2.5.1 70B06C24R00000002 A00001 Question & Answer.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 20 KB Posted
- Attached to
- U. S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Training & Development Enterprise Training & Resource Management System & Support Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 70B06C24R00000002
About this file
This document contains questions and answers regarding Solicitation Number 70B06C24R00000002 from the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection for an Enterprise Training and Resource Management System and support services. The solicitation seeks a cloud-based software as a service solution to manage training and resources for over 75,000 employees across less than 10 locations. Key requirements include supporting 350 online courses, 60,000 instructor-led courses, over 100,000 learner accounts, and 40 million training records. The solution must integrate with the DHS Human Capital Enterprise Information Environment for user management and be FedRAMP Moderate authorized. Implementation is expected to take approximately one year with pricing periods covering transition, operations and maintenance.
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Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5.1 70B06C24R00000002 A00001 SF30.pdf | ||
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002 Attachment 3- Initial Capabilities.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002.pdf | ||
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002 Attachment 1- ETMS Pricing Worksheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002 Attachment 2- Statement of Work.pdf | ||
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002 Attachment 4- Role Based Narratives.pdf | ||
| 2.1.1 70B06C24R00000002 Attachment 2- Statement of Work- Appendix A- Functional Requirements.pdf |
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Text version
Sheet1
| Request for Proposals (RFP) 70B06C24R00000002 | |||
| Amendment A00001- Question & Answers | |||
| # | Industry Question | Government Response | Identified RFP Changes |
| 1 | What travel costs need to be tracked? | No contractor travel outside of the local commuting area is expected for the resulting contract. If the Contractor is required to travel outside 50 miles from its location, then the contractor shall invoice against a Not to Exceed (NTE) travel budget contract line item (CLIN) included in the award. |
| The Contractor will be reimbursed for Government pre-approved travel at the rates provided in the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR- www.gsa.gov/ftr ) for long distance travel only. Travel will only be reimbursable to the extent authorized in writing (email) in advance by the COR. The COR shall receive travel requests at least 3 business days in advance of the travel start date. | None. | |||
| 2 | How many beds do you anticipate needing to manage? | Our academies see a throughput of approximately 4,000 students a year. | None. | |
| 3 | How many locations would need to be in the database for resource management & scheduling? | We have less than 10 locations across the United States currently utilizing resource management of facilities at those locations, but anticipate growth in the coming years. | None. | |
| 4 | How many total rooms and resources will need to be in the system for management and scheduling purposes? | We have over 200 schedulable rooms across the Continental United States with anticipated growth in the coming years. | None. | |
| 5 | How many admins of the system will you have? How many instructors? | Less than 10 System Administrators and an estimated 5,000 other personnel with various elevated roles/permissions (i.e. instructor, registrar, class coordinator, etc.) | None. | |
| 6 | We recognize oral presentations are limited to four people with one being the responsible corporate official, but we were wondering if it would be possible to have a multitude of people fill the remaining 3 slots? This would allow vendors to have specialist present in their area of expertise without ever having more than four people in the presentation at once. | No, CBP will only allow up to four (4) people in the presentation, and these four individuals must be able to cover all aspects of the topics to be covered in the presentation. | None. | |
| 7 | What solution is CBP currently using for synchronous learning? Would CBP prefer that their platform integrate with this preferred solution, or would you like the vendor to provide their own virtual classroom? | CBP uses a variety of industry standard platforms that do not need to be integrated into this solution (i.e. Teams, Webex, Adobe Connect, or others that may arise with changing technology). | None. | |
| 8 | What video streaming platform is CBP currently using? Do you need the platform to integrate with this solution or is the vendor to provide the streaming platform? | CBP is currently using IBM Video Streaming and Microsoft Products. No, the platform does not need to integrate with this solution. | None. | |
| 9 | Has the CBP considered the need for accessible content? Of course, every platform should meet 508 compliance, but is there an additional need for course content to be accessible in a variety of formats/options as well? | CBP ensures its content is accessible through internal processes. | None. | |
| 10 | What is CBP’s process for building new courses? Would it be beneficial to provide instructors additional inspiration in the form of suggested learning modules/course content, test questions, and practical rubrics? | CBP creates its own content though internal processes. | None. | |
| 11 | How important is a visually appealing user experience to CBP? Would it be helpful to provide automated suggestions for added images or course banners to create a more engaging learner experience? | Within Phase II, Factors 2 & 3 are of equal importance and when combined, are more important than Factor 4. |
