693JJ323R000002 NHI Structures 10-28 (DRAFT RFP).pdf

693JJ323R000002

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 $49,500,000.

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

B.2 SCHEDULE OF RATES

Labor skill sets and rate ceilings governing this contract shall conform to the descriptions found in J.1 and shall be listed in the Microsoft 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).

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.

(End of Section B)

DRAFT

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). 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 time and travel constraints of customers and aware of advances in a wide array of instructional technologies, NHI has dramatically expanded distance learning offerings. These include web-based training (WBT), web conference training (WCT), videoconference training (VCT), virtual instructor-led training (VILT), flipped classroom training, and new technologies such as mobile apps and virtual world delivery. NHI also develops and updates supplemental materials and services to support training, advancing the state-of-the-practice.

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 Structures program area (130XXX/134XXX 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, as well as consultants, advocates, developers, and other stakeholders.

The National Highway Institute (NHI) supports incorporating diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility by developing and delivering training that is inclusive and accessible to all learners regardless of sex, race, national origin and disability.

NHI partners will support this commitment to deliver and develop training by meeting Section 504 and 508 requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) for accessibility, supporting expansion of diversity in image and narrators used in training, and creating an environment that is inclusive and engaging during course deliveries

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to develop, update, and deliver creative, innovative, interactive training to include supplemental materials, tools, and services to support training. Advancing the state-of-the practice and implement best practices for the FHWA Structures program area.

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

C.3 TARGET AUDIENCE

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.4 SCOPE OF WORK

This IDIQ contract provides for the development, update, and delivery of instructor-led training (ILT), web-based training (WBT), web conference training (WCT), videoconference training (VCT), flipped classroom training, new and evolving training delivery platforms, electronic testing, and new technologies such as mobile apps, electronic workbooks, virtual simulations, and virtual world delivery. Additionally, this IDIQ provides for the development and update of supplemental materials, tools, and services to support training, advance the state of practice, and implement best practices in the Structures subject area.

C.5 SUBJECT AREA

This section describes the specific subject areas to be addressed and the technical skills necessary and associated with the Structures area.

Specific work to be performed will be set forth under individual Task Orders.

Core Area Structures

Components (Note: this list is not all-inclusive)

• 130053 Bridge Inspection Refresher Training (ILT)

• 130054 Engineering Concepts for Bridge Inspectors (ILT)

• 130055 Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges (ILT)

• 130056 Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges for Professional

Engineers (ILT)

• 130078 Bridge Inspection Techniques for Non-Redundant Steel

Tension Members (NSTM) (ILT)

• 130078 Bridge Inspection Techniques for Nonredundant Steel

Tension Members (ILT)

• 130078A Bridge Inspection Techniques for Nonredundant Steel

Tension Members (NSTM) Refresher Course (WBT)

• 130081 LRFD for Highway Bridge Superstructures (4-day ILT)

• 130081A LRFD for Highway Bridge Superstructures (2-day Steel

ILT)

• 130081B LRFD for Highway Bridge Superstructures (2-day

Concrete ILT)

• 130081C LRFD Design of Common Bridge Elements: Decks and

Bearings (WBT)

• 130081D LRFD Steel I-Girder Details Design (WBT)

• 130081E Prestressed Concrete Girder Topics (WBT)

• 130081P General Superstructure Design Considerations (WBT)

• 130087 Inspection and Maintenance of Ancillary Highway Structures (ILT)

• 130087A Inspection and Maintenance of Ancillary Highway Structures WBT PREREQUISITE (WBT)

• 130087B Inspection and Maintenance of Ancillary Highway Structures (WCT)

• 130091 Underwater Bridge Inspection (ILT)

• 130091B Underwater Bridge Repair, Rehabilitation, and

Countermeasures (ILT)

• 130092 Load and Resistance Factor Rating of Highway Bridges

(ILT)

• 130092V Load and Resistance Factor Rating of Highway Bridges

(VILT)

