RFP_70B06C19R00000040_Amendment_A0001.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(If applicable)

(If other than Item 6)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR(Number, street, county, State & Zip Code)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(SEE ITEM 11)

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended. Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

(If required)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES Such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

(Specify type of modification and authority) is required to sign this document and return is not

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

(Type or print) (Type or print)

This solicitation is amended to include the attached Questions & Answers.

All other terms and conditions remain the same.

09/11/2019 20108547

70B06C19R00000040

Calynda Baines Contract Specialist

Solicitation 70B06C19R00000040

CBP LI Training Services

Q&As

1. Q) Regarding the SOW Page 11, Paragraph 10.2 Affiliation with Accredited College and or

University. If the provider can demonstrate their bench strength to adapt quickly to the changing needs of CBP without the faculty being from the University, can this requirement be relaxed? We are affiliated with a University, however our faculty is not resourced from their talent pool typically.

A) The listed requirements represent CBP’s minimum requirements.

2. Q) What role does the government envision for executive mentors other than the final program activity described in 4.2.7 (page 5)?

A) Executive mentors will be full participants in the program and will provide CBP executive input into course content. When planning for a session, faculty will have access to executive mentors to help shape the content and develop/select examples, case studies, and activities with CBP specific-content. In addition, during class, faculty can call upon executive mentors to provide CBP context.

3. Q) Will the government provide the DHS LDP (4.2.7, page 5) as a reference document for proposers?

A) No – this is an internal requirement for CBP mentors only and has no bearing on course curriculum.

4. Q) In addition to travel and per diem (10.3, page 11), is the contractor responsible for lodging for all employees and for transportation costs from lodging to site?

A) The contractor is responsible for all costs associate with their employees and should be included in the total cost and not as a separate line item.

5. Q) Does the scope of the climate assessment (4.2.1, page 4) include all CBP personnel or only those led by the CBP enrolled in Leadership Institute courses?

A) Only those enrolled in the CBP Leadership Institute.

6. Q) Are the coaching sessions identified in 4.2.6.3, 4.2.6.4, and 4.2.6.5 (page 5) within or outside the 24 days of sessions?

A) Within the 24 days.

7. Q) Page 48, c, Do the Title Page, Table of Contents, List of Figures and Graphics, and List of Acronyms count against the 30-page limit?

A) No

8. Q) Page 46, Tab D, Small Business Size Status Letter - The instructions require an Offeror who is a small business concern that qualifies under NAICS Code 611310 to submit a small business size status letter in lieu of a small business subcontracting plan. This requirement allows Offerors who are small business concerns to submit a proposal compliant with solicitation instructions. Is the business-size status letter that affirms the small business status based on NAICS Code 611310 on company letterhead sufficient?

A) Yes

9. Q) Page 48, c, Page limitation for Phase I (Factor I, II, and III) is limited to no more than 30 pages. Is the Government intending to have evaluators read each Factor? If different people read separate volumes, a degree of repetition will be required, taking up valuable page space.

A) The same evaluators will be reviewing all Factors.

10. Q) Page 45, 3.b., Each volume shall be its own separate attachment in the email with proposals. Do you mean each “Tab” should be its own separate attachment?

A) “Tab” is the correct label.

11. Q) Page 47, Section II, Tab E - On page 47 Past Performance is listed as Section II Factor

III, on page 49 Past Performance is listed as Section III Factor III. Please confirm which section number offerors are to use for Past Performance.

A) These corrections to the RFP are corrected as part of the Government’s response to this question:

1) Page 48, b), ‘Section II, Factor II’ will now read ‘Section I, Factor II’

2) Page 49, c), ‘Section III, Factor III’ will now read ‘Section II, Factor III’

3) Page 49, d) ‘Section IV, Phase II, Factor IV’ will now read ‘Section III, Phase II, Factor IV’

4) Page 49, e) ‘Section V, Phase II, Factor V’ will now read ‘Section III, Phase II, Factor V’

5) Page 50 under *Addendum to FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items (JAN

1999)

a) ‘Section III, Tab E’ will now read ‘Section II, Tab E’

b) ‘Section IV, Tab E’ will now read ‘Section III, Tab E’

c) ‘Section V, Tab E’ will now read ‘Section III, Tab E’

12. Q) PWS 10.2, Page 45, Tab D, Small Business Size Status Letter - The solicitation indicates an Offeror that has small business concerns based on its status under NAICS Code 611310 is eligible to prime. Please confirm a small business is an eligible Offeror as prime contractor for this solicitation with the understanding that there would be a strong affiliation with a university or college.

