693JJ325R000004_Amendment 2.pdf

Request for Proposal No.: 693JJ325R000004

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Issuing Office: United States Department of Transportation (US DOT)

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Office of Acquisition & Grants Management (HCFA)

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590-0001

Agency Contact: Amalia Rodezno, Contracting Officer

Email: Amalia.Rodezno@dot.gov

Vivian Riboli, Contract Specialist

Email: Vivian.Riboli@dot.gov

Solicitation Number: 693JJ325R000004

Title: Development and Delivery of Pavement and Materials, Construction and Maintenance, Asset Management, and

Financial Management Training Services

Release Date: October 30, 2024

Questions Due Date: 10:00 AM Eastern Time (ET), November 7, 2024

Proposals Due Date: 10:00 AM Eastern Time (ET), December 3, 2024

December 9, 2024

AMENDMENT 2

mailto:Amalia.Rodezno@dot.gov mailto:Vivian.Riboli@dot.gov

PART 1 - INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF

PROPOSALS

1.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) INFORMATION

This is an Open Market RFP. The Government intends to award multiple award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts as a result of this solicitation. Resulting task orders

(TOs) may be firm-fixed price (FFP), time and materials (T&M) or Labor Hour (LH) or a combination of two or more listed contract types. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products and/or commercial services. This solicitation is prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 - Acquisition of Commercial Products and

Commercial Services and Part 15 - Contracting by Negotiation.

This solicitation is issued as a full and open competition with one small business reserve. The

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 611430 – Professional and

Management Development Training – with an industry size standard of $15 million. A responsible Offeror is one whose submission conforms to the solicitation and will be most advantageous to the Government. It is the contractor’s responsibility to be familiar with applicable clauses and provisions. FAR Provisions and Clauses may be viewed and/or downloaded from http://www.acquisition.gov/far.

All Offerors must have a current active registration in the System for Award Management

(SAM) www.SAM.gov at the time of proposal submission in order to be eligible to receive an award under this RFP. This requirement includes that the Offeror must complete all required representations and certifications in SAM.gov.

1.1 IDIQ MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS

During the term of this 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 $10,000,000.

The task orders placed under the contract may be FFP, LH, 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.

1.2 SCHEDULE OF RATES

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

The maximum amount of the contract listed in Section 1.1 includes travel and materials. Travel http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.sam.gov/ 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 Attachments 1 and 2 with the accepted Contractor burdened labor rates inserted in the pricing table.

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

Clarity and completeness are of the utmost importance in the proposal. With the exceptions of the responsibility determination and past performance evaluations, only material contained within the proposal will be considered in the source selection evaluation and selection process.

Note: The Government’s evaluation criteria are outlined in Part 2. Offerors are advised to carefully review Part 2 in preparing their proposal submissions.

1.3.1 PROPOSAL FORMAT

The format of the proposal volumes discussed below shall be as follows:

a) Proposals shall be formatted for 8½ x 11 inch paper in Adobe or Microsoft Word.

b) Text shall be printed using a Times New Roman or Arial font, size no less than 12 point font.

c) Page margins (exclusive of headers and footers) shall be a minimum of 1 inch top, bottom and each side. Columns shall not be used as they are difficult to read electronically.

d) Footnotes, legends, or labels associated with tables or diagrams, and other information that is ancillary to the main text, may be presented in a font size smaller than 12 point font---provided that any such smaller font is fully legible.

e) Page Limits for proposal volumes shall adhere to the page count limitations listed in Part 1 –

Section 1.3.2. The page limit includes all narrative, figures, tables, appendices, and all other ancillary materials. The following items do NOT count against the proposal page limitations: Proposal covers, cover letters, title pages, divider pages, tables of contents, lists of acronyms, and resumes which are limited to two pages each. Cover letters are limited to one page.

1.3.2 PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CONFIGURATION

PROPOSAL VOLUMES EMAIL PROPOSAL FORMAT

Technical Capability One Email with each proposal part attached as individual files. Email size should not exceed 20 MB.