• 130093W Introduction to Earthquake Engineering (WBT)

• 130095 LRFD and Analysis of Curved Steel Highway Bridges

(ILT)

• 130101 Introduction to Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges

(WBT)

• 130101A Prerequisite Assessment for Safety Inspection of In-

Service Bridges (WBT)

• 130102 Engineering for Structural Stability in Bridge Construction

(3 day) (ILT)

• 130102A Engineering for Structural Stability in Bridge

Construction (3dDay) (ILT)

• 130103 Post-Tensioning Tendon Installation and Grouting - WBT

• 130105A Introduction to FRP Materials and Applications for

Concrete Structures (WBT)

• 130105B Construction Procedures and Specifications for Bonded

Repair and Retrofit of Concrete Structures (WBT)

• 130105C Quality Control of Repair and Retrofit of Concrete

Structures Using FRP Composites (WBT)

• 130106A Bridge Preservation Fundamentals (WBT)

• 130106B Establishing a Bridge Preservation Program (WBT)

• 130106C Communication Strategies for Bridge Preservation (WBT)

• 130107A Fundamentals of Bridge Maintenance (WBT)

• 130107B Bridge Maintenance Painting (WBT)

• 130107C Maintenance of Movable Bridges (WBT)

• 130107D Maintenance of Masonry Bridge Elements (WBT)

• 130108 Bridge Maintenance (ILT)

• 130109A Bridge Management Fundamentals (WBT)

• 130109B Performance-Based Management of Highway Bridges

(WBT)

• 130110 Tunnel Safety Inspection (ILT)

• 130111 Nondestructive Evaluation Fundamentals for Bridge

Inspection (WBT)

• 130112A NDE for Concrete Bridge Elements (WBT)

• 130112B NDE for Steel Bridge Elements (WBT)

• 130112C NDE for Timber and Other Material Bridge Elements

(WBT)

• 130122 Design and Evaluation of Bridges for Fatigue and Fracture

(ILT)

• 130124 Tunnel Safety Inspection Refresher WBT Prerequisite

(WBT)

• 130125 Tunnel Safety Inspection Refresher (ILT)

• 130126 Strut-and-Tie Modeling (STM) for Concrete Structures

(ILT)

• 130126V Strut-and-Tie Modeling (STM) for Concrete Structures

(VILT)

• 130128 Bridge Construction Inspection Web-Based Training

(WBT) Prerequisite (WBT)

• 130129 Bridge Construction Inspection Instructor-Led Training

(ILT)

• 130130 Inspection of Unlined Rock Tunnels Instructor-Led

Training (ILT)

• Bridge Inspection Reference Manual Publication

• Bridge Inspection Reference Manual Mobile App

• 130XXX Structural Evaluation Considering Deterioration

• 130XXX Tunnel Functional Systems

• Virtual Bridge Inspection (VBI) (Software)

• Virtual Tunnel Inspection (VTI) (Software)

• Updates to reference manuals connected to the course updates

• Underwater Bridge Inspection Reference Manual

• Underwater Bridge Maintenance Reference Manual

C.6 GENERAL WORK DESCRIPTION

This contract provides for the development, update, and delivery of ILT, WBT, WCT, VCT, or flipped classroom training, and training using new technologies such as ePubs, mobile apps, virtual world delivery, and gamification as well as the development or update of supplemental materials and services to support training, advance the state of practice, and implement best practices in the subject areas of Structures subject area.

NHI’s goal is to optimize training for maximum effectiveness, 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 Design (ISD) must be incorporated into the development of clear course learning outcomes and curriculum materials, as well as the administering of 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, all training whether Instructor-Led or virtual requires skilled, competent, subject matter experts that are credible instructors with relevant, nationwide project level experience. These instructors must be so well versed in the Structures program area, that upon thoroughly reading an NHI Instructor Guide and reviewing associated course materials, a qualified and experienced instructor could teach a NHI course session within the Structures program area. The instructors must also carry themselves with the highest esteem demonstrating dignity, respect, and professionalism for all individuals participating and inquiring as the instructors are representatives of the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Institute.

