RFP_693JJ319R000014__-FINAL.pdf

RFP 693JJ319R000014

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

This competitive acquisition is solicited in accordance with FAR Subpart 19.502-4

Multiple-award contracts and small business set-asides. This solicitation is a full and open competition with a partial small business set-aside.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES/PRICES

B.1 IDIQ MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS

During the term of this Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Delivery (IDIQ) contract, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $25,000. The maximum amount of all task orders issued against all contracts awarded as a result of this acquisition shall not exceed a ceiling of

$9,000,000.

The task orders placed under the contract may be Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), Labor Hour (LH), Time-and-Materials (T&M), or a hybrid of those three types of contracts based on a determination by the Contracting Officer (CO) at the task order level.

B.2 SCHEDULE OF RATES

Labor category requirements and labor rate ceilings governing task orders under this contract shall conform to the descriptions found in J.1 and shall be listed in the Microsoft (MS) Excel format found at J.2 and apply for each of the described categories for each of the contract years.

The unit of issue (rates) is the fully burdened fixed price hourly rate. Please see 52.216-29(c)(2).

These rates include Contractor employee labor, Subcontractor employee labor and Consultant labor and include all proportional overhead, fringe, profit/fee, G&A, etc. The Offeror shall provide one labor rate for each category for each year.

The maximum amount of the contract listed in Section B.1 includes travel and materials. Travel and materials will be reimbursed at cost. Inclusion of indirect burden amounts or fee on material costs, including travel expenses, is not allowable.

Note: Resulting contract award(s) will include Attachment J.2 with the accepted Contractor loaded labor rates inserted in the pricing table.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 BACKGROUND

Established by Congress in 1970, the National Highway Institute (NHI) is the training and education arm of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The NHI’s mission is to provide technical transportation training and associated materials to the surface transportation community. Since 2004, NHI has been authorized by the International Association of

Continuing Education and Training (IACET) to award Continuing Education Units (CEU) to participants who successfully complete selected NHI training courses.

Traditionally, NHI offered Instructor-Led Training (ILT) within a classroom setting. Sensitive to the time and travel constraints of customers and aware of advances in a wide array of instructional technologies, NHI has dramatically expanded their distance learning offerings.

These include Web-Based Training (WBT), Web Conference Training (WCT), Videoconference

Training (VCT), flipped classroom training, new technologies such as ePubs, mobile apps, virtual world delivery, and new evolving training delivery platforms such as gamification. NHI also develops and updates supplemental materials and services to support training, advance the state of practice and implement best practices.

The NHI delivers training based on demand from customers, thus the number of sessions delivered is based entirely on requests for sessions. The NHI website

(http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/) provides a listing of current training courses in the Design and

Traffic Operations (Operations), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Transportation

Performance Management (TPM), Freight and Transportation Logistics (Freight) categories (i.e.

the 133XXX, 137XXX and 138XXX, and 139XXX series), as well as information on training philosophy, instructor standards, and the NHI Style Guide.

The target audience for NHI training courses is diverse and includes staff from Federal, State, regional, local, and Tribal transportation agencies located within the United States (CONUS and

OCONUS), as well as consultants, advocates, developers, and other stakeholders.

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to develop, update, and deliver training, supplemental materials, and services to support training to advance the state of practice, and implement best practices for the FHWA Operations, ITS, TPM, and Freight program areas

C.3 PROGRAM AREA INFORMATION

The FHWA's Office of Operations provides national leadership for the management and operation of the surface transportation system. The office is responsible for FHWA's efforts in the areas of congestion management, ITS Deployment, traffic operations, emergency management, and freight management and operations. To learn more about the Office of

Operations visit the following website: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/index.asp.

http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/ http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/index.asp

To learn more about the ITS Joint Program Office visit the following website:

http://www.its.dot.gov/.

The Office of Infrastructure provides leadership, technical expertise, and program assistance to help sustain America’s mobility in TPM.

TPM is a strategic approach that uses system information to make investment and policy decisions to achieve national performance goals and includes the following:

• Applying a regular, ongoing systematic process;

• Providing key information to help decision makers; allowing them to understand the consequences of investment decisions across multiple markets;

• Improving communications between decision makers, stakeholders and the traveling public; and

• Ensuring targets and measures are developed in cooperative partnerships and based on data and objective information.

To learn more about TPM within the FHWA visit the following website:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/.

The Office of Freight Management and Operations is part of the FHWA’s Office of Operations.

It works to improve goods movement for the United States transportation system and across its borders. To advance this mission, the Office administers programs and activities including:

• National Freight Program implementation;

• Funding Programs;

• Freight Data and Analysis;

• Freight Planning, Program Development, and Partnerships;

• Research; and

• Truck/Bus Size and Weight Regulatory Requirements.