The subject line should read: “Proposal for

693JJ325R000004”

*Do not zip your files.

Business and Cost/Price

Each proposal shall be broken out into the volumes and parts described below:

Volume I – Technical Capability (Parts I-II) shall consist of the following:

(a) Part I – Technical Approach – Not to exceed 30 pages.

(b) Part II – Staffing Proposal/Resumes – Staffing proposal is limited to 15 pages not including up to two pages per submitted resume.

Volume II – Business and Cost/Price (Parts I-V) consist of the following:

(a) Part I – Cost/Price Information – No page limit

(b) Part II – Subcontracts/Consultants – No page limit

(c) Part III – Other Financial/Organizational Information – No page limit

(e) Part IV – Past Performance – Not to exceed 10 pages.

(f) Part V - IDIQ Subcontracting Plan (if applicable) - No page limit.

Volume I – Technical Capability

This volume shall consist of two parts. No cost/price data shall be included in any part of Volume

I.

Note: The Offeror shall indicate under Volume I of the proposal, the name(s) and title(s) of the person(s) who actually writes the proposal and his/her relationship to the offering organization.

Part I – Technical Approach

The proposal shall not simply repeat the Part 3 – Statement of Work requirements, but instead the

Offeror shall:

1. Clearly describe the contract objectives, needs, and how the Offeror will address each task.

Demonstrate a clear understanding of what is expected to address each requirement.

2. Demonstrate project management controls for each task type.

3. Demonstrate quality control measures for course development, update, and delivery tasks.

4. Demonstrate how the Offeror will use sound instructional design principles for all suitable tasks including evaluations and recommendations for updates, selecting appropriate learning environments and delivery mechanisms to achieve performance-oriented results, conducting needs analysis, course designs, and development efforts.

5. Demonstrate how the Offeror will obtain subject matter expertise in the Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and Pavements & Materials subject area. The discussion needs to demonstrate how to select Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that have a solid grasp of the subject area; familiarity with legal and regulatory requirements;

knowledge of FHWA programs, initiatives and guidance related to each of the subject areas.

6. Demonstrated knowledge of how to include classroom management and student engagement best practices in various synchronous environments (face-to-face, WCT, VCT).

7. Demonstrate a development plan for monitoring, evaluating, and systematically improving the skills and capabilities of proposed instructors, leading to all approved instructors achieving

NHI Certified Instructor status within one year of task order award.

Part II – Staffing Proposal / Resumes

The Offeror shall provide a staffing plan that includes:

1. The academic credentials, professional experience and authority of the Program Manager to ensure compliance with contractual requirements.

2. The education, experience, and key skills for proposed SMEs for both course update and development efforts, as well as for the proposed instructor pool.

3. The education, experience, and key skills for proposed Instructional System Designers (ISD).

4. The education, experience, and key skills for proposed Project Manager(s) and how they will manage projects for timely task order completion.

5. Contingency plans to replace key personnel and other staff over the life of the Contract without any adverse impact on performance.

6. Team organization, management approach, and lines of communication between team members.

Volume II – Business and Cost/Price

Part I – Cost/Price Information

a) The Government’s required labor categories are included in Attachment 2 for all Offerors as input to the cost/price proposal preparation. Price proposals must adhere to the pricing structure established in Attachment 2.

b) Format and Content. Volume II shall include the following documents (in the order listed):

1. Completed Labor Rate Chart (Attachment 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.

2. Provide the information requested below:

a. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number:

b. Taxpayer Identification Number:

c. Home Office Congressional District

d. Business size & type [e.g. HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB etc.]

c) Offerors shall submit, under a separate tab, all (if any) assumptions or conditions upon which the Price Proposal is based. Note that assumptions or conditions that are non-conforming to the Government terms and conditions may result in a higher cost risk assessment.