13. Q) Reference: Document – SOW – Page 3 – Section 4.1. “Each cohort will be comprised of

36 to 48 participants (students and executive mentors). There will be typically be one mentor for every 5 students”. Are executive mentors also receiving accreditations for completing the program, or are they participants to supplement students (G-15 Senior Managers) learning?

Because some mentors are repeating the program, this insinuates they are participating to augment the program rather than as a student.

A) The first time a mentor participates in the entire program, they will receive full participation and completion status.

14. Q) Reference: Document – SOW – Page 4 – Section 4.2.6 “Provide professional executive coaches who are either certified or master certified by the International Coach Federation or equivalent in relevant subject experience.” Can the government define equivalent subject experience, to include retired CBP, federal law enforcement officers, and military veterans with experience managing professional units?

A) Coaches shall have training AND certification as an executive coach.

15. Q) Reference: Document – SOW – Page 3 – Section 4.2.1 “Experimental learning activities which take advantage of civil war battlefields and the proximity to Washington DC.”

a. Based on experience from past program cohorts, does the government have a preference of location?

No. The government is open to all suggestions which take advantage of the nearby civil war battlefields and the proximity to Washington DC. and provide a link to the contractor’s classroom content. However, the Antietam and Manassas battlefields are currently being used for lower level leadership programs and should not be repeated.

b. To ensure all offerors can price these learning activities accurately, could the government assign a specific number of learning activity sessions for each cohort (e.g. 2 activities per cohort)?

Two per cohort.

c. For the experimental learning activities, if transportation and travel costs are included with this, would the government want this included in the unwrapped price or in a separate contract line item number (CLIN)?

All parts of the requirement must be estimated and included in your cost to provide services as described in the SOW.

16. Q) Reference: Document – CBP_LI_RFP – Page 45 – 3. Proposal Preparation “Each volume shall be its own separate attachment in the e-mail submitted with the proposals”. Based on the instructions in “5. General Proposal Content”, offeror proposals are not divided into volumes but with Tabs. Is it the government 's intent to receive Phase I submissions (Tab A -

E) as a single document? Or is the offerors supposed to split Tab A-D into a document and

Tab E (Sections I - III) as its own volume?

A) Please refer to answer to question #11

17. Q) Reference: Document – CBP LI RFP – Page 47 Tab E – “Section II, Tab E Factor III

Past Performance/Evidence of Similar Past Performance” and Page 49 Tab E “Section III, Factor III Past Performance”. “Can the government confirm which labeling is correct and revise the other Sections (i.e. pg. 49 Section IV … Oral Presentations) to reflect the correct labeling?

A) Please refer to answer to question #11

18. Q) Reference: Document – CBP LI RFP – Page 47, a, 2 - Does the 9 pitch limitation apply to tables and charts? If needed, can offerors use 11x17 foldouts?

A) The 9 pitch limitation does apply to tables and charts. No page should be larger than

81/2” x 11”

19. Q) Reference: Document – CBP LI RFP – Page 49-50 e. Section V, Phase II, Factor V Price

- If a task order requires program delivery to a cohort of less than 36 participants, can the government confirm that the contractors will receive payment for the minimum of 36 participants?

A) No task order will be issued with less than 36 students.

20. Q) Reference: Document – SOW – Page 9. – Section 9. Security – “Contractor will not have access to CBP information systems, but will have access to student Personally Identifiable

Information (PII). As such, all contractor and sub-contractor personnel and systems must comply with the safeguarding requirements outlined in “HSAR Deviation 15-01, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information”.

a. Because proposed Contractor IT Systems are used for learning management, would the government waive compliance with this clause as PIIs are used to manage student learning rather than transmitting information?

Because of contractor access to PII this clause cannot be removed.

b. If Contractor IT Systems are required to adhere to “HSAR Deviation 15-01, Safeguarding of Sensitive Information” clause (e) Authority to Operate (ATO), can the government facilitate contractor awardee receiving system ATO signed by the headquarters or

Component CIO upon award?

This process is completed upon award, instructions in the SOW must be followed with minimal assistance from the Procurement Office.

21. Q) During the past three years at the CBP Leadership Institute, what was the average number of participants per individual cohort and how many were repeating mentors?

A) Class size for the new requirement will be based on information in this RFP and not past contracts. Approximately 40% of the mentors in each previous cohort were repeating mentors.

22. Q) How many cohorts were completed during each of the last three years?

A) Over the last three year period 10 cohorts have been completed.