To learn more about the Office of Freight Management and Operations visit the following website:

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/about.htm

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

This IDIQ contract provides for the development, update, and delivery of ILT, WBT, WCT, VCT, flipped classroom training, and training using new delivery platforms and technologies such as ePubs, mobile apps, virtual world delivery, and gamification. Additionally, this IDIQ provides for the development and update of supplemental materials and services to support training, advance the state of practice, and implement best practices in the following subject areas of Operations, ITS, TPM, and Freight.

http://www.its.dot.gov/ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/ https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/about.htm

C.5 GENERAL WORK DESCRIPTION

The NHI’s goal is to provide learner-centric instruction optimized for maximum effectiveness, and ensuring that the greatest amount of learning takes place within defined constraints. Part of this process involves developing and updating course materials responsive to the training needs of the target audience, with clearly articulated learning outcomes. The principles of adult learning and Instructional System Designers (ISD) must be incorporated into the curriculum materials, as well as an end of course learning assessment (i.e. exam, skill demonstration, etc.) in order to be consistent with IACET requirements. Classroom training includes a combination of instructional strategies, such as lectures, facilitated discussions, group exercises, case studies, workshops, interactive knowledge checks/responses, field trips, and/or participant presentations.

Highly qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable instructors have been the hallmark of NHI training courses. To be truly effective, instructor-led training requires skilled, competent, and credible instructors with relevant, nationwide project and/or program level experience. These instructors must be so well versed in their Operations, ITS, TPM, and Freight specialty area(s), that upon thoroughly reading an NHI Instructor Guide and reviewing associated course materials, they could successfully teach an NHI course session within their program area.

Since the NHI training program is Federal by nature, the NHI designs individual course developments for a national audience. However, to ensure that every NHI training session is a relevant and meaningful learning experience for all participants, NHI instructors are required to perform pre-delivery work in advance of a course session for the majority of task orders.

Specifically, NHI instructors are required to determine which “hot issues” or local topics should be addressed when contacting the local host for the training session, the FHWA Division office, the State Departments of Transportation (DOT) and/or other key contacts.

Additionally, as part of task order requirements, NHI expects instructors to continually monitor course materials to ensure that they are accurate and contain the latest information. Minor curriculum revisions include refreshing case studies and group exercises if needed; incorporating examples of current best practices or notable projects; and including references and resources that may be valuable to augment the existing materials. By reviewing completed course exams, instructors can determine if any questions need to be revised, eliminated, or new questions written. If so, Contractors shall compile a listing of suggested improvements to discuss with the

NHI Training Program Manager and FHWA Program Office lead. These sorts of minor course updates often are required as part of a task order. However, any updates to materials shall not be made without approval of the COR. These minor updates do not constitute changes. In terms of administrative responsibilities, the prescribed series of requirements NHI instructors are to follow is available on the NHI website-- http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/.

The NHI instructors are required to take the NHI Instructor Development Course (IDC) —or an approved equivalent instructor-training program-- with the aim of becoming certified NHI instructors within one year of task order award. Only the NHI Instructor Liaison can approve waivers from the IDC for curricula from equivalent instructor-development programs. The NHI does not automatically approve college level teaching experience as meeting the NHI instructor requirements. More information on the procedures for becoming certified is available on the

NHI website -- http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/.

C.6 DELINEATION OF CONTRACTOR TASKS

Specific work to be performed will be set forth under individual task orders. Task orders under this IDIQ contract will be determined and issued on an as needed basis by the

FHWA and will generally consist of work in the areas outlined below. When ordered, the

Contractor shall provide the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities to perform the requirements.

C.6.1 Development and Update of Operations, ITS, TPM, and Freight NHI Training

Courses

As new regulations, emerging technologies, research results, major initiatives, updated procedures, guidelines, and so forth affect the surface transportation industry, existing

NHI training offerings need to be updated or new training courses developed.

C.6.1.a NHI Needs Assessment and Evaluation of Training Effectiveness

The NHI’s goal is to optimize the training for maximum effectiveness ensuring the greatest amount of learning takes place within certain defined constraints. This process also involves development of learner-centric material precisely targeted to student needs. To help NHI identify the needs of our target audience, task orders for new course developments or major course updates may be preceded by an NHI-sponsored needs assessment. The results of which will be included in the specific Task Order Proposal Request (TOPR).

Furthermore, even though achieving a true measurement of the effectiveness of training can be elusive, it is desirable to obtain accurate feedback from course participants and supervisory staff. Work under this task area may include:

(1) Conducting market research of short and long-term training needs of all or specified segments of target audiences for the topic areas identified in the task order.

(2) Conducting market research of target audiences to determine specific training needs, course objectives, defining the target audience, and learning outcomes.