Part II – Subcontracts / Consultants

If subcontractors and/or individual consultants will be used in carrying out the requirements of this project, the following minimum information concerning the subcontractor shall be furnished:

a) Name and address of the subcontractor or consultant.

b) Names and positions of personnel who will work on the project.

Part III – Other Financial / Organizational Information

Provide the following information:

a) Terminated Contracts - List any contract that was terminated for convenience of the

Government within the past 3 years, and any contract that was terminated for default within the past 5 years. Briefly explain the circumstances in each instance.

b) A completed copy of Part 5 in this RFP, if the Offeror is not registered and completed their representations and certifications in the System for Award Management.

c) A completed, signed, and dated FAR 52.219-28 (See Section 4.6).

d) Conflicts of Interest - The Offeror shall provide a brief statement in its proposal that describes in a concise manner all past, present or planned organizational, contractual, or other interest(s), which may affect the Offeror's ability to perform the proposed contract in an impartial and objective manner. The CO will review the statement and may require additional relevant information from the Offerors. In accordance with FAR Subpart 9.5, all such information, and any other relevant information known to DOT, will be used to determine whether an award to the Offeror may create an actual or potential conflict of interest. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the CO may (a) disqualify the

Offeror, or (b) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the United States to contract with the Offeror and include appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the contract awarded.

e) The Offeror must state that they agree to all terms and conditions of the model contract of this solicitation, which consists of the RFP Part 5, including all documents, exhibits, and all other attachments that are incorporated therein by reference and made a part thereof, or provide an explanation for any exceptions. Failure to accept the Government’s terms and conditions and/or including assumptions or conditions that are non-conforming with the established terms and conditions may result in the Offer being deemed unawardable and removed from further consideration without conducting discussions or seeking clarifications.

Part IV - Past Performance

The Offeror shall submit in its proposal past performance references for no more than five relevant contracts or subcontracts performed by the Offeror, its predecessor companies, its key personnel who have relevant experience, or its performance as a subcontractor performing major or critical aspects of the requirement, relevant contracts/subcontractors are those similar in size, scope, and complexity to the requirements of the solicitation and performed within the last five years (with recent work within the past three years being more relevant). Each past performance reference shall not exceed two pages for a total maximum page count of 10 pages.

Each past performance reference must contain contact information (name, agency or business, title, telephone number, and email address) for the CO and COR if a federal contract or subcontract, or equivalent positions if non-federal, as well as the contract number with agency or business name, total potential value, value of work completed, description of the work performed by the Offeror, and the period of performance. Each reference must indicate clearly whether the work was performed by the Offeror as a prime or a subcontractor, by a predecessor company, or by key personnel.

Part V - IDIQ Subcontracting Plan (if applicable)

For other than small business concerns, the Offeror shall provide a Small Business

Subcontracting Plan. An Offeror who is other than a small business shall include within its proposal a complete copy of their Master Subcontracting Plan, satisfactorily addressing all the administrative requirements set forth in FAR 52.219-9. The subcontracting plan will be incorporated by reference into any resulting IDIQ.

The Offeror shall also submit a subcontracting plan in accordance with the instructions/format in the Attachment.

NOTE: A Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required by all Offerors not qualifying as a

“Small Business” entity for the NAICS industry subsector identified in Part 5, FAR clause

52.204-8(a).

1.4 PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY ACT REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with FAR 52.212-1(e) and FAR 3.104-5, Offerors shall put the following notice on the top of each copy of their proposal:

This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this

Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract, thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this proposal shall also be strictly followed. Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government for evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by, and in accordance with law.

1.5 QUESTIONS

All questions concerning the RFP shall be submitted electronically via email to

Vivian.Riboli@dot.gov, Amalia.Rodezno@dot.gov, and no later than November 7, 2024 at

10AM (Washington DC local time), in order for responses to all reasonable questions to be conveyed in a timely manner.

Offerors shall direct all communications to the attention of the Contract Specialist cited above.

