FINAL DRAFT 2020 IDIQ MQ911 Hostage Survival Solicitation PWS.pdf

This document is a draft PWS intended use as part of a Request for Information (RFI)/ Sources Sought (SS) notice.

It has been developed by the Government for market research purposes only. Nothing in this document can be construed to bind the Government in any way. A formal solicitation for this requirement may/ may not follow.

DOS/FSI/EX/ACQ

United States Department of State Foreign Service Institute

FSI Transition Center

(DOS/FSI/TC)

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

DOS/FSI/TC/T requires a vendor to design and deliver “Hostage Survival” presentations as a component of their Security Overseas Seminar.

This document is a draft PWS intended use as part of a Request for Information (RFI)/ Sources Sought (SS) notice.

It has been developed by the Government for market research purposes only. Nothing in this document can be construed to bind the Government in any way. A formal solicitation for this requirement may/ may not follow.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

SECURITY OVERSEAS SEMINAR (MQ911)

Delivery of Hostage Survival Presentations

Background The George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center of the Department of State is the federal government’s primary training facility for personnel of the foreign affairs community.

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the Department bureau that provides training for employees of the Department of State and other agencies at the Shultz Center. The Transition Center offers security awareness training to foreign affairs agency personnel and their eligible family members in the form of the Security Overseas Seminar (SOS) program. Over two thousand participants attend per year, from many U.S. Government agencies. Classes range from 30 to 170 with average class size of 80 students. Their level of experience in the foreign affairs varies from newcomers to veterans with twenty years or more of service, their family members and members of household. Newcomers appreciate the firsthand experiences related by veterans, but presenters must be careful to avoid an elementary approach that will bore those with more experience. It is important to acknowledge this varied spectrum of experience present among the audience members and allow them to share their acquired knowledge through interactive and engaging activities.

Purpose The Foreign Service Institute is actively seeking a qualified contractor to deliver the session ‘Hostage Survival’ for the Security Overseas Seminar (SOS). The overall aim of the SOS is to motivate individuals to identify the security threats overseas and to develop a plan for managing/mitigating the risks in both their personal and professional life when operating online.

The two-day program is offered approximately twenty (20) times a year and utilizes a variety of presentation formats in order to maximize the efficiency of the seminar. This program requires the services of a qualified and experienced presenter(s) to deliver the presentation on hostage survival in the overseas environment.

The hostage survival session occurs on the second day of the seminar, typically Tuesdays. The session is 70 minutes total; 60 minutes of presentation plus an additional 10 minutes for questions from the students afterwards. The presentation titled, Hostage Survival, will contain, but is not limited to the following topics: U.S. Government position and general procedures during an isolation or abduction; actions to prepare and respond to different types of captivity;

stages of hostage taking and captivity, factors to consider relating to escape from captivity; post-recovery support process/reintegration; and common psychological responses in the aftermath of being held captive.

Scope The audience and students for this course are diverse in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity.

Offerors who can provide a breadth of relevant information related to hostage survival within the time constraints, will be considered to bring added value to the Government. Offerors will liaise

This document is a draft PWS intended use as part of a Request for Information (RFI)/ Sources Sought (SS) notice.

It has been developed by the Government for market research purposes only. Nothing in this document can be construed to bind the Government in any way. A formal solicitation for this requirement may/ may not follow.

with course coordinator regarding curriculum. The Offeror should also be experienced in various hostage survival techniques which include preventative measures and aware of current and relevant incidents that have occurred in real life situations.

While it is understood that increased training time could be helpful, the session durations are not flexible and are set to the designated times listed above. Therefore, all instruction is encouraged to be innovative but shall also remain compliant with the time blocks associated with each course.

Definitions Here forward Contractor will refer to the small business contractor who will be ultimately responsible for services rendered and billing. Furthermore, Presenter will be the actual professional tasked with presenting the sessions for the MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar (SOS). We recognize that in many cases the Contractor will be the same individual as the Presenter.