(3) Conducting and analyzing post course evaluations to determine effectiveness of delivery methods, course content, and instructional presentation in accomplishing the training objectives.

(4) Evaluating and proposing alternative delivery strategies and learning environments that encourage greater participation and knowledge transfer from the learning environment into the workplace.

Through the TOPR process, Contractors may be invited to submit a suggested course outline for the proposed new course or updated NHI course; this outline will be evaluated as part of the task order selection process. Course update TOPRs may or may not include a needs assessment, depending on the scope of the update.

C.6.1.b Briefings and Marketing

Briefings to various groups are necessary from time to time to determine training needs, guide the development of curriculum materials, promote and market new products or courses, and gather customer feedback. These briefings may be conducted at the NHI facilities or other locations designated by the Government.

Work under this task area may include:

• Prepare and present briefings or participate in discussions to determine training needs;

• Prepare and present briefings on NHI products and activities; and

• Work with NHI’s Marketing Team to develop promotional/marketing material for

NHI courses. Distribute promotional/marketing material for NHI courses at technical conferences, at other NHI courses, or other venues approved by the COR.

C.6.1.c Requirements for NHI Training Course and Materials Development Process

This section is an overview of the process for general development of ILT, WBT, WCT, ePub, virtual and Flipped Classroom Training and related supplemental materials. Specific requirements will be included in individual task orders.

The Contractor shall develop/update course materials to include, as a minimum, an Instructor

Guide (IG), Participant Workbook (PW), end of course assessments, visual aids, supplemental materials and services to support training, advance the state of practice, and implement best practices in the subject areas of Operations, ITS, TPM, and Freight as specified in task orders.

Curriculum development shall proceed with draft submissions of lessons in the IG format (in

Microsoft Word), the PDF version of the IG Microsoft Word file, and the source PowerPoint file with notes. These will be used by the COR and Technical Panel members as the basis for review and discussion at the Technical Review Meeting, the Technical Walk Through and at the course pilot.

The Contractor shall develop curriculum materials as described in the following specifications unless directed otherwise in a subsequent task order.

A typical course development or course update task order includes the following specific tasks and the Contractor shall, as a minimum, satisfactorily perform the following items:

Task Order Kick-Off Meeting

The kick-off meeting will be held either virtually, at the Contractor’s facility, at the NHI facility in Arlington, VA, or other agreed upon location and last no longer than eight hours.

The Contractor shall bring their draft of a suggested course outline/design plan to the kick-off meeting, which will be used during the meeting to guide discussion. The Contractor shall provide hard copies for those in attendance. The Contractor shall discuss -- in broad general terms -- the major topic areas presented in their proposed course outline, the depth of coverage they anticipate for each topic area, the type of instructional techniques they propose to incorporate, as well as any recommendations or questions on course content or direction.

Discussion will also focus on NHI’s expectations regarding ISD and IACET requirements related to development of participant-focused, interactive training. This meeting will typically be held within 30 calendar days of the task order aware.

The NHI strives to complete a new development efforts within ten (10) months or less from the time of the kick-off Meeting. However, the NHI is aware that the timeline can be affected by a number of factors including the complexity of the course topic area and the availability of Technical Panel members. Therefore, the discussion will also include establishing a Course Development Schedule, which lists each stage in this course development process, assigns responsibilities for various stages, and establishes due dates.

The Government will review and adjust the proposed schedule for all deliverables in cooperation with the Contractor. Once agreed to, the schedule will become a part of the task order through a modification signed by the Contracting Officer. Any changes to the schedule will require a modification signed by the Contracting Officer.

Chief among the objectives of the kick-off meeting is to reach consensus on the course outline/design plan, so the Contractor can proceed with development of design plans. The deliverables from the kick-off meeting are meeting minutes including record of decisions made, the final course outline/design plan and the schedule of tasks and deliverables.

Develop Design Plans

The terminology for design plans depends on the type of training being developed (ILT or virtual

(WBT, WCT, VCT, or other virtual)). Preliminary lesson plans (PLPs) are developed for ILT.

High-Level and Detailed Design Plans (HDP/DDP) are developed for WBT and WCT. For the purpose of this Statement of Work (SOW), “design plans” pertain to any type of training ILT or virtual (WBT, WCT, VCT, or other virtual).

The contractor shall develop design plans which serve as the framework around which the lesson plans and related curriculum material will be developed. These design plans will serve as a benchmark before starting the course development process to ensure complete understanding between the contractor and the Government, as well as assurance that the finished product will meet the training needs of the target audience and is consistent with the course goal(s). Lesson plans detail the instructional methods for an individual lesson and provides adequate information for the instructor to plan his or her approach to the lesson. It contains an overview of the applicable information from the design plan. A lesson plan is included at the beginning of each module or lesson in an NHI instructor guide.