23. Q) You reference the range of cohort participants on page 3 of the SOW being 36-48. Will there be a mandatory minimum number of students for each cohort in order to cover the successful education services provider’s fixed costs? For example, is 36 the minimum number of participants for each cohort?

A) Please refer to answer given for question 19.

24. Q) Are the professional executive coaches considered faculty for the purposes of attending the two day orientation?

A) No, although it would be helpful (but not required) to conduct a conference call to provide basic background information.

25. Q) For mentors that are first time participants in the program, will they be receiving coaching, multi-rater assessments, climate assessments, and other high cost components of the program?

26. Q) Can participants be assigned reading, project work or other assignments outside of class time and during the breaks between sessions 1 and 2 and sessions 2 and 3?

27. Q) SOW page 2, Section 2 Scope, Para 2 - The government states that it expects that repeating mentors should only be charged for participant materials provided in the classroom.

Attachment 2 Part A and B ask for cost per new mentor and cost per returning mentor. The difference between the two types of mentors is not clearly defined, nor is the difference in expected cost. Can the government provide additional detail regarding the expected cost differences between students, new mentors, and old mentors?

A) The first time a mentor goes through the program, he or she shall be counted as a full student, participating in all aspects of the cohort. When a mentor repeats the program, they will only need basic classroom material (participant manual), so they can follow along during class. They would not repeat assessments, coaching, or other activities where there is little to no return on repeating the activity.

28. Q) SOW page 4, Section 4.2.4 - Paragraph requires the vendor to “Ensure the program is comprised of in-depth learning opportunities with no individual training module less than 3 hours in length. Does this 3 hour minimum limit apply to all learning elements of the proposed curriculum?

A) Since the final curriculum will be developed with the government after the contract is awarded, the contractor may propose shorter module IF they meet the requirement of being “in-depth.” The government does not want a series of “talking heads” giving short modules with little depth nor content.

29. Q) SOW page 5, Section 4.2.7 - Paragraph states “Integrate executive mentors in final program activity (“graduation”) which gives them an opportunity to give leadership presentations as part of the DHS LDP “give back” requirement. Can the government clarify the role of the executive mentors and the students as relates to this paragraph?

A) The contractor and government will design a graduation activity that relies heavily on the mentors to provide content. This gives the mentors an opportunity to play a larger role in the program and help to tie the program content more closely to CBP. No specific role is designated for the student, but this can be changed when the final design is completed.

30. Q) SOW page 6, Section 4.3.1.3 - Paragraph states, “Course materials should not be branded with Contractor’s branding”. Will the government allow co-branding with vendor and government logos?

A) Please refer to FAR Clause 52.227-17 – Rights in Data – Special Works beginning on page 13 for specific details regarding this question.

31. Q) SOW page 11, Section 10.2 - Paragraph states that “…with this strong affiliation, the majority (at - least 51%) of the faculty for the program shall be from the accredited college and/or university and have taught at the graduate level in a university setting for a minimum of five (5) years. Is the 51% measured as a proportion of faculty members or is it measured as a % of instructional hours delivered to participants?

A) Percentage of instructional hours delivered to participants and management oversight of contract.

32. Q) Attachment 2 – Part A, Pricing Schedule of Services. The second column of Attachment

2 Part A has “# of students” starting with 36. The column header to the right of that is cost for 1 New Mentor. The column to the right of that is a column to enter the cost for 1 repeating mentor. Should that second column heading of that table read “# of Participants ”

vs. “# of Students?” Are the numbers of new and repeating mentors for each row in addition to the number of students/participants? Or, are the number of new and repeating mentors counted in the total number of students/participants at the beginning of the second row?

A) Each cohort will consist of three types of participants:

Students

New Mentors

Repeating Mentors

Students and new mentors will be charged the same rate. Repeating mentors should be charged at a lesser rate since they will not repeat assessments, coaching, or other activities where there is little to no return on repeating the activity. They will only need

“basic” classroom material (usually, the participant manual), so that they can follow along during class.

33. Q) RFP p.48 of 52, Section III, Tab E, para a) 2) c. Page Limitation for Phase 1 Submission

- This paragraph states a 30 page limit for Phase I submission, and that that resumes do not count towards page limit. Do the required statements providing evidence of availability (as referenced on p. 48 of 53, Element 3-Evidence of Availability) count against the 30 page limit for Phase I proposal submission?

A) Evidence of Availability does count in the 30 page limit.

