U -- ACQUISITION TRAINING FOR PROJECT MANAGERS

Notice Date

June 8, 2001

Contracting Office

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Division of Contracts and Property Management, Mail Stop T-7-I-2, Washington, D.C. 20555

ZIP Code

20555

Solicitation Number

RS-HR-01-284

Response Due

June 25, 2001

Point of Contact

Carolyn A. Cooper, (301)415-6737/FAX (301)415-8157

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the contracting officer via (cac@NRC.GOV)

Description

C.5.6 The NRC PO will establish mutually agreed upon workshop dates between the contractor and DCPM, and notify the contractor as soon as possible once the schedule has been established. The contractor, upon receiving the workshop schedule, shall establish procedures to ensure that the materials for a particular workshop are furnished to NRC, at least five working days prior to the date of the scheduled workshop. The NRC PO will review the workshop materials for quality, accuracy, and completeness and correct assembly and collation, as well as the number of copies ordered versus the number of copies received. Should any errors be discovered that are caused by the contractor, such as omissions, incorrect collation, illegibility, or packaging, the NRC PO may reject the materials and the contractor shall immediately take action to correct all errors prior to the scheduled course, at no cost to the NRC. C.5.7 The contractor shall update and maintain all materials in a current status pertaining to procurement law, regulations, and NRC's policies and procedural changes. Each stand-alone module shall contain material reflecting the NRC's acquisition environment. The workshop materials shall provide for lectures, practical exercises, group discussions, and NRC-provided reference materials. The practical exercises shall convey contract principles and illustrate acquisition policy, practice, and procedures used at the NRC. C.5.8 After presentation of any workshop, the instructor shall review participants' evaluations for comments and make recommendations, as appropriate, to the NRC PO and the Contractor for minor changes to improve workshop training materials. C.5.9 A minimum of two months before the next offering of the workshop, the contractor shall contact the NRC PO and the DCPM subject matter expert to determine if any changes to the training materials are needed. C.6 WORKSHOP INSTRUCTION. C.6.1 The contractor shall provide qualified instructor personnel to teach the five individual training workshops listed in paragraphs C.4.4.1 through C.4.4.5 of this SOW. Although NRC internal instructors will conduct the other six workshops of the acquisition training program, the contractor's instructors shall have a basic understanding of how the other six workshops fit into the program. The Contractor's instructor(s) shall also be knowledgeable with regard to the concepts and processes of NRC Management Directives 11.1 and 11.7. The contractor shall provide its instructor(s) with an IG for teaching purposes. The instructor shall discuss the objectives of each workshop presented and check throughout the workshop to ensure that the stated learning objectives for each workshop are properly addressed. C.6.2 The contractor's instructor personnel shall possess a thorough knowledge and understanding of the workshop materials, as well as have knowledge in both Federal and NRC contracting regulations and DOE Laboratory agreements. Instructor personnel shall also be able to apply NRC contracting policies and procedures regarding both commercial contracts and DOE laboratory agreements. NRC will provide samples of applicable solicitations and contracts to be used in classroom discussions, case studies, and practical exercises. The contractor's instructor personnel shall utilize their professional knowledge in evaluating and enhancing learning through motivation, impromptu examples, and group dynamic techniques. Lectures, audiovisuals (excluding films), class discussions, case studies, and practical exercises shall be used for effective learning. All resources used shall be oriented toward the NRC. The instructor shall focus heavily on participant involvement in the topic being discussed. This emphasis shall include hands-on learning activities, such as case studies and practical exercises, and interaction between participants and the instructor to clarify points and reinforce learning objectives. C.6.3 NRC will furnish, and the contractor shall utilize, NRC expert personnel to further amplify certain topics, and/or answer questions that may arise regarding NRC procedures, practices, and policy related to the procurement process. C.6.4 Upon the effective date of this contract, and on an annual basis thereafter, the contractor shall work with the NRC PO to develop a training schedule for each of the courses for the upcoming year. Upon mutual agreement of the upcoming year's training schedule, the NRC PO will provide the written schedule to the NRC PO. This procedure is necessary in order to assure instructor and training room availability. The written year-long schedule provided by the NRC PO to the contractor shall serve as the written delivery order for the training to be offered. The NRC PO will inform the contractor ten days prior to the workshop offering, the number of participants enrolled for the workshop. C.6.5 The maximum number of participants in any training workshop will be 30 employees. Although the minimum number of employees for each course is generally 10 employees, the NRC PO may, at his/her discretion, schedule a workshop for less than 10 employees. The NRC PO will be responsible for soliciting, nominating, and enrolling NRC employees as workshop participants. (Although a workshop participant may have been responsible for all or part of a project involving DOE labs, interagency agreements, or a commercial contract, the participants generally have not attended an acquisition course within the last five years. Nevertheless, the participants' experience does not substitute for knowledge of the contract regulations stated in the FAR or NRC's policy.) C.6.6 All workshops will be conducted in the NRC's training facility located in