Q&A.docx

How many students are anticipated per session (course)?

Student enrollments can vary dramatically from 4 students to 100. The average class size is approximately 20 students.

What is the weighting between the three factors (i.e., Quality, Past Performance, and Price)?

1st: Quality, 2nd: Past Performance, & 3rd: Price.

Are these courses structured with a first week regional course, and the courses requested here to be follow-on one-week classes on specifics of the area requested? If so, could we have the syllabus of the first week regional courses, or are those some of the other courses requested in the RFQ?

The RFP includes both regional overview courses as well as sub-regional and/or country-specific courses.

Does FSI have a list of possible guest lecturers that might be used in class, as I understand have been done in the past?

The contractor is responsible for identifying guest lecturers, speakers and any other course resources. However, FSI may furnish contact information for previous guest lecturers and speakers.

Can you provide a list of materials and texts already purchased and used by the government in order to incorporate them into the syllabi required for the bid?

We do not have a consolidated list of materials and texts to share.

Will all students have access to the DOS’ digital library and reference database, including non-DOS students? This information is needed in order to determine the reading assignments for the syllabi.

Yes.

Will temporary travel for instructors residing more than 50 miles from the FSI be reimbursed in accordance with the JTR. Our understanding is that these travel expenses will be included in our proposal.

Travel expenses may be reimbursable.

What are the possible foreign locations for training as those travel expenses should be included in the bid?

Currently all instruction takes place in the Washington, DC metro area.

Would you release the amounts and topic areas of past winning bids?

No, as this is a new requirement.

(RFQ Page 9, Section 4.5, Course Duration) In regard to the pilot course integration with long-term language training, are the 5 one-day sessions (for monthly courses) and 10 one-day sessions (for bi-weekly courses) part of, or in addition to, the 197 courses listed in the beginning of Section 4.5?

The area studies courses linked to language training are in addition to the 197 course sessions.

(RFQ Page 9, Section 5, Special Instructions for Offeror) RFQ states that “Bid rates should be fully loaded and presenter/speaker honoraria and/or fees should be built into this rate.” However, reimbursable honoraria are shown as a separate CLIN in the line item summary on RFQ pages 4-6. Please provide guidance as to whether honoraria should be built into our rates (thereby impacting our price for CLINs 1/6/11/16/21 and CLINs 2/7/12/17/22) or quoted separately in accordance with CLINs 4/9/14/19/24. (Our question is simply, “How can we add honoraria into our quoted rates without that cost being “double-counted” via the separate honoraria CLINs?”) Honoraria should be a separate CLIN. The quote for honoraria should not be added into the rate of course facilitator.

(RFQ Page 14, Section G.2, Contract Administration Data – Travel) RFQ references the possibility for delivery to occur at locations other than the Washington, DC, area, to include overseas. Can FSI please provide insight as to the courses, frequency, and locations for which this travel is expected to be required?

Currently all instruction takes place in the Washington, DC metro area. However, infrequent instruction may occur at overseas locations in FY20 and beyond.

(RFQ Page 14, Section G.2, Contract Administration Data – Travel) RFQ states that “Travel costs, if necessary, for executive coaching will be included in the session fee.” Can FSI please confirm (or otherwise correct) our assumption that the reference to “executive coaching” is inadvertent, and that there is no executive coaching to be proposed, priced, or delivered under this procurement?

Correct. Any reference to executive coaching is inadvertent.

(RFQ Page 46, Section L.4) RFQ states that “Quotes should be Times New Roman with a 12-point font.” Does this typeface limitation extend to graphics, tables, etc.?

Please try to keep the uniformity and use the same font.

(RFQ Page 47, Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award) RFQ states that past performance is a factor for technical evaluations but gives no guidance for the submission, content, or format of past performance citations. Are we required to provide client evaluations of our past performance (and if so, according to what form or criteria), or simply provide past performance narratives and client contact information?

Past performance is something we generate internally, however, you can provide evaluations from your previous clients as highlighted.

Does this solicitation require a bidder to make an offer for providing contractors for all courses? In other words, can a person submit an offer to teach a specific course only?

Potential bidder must bid on all courses.

What is the difference between the Course Facilitator Daily Rate and Course Facilitator Weekly Rate CLINs? Why this distinction? What is each CLIN meant to do?

The weekly rate is the price for a 5 days course, the daily rate is the price for a 1 day course.

Are honoraria expected to cover guest speakers’ travel, or is this to be addressed under the travel CLIN? Over the course of a 5-year contract, it is hard to know from where good guest speakers may come. Without the flexibility to pay speakers travel, the default option would be to only engage speakers from the DC area.

Speakers travel will be bill toward the travel CLIN.

What is the intent for the CLIN “Other Direct Costs, Admin Costs”?

ODC can be used for books and other materials. Admin costs will be for overhead, etc.

How extensive is the expectation for instructors to evaluate students? a. Do students receive an end of course evaluation? Does this evaluation go into their personnel records?

At this time, individual student evaluation is limited and does not require instructor time. This is subject to change.

The RFP states that quizzes or tests may be given; to what end?

To ensure students met the course’s stated learning objectives.

With class sizes ranging from 4-100, planning to use particular evaluation techniques, as reflected in submitted sample lesson plans, will be difficult. When will the government be able to provide details as to class sizes and evaluation expectations? If evaluations are not needed to be reported to FSI, then this can be more easily handled internally by the course coordinator.

A particular courses enrollment numbers begin to stabilize 2-3 weeks prior to the start date. Evaluation plans for each course will be discussed with FSI annually.

Should the bid reflect the cost for one course or one individual bidder/instructor/course coordinator if that instructor proposes to teach multiple courses?

The bid rate should be the same across the board.

Does the course coordinator determine who is an “expert,” per the SOW paragraph 4.3? Must guest speakers be approved by FSI, and, if so, what is the process and criteria used for approval?

Yes, FSI will review the credential of the guest speakers and make a determination for approval.

How much lead time does an instructor get as to who is enrolled in a course in order to make reading assignments beforehand that students can complete before attending. Can books be mailed through FSI to students?

Enrollments in courses can take place up to the start of the class. However, most students are enrolled in courses 2-3 week before the course start date. Given the global nature of the State Department’s workforce, hardcopy materials cannot be mailed prior to course start dates. Digital materials can be sent in advance of courses.