| The Phase I factor is more important than the Phase II non-price Factors (when combined), and all non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than Price. | None. | |||
| 12 | With the request for subscription services for a maximum of 75,000 users, would it be safe to assume a monthly average of about 6,250 users (75,000/12 months) or would there be a different amount? During a rolling 90 days (any 90 day period throughout the year) how many users will typically use the system? Would there be a “ramp up period” where users are gradually added over time as the solution is implemented? | This system will serve all of CBP's 75,000 employees, catering to their training needs throughout the year. While use may vary across different seasons (peak usage in March, September, and December), it's important to note that every employee engages with the platform multiple times annually. Access cannot be limited, all 75,000 employees need daily access. | None. | |
| 13 | Can CBP define the block module schedule and performance tests mentioned in the Course Developer Narrative 1? What is the expectation in creating the block module schedule? | Block schedule is a class schedule that identifies daily lessons, training activities, instructors, and facilities. The expectation is that the system will allow for the ability to track these resources. A performance test is an assessment tool used in lieu of a written test. | None. | |
| 14 | Is the online course mentioned in requirement 13 of the Course Developer Narrative 1 referring to SCORM content? | Yes | None. | |
| 15 | Is the audience grouping mentioned in requirement 15 of the Course Developer Narrative 1 referring to grouping within a course or grouping at an enrollment level? | It is referring to creating a grouping of individuals based on user data (i.e. job series, location, title, etc.) that can be assigned to a specific training. When new employees that meet the defined criteria join they should be automatically added to the grouping and automatically fall off when they no longer meet it. | None. | |
| 16 | What is needed in the online registration form mentioned in requirement 6b of the Learner/End-User Narrative 2? | Online registration forms will capture student information, such as emergency contacts and travel arrangements. | None. | |
| 17 | Are the complete training transcripts for direct reports mentioned in requirement 2 of the Supervisor Narrative 3 for reporting purposes or role privileges? | They are for reporting purposes. | None. | |
| 18 | Are the performance assessment sheets and performance test results/comments mentioned in the Instructor Narrative 5 referring to on-the-job-training? | It can be for either on-the-job-training, instructor-led training, or any localized field assessments. | None. | |
| 19 | Can you describe your common workflow tasks mentioned in requirement 14 of the Instructor Narrative 5? | The common workflow task is to review survey results and analytics to determine students’ reactions to the training. | None. | |
| 20 | The RFP indicates that the Solution Capability Survey tab under Attachment 3 – Initial Capabilities must be submitted in a .xlsx (Excel) format (page 42, Proposal Preparation). The RFP then proceeds to say that “All submissions, EXCEPT Price, shall be .PDF (Adobe)” (page 43). Please clarify if Attachment 3 – Initial Capabilities should be submitted in a .pdf or an .xlsx format. | The Solution Capability Survey tab under Attachment 3 – Initial Capabilities must be submitted in a .xlsx (Excel) format | The sentence "All submissions, EXCEPT Price, shall be .PDF (Adobe)." is removed. Offerors shall reference the tables on Pg. 42 for format of submissions. | |
| 21 | Given that we’re a manufacturer, our clients don’t normally submit CPARS. Would it be possible to provide references (agency, name, email, phone number) in lieu of this? | If no relevant performance is captured within CPARS, the Offeror may provide federal-only performance information to include a point of contact name, phone number, email address, contract number, period of performance, total contract value, and brief (no more than 200 words) description of services detailing how the contract is relevant to the requirement at hand. Offerors may also be evaluated on past performance using any sources available to the Contracting Officer. | None. | |
| 22 | Based on the target period of performance start date of 1 January 2024, what would be the estimated go-live/production ready date for the new Enterprise Training and Resource Management System (ETMS)? | We anticipate needing approximatley 1 year to transition to the new solution. | None. | |
| 23 | The Government requires the Contractor to migrate data from the existing training and resource management system to the solution. Would the Government provide estimates for the number of courses, number of learner records, and amount of learner data which needs to be migrated? | There are an estimated 350 online SCORM courses, 60,000 Instructor-Led courses, 40 million training records, and over 100,000 learner accounts. | None. | |
| 24 | What system(s) will be the government be migrating learning content from (specific product and vendor names)? | The current system is the Acadis Readiness Suite by Envisage Technologies | None. | |
| 25 | How many CBP eLearning staff members (e.g., administrators, instructional designers, etc.) will require training on the new ETMS solution? | Less than 10 System Administrators | None. | |
| 26 | The Government states the cloud-based software solution shall be FedRAMP Moderate authorized. Would the Government accept a cloud-based SaaS solution which is DoD Impact Level 4 (IL4) authorized? DoD IL4 exceeds the NIST and FIPS security requirements of FedRAMP Moderate authorized solutions. | No, Per DHS Policy, all Cloud Service Offerings must be FedRAMP, DoD Impact Level 4 (IL4) is not authorized. | ||