Rockville, Maryland. C.6.7 The one-day workshops shall commence promptly at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m., allowing one hour for lunch and 10-minute breaks each hour on the hour. One-half day workshops shall commence promptly at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 a.m., allowing for 10-minute breaks each hour on the hour. C.6.8 The contractor shall arrive in sufficient time prior to start of each class to set-up the training room, arrange the furniture as necessary, lay out participant materials and instructor's aids, and set-up equipment, such as connecting contractor-laptop. C.6.9 The contractor's instructor(s) shall account for participant attendance by ensuring the completion of NRC sign-in sheet. In addition, the instructor(s) shall place a check beside the participant's name on the sign-in sheet twice a day during each morning and each afternoon of the one-day class. The instructor shall deliver the sign-in sheet to the NRC PO at the end of the day of workshop completion. C.6.10 Immediately following each session of each class, the instructor shall leave the training room neat, with trash (including used flip chart sheets) stowed in the trash cans. Any extra student materials shall be neatly stacked on the counter under the clock for the NRC PO to store in NRC's storage space. The NRC PO will determine the location of temporary storage for unused workshop materials. C.6.11 The contractor's instructor(s) shall distribute any hand-out materials at any workshop that may be provided to the instructor(s) by the NRC PO. C.6.12 The workshops shall be presented in accordance with the requirements set forth herein. C. 6.13 At the end of each workshop, the instructors shall remind each participant to complete the NRC-prepared evaluation form located in the front pocket of the participant's handbook and ask that it be completed and left on the instructor's table. The evaluations shall be delivered to the NRC PO by the instructor at the end of the class. The NRC PO is responsible for sending copies of the evaluations to the contractor within five working days after workshop completion. C.6.14 Within fifteen working days after completion of the workshop module, the contractor shall submit to the NRC PO any comments its instructor(s) considers relevant to the improvement of the content of the workshop taught or any other suggestions for improving classroom performance of participants that would help the participants perform better back on the job. If necessary, the contractor may meet with the NRC PO to discuss these recommendations. (The NRC PO will make the decision whether a meeting is necessary.) The meeting shall be mutually scheduled between the NRC PO and the contractor and shall be held in the NRC facility in Rockville, Maryland. C.6.15 In addition, the contractor is responsible for ensuring that its instructor is aware of any changes made since the last time the workshop was given. Specifically, the following four requirements are crucial to this responsibility: (1) The contractor instructor personnel shall be thoroughly familiar with each of the acquisition Guides and Handbooks and any revisions made since the last offering of the workshop. He or she shall also be aware of the other workshop modules in order to speak intelligently about the Acquisition Training Program as whole, should questions arise as to the connection between the workshop being taught and any of the other workshops in the program. The instructor shall also be knowledgeable with regard to concepts and processes from NRC Management Directives 11.1 and 11.7. The instructor shall use and follow the IG for each of the workshops taught. The instructor shall discuss the objectives of each workshop presented and check throughout the workshop to ensure that the stated learning objectives for each workshop are met. (2) The workshop materials are contractor-provided and will be located in the training room where the workshop is held. (3) Throughout the period of performance of this contract, the NRC PO may require the contractor, who will be responsible for maintaining and updating the training materials, to incorporate minor changes into the course materials before the next workshop is given. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to be aware of these changes and to stress to its instructor(s) the importance of their knowledge of these changes and to present them in the workshops they teach. C.6.16 NRC reserves the right to cancel a workshop no less than 10 working days of a scheduled offering if insufficient enrollment should occur. C.7. STUDENT TESTING. C.7.1 Knowledge and proficiency testing shall be a required element of evaluating the student's progress in the training module in which they are being instructed. Testing shall be administered periodically by the Contractor to determine the student's progress in training, to identify areas of weakness where supplemental or remedial training may be needed, and to quantify the student's then-current level of knowledge and proficiency. Initial testing will be used to quantify the student's baseline for measurement of knowledge and proficiency obtained, and may be used in a predictive manner to facilitate personal training planning. C.7.2 All testing shall be performed using standardized objective tests (i.e., true false or multiple choice) which have been approved in advance by the NRC Project Officer. All tests shall assess the students knowledge of the NRC's acquisition process and shall be designed to determine if the learning objectives has been met. The Contractor shall allow no more than 30 minutes for each test (pre and post) to be completed by the students. C.7.3 The Contractor shall develop draft pre and post tests which address the principals, policies and procedures covered in the five course modules that are taught by the Contractor only. The Contractor shall provide the draft tests to the NRC PO for review and comment within 15 days after the effective date of the contract. The NRC PO will review and provide comments to the Contractor within one week of receipt. The contractor shall revise the draft tests incorporating the PO's