The design plans for ILT shall be structured to provide a minimum of 6 hours of actual instruction time per day, excluding breaks, pre-tests, course evaluations, the end-of-course learning assessment, and time for instructors to review the assessment with all participants.

Ideally, the course will contain no more than 30 percent lecture with only one-way communication. Adequate breaks shall be allowed, but no block of instruction should be longer than 90 minutes without a break or some form of participatory activity for the course participants. Breaks can be incorporated into the time allocated for the participants to complete group exercises, workshops or other activities.

The “introductory material” of the design plans shall include, as a minimum:

• Course Title;

• Course Description;

• Target Audience Description, include any pre-requisites or assumed pre-training competencies;

• Course Outcomes; and

• Course Agenda.

At a minimum, the design plan for each lesson shall include:

• Lesson Title;

• Specific material to be taught;

• Learning Outcomes that map to the overall course goal and outcomes which are performance based and learner oriented;

• Instructional method(s) that will be employed: e.g. lecture, demonstration, facilitated discussion, knowledge checks, polling, workshops, small group exercises, case studies, field trips, etc.;

• Time allocation for each activity;

• Guidance for presenting the material and tailoring it for different audiences;

• Inventory of participant handouts, job aids, visual aids, and equipment needs;

• Plan to evaluate the effectiveness of each lesson to meet the stated learning outcomes:

e.g. facilitated discussion, question and answer period, lesson quizzes, knowledge checks, participant presentations, problem-solving exercises, etc.; and

• Plans for use of visual aids, including photographs, tables, graphs, etc. (It is suggested that cross reference numbering of visual aids to source documents be done.)

The contractor shall develop and submit to the COR an electronic draft design plan, receive written comments from the COR; submit the final design plan and receive written authorization to proceed to the next task, in accordance with the established timeline. Once the course lessons are completed, the design plan for each will be finalized and become the formal Lesson Plan, preceding each lesson in the Instructor Guide.

Prototype

For virtual training (web-based, web-conference, ePub, or other virtual delivery method) a prototype shall be developed. Once the contractor receives final written approval of the design plans from the COR, the contractor shall submit the prototype of a module or lesson according to the schedule.

The prototype shall be of a module or a representative sample that demonstrates instructional features, techniques and methods, and color schemes and shall be a fully developed lesson which shall include all appropriate programming, recorded audio narration, all proposed content for the lesson, all knowledge checks for the lesson, and meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Section 508 compliance requirements.

The contractor shall submit the following two deliverables for the prototype:

• “Storyboard” (PowerPoint full source file with any associated audio, video, attachments, and related files) for the prototype; and

• Published Adobe Presenter file, that can be uploaded to the Adobe Connect server for review.

The contractor shall meet all the applicable sections of the appropriate Standards Guide (SG) for the delivery format. As an example for WBT, the contractor should particularly focus on the

Standards for Prototypes (Section 4 of the WBT-SG) and the Standards for Using the WBT

PowerPoint Template, Media, Interactivity, Assessments, Electronic File Naming Conventions, Publishing, Delivery Formats, and Electronic File Submissions (Sections 5-11 of the WBT-SG).

Additionally, the contractor shall meet all requirements specified in the most current NHI Style and General Standards Guide (SGSG).

The prototype phase is also the point in which the contractor shall propose a narrator and the

Government will review and approve the narrator. The contractor shall submit their prototype lesson (specific lesson approved in the design plan) with embedded narration (at least 5 minutes of audio). If the narrator changes at any time during the project, the contractor shall submit a sample of the prototype with the new narrator’s recorded audio (at least 5 minutes of audio).

The contractor shall transmit electronic copies of all draft materials to the COR and Technical

Panel as identified by the COR. For each submission, the contractor will receive two (2) sets of review comments (ISD and Technical). Unless approved otherwise by the COR, all comments shall be considered by the contractor and shall be appropriately incorporated into the training materials. The COR may call an optional progress meeting with the contractor and NHI/FHWA team.

The contractor shall respond to all comments in writing made by the COR and keep a record of revisions and comment resolution. If the lesson prototype does not comply with NHI’s standards, as well as those design elements specified in the design document, the contractor shall re-develop the prototype at no additional cost to the Government. Once the COR approves the prototype (in writing), the contractor shall proceed with the course development process.

Instructor Guide

The IG is based on an approved design plan and provides a comprehensive presentation of the course to serve as a guide for a qualified instructor tasked with delivering a specific NHI training course. The IG includes a detailed, interactive lesson plan for each course lesson; explains visual aids, case studies, group exercises, sample problems, equipment or software demonstrations, or field trips; and presents specific instructions about the conduct of the class (e.g. arranging and conducting field trips, setting up computer applications, tips on managing group exercises, equipment set up instructions, etc.).

