1305M321QNFFP0060 - NWFSC Leadership Training - Contractor Q-A Responses.pdf

1305M321QNFFP0060 ‐ Leadership Competency Consulting and Training Solicitation Questions and Answers

Is there an incumbent? Is this a follow on?

The NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) Vivid Description of the Future document was developed under contract number RA133F18SE0237, by Overland Resource Group, Inc. This is not a direct follow on to that contract, but is related in that this contract is to provide training and facilitate the implementation of the document created under that contract.

How many hours will the training under Task One and Task Three be?

Specific duration of the course will be dependent on contents of the contractor’s course, and presented as part of the contractor’s proposal.

It’s not a firm requirement though we expect the course to be approximately 3 to 5 days of instruction time, but we’re open to alternatives if they can be demonstrated to meet the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Does the course need to be once continuous period of instruction, or can it be provided as multiple smaller sessions?

We are open to any approach that can be demonstrated to meet the requirements of the PWS.

Will training and coaching be provided on‐site or remotely?

We would prefer the training courses to be provided in person. However we understand the situation with COVID restrictions is variable and the need to be flexible on scheduling the courses.

We won’t completely rule out a 100% remote or hybrid approach, though we would like to see a clear demonstration of how the contractor would foster the communication, collaboration, and relationship building in a remote environment.

What training or implementation of NWFSC’s Vivid Description of the Future has occurred so far?

Management and staff have been provided the Vivid Description of the Future but no formal training/implementation has happened yet. The purpose of this contract is to develop the plan and tools for that implementation.

What is the relationship between the training and coaching covered under tasks One, Two, and Three?

Tasks One and Two will be the initial focus, to provide training and coaching to the NWFSC’s upper management. This will be a group of approximately 12‐15 senior managers, including at least one SES and many GS‐14s and 15s or equivalent.

Task One will be providing the training course, per the Course Approach in the selected contractor’s proposal.

Task Two will be coaching/advising those senior managers on the implementation of the materials covered in the task one course. This will be on an as‐needed basis, per individual manager.

If the training under task one is successful and valuable to the Center (and funding is available), we may exercise the option for Task Three, to teach the same course material to other managers at the NWFSC. We want to training to start at the top, and will move down the org.

structure as needed – starting with Upper management, then train the next lower tier, then the next lower tier, etc. If we exercise the Task Three option for additional instances of the course, we may also exercise the option for additional Task Two coaching hours to provide coaching to those course attendees.

Does NOAA have published change management practices, protocols, and tools that help leaders manage organizational change?

NWFSC’s Vivid Description of the Future is the guiding document for that process. This training is to help Center management develop those kinds of practices, protocols, and tools.

Do contractors need any specific certifications/qualifications? Is there a certain amount of previous experience required?

There are no specific certifications or amount of experience required. We expect the proposal to clearly demonstrate the offeror’s capabilities and experience necessary to successfully perform the requirements of the PWS. (See ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212‐1 ‐ INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS on page 47 of the solicitation).

If the course is held on‐site at the NWFSC, will travel funds be provided?

No separate travel reimbursement will be provided. The contractor is responsible for showing up at performance location, so if there are travel costs they should be included in the FFP per‐ class cost.

If some of the materials I use for group training are proprietary and restricted by my certifying organization to be used only by licensed instructors, would this conflict with the IPRs? We want to possess the materials provided during the course/coaching for our own internal use. We’re not planning on teaching future versions of the course ourselves, but want the materials to have as reference going forward.

When completing the Pricing Schedule, is it permissible to fill in CLIN 001,002, and 003 and leave open the following option years? Since the needs of the organization continue to evolve, so will the training that is needed.

Please provide pricing for the entirety of the contract. This contract is to develop an initial training course and teach multiple instances of that course. If changes to the course are required in the future, the Government may update/renegotiate this contract.