MISSION COACHING - ANSWERS TO SOLICITATION QUESTION.pdf

COACHING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72062023R00003

Question 1. Section 1.0, page 1 states that “USAID/Nigeria just completed a pilot year of leadership coaching designed to build and promote the leadership potential already present within the Mission.” Could USAID provide the name of the organization or firm that provided that training?

Answer : EASYDATA RESOURCES LIMITED

Q2. Section 3.0, page 3 states that the offeror will “conduct a Senior Staff retreat.”

Could USAID provide an estimated date for that retreat as it is not listed in the deliverables/delivery schedule.

Answer: TBD - After the award

Q3. Section 5.2, page 5, states that “Only organization with representatives in Nigeria will be considered for this task.” Could USAID provide clarity on what constitutes a country ‘representative’? Does the statement mean that only in-country representatives can perform the work, or simply that the bidding organization must have country representation?

Answer: Offshore offeror should have a legal representative in Nigeria, experienced in coaching and facilitation services that can be called upon for physical meetings.

Q4. Is the final report from the pilot coaching program available for review?

Answer : Yes. The report is attached.

Q5. Under 3.0, Scope, it states the Contractor will, “Conduct MBTI® and/or other types of 