| None. | ||||
| 27 | The Government states it may have requirements for CBP customizations and software development. Will the Government restrict down select and award consideration to only those vendors who can offer customized solutions? | CBP prefers a solution that allows customization in order to support the changing CBP mission. While CBP will not automatically remove an offeror that does not offer customized features for future CBP requirements, it will be considered under Factor 1 and as part of the best value award decision. | None. | |
| 28 | Would the Government please describe the types of customizations it envisions in the LMS that are not documented in the solicitation requirements? | Customizations would be related to the changing mission of CBP and the need to adapt to new requirements. They could be minor changes in the way certain features work or major additions to the system to meet a future requirement. | None. | |
| 29 | Will the Government consider a solution which meets the majority of the functional requirements at contract award and allow for some functionality to be added during the estimated 1-year contract/vendor transition period? For example, all required functional requirements must be met within 6 months of contract award. | All requirements must demostrate efficacy within 6 months of contract award and be ready for deployment at the estimated 1 year go live date. | None. | |
| 30 | Training and resource management solutions are constantly evolving to leverage new and emerging technologies such as Generative AI, machine learning, and virtual / augmented reality. Requiring FedRAMP authorization limits the innovative technologies offerors can propose to meet this requirement. Can the Government accept solutions that are compliant with FedRAMP cybersecurity requirements and able to obtain a CBP Authorization to Operate? Requiring an existing FedRAMP authorization will limit competition for this procurement. For solutions that have completed a FedRAMP 3PAO readiness assessment, can CBP sponsor FedRAMP authorization to meet this requirement?" | No, per DHS Policy the system must be fully FedRamp Moderate and we cannot take the risk that the system may not meet this standard. | None. | |
| 31 | The Government prefers a solution that provides an initial help desk response within 10 minutes and corrective action to begin the same day. Does the Government expect the same response times all 365 days of the year? Is there any after-business hours or holiday leniency for less-critical help desk inquiries or corrective action that does not involve system degradation? | Less critical help desk inquiries can be resolved within normal business hours. Critical issues must be responded to immediately even outside normal business hours. | None. | |
| 32 | If the Government prefers there to be no change control board and an unlimited number of new feature developments, would the Government consider a standard procedure for change requests to be vetted for feasibility and scoped for priority in close collaboration with select key personnel and the Government? | Yes, change requests can be vetted for feasibility and scoped for priority. | None. | |
| 33 | Will the government allow for questions after the advisory down-select in preparation for the Phase II submittal? | Yes, but only about the oral presentation and technical demonstration process. The Government will not answer any technical requirement questions. | None. | |
| 34 | Please clarify whether the government wants the Offeror to answer the Interview Questions in the Attachment 3- Initial Capabilities.xlsx file or as a separate narrative file. | The Solution Capability Survey tab under Attachment 3 – Initial Capabilities must be submitted in a .xlsx (Excel) format | The sentence "All submissions, EXCEPT Price, shall be .PDF (Adobe)." is removed. Offerors shall reference the tables on Pg. 42 for format of submissions. | |
| 35 | We have relevant past performance where the agency did not complete CPARS. Will the government allow a PPQ in lieu of the CPAR? | If no relevant performance is captured within CPARS, the Offeror may provide federal-only performance information to include a point of contact name, phone number, email address, contract number, period of performance, total contract value, and brief (no more than 200 words) description of services detailing how the contract is relevant to the requirement at hand. Offerors may also be evaluated on past performance using any sources available to the Contracting Officer. | None. | |
| 36 | Given that there are no CLINS for Solution Configuration in Pricing Period 2, is it the Government's expectation that the SOW Tasks for Transition-In, Data Migration, and Solution Configuration must be completed within Pricing Period 1, which is 1 calendar year? | CBP anticipates needing approximately 1 year to transition to the new solution. However, CBP envisions only issuing one task order per transition task, so in the event the transition tasks carries over into another pricing period, the contractor would still be working from under the task order issued for that particular transition task from Pricing Period 1. CBP does not anticipate issuing multiple tasks for the same transition tasks. | None. | |
| 37 | Will the government allow for Period 2 pricing to include continued Solution Configuration post MVP? | No. See previous answer. | None. | |
| 38 | Under Section 4.1 in the SOW, does data partitioning in this context refer to regulating data access by assigning user profiles and permissions, or to the storage of data independently between internal divisions? | In that context, data partitioning refers to the ability to regulate data access through user profiles, roles, and permissions. | None. | |