The IG provides instructors the key message for every slide in addition to suggested speaking points, visual cues for participant activities, questions to prompt discussion, answers to these questions, as well as time allotments for each lesson. The key message shall state the learning point of what the slide is intended to convey rather than a repetition of the slide title. The IG shall not include a complete narrative that an instructor could recite or read to the participants.

Rather, the IG background section includes additional information on the key message a series of talking points the instructors are to review in advance of the lesson they are delivering. The background information can be shared with session participants if further explanation is needed and time permits.

Instructor Guides shall include as a minimum:

• Course Title;

• Table of Contents;

• Executive Summary;

• Target Audience Description, including any pre-requisites or assumed pre-training competencies;

• Course Outcomes;

• Course Agenda;

• Organization of the course (i.e. number of days, number of lessons, table of lesson titles and time allotted to each, etc.);

• Description of items for the Instructor Tool Kit (e.g. pre-designed polls, knowledge checks, job aids, oversized maps to be used in group exercises, charts, posters, any equipment that will be used as part of the course presentation, colored pencils for group exercises, handouts for group activities);

• Description of training room requirements (e.g. web-conference meeting room, break out room phone numbers (for WCT), in-person classroom set up (for ILT and VCT); tables for instructors; microphones, flip charts, tables for reference materials, handouts, exhibits, demonstration materials, computer classroom, video camera (for VCT) etc.);

• Participant requirements (e.g. completing an interactive CD or WBT in advance of the class, bringing specific calculators to class, etc.);

• Lesson plan preceding each lesson; and

• Comprehensive Appendix, including a Glossary, list of Acronyms, listing of related-NHI training offerings, as well as course specific materials (e.g. case studies, best practices, copies of laws, regulations, guidance, publications, job aids, etc.). In some cases, the appendix will meet the requirements for the course Reference Manual.

Participant Workbook

The PW is a subset of the IG and consists of copies of PowerPoint slides, screen shots, charts, graphs, photographs, et al of the instructor’s presentation. The PW shall allow room for the participant to take notes during the course in lined areas or white space, specifically intended for this purpose. The PW may also include background or technical content below the slide. Slides in the PW must be clear to participants. If screen shots consist of bulleted text, two slides per page is adequate. If they depict photographs, charts, maps, or related material, one slide per page is more appropriate. A PW can be hard copy or electronic such as an e-book.

Participant Workbooks shall also include the following:

• General course information, including a Class Agenda, Introduction, Table of Contents, Course Goal and Course Outcomes;

• Copies of case studies; step-by-step solutions for all problems used in class;

• Photographs should provide as much descriptive information as possible to meet

Section 508 compliance requirements (e.g. date, location, project description, etc.); and

• Same Appendices as are included in the IG, with the exception of the course answer key.

Participant Support Materials

Depending on the nature of the course, technical reference manuals, guides, and reports, and/or resources can vary in size and variety of information: it may be a freestanding document or a comprehensive array of materials located in the Appendix of the IG and PW. In some cases, it may be prudent to produce this deliverable in electronic format. If this option is selected, the contractor shall design the materials such that the information is easy to navigate and includes web links, if appropriate, to ensure that the information is the most currently available. If a less comprehensive Reference Manual is deemed more appropriate, it should be viewed as a companion to the course materials and produced in a complementary format. Discussion on the type of Reference Manual to produce can occur at the Kick-Off meeting and/or subsequent

Technical Review Meetings.

Visual Aids

For each lesson, the contractor shall develop the most suitable type of visual aid or combination of aids to support and reinforce the subject material. This includes selecting or generating slides, generating computer graphics, selecting and/or shooting photographs, and preparing graphs and tables for use in class. Computer generated graphics shall be developed using the most modern technology generally available, and the computer software program proposed for this purpose shall be approved in advance by the COR. Electronic and hard copies of any slides, video, formulae, cross section(s) of plans, wall charts, etc. used by the instructor to conduct the class shall be provided to the COR. The contractor may also create flip charts during the class and used effectively to generate participant interaction.

Handouts are any additional material used by the instructor and given to participants during class. These could be information on group exercises, copies of regulations, case studies, best practices, problems with solutions, or other supplementary information. The NHI provides the

PW in black and white; however, if the use of color is important to convey the learning point of the lesson, certain pages or handouts can be made in color.

Photographs shall be clear and contain appropriate labels to identify all features of the item or detail shown in the image. To the maximum extent possible, photographs should not appear more than once, unless necessary to re-emphasize an important point. The contractor is responsible for obtaining and providing to the COR written permission for use of all photos, videos, tables, and other graphics used in course materials.