34. Q) RFP, Evaluation Factor, Section I, Factor I, Element 1: Association With Accredited

College/University: “To ensure the Contractor has the infrastructure and on-board bench strength to adapt to the changing needs of CBP and the participants, strong affiliation with an accredited college and/or university is required. With this strong affiliation, the majority (at least 51%) of the faculty for the program shall be from the accredited college and/or university and have taught at the graduate level in a university setting for a minimum of five

(5) years. The Government will assess the depth, availability and appropriateness of faculty and content available to the offeror based on this requirement.”

a. Can a small business submit a proposal as prime, with a major accredited university as its sole subcontractor providing the majority (at least 51%) of faculty for the program and performing the majority (at least 51%) of the workshare?

Please refer to questions 1, 8 and 12 – these answers should assist with this question. The prime, no matter the size, must be qualified according to all of the aspects of the SOW and RFP package.

b. Since this is an Unrestricted Acquisition, do the Limitation on Subcontracting provisions applicable to small business set-asides apply in such a way as to preclude a small business prime from subcontracting a majority (at least 51%) of workshare to a large subcontractor?

Please see above answer to part a) of this question.

35. Q) Solicitation issued under NAICS 611310, Colleges, Universities, and Professional

Schools. “This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in furnishing academic courses and granting degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels. The requirement for admission is at least a high school diploma or equivalent general academic training. Illustrative Examples: Colleges (except junior colleges); Military academies

(college level); Professional Schools (e.g. business administration, dental, law, medical);

Theological seminaries offering baccalaureate or graduate degrees; Universities. Can the solicitation be amended to add NAICS 61143 (Professional and Management Development

Training) either in lieu of or in addition to NAICS 611310? NAICS 61143 is most directly applicable to the Solicitation’s scope of work: “This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in offering an array of short duration courses and seminars for management and professional development. Training for career development may be provided directly to individuals or through employers’ training programs; and courses may be customized or modified to meet the special needs of customers. Instruction may be provided in diverse settings, such as the establishment’s or client’s training facilities, educational institutions, the workplace, or the home, and through diverse means, such as correspondence, television, the internet, or other electronic and distance learning methods. The training provided by these establishments may include the use of simulators and simulation methods.” NAICS 611310 is not as directly applicable since the

Solicitation’s Scope of Work does not require the granting of degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels.

A) Please see response to question #1.

36. Q) How many cohorts went through the CBP LI training in 2019? 2018? 2017? 2016?

2015?

A) Three to four per year.

37. Q) Scope of Work, Section 4, Specific Tasks

a. Section 4.1 General Program Requirements: Do the instructions days included in

Session 1 (10 days), Session 2 (9 days), and Session 3 (5 days) run consecutively within each session, such that Saturdays and Sundays are counted?

Saturday is counted for Session 1 (for executive coaching), but no other weekends are included.

b. Section 4.1, General Program Requirements: Is there any leeway to have training occur outside of the CBP Advanced Training Center, Potomac Hall, Harpers Ferry, WV – e.g. Session 1, Session 2, or Session 3 (or portions thereof) to occur at classroom and lodging facilities owned by a major accredited university, perhaps in conjunction with off-site experiential activities that take advantage of unique activities, events, or locations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area?

While the majority of the training will occur in Harpers Ferry, WV at the

Advanced Training Center, the government is open to the proposal above depending on relevance of content and cost to the government (for student travel and per diem).

c. Section 4.2.3: When CBP subject matter experts are integrated into each individual session, whether in the form of a 60 minute discussion or a half-day activity to supplement contractor content, are the hours taken up by CBP subject matter experts considered part of the 192 total training hours that the contractor is required to deliver, or are they separate from and in addition to the contractor’s 192 total training hours?

It is included as part of the total training hours.

d. Section 4.2.4: Please define and provide examples of an “individual training module” whose duration cannot be less than 3 hours in length.

It is a segment (module) of training on a specific topic normally given by a single instructor.

e. Section 4.2.5: If CBP adds weekly evening sessions to the curriculum by inviting key senior leaders to address the class informally, are such sessions considered part of the

192 total training hours that the contractor is required to deliver, or are they separate from and in addition to the contractor’s 192 total training hours

Separate from, and in addition to, the 192 training hours.

f. Section 4.4.1: Please define and provide examples of a “ training module”, at the end of which the Contractor will “conduct a thorough evaluation of content and instruction.”

It is a segment (module) of training on a specific topic normally given by a single instructor. An example of a module would be ‘Leading High Performing

Organizations’.

38. Q) Extension of Proposal Deadline - Can the proposal deadline be extended beyond

October 10, 2019 in light of the volume and timing of the government’s responses to questions submitted?

A) No