Communications with other officials may compromise the competitiveness of this acquisition and result in the disqualification of the Offeror and/or cancellation of the solicitation.

Format for Questions: Each prospective Offeror e-mailing questions to the Contract Specialist should attempt to state each question in such a way that the Offeror would have no objection to the FHWA’s publishing that precise question (and its answer) in a formal amendment to the RFP on SAM. That is, each prospective Offeror shall not word questions in such a way that the publication of that question (and its answer) would not divulge any information that the prospective offeror considers to be proprietary or confidential.

mailto:Vivian.Riboli@dot.gov

In posing questions, the Offeror must cite the relevant section, paragraph, and page number using the format below.

Page Section Paragraph Question

This RFP is being transmitted electronically. Offerors are reminded that if you download copies of this or any other solicitation you will not automatically receive amendments to those solicitations. It is your responsibility to check back frequently to the download source to see if any amendments have been issued to the solicitation. All amendments will be posted to and downloadable from https:/ sam.gov.

1.6 IMPORTANT DELIVERY INFORMATION

Proposals shall be received by the due date and time on page 1 of this RFP. Failure to furnish all information required in this RFP may result in your proposal being considered non-responsive.

Proposals shall be transmitted via email to the following email addresses:

Vivian.Riboli@dot.gov and Amalia.Rodezno@dot.gov

The timeliness of a proposal is determined by the time of receipt and not just the time submitted.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that the proposal submission email is received, not just submitted to, at the email address listed above by the designated cut-off date and time. Proposals received after the specified due date and time will be considered as late, in accordance with FAR

15.208. Early submission is encouraged.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: The Government intends to, but does not guarantee, confirm receipt of proposals. In the event a proposal is considered late the Government will respond in accordance with FAR 15.208.

This is an electronic procurement. Paper solicitation shall not be sent. Hard copies of the proposal will not be accepted. Please reference the RFP number on all correspondence including the subject line of any e-mails related to this procurement.

1.7 AWARD

Until a formal notice of award is issued, no communication by the Government either written or oral shall be interpreted as a promise that an award will be made.

The CO is the only individual who can legally commit or obligate the Government to expend public funds. No cost chargeable to the proposed Contract can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed Contract and task order or specific written authorization from the CO.

As stated in provision 52.212-1, the government expects to award after review of the initial https://beta.sam.gov/ proposals without discussions. Therefore, your initial offer should contain your best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

PART 2 - EVALUATION AND AWARD

2.1 BEST VALUE EVALUATION

(a) The Government intends to evaluate proposals in accordance with Part 2 of this RFP and award to the responsible Offeror(s) using a Highest Technical Rated with Fair and

Reasonable Price process outlined below.

Partial Small Business Reserve – The Government intends to award approximately three contracts from this solicitation, including up to one contract award reserved for small businesses. If adequate competition is received and quality offers are received from one or more small businesses, and the Highest Technical Rated with Fair and Reasonable

Price determination does not include one small business, the Government, in the sole discretion of the source selection authority, may select one or more lower-rated small business proposal(s) for award if doing so is in the best interest of the Government.

(b) Evaluation of Proposals

In determining which proposal(s) constitute the Highest Technical Rated, the

Government will evaluate using the following approach:

(1) Evaluation of the Technical Capability Proposal(s). The Government will evaluate the

Volume I - Technical Capability of all responsive offers in accordance with the stated

Technical Capability evaluation factor in Part 2, Section 2.2.

(2) Evaluation of Offeror’s Past Performance. Concurrently with Evaluation of the

Technical Capabilities of the proposals, the Government will evaluate each Offeror’s past performance on a satisfactory/neutral/unsatisfactory basis as described below in

Part 2, Section 2.2. Offerors who receive a Past Performance rating of unsatisfactory will not be eligible to be considered the Highest Technical Rated Proposal(s).