| 39 | Under Section 4 Solution Configuration in the SOW, does the requirement for e-signatures refer to signing electronic copies of physical documents (.e.g. .pdf), PKI digital signatures in the same context, or non-repudiable tracking of digital record changes by authenticated users? | Any of the methods would be acceptable as long as the system authenticates, timestamps, and stores the e-signature. | None. | |
| 40 | Under Section 5 Interchanges in the SOW, to better define the interchange method, please identify the platform of the DHS Human Capital (HC) Enterprise Information Environment (EIE). | Information about the HC EIE Feed can be found here: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/privacy-pia-workforceanalytics-dhsall075-september2019.pdf | None. | |
| 41 | Under Section 5 Interchanges in the SOW, what system will require interchange to create and maintain users, user accounts, and user attributes such as, but not limited to, user organization, job titles, and supervisors? | The Enterprise Training and Resource Management System will need to interchange data with the DHS Human Capital (HC) Enterprise Information Environment (EIE). | None. | |
| 42 | Under Section 6.3 Data Migration in the SOW, please provide the number, type, format, and size of records to be migrated. | There are an estimated 350 online SCORM courses, 60,000 Instructor-Led courses, 40 million training records, and over 100,000 learner accounts. | None. | |
| 43 | Under Section 6.3 Data Migration in the SOW, please indicate the platform and cloud infrastructure on which the current data resides. | The data is currently within the Acadis Readiness Suite which resides on AWS FedRAMP Moderate servers. | None. | |
| 44 | Regarding the reference to Section 8.1.1 Service-Level Objectives, specifically "The resulting service-level agreements (SLA) at a minimum shall address and meet the Government’s service-level objectives requirements", where are the Government's service level objectives requirements identified? | The Service Level Objectives include procurement, installation, initial training, system upgrades, site maintenance, software support, routine scheduling, monitoring system applications for abnormal operation, and help desk to support problem resolution. | None. | |
| 45 | Regarding Section 8.2 Help Desk in the SOW, please clarify whether the Offeror's Tier 2 and 3 help desk or the CBP Tier 2 help desk will coordinate with the cloud service provider if there are outages. | The offeror's help desk will coordinate with the cloud service provider if there are outages. | None. | |
| 46 | Regarding Section 8.2 Help Desk in the SOW, what system does CBP currently use for Tier 2 and 3 help desk tracking? Will the Offeror be able to use the existing Tier 2 and 3 Help desk tracking system? | The current system uses an internal help desk system for tracking tickets that will not be available for use. | None. | |
| 47 | Regarding the “Surveys - Support a "finish later" option for survey respondents - Tab- Solution Capability Survey”, what is the business process following the completion of a survey with the 'Finish Later' option? | Many surveys can be lengthy and due to our learner's mission demands, they might not be able to finish the entire survey in one sitting. Allowing them to save their progress and complete the survey later provides greater flexibility for our workforce. | None. | |
| 48 | Regarding Attachment 3 Initial Capabilities, does "Support automated and manual import of Human Resource data" imply integrating with the current HR system of record to pull user attributes (e.g. rank) | Yes | None. | |
| 49 | Regarding Attachment 3 Personnel Administration, what is an example of "tagging" a personnel record? Is there a standard list of tags, or does it need to be customizable? | A "Tag" refers to a label or keyword that is associated with a learner's profile or record. These tags can be used to categorize or group learners based on specific attributes, characteristics, or criteria. It needs to be customizable. | None. | |
| 50 | Regarding Attachment 3 Surveys, please clarify the term 'Periodic' in this context. Is this expected to be consistent every year? | The term "Periodic" is not used on this document regarding surveys, so CBP is unclear what is being referred to and therefore is unable to provide a clarification of the requirement. | None. | |
| 51 | Regarding Attachment 3 Initial Capabilities tab, the alternatives include "OOTB," "< 6 month customization," and "> 6 month customization." Do the 6 month categories relate to specific features or to all features? For example, if all features require customization lasting <6 months, the expected delivery time would be <6 months. | The categories relate to each individual feature. Each feature should be noted as either "OOTB", "<6 months", or "> 6 months". | None. | |
| 52 | Regarding Attachment 3 Initial Capabilities, does the requirement to customize workflows apply to end users, or to administrators? | Administrators | None. | |
| 53 | Regarding Narrative 4 under Attachment 4 Role Based Narratives, does the requirement to customize emails apply to end users, or to administrators? | Administrators | None. | |
| 54 | Regarding all narratives under Attachment 4 Role Based Narratives, will there be users of the system who are external to CBP? | No. | None. | |
| 55 | In general, will the Government allow for a 1-page Executive Summary to introduce the team and the solution? | The tables on Pg. 42 of the RFP authorizes the use of a Cover Letter/Executive Summary for both Phase I and Phase II. Offerors may use these pages to introduce the team and overview of the solution. | None. | |
| 56 | Will the Government allow for a landscape orientation for response document? | Yes. | None. | |
| 57 | Will the Government allow the font size in tables to be smaller than 12-point font? | No. | None. |
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