Use of video clips is encouraged to demonstrate key concepts and/or practices. In proposals, the contractor shall propose the following: brief description of each video clip, length of each clip, number of clips in total, price of each clip. The contractor shall include in the price the cost to ensure that each video clip is fully compliant with Section 508. New videos developed shall be closed captioned or open captioned. The transcript may also be required to include audio descriptions of non-speech elements. Additionally, a text version of the narration script shall be included that includes clip title, clip length, full transcription of all narration and included description of visual and audio elements in video clip (including non-speech elements). The contractor shall work with the COR to obtain approval by FHWA’s Office of Public Affairs of the video concepts, the scripts, and the video clips before inclusion into the training course.

All graphics shall follow the NHI Style and General Standards Guide available from the NHI website: www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov

Learning Assessment

As part of a continuous improvement process and in conformance with IACET standards, NHI has instituted a course design policy to include a post-course assessment. Selection of this learning evaluation tool is an ISD decision and shall be designed to measure participant performance in relation to the course outcomes. Acceptable assessment tools include: end of course exam, structured group exercises, problem-solving exercises, and demonstrations of a specific skill, among other objective tests.

To this end, the contractor shall develop “end of course assessments” that fully measure mastery of each overall course outcome (at a minimum the Kirkpatrick Level II evaluation). The assessment shall form a comprehensive end of course evaluation of the participant’s retention of critical skills and knowledge for successful job performance following completion of this training. Generally, there should be one or more questions per course learning outcome.

Participants should complete a basic assessment within about 30-45 minutes, depending on the length of the course. In developing the assessment tools, include objective measures, such as multiple choice questions, matching questions, or methods that require critical thinking, such as case studies or demonstrations of specific skills. Subjective formats such as case studies shall have clearly stated response criteria or parameters to reduce subjectivity when evaluating participant responses. A test score of 70 is the minimum score needed in order to pass the course.

The number of test items shall be sufficient to adequately measure a student’s mastery of each course outcome. The contractor shall determine the specific types of test items by the behavior specified in the outcome to be tested and the instructional delivery system used. The various types of test items that may be used are displayed below:

Test Item Type Characteristics

Multiple-choice • Useful for testing knowledge and cognitive abilities

• Consists of a stem and four responses, including the correct answer and distractors

Matching • Useful for testing terms and labels

• Consists of two columns of related words, phrases, or symbols to be matched by the participant

Completion or “fill in the blank” • Useful for testing recall of knowledge committed to memory

• Consists of a statement from which a word(s) or short phrase has been omitted

• The participant must supply the missing word(s) or phrase in the blank(s) provided

Performance • Useful for testing job tasks and skills

• Consists of a simulated or actual environment with certain conditions of performance and certain expected outcomes

True/False (T/F) • Useful for testing knowledge

• Consists of a single statement

• The number of T/F questions is limited to 10% of the total number of questions, No exceptions

The contractor shall develop the required test items, and all required supplemental materials (e.g.

instructions for the instructor, instructions for the participants, answer sheet, scoring procedures, answer key, etc.). The decision on whether to develop multiple versions of a test will be made by the COR during the course development process.

Technical Review Meetings

Technical Review Meetings may be held face to face at the contractor’s facility, the NHI facility in Arlington, VA, or other agreed upon location. Technical Review Meetings may also be held virtually.

The purpose is to allow the COR and Technical Panel to discuss relevant technical issues in the materials and ensure that curriculum or technical manual or job aid development or course revision is proceeding in the right direction. As preparation for these meetings, the contractor shall provide draft materials for the COR and Technical Panel to review in advance of the meeting. Therefore, please note that Technical Review Meetings include curriculum or technical manual or job aid development. The Project Manager, SME’s, and ISD specialists are expected to attend. The COR chairs the meetings and the Project Manager takes the lead in “walking” the attendees through the draft lessons. The number of Technical Review Meetings will depend on the length of the course and will be determined by the COR.

At least one (1) week in advance of the meeting, the contractor shall provide each attendee a complete set of the draft deliverables. The contractor shall be prepared to cite sources, respond to questions, discuss types of reference materials to include, and explain any case studies, group exercises or other interactive learning techniques they propose for each lesson.

The outcome from a Technical Review Meeting is consensus on the content and format of the deliverable(s) discussed. The deliverable is the final draft that incorporates all the comments made at the meeting and which is provided in accordance with the established timeline. The

COR will provide final approval accordingly.