Following the Technical Capabilities and Past Performance evaluation, the Government will determine which Offeror(s) provides the Highest Technical Rated proposal(s). A price analysis will be conducted for all Highest Technical Rated Proposal(s) to ensure the price proposed is fair and reasonable for the work to be performed as described below in

Part 2, Section 2.2. If a competitive range is deemed necessary to establish the Highest

Technical Rated Proposal(s), a competitive range will be established in accordance with

FAR 15.306. Price analysis will be conducted on all Offeror(s) determined to be in the competitive range to ensure effective negotiations.

NOTE: The Government anticipates selecting the best-suited Offeror from initial responses, without engaging in exchanges with the Offerors. Offerors are strongly encouraged to submit their best technical solutions and price in response to this RFP.

Once the Government determines the Offeror that is the best‐suited (i.e., the apparent successful contractor), the Government reserves the right to communicate with only that Offeror to address any remaining issues, if necessary, and finalize a contract with that Offeror. These issues may include technical, past performance, price, Small Business subcontracting plan and OCIs. If the parties cannot successfully address any remaining issues, as determined pertinent at the sole discretion of the government, the government reserves the right to not make an award to the

Offeror.

2.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY EVALUATION FACTOR:

Volume I - Technical Capability proposals will be evaluated and assessed based on the following criteria of equal importance. Sub criteria are relatively equal in importance.

1. Plan to meet the contract objectives and accomplish each task, including:

a) Project Management controls for each task type.

b) Quality control measures for course development, update, and delivery tasks.

c) How instructional design principles will be included.

d) Access to subject matter expertise in the Asset Management, Construction &

Maintenance, Financial Management, and Pavements & Materials.

e) Classroom management and student engagement best practices.

f) Development plan for instructors for NHI certification.

2. Staffing plan including:

a) The academic credentials, professional experience, and authority of the

Program Manager.

b) The education, experience, and key skills for proposed Subject Matter Experts, Instructional System Designers, and Project Manager(s).

c) Contingency plans to replace key personnel and other staff.

d) Team organization, management approach, and lines of communication.

PAST PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FACTOR:

The Offeror’s past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to assess successful relevant prior experience of similar size, scope and complexity to the work required under this

RFP. The Offeror’s past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, the Performance Risk associated with their offer.

The Government will use its discretion to determine the sources of past performance information used in the evaluation. The information may be obtained from references provided by the

Offeror, the agency’s knowledge of contractor performance, other government agencies or commercial entities, and/or past performance databases such as the Contractor Performance

Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

The Government will use its discretion to determine if the past performance information is relevant. The Government reserves the right to evaluate the Past Performance of

Subcontractors/Consultants proposed by the Offeror. Past Performance information will be determined to be relevant if the performance involves work performed within the past five years

(with recent work within the past three years being more relevant) that is the same or similar in size, scope, and complexity to the services being procured under this solicitation.

Offerors who receive a Past Performance rating of unsatisfactory will not be eligible to be considered the Highest Technically Rated Proposal(s). If an Offeror does not have a history of relevant contract experience, or if past performance information is not available, the Offeror will receive a neutral past performance rating.

The Government will evaluate the relevant merits of the Offeror's past performance on the basis of its reputation and record with its current and former customers. The Government will review the following areas (of approximately equal importance) regarding past performance:

a. Quality of products and/or services provided

b. Timeliness – Schedule of delivery and/or Performance

c. Cost control

d. Overall Management

e. Regulatory Compliance

PRICE EVALUATION FACTOR:

If an Offeror is deemed a Highest Technically Rated Offeror or determined to be in the competitive range, their proposed fully burdened hourly labor rates will be evaluated to determine whether the proposed prices are complete, fair, and reasonable in relation to the solicitation requirements and market rates. Proposed prices must be entirely compatible with the technical proposal and consistent with the pricing requirements listed in this solicitation. The price analysis will consist of a review of the fully burdened rates received in response to the solicitation and the Government’s total evaluated price. The Government will calculate the total evaluated price by multiplying the proposed fully burdened hourly rates for each labor category by the Government’s estimated number of labor hours for that labor category over the five-year ordering period. The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) will not be disclosed to the public. The Government will verify the escalation rates for the on-site and off-site hourly rates to determine the change from year to year for each propose rate is reasonable. Note: Successful

Offerors shall use the fully burdened rates proposed in response to this solicitation when proposing on task orders issued under the IDIQ as delineated under Part 5 above.