The NHI training program is Federal by nature and the NHI designs training for a nationalized audience. However, to ensure that every NHI training session is relevant and a meaningful learning experience for all participants, some task orders require instructors to perform pre-delivery work in advance of a course session. Specifically, NHI instructors are required to coordinate with the hosts to determine which “local issues” or topics should be incorporated into the training addressed after contacting the local host for the training session, the FHWA Division office, the State DOT and/or other “key” contacts. An example may be coordinating sites for on-site bridge field reviews or assist in the selection of optional lesson topics.

Additionally, as part of delivery task orders, NHI expects instructors to continually monitor course materials to ensure they are accurate and contain the latest information. This includes refreshing case studies and group exercises if needed; replacing outdated photos; incorporating examples of current events, best practices or notable projects; including references and resources which may be valuable to augment the existing materials; making updates as needed to accommodate participant feedback and any errors found.

Also, the Contractor shall review course exams upon the completion of each course to determine if any questions need to be revised, eliminated or new questions written. If so, Contractors can compile a listing of suggested improvements to discuss with the NHI Training Program Manager and FHWA Program Office lead. These sorts of course changes are required as part of a delivery task order. However, any change to materials shall not be made without approval of the COR. 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. Only the NHI Instructor Liaison can approve waivers from the IDC for curricula from equivalent instructor-training programs. NHI does not automatically approve college level teaching experience as meeting the NHI instructor requirements. More information on the procedures for becoming NHI certified is available on the NHI website --http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/. Instructors will also be required to take a follow-on NHI Instructor Development Course (IDC) refresher training at some frequency dictated by the NHI.

DRAFT

NHI endorses purposeful opportunities to leverage innovation and the use of innovative technologies in an effort to make NHI training the best it can be for learners/participants.

In terms of volume, the NHI Structures engineering courses are very popular with sessions held monthly at locations across the country. The Contractor is required to have adequate staff with qualified instructors who can meet the demands with 30 business days’ notice of award of task order.

Specific work to be performed will be set forth under individual task orders. However, task orders will generally consist of work in the following areas (Section C.7.1 - C.7.4):

C.7 DELINEATION OF CONTRACTOR TASKS

C.7.1 Development and Update of NHI Structures 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.7.1.a NHI Needs Assessment and Evaluation of Training Effectiveness

NHI’s goal is to optimize each training for maximum effectiveness ensuring the greatest amount of learning takes place within certain defined constraints. This process involves development of learner-centric material precisely targeted to the learners needs. To help NHI identify the needs of our target audience, task orders for new course development or minor/major course updates may be preceded by an NHI-sponsored needs assessment. The results of which will be included in the Background section of 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 be issued to include, but not limited to the following:

(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 task order proposal request (TOPR) process, approved 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.7.1.b Learning Management System and Course Development Tools

Within the next year NHI will migrate over and leverage the Anthology Ultra Learning Management System (LMS) from our current Course Management System. Anthology Ultra is a web-based virtual learning environment and learning management system developed by Anthology Ultra (previously known as Blackboard, Inc.). The software features course management, customizable open architecture, and scalable design that allows integration with student information systems and authentication protocols. The migration to the Anthology Ultra will require the Contractor/Instructors to receive/seek training opportunities to familiarize and utilize the LMS at no cost to the government.

C.7.1.c 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, virtual conferencing and or other locations designated by the Government.

Work under this task area may include, but is not limited to:

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

• Prepare and present briefings on NHI products and activities.