Technical Walk Through

After delivery of the lesson or technical reference manuals, guides, reports, resources, and job aids submittal, the contractor shall conduct a technical walk through (TWT) meeting. The TWT length varies depending on the course/manual/job aid length and complexity. The timing of when TWT meetings are held will be detailed in task orders and varies depending on the length and complexity of the course/manual/job aid. The purpose of the TWT is to link course/manual/job aid content with the learning outcomes, validate technical materials, agree on sequencing, for course development explain any group exercises, case studies, or other course content issues, and secure approval to proceed.

During a TWT for a course, the Contractor’s SME(s) shall present a minimum of two course lessons - FHWA may request more than two lessons being presented depending on which lessons are being presented. These lessons will be selected by the COR, contractor and the Technical

Panel in advance. The contractor shall “walk through” the other lessons, describing the key points, exercises, interactivities, etc. The COR, NHI ISD support, and the Technical Panel will serve as the “representative” target audience. The contractor’s Project Manager or Lead

Instructor shall take the lead in walking attendees through the lessons. The contractor shall use the IG as the basis for their presentation.

The contractor shall incorporate all comments received during the module/lesson review activities and shall submit all updated modules/lessons (IG and PPT), PWs, course assessment and any additional visual aids after notification of approval of the module/lesson drafts from the

COR and prior to the TWT. These documents must be uploaded to NHI’s Secure Large File

Transfer System (SLFTS) site and the COR may request that the contractor bring copies of the materials for the technical panel and NHI ISD to the TWT meeting.

The contractor shall respond in writing to all comments made by the COR before, during, and/or after the TWT meeting. Once the COR approves the TWT Meeting minutes and the CORs comment responses (in writing), then contractor shall proceed with deliverable development.

Pilot Course Presentation

Once the COR approves the responses to TWT comments, the contractor shall prepare for and conduct a course pilot. The contractor’s Project Manager, the course instructor(s), and the ISD staff are expected to attend. It is expected that all feedback will have been incorporated into the final course lessons, which will be presented at the pilot. The pilot is presented before a representative NHI target audience. The plot is neither a dry run, nor a training exercise for potential instructors. Course participants shall receive the same level of instruction as in a regular course presentation. The location and dates will be established by the COR in cooperation with the contractor and the host. The contractor shall complete the required NHI session paperwork for the pilot session. The contractor shall inform the host of the requirement for participants of the ILT to take any prerequisite courses or complete any pre-work assignments, and to participate in debriefings at the end of each day of the pilot session.

The location and dates of the pilot will be established by the COR in cooperation with the contractor. The “host” of the pilot will register up to 30 participants, secure the training facility, provide audio-visual equipment, and be responsible for logistical information (i.e. directions to the training location, room set up, lodging recommendations, parking, etc.). The contractor shall deliver to the pilot location all PWs and related course materials (e.g. group exercises, job aids, case studies, best practices, etc.), as well IGs for the Technical Panel.

The contractor shall provide qualified instructor(s) for the course who have been approved by the

COR and who have studied the material and prepared for the course. The instructor(s) shall contact the Pilot Host to discuss training room requirements and preferred starting times for the class, provide copies of their biographies, provide copies of the course agenda, and discuss any other related items. The instructor(s) shall arrive at the pilot site well in advance of the class to locate the facility; assure that the training room is set up properly, including tables at the back for the Technical Panel observers; check that audio visual equipment is in working order; verify that any shipped course materials have arrived; familiarize themselves with housekeeping items, lunch recommendations, etc. If the pilot instructors will be responsible for course delivery, each proposed instructor shall present a significant portion of the course materials so that the course observers can evaluate the performance of each proposed instructor.

The pilot course presentation will be checked for accuracy and clarity of content, scheduled length versus actual length, pacing, level of interactivity, and degree to which learning outcomes were achieved. Delivery techniques are assessed and questions raised by participants are recorded. The Technical Panel Lead, COR, or NHI ISD will facilitate a 15 to 30-minute de-briefing of participants, without the instructors present. Essentially, the questions posed to participants at the debriefings are: What worked? What needs work? Following the participant debriefs, the contract’s Project Manager and instructors will join the COR and the Technical

Panel for a second debrief. The contractor shall record and incorporate feedback as part of the final course development. The deliverable is the final draft of course materials to COR and

Technical Panel in accordance with the established timeline. The COR will provide final approval accordingly.

The instructor(s) shall administer and proctor the type of “End of Course Assessment” agreed upon by the COR and the Technical Review Team (e.g. exam, demonstration, etc.). Upon completion of the allotted time, the assessment tool shall be collected to maintain security. The participant answer sheets for objective assessments shall also be collected and scored by the instructor. The contractor shall build time in the course pilot delivery to review the exam with the participants and record their comments to determine whether a particular question needs to be re-worded, eliminated or clarified—or whether new questions need to be drafted. In addition, the contractor team shall complete a test item analysis of the pilot exam and present their recommendations for any changes to the COR. Participants achieving a score of 70 percent or higher will be eligible for award of Continuing Education Units (CEUs), provided they have attended 100 percent of the course.