The proposed fully burdened hourly labor rates associated with FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend

Services will be evaluated to ensure they are complete, fair, and reasonable but will not be included in the total evaluated price calculated above. If, at the end of the ordering period and within the time period established in the clause, the Government chooses to exercise the Option to Extend Services, the pricing will be pursuant to the Year 6 rates specified in the contract.

SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN EVALUATION:

A Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required from all prime Offerors not qualifying as a

“Small Business”. If an Offeror is determined to be a Highest Rated Technical Offeror, their subcontracting plan will be evaluated to ensure that the Offeror satisfactorily addressed the requirements/instructions in the Attachment 3. The Small Business Subcontracting Plan (if applicable) will be evaluated on an “Acceptable/Unacceptable” basis.

NOTE TO OFFERORS: See Attachment 3 for the Subcontracting Plan. Per Part 2 Section 2.2, the Government may request an Offeror to revise their Small Business Subcontracting Plan (if applicable), for the purpose of improving that plan in the interest of meeting the Government’s socio-economic goals, without developing a competitive range or engaging with all or other

Offerors. Offerors subject to this provision shall not be allowed to revise any other portion of their proposal. If a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is deemed “Unacceptable”, the Offeror and its proposal may be removed from the competition and from further consideration for award or continued evaluation.

PART 3 - STATEMENT OF WORK

3.1 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 Asset

Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and Pavements & Materials categories (i.e., the 131XXX, 134XXX, 136XXX, and 231XXX 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. Accordingly, the NHI training provides a wide range of practical applications and examples suitable for audiences with varying pavement, construction, asset management, and transportation interests and concerns.

NHI supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by developing and delivering training that is inclusive and accessible to all learners. NHI training development and delivery will meet

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.

3.2 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 http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/ the FHWA Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and

Pavements & Materials program areas.

3.3 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 (Contiguous

United States (CONUS) and Outside the Contiguous United States (OCONUS)), as well as consultants, advocates, developers, and other stakeholders.

3.4 SCOPE OF WORK

This IDIQ contract provides for the development, update, and delivery instructor-led training

(ILT), web-based training (WBT), web conference training (WCT), videoconference training

(VCT), flipped classroom training, and training using new 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 subject areas of Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and Pavements & Materials.

3.5 SUBJECT AREAS

This section describes the specific subject areas to be addressed and the technical skills necessary and associated with each of the subject areas (Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and Pavements & Materials).

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

3.5.1 ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Risk Management (enterprise, program, project, and activity levels): Responsible for managing the entire risk management process, i.e., communication and consultation;

identifying risk context, identifying risks, analyzing risks, evaluating risks, treating risks, and monitoring results.

• Introduction to Transportation Asset Management with Workshop and Developing a

Transportation Asset Management Plan: Expertise in asset management principles, content of a transportation asset management plan, performance measurement, financial planning, and implementation.

• Financial Planning for Transportation Asset Management: Responsible for managing financial planning for the asset management process and directing aspects of highway-related programs and projects such as finance, asset management, environment, project development, planning, design, construction, operations, or maintenance.

• Introduction to Transportation Asset Management

• Developing a Transportation Asset Management Plan

• Financial Planning for Transportation Asset Management

• Asset Management for Local Agencies

3.5.2 CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

• Environmental Factors in Construction and Maintenance: Developing environmental compliance guidelines for maintenance activities on a national level.

• Transportation Construction Scheduling and Construction Program Management and

Inspection: Leading or managing a state-wide highway construction program or national program.

• Value Engineering: Experience in leading value engineering studies by serving as value engineering team leader.