• 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.7.1.d Specifications for NHI Training Course and Materials Development Process

This section is an overview of the process for general development of ILT, WBT, WCT, E-Books, Virtual Environments for learning, Reference Manuals, gamification, and Flipped Classroom Training/Methods for training and other 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), Facilitator Guide (FG), end-of-course assessments, visual aids, supplemental materials include source files and print-ready, and Section 508-comformant files and services to support training, advance the state-of-the-practice, and implement best practices in the subject areas as specified in task orders. This will include any developed macros to source files. Curriculum development shall proceed with draft submissions of lessons in the Instructor Guide format (in Microsoft Word), the PDF version of the IG Microsoft Word file, and the source PowerPoint file with notes. Electronic copies of the course materials shall be developed for use in the LMS for options of printable (grayscale and or color) and electronic files (color) for participants/instructors/facilitators by request from the COR.

These will be used by the COR and Technical Review Team/ 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. In addition, responsive web design should be applied to the development of web-based training materials and other materials that would be delivered in an online format.

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 Vienna, VA, or other agreed upon location and last no longer than eight hours unless additional time is required and requested and approved by the COR.

Contractor’s staff attending the kick-off meeting shall include the Project Manager, the subject matter expert(s) responsible for content development, Section 508 Compliance Specialist/Manager responsible for development of Section 508 Conformant deliverables and their approach to ensuring all deliverables are Section 508 conformant, and the instructional system designer(s). If the Contractor proposes additional project staff, the task order proposal shall list these staff members and explain why their attendance is critical. Others present at the kick-off meeting will be the COR, the Technical Panel, and the Contract Specialist, if available.

The Contractor shall bring their draft of a suggested course outline/design plan and or ideas to the kick-off meeting, which will be used during the meeting to guide discussion. The Contractor shall bring their draft of their Quality Management plan which will demonstrate how they will perform Quality Control and Quality Assurance of the deliverables. See Quality Management Plan below for more detail. The Contractor shall also provide a schedule for each task in Microsoft Project and provide the Microsoft file in PDF. 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 and schedule, the depth of coverage they anticipate for each topic area, the types of instructional methods/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 award.

The NHI strives to complete a new course development within a maximum 24 months after the kick-off meeting. However, we are aware that the timeline can be impacted by a number of factors including the complexity of the course topic area and the availability of Technical Panel members and other mitigating circumstances such as pandemics or government shutdowns. The Course Development Schedule, which lists each stage in this course development process, assigns responsibilities for various stages, and establishes due dates, shall be discussed at the kick-off. 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.

Foremost 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 a record of decisions made, the final course outline/design plan, and the schedule of tasks and deliverables.

Collaboration Meetings

Valued added collaboration meetings held upfront, during, and in concert with the task orders to reach consensus on content and decisions in the analysis, design, and development of the course materials. These collaboration meetings can be called by the vendor, ISD, and/or Technical Panel Lead with approval of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Collaboration meetings are to promote effective communication, focus on the task, and provide consensus for informed decisions. All parties concerned to include the Contractor/the Contractor ISD staff, the ISD, the COR and the Technical Review Team Lead/Panel members representing the government are to be present for the collaboration meetings.

Develop Design Plans

The terminology for design plans depends on the type of training or document being developed (ILT or virtual (WBT, WCT, VCT, or other virtual). Course Design Plans (CDP) are developed for ILT, WBT, WCT, VCT, and VILT, E-Book, Reference Manuals, gamification, and Apps.

For the purpose of this Statement of Work, “design plans” pertain to any type of training ILT, WBT, WCT, VCT, Reference Manuals, E-books, Apps and or other virtual environments/developments.