comments and provide the final tests to the PO within one week of receipt of comments. C.7.4 The contractor shall record testing results, analyze results and prepare a report which shall document the results of the analysis and the student's progress. To ensure the validity of test results, the Contractor shall rearrange the order of the questions for each test. (Note: The Contractor is not required to develop new test questions for each test.) C.7.5 The Contractor shall update pre- and post-tests to reflect significant changes that have been made to the course materials. C.8 MONITORING THE CONTRACT. C.8.1 During the life of the contract, the NRC PO shall monitor the workshops training to observe the quality of instruction and to assure that materials used are adequate, current, and meet NRC's acquisition training requirements. As a minimum, the quality of the instruction will be evaluated on the instructor's ability to: (1) Maintain control of the learning time so that the presentation of information and exercises remain organized and timely, key points and course objectives are met, breaks are provided within the overall course schedule; and distractions, such as questions that are of minimal interest to the class as a whole, are answered later and/or individually. (2) Observe the effect of the instruction on the class and reasonably attempt to clarify, provide examples, or in some other way, change the manner of instruction to help correct problems and improve the participants' opportunity to learn. (3) Involve the participants in sufficient and practical exercises with the subject matter, to reinforce the understanding and retention of information. 4. Improve course materials and note errors, omissions or other problems that may occur during the presentation of the workshops.C.9 DELIVERABLES. The contractor shall provide qualified instructors to teach five of the eleven workshops as stated in this SOW and deliver the specified number of participant handbooks for each of the workshops at least five working days prior to the beginning of the workshop session. The contractor is also responsible for providing three copies of all updated and revised pages of the eleven workshops to NRC PO. Materials shall be addressed to: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attention: Mary Holmes, Professional Development Center, 11545 Rockville Pike, Mail Stop T-3 B3, Rockville, MD 20852-2738. Incoming workshop materials from the contractor shall have the title of the workshop, date of presentation of workshop, and the NRC PO's name noted on the outside of the box. This information should be clearly written in bold lettering. C.10 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE. Period of performance shall be for one year from the date of award and four additional option years. C.11 FREQUENCY OF TASKS TO BE PERFORMED. C.11.1 Instruction for each of the eleven workshops shall be presented a minimum of twice a year. The contractor's instructor shall teach five of the eleven workshops. (This will require costs being given for the instructor's cost and the materials cost.) For planning purposes, offerors should submit a unit price per workshop, should it be necessary for NRC to offer more or less than two sessions of any one workshop during any fiscal year. Each of the six workshops taught by NRC personnel will also be given a minimum of twice a year. C.11.2 Timely delivery of all workshop materials is important both for those work-shops taught by the contractor and those taught by NRC personnel. It is estimated that the contractor will maintain the currency of all workshop materials and that before the workshop is presented, the contractor will contact the NRC PO and the DCPM subject matter expert to ascertain if any changes are necessary before preparing the materials for the workshop to be offered. There shall also be a provision for requesting additional books for a particular session, should it be necessary. C.12 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED MATERIALS. Upon award, the NRC will provide the contractor with the following:(1) One copy of the IG for each of the workshops taught by the contractor's instructors; (2) One copy of the PH for each of the workshops taught by the contractor's instructors; (3) One copy of NRC Management Directives 11.1 and 11.7; 4. Current diskettes for all eleven workshops; 5. Training facilities; and 6. Flip charts, overhead projector, tent cards, markers, and pens. C.13 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED EQUIPMENT. Contractor shall furnish its own laptop and slides used in teaching the workshops presented by contractor's instructors. C.14 COST PROPOSAL INFORMATION. The following information is provided to assist an offeror to make a reasonable cost estimate on the materials: (1)It is estimated that the contractor will provide three copies each of the updated pages for the IG and the PH for each workshop module each time a module is updated or revised, based on the assumption that each of the eleven modules will be revised at least twice in a calendar year. (2) It is estimated that the contractor will be required to provide a minimum of 40 PH copies (per year) over a five-year period for the half-day Acquisition for Supervisors and Managers of Project Managers workshop, based on the assumption that the workshop will be offered twice a year with a minimum of 20 people in each workshop. (3) It is estimated that 250 PH copies (per year) for the remaining ten workshops will be required based on the assumption that the ten workshops will be offered twice a year with a minimum of 10 participants attending a workshop. However, the NRC reserves the right to schedule more or fewer sessions and to have a larger class, if needed. Therefore, the offeror shall provide a unit price per person for each of the eleven workshops and a price per workshop. NOTE: If less than 10 participants attend, then the unit price per person shall apply. (NOTE: Because of the character limitations, this amendment to the solicitation is continued in another subsequent amendment.)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010612/USOL005.HTM (W-159 SN50O465)