QA262021.pdf

SUBJECT: RFQ NO. 72039122Q00003 – CAREER TRANSITION SERVICES

Answers to the questions received from different potential bidders.

Q: I trust you are well. My name is ABC, I am managing partner at XYZ Company. My colleague and I being part of XYZ Company are interested to apply for the Career Transition Support Services. Just wanted some guidance to fill on the RFQ for Career Transition Support Services please.

A: Much thank you for showing interest in the subject RFQ and welcome your quotation by the due date. However, it is not possible for us to talk to you or any interested bidder individually. This is due to our procurement integrity and desire for transparency and fairness in our procurement process. We, therefore, request you to please submit all your questions you have concerning our solicitation and we will respond accordingly to you and all other potential bidder(s). Thanks again for your inquiry and looking forward to hearing back from you with your questions.

Q: What would be the tentative number of client-employees?

A: The approximate number of client-employees is around 155 which is noted on page 4 of the SOW.

Q: What would be the hierarchical level/ categories of the client-employees?

A: We are not entirely sure of this question. However, if it concerns the different types of positions we have, we have positions at the manager or supervisor level, mid-level and administrative or clerical levels such as secretaries of which a significant number are the mid-level positions and a smaller number at the supervisor and administrative staffing levels.

Q: What are the possible reasons for career transition?

A: We are not entirely sure of this question. However, this solicitation is being prompted by an internal re-organization with a reduction of staff which we wish to obtain services whereby the client-employees can better understand their career options and explore employment opportunities. For further details on this, please consult with Section II.

OBJECTIVES in the solicitation.

Q: How the tenure of 18 months be segregated? Would client-employees be divided into batches?

A: Yes, the performance period for this solicitation is 18 months (April 2022-September 2023). The services to be rendered to the client-employees will be determined by the vendor and outlined in their submitted proposal. A subsequent detailed work plan will be presented to us as noted in Section IV. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS/SERVICES & DELIVERABLES, A Initial Requirement.

Q: I hope this email finds you in good health. I would like to quickly touch base with you regarding the requirement above. Is this considered a new requirement or is there an incumbent? If there is an incumbent, would you be able to share the vendor and contract number so that I can identify it in FPDS? Any assistance you may provide will be greatly appreciated! Have a great day and, please, stay safe!

A: "Many thanks for your interest in our solicitation and reaching out to us with your question below. The previously published RFQ has been cancelled and we have resolicited the requirement with an updated SOW”.

Q: The POP is Pakistan within person preferred with some remote possibility. Would the government be open to 100% remote?

A: No, the delivery method is preferable in combination (in person and remote). Please refer to Section IV, F (a) of the RFQ where this is noted.

Q: Are the focus of the careers for jobs in Pakistan or the U.S.A?

A: The focus should be the local job market in Pakistan as well as, where applicable and to the extent feasible, the International job market opportunities in relevant associated sectors. Please refer to Section III 1st paragraph of the RFQ where this point is noted.

Q: In Section C of the Terms of Reference, under the heading “Technical Proposal”, bullet number 3 references instructors. The term instructor is mostly used in training proposals where their sole responsibility is training. Whereas, we will be deploying team members relating to recruitment, career counselling, project management and so on. Please clarify whether team members are only trainers or can we utilize non-training team members whose expertise is relevant to the project? While we understand your points, A: This completely depends on the vendor's discretion and staffing on how to provide the complete services in terms of training and counselling as requested in solicitation. In the end, we want the targeted client-employees to be educated and equipped with the knowledge and skills from the services provided by the selected vendor.

Q: In terms of page limits, please clarify whether resumes are counted within the word limit or not? Also does the resume itself have a page limit that USAID has set?

A: This page limit includes everything (i.e., all documents of the proposal, resumes, etc.)

as mentioned in Section C-A.

Q: Are consortiums/partnering allowed for this project?

A: Yes, we are open to this option.

Q: We would like to request a personnel breakdown by city (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar).

A: This personnel breakdown will be provided once the contract is awarded.

Q: The Terms of Reference mentions 155 client-employees requiring these services, we would like to know whether all client-employees contracts are ending simultaneously or at different times? Please clarify.

A: We are not completely clear concerning this question but 155 is the current client-employee base which we are asking the potential vendors to work from and of course this number is subject to change.

Q: In reference to the 155 client-employees, please provide a breakdown of their grades or levels within the organization.

A: This staffing breakdown will be provided once the contract awarded.

Q: How many projects are currently running that client-employees are working on and when do they end?

A: We are not at liberty to provide this information right now, but it will be shared once the contract is awarded to the selected vendor.

Q: The deadline for submission is 2nd December 2021 by email, is there a time deadline by which the RFQ should be received by email? Please clarify.

A: The time deadline is by COB December 2,2021 or 17:00 Pakistan Time, December 2, 2021.