• Principles and Practices for Enhanced Maintenance Management Systems: Developing technical guidance for a highway transportation industry organization in the area of maintenance management.

• Maintenance Leadership: Direct supervision of maintenance work; administration of contracts; developing contracts or technical specifications; transportation related leadership and/or transportation related administration; utilizing data and/or data systems to make planning, budgeting, and scheduling decisions; and coordination of a program or projects.

• Principles and Applications of Highway Construction Specifications: Licensed attorney with experience in contract law practice or litigating transportation contract claim.

• Managing Contract Claims and Avoidance: Construction contract manager with experience in managing claims avoidance and resolving contract disputes.

• Utility Coordination for Highway Projects: Direct leadership of a local, state, or national utility program in public or private sector in the areas of planning, design, construction, project cradle-to-grave utility coordination, permitting or other direct highway transportation project delivery.

• Utility Program Management: Experience managing utility program at local, state, or national level with clearly defined utility duties and responsibilities.

• LCCA and LCA analysis for Pavement, Planning, and Design

• Risk-Based Management of Preservation and Pavement Projects: Project Selection and

Design

3.5.3 PAVEMENT AND MATERIALS

• Asphalt Pavement In-Place Recycling Techniques: Project and technique selection and justification, materials considerations and mix design, construction specifications and project control considerations during construction.

• Pavement Smoothness: Use of Inertial Profiler Measurements for Construction Quality

Control: Experience in performing construction acceptance testing and review of data to comprehend how data was obtained and representation to improve pavement smoothness.

• Pavement Preservation: Pavement preservation concepts, policy and technical requirements.

• Quality Assurance for Highway Projects: Responsibility for developing, updating, or managing a state-wide Materials and Construction Quality Assurance Program or equivalent Federal program.

• Materials Engineering: Extensive knowledge of a range of highway materials topics including quality assurance, soils, asphalt, Portland concrete cement, and pavements.

• Pavement Management: Knowledge of pavement management concepts and regulations as related to the collection, analysis, and reporting of pavement condition data to inform pavement decisions.

• Sustainable Pavements: Understanding of key sustainability concepts as related to designing, constructing, and maintaining pavement systems which minimize environmental impacts while maximizing economic benefits and ensuring equitable social outcomes.

• Pavement Resilience: Knowledge of resilience concepts, practices, and applications as related to pavements.

• Pavement Preservation: Understanding of key pavement preservation concepts, policy and technical requirements.

• Pavement Construction: Understanding of pavement construction concepts and practices to ensure durable and long-lasting pavements.

3.4.4 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Financial Stewardship and Oversight

• Financial Reviews and Audits

• Financial Performance Management

• Transportation Financing

• Budget Formulation and Execution

3.6 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 Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial

Management, and Pavements & Materials.

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 Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and/or Pavements & Materials 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/.

The NHI Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial Management, and

Pavements & Materials courses are very popular, with sessions held monthly at various locations across the country. The Contractor shall have qualified instructors who can meet these requirements with 30 days’ notice.

3.7 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.

3.7.1 DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATE OF ASSET MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION &

MAINTENANCE, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND PAVEMENTS & MATERIALS 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.

3.7.1.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.

3.7.1.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:

• Preparation and presentation of briefings or participation in discussions to determine training needs.

• Preparation and presentation of briefings on NHI products and activities.

• Working with NHI’s Marketing Team to develop promotional/marketing material for NHI courses and distributing promotional/marketing material for NHI courses at technical conferences, at other NHI courses, or other venues approved by the COR.

3.7.1.c. Specifications 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 Asset Management, Construction & Maintenance, Financial

Management, and Pavements & Materials 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.

Contractor staff attending the kick-off meeting shall include the Project Manager, the subject matter expert(s) (SME) responsible for content development, and the ISD. 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 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 award.

The NHI strives to complete a new course development within 24 months of the kick-off meeting. However, we are 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. 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.

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

Note: The…