The Contractor shall develop design plans which serve as the framework around which the final Lesson Plans (the preface of the Instructor Guide for ILT, WCT, VILT and virtual) 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 instructor-led training (ILT) shall be structured to provide a maximum of 6 hours of actual instruction time per day, excluding breaks, pre-tests, and course evaluations. If the design plans for instructor-led training require additional instruction time per day the Contractor will confer with the COR for approval and consideration for an addition of instructional time per day. 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

• NHI Course number

• Course delivery format

• Estimated total number of “seat” time hours (not to go over 6 hours unless COR approval is provided)

• Business Need

• Description of the course (to be included as the course description on the NHI Website)

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

• Training Level (beginner, intermediate, accomplished)

• Class Size (20 minimum/30 maximum participants)

• Pre-requisites/refreshers, if any

• Reference(s) to related course(s), if any

• Pass/Fail Requirements for Course(s)

• Course Outcomes

• Course Agenda (break times)

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.

• 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.)

• Traceability document that maps each lesson learning outcome to its respective course learning outcome

A sample Course Design Plan for download and uses is available on the NHI website.

The Contractor shall develop and submit to the COR an electronic draft design plan, receive written comments from the COR, ISD, and Technical Panel; submit the final design plan and receive written authorization to proceed to the next task, in accordance with the established

Timeline. Note, the Design plans must be in draft final form and approved prior to commencement of development of lessons or documents (see note below). 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. Changes to the course design plan can be made throughout the duration of the course upon COR approval.

*Note: This is a “live” document and any changes that are made throughout the duration of the task order are to be made to the course design plan, even after the approval of the initial design plan. As a result, the course design plan actively reflects all changes and is accurate.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance Management Plan

The Contractor shall submit as stated in the Kickoff meeting their Quality Management Plan which explains their processes on how to maintain Quality Control and Quality Assurance throughout the course development process from start to end.

Including working definitions of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, the Contractor shall submit their plan for how they will perform Quality Control of each of the deliverables. The Contractor shall also demonstrate their Quality Assurance process on how to verify the Quality Control practices are being performed and how to remedy any Quality issues found throughout the duration of the project. The Contractor shall submit their records of each the QC and QA processes completed with each deliverable. The QA/QC plan shall also document how the Contractor shall remedy any issues regarding Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the update or development of the task order. This also may include improvements/tweaks to their QA/QC plan as the course development progresses from start to end.

Storyboards

Description and Format

Storyboards provide detailed drafts of the courseware, produced and delivered as unpublished content. The Contractor may choose the format for the storyboards (for example, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or the WBT authoring tool); however, the format used must allow for review and comment.

Purpose

A storyboard is a draft version of Web-based courseware created for the purpose of review, which presents content sequentially and segmented in accordance with the Course Design Plan.

The storyboard allows reviewers to confirm that technically accurate and sufficient content is being presented via text, narration, on-screen graphics, or another medium. It also allows NHI to confirm that the developer is correctly applying Section 508 guidance and other programmatic settings to the courseware. The development of storyboards is project-dependent. The development contract dictates whether storyboards are required as part of courseware development. The storyboards may undergo a Technical Walkthrough review process.

Required Elements

For each module, the designer or developer creates draft storyboards that should include the following:

• On-screen text

• On-screen visuals or descriptions of visuals (e.g., photos, illustrations, etc.)

• Description of animation or desktop simulations to be created

• Scripts for videos to be created

• Proposed narrative script and pronunciation guide

• Knowledge checks and debrief/remediation

• Exercises

• Embedded links

• Alt tags

• End-of-course assessment questions/answers and/or exercises

The Contractor shall submit the following two deliverables for the storyboard:

• “Storyboards - The Contractor may chose the format for the storyboards (for example, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or the WBT authoring tool); however, the format used must allow for review and comment)

The Contractor shall transmit electronic copies of the course storyboard materials (along with a transmittal letter containing details on the course number, Task #, task description, and deadline to provide comments) 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 to discuss.

The Contractor shall respond to all comments in writing made by the COR and keep a record of revisions and comment resolution. If the course storyboards do 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 updated storyboards (in writing), the Contractor shall proceed with the course development process.

Prototype

For all training including web-based, web-conference, virtual delivery method, instructor-led, apps, virtual environments for learning, and reference manuals, a prototype shall be developed.

