guide, student course book and pre-course assignment package, and a Level I and II evaluation. The instructor materials will include a table of contents; overall objectives of the course; materials, equipment and supplies needed; references supplied or required; and any special instructions for preparing for the course. Student materials will include a table of contents; overall objectives of the course; and a listing of materials required by the students. Participant and instructor evaluation forms will include specific instructions and questions for guiding material review efforts and ensuring useful feedback for revision purposes. Within 15 days of submission, the IRS will review the material provided and provide written comments for changes to be made. The contractor will provide copies of course materialsfor each session as follows: 2 copies of the syllabus, instructor guide and student course book shall be provided at the pre-course meeting; 25 copies of the student course material including binders shall be provided to the IRS MPL four weeks prior to the starting date of each class. Within 10 days after completion of each class the instructor will collect student evaluation data, analyze results and make recommendations for necessary revisions as part of a written assessment to be provided to the MPL. Based upon this assessment and feedback from the MPL and other IRS participants, the contractor will amend/update the course materials as appropriate. Such materials shall be delivered so as to be available at least six weeks prior to the next course, or if no further courses are ordered, no more than six weeks after the end of the contract performance period. Posted 01/04/00 (W-SN413076). (0004)

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