If the Assessment is designed as an objective test, the instructor shall take time to provide the class answers to the questions as part of the course wrap up. If the Assessment is designed as

“participant involvement” in a case study, the instructor must verify that participants were fully engaged and are able to achieve the application level learning.

For Course Development

After conclusion of the pilot (or in the case of a technical manual, report, etc), the COR will provide the contractor with the ISD and Technical Panel comments (2 documents) on the course and the reference manual. The contractor shall respond to these comments in writing after receipt of comments.

After the written approval of the COR of any changes to be made based on the ISD and

Technical Panel pilot comments, the contractor shall post all course materials to their FTP site or

FHWA’s SLFTS.

The COR will provide either written approval of delivery of final materials or note required corrections to the contractor. Upon approval, the contractor shall provide all deliverables to the

COR.

For Web-Based Training

The contractor shall revise the WBT to incorporate requested changes and re-record audio narration as necessary (at the same level of quality, with the same narrator). If any changes are made to a lesson the contractor is required to re-record the audio narration for the entire lesson.

After receipt of the COR response to the Pilot, the contractor shall submit the updated and finalized files to the COR for soft-launch testing.

The contractor shall work with NHI staff to upload and test the WBT in NHI’s system after course pilot until soft-launch approval is achieved. The contractor shall revise the WBT to correct any issues that need fixing from initial testing in NHI’s system. The soft-launch testing time frame will depend on the size of the course and the issues encountered. The contractor shall actively participate with the NHI ISDs in troubleshooting any issues. This process may require the contractor to submit ALL source files to the COR and therefore, the contractor shall have all source files prepared for distribution as needed.

Final acceptance will not be granted until the WBT is fully functional in NHI’s system. Final acceptance of the WBT will be provided in writing by the COR, once the contractor has implemented the Government’s requested changes. The contractor shall submit all final source files, published files, and all applicable documents to the COR via their FTP site or FHWA’s

SLFTS after written soft-launch approval notice from the COR.

Final Deliverables

As explained above, Technical Review Meetings and Technical Walk Through include development of draft and final curriculum materials. All deliverables shall be in Microsoft Word

2016, Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 or later format, and Adobe PDF. All photographs shall be in jpg. All deliverables shall meet the applicable Section 508-compliance requirements as described in the attachments included in the attachments.

The Contractor shall provide all project materials including but not limited to course material, documents, photographs, signed media releases for copyrighted images/videos/etc., charts, tables, and equations in a format approved by the COR and as specified by the individual task order.

C.6.2. Development and Update of Alternate Delivery Approaches and Supplemental

Materials and Services

The FHWA supports research and use of state-of-the-art technologies and provides leadership in the deployment of emerging technologies and uses new and evolving training delivery approaches to improve the condition and durability of the Nation’s bridges, tunnels and other highway structures. To this end, the scope of this contract includes development or update of supplemental materials and services to support training and advance the state of practice and implementation of best practices.

This section is an overview of the processes for the general development of supplemental materials and innovative training approaches. Specific requirements will be included in individual task orders.

Alternative Delivery Approaches:

The NHI's goal is to provide training that improves the performance of the transportation industry. The NHI accomplishes this by developing and delivering training that is focused on adult-learning principles and learner-centered outcomes. Recent research in learning methodologies and strategies has revealed that gamification, virtual simulation, and micro-learning and/or video are instrumental in knowledge transfer. The NHI’s strategic vision requires a granular approach for content production, meaning that the training is highly detailed; having many small and distinct parts. This approach makes better use of synchronous time and should result in shorter synchronous sessions to achieve desired learning outcomes.

The NHI is one of the most innovative learning organizations in Government, making great strides over the past few years to design and develop video, web-based, and web-conference training, ePubs, virtual simulations, and other cutting–edge training modalities that achieve cost savings, increased training participation rates, and transfer information effectively to its customers. As part of this drive towards innovation and organizational efficiency, NHI continues to seek fresh delivery approaches around its training initiatives. To this end, the scope of this contract includes:

Videos

The contractor shall provide audio and video production support services which may include script writing and managing audio and/or video production. Management of audio/video production includes all aspects of film, video, radio, digital and other new media direction, production and post-production including: creative concept, development, copywriting, casting, talent negotiations, shooting video, capturing audio, and editing media files. Post-production services include overseeing editing and storage of source files into finished product, including rough cut and final editing, sound mixing, and visual effects.

Virtual Worlds

The contractor shall provide support for Virtual World events and for all needed platform/system purchases, event licenses, stream hosting services,…