Once the Contractor receives final written approval of the design plans, the Contractor shall submit the prototype of a module or lesson according to the schedule. Before the prototype chapter, module and or lesson is created the Contractor shall consult with the COR, ISD and Technical Review Team to discuss what lesson, module or chapter will be submitted as the prototype.

The prototype shall be of a module or lesson as proposed and approved in the design plan and storyboards. The prototype 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

• Published Articulate 360 file, in .zip format, that can be uploaded to the Adobe Connect server/ Anthology Ultra (LMS) for review

The Contractor shall meet all the applicable sections of the appropriate Style and Standards Guide (SG), defined as part of each TOPR, for the delivery format. For WBT, for example, 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 NHI Style and General Standards Guide (SGSG).

The prototype phase is also the point in which the Contractor shall propose narrators and the Government will review and approve the narrators. The Contractor shall submit their prototype lesson (specific lesson approved in the design plan) with embedded narration (at least 10 minutes of audio). If the narrators change at any time during the project, the Contractor shall submit a sample of the prototype with the new narrator’s recorded audio (at least 10 minutes of audio).

The Contractor shall transmit electronic copies of all draft materials (along with a transmittal letter containing details on the course number, Task #, task objective, and deadline to provide comments) 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 to discuss.

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 Instructor Guide 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.). This will be included prior to the inclusion of each individual lesson in each course in development.

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. Electronic copies of the course materials shall be developed for use in the LMS for options of printable (grayscale and or color) and electronic files (color) for instructors/facilitators by request from the COR. These will be used by the COR and Technical Review Team/ Panel members as the basis for review and discussion at the Technical Review Meeting, the Technical Walk Through and at the course pilot.

Instructor guides shall include as a minimum:

• Course Title

• Table of Contents

• Executive Summary

• Description of Target Audience, 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 Web Based Training (WBT) in advance of the class, bringing specific calculators to class, etc.)

• Lesson plan preceding each lesson

• 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

• Pre-coordination efforts by the instructor to include coordinating field review sites, identifying which optional lessons are selected prior to the session, and coordination of lab days and location

• Provide guidance on any specialized training and or certificates that instructors or admin would need to ship specimens and materials for course sessions

Participant Workbook

The Participant Workbook (PW) is a subset of the Instructor Guide and consists of copies of PowerPoint slides (depending upon the direction given by the COR), 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. The Contractor shall exercise their creativity and provide suggestions to create interactive and innovative participant workbooks, suggestions will be discussed with the Technical Panel, ISD and COR before being approved by the COR. The PW shall be created for digital use in both grayscale and color so that it may be printed and or viewed/used electronically.

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 to include thought provoking questions, exercises, and samples

• Photographs should provide as much descriptive information as possible to meet Section 508 compliance requirements (e.g., date, location, project description, etc.).

• Same Appendices as are included in the Instructor Guide, with the exception of the course answer key

Participant Support Materials

Depending on the nature of the course, technical reference manuals, user instruction 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 Instructor Guide and Participant Workbook. 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, 2D, 3D and or 4D printed models or use of raw materials, generating computer graphics, selecting and/or shooting photographs, videos, virtual simulations, 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. All materials purchased or furnished for government use for the development and delivery of the course will be turned over to the government for government use and possession for use in future session deliveries.

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 Participant Workbook in black and white for printed delivery; color copies can be printed for delivery with COR approval; 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. Participant Workbooks shall also be provided in color for electronic delivery.

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 or acquired videos 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 assessment, 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 to include optional lessons (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. A test question key and map shall be created to display correct responses as well as provide a “map” of each test question to the course learning outcome that each supports. 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 end-of-course learning assessment.

The number of test items shall be sufficient to adequately measure a student’s mastery of each course outcome. The Contractor shall recommend 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 (single response) Multiple-select (more than one response/answer)

• 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

• Note: Matching type of questions or knowledge checks are not Section 508 compliant for WBT.

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…