Qualifications The contractor shall have enough knowledge and experience in hostage and hostage survival on both an individual and organizational level. The contractor shall have travel experience in foreign countries, familiarity with foreign policy issues, and possess a working knowledge of the current structure, policies, regulations and operational mechanisms of U.S. foreign affairs government agencies, and specifically U.S. missions overseas. The contractor shall have training and public speaking experience in a classroom or seminar setting.

General

1. The awardee will prepare a 50-minute session on ‘Hostage Survival’ covering session objectives to be provided by the Contracting Office Representative (COR). They will be required to submit a session outline, lesson plan, any audio/visual or presentation files and presenter notes to the course coordinator at least five working days prior to the course.

2. The Key Personnel Presenter included in the quote/award must personally deliver the presentation. In the case an awardee will be unavailable to deliver the presentation they must notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as soon as possible but no less than 48 hours prior to presentation time.

3. The awardee must employ adult experiential learning methods, including but not limited to group exercises, case studies, open discussions, and coaching, to allow students ample opportunities to discuss strategies presented in class. Activities must pertain to current, real-life situations faced by US government employees overseas.

4. The awardee will prepare and use top-quality visual aids compatible with the Foreign

Service Institute’s audio-visual technology. Handouts may be provided by awardee if desired, subject to the approval of the COR.

This document is a draft PWS intended use as part of a Request for Information (RFI)/ Sources Sought (SS) notice.

It has been developed by the Government for market research purposes only. Nothing in this document can be construed to bind the Government in any way. A formal solicitation for this requirement may/ may not follow.

5. The awardee will be required to attend an initial orientation meeting with the Contracting Office Representative (COR) and other staff members. The awardee must also attend at least one meeting per quarter with the COR to review student evaluations, objectives, and structure of the course.

6. The awardee must arrive 10 minutes prior to the start of the class and respond to follow-up questions at the end of the class.

7. The awardee must work with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other staff members to address any issues with the presentation and content of the course, in response to evaluations from students and staff, and/or updates to security procedures or State Department policies. The contractor will maintain minimum rating of 5.0 out of 6.0 from participants in courses.

8. The awardee will contribute subject matter toward course materials, including the hostage portion of the Security Overseas Seminar Guidebook and overall objectives as it relates to ‘Hostage Survival’.

9. The awardee will refrain from promoting one’s business services and references to participants becoming clients of presenters’ firms.

Location of work; Time work is being performed (Ex: 9am-5pm, etc.)

Services under this contract will be performed at the Government’s facility located at The George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center at 4000 Arlington Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. This segment will take place on a Monday or Tuesday between 9am-4pm based on scheduling and the discretion of the COR.

Hostage Survival The ‘Hostage Survival’ Presenter will prepare a 50-minute session on hostage survival covering session objectives to be provided by the Contracting Office Representative (COR). They will be required to submit a session outline, lesson plan, any audio/visual or presentation files and presenter notes to the course coordinator at least five working days prior to the course.

Contractor Status Staff working under this award understand that they are either employees of the IDIQ awardee and/or self-employed contractors and are not Government employees. As such, the contractor and their employees are responsible for managing their taxes, health insurance, social security payments, etc. The Government will pay the contractor based on the fully loaded per session rate; the contractor is responsible for paying their personal expenses. The government will pay no benefits under this agreement.

The U.S. Government will not provide:

∗ Sick or annual leave;

∗ Parking facilities – presenter must pay parking fee;

∗ Secretarial support in the Transition Center suite;

This document is a draft PWS intended use as part of a Request for Information (RFI)/ Sources Sought (SS) notice.

It has been developed by the Government for market research purposes only. Nothing in this document can be construed to bind the Government in any way. A formal solicitation for this requirement may/ may not follow.

∗ Cost reimbursable expenses beyond the awarded session rates of this contract;

∗ Retirement plan, health benefits, or life insurance benefits;

∗ Responsibility for the loss of any personal property belonging to the contractor which he/she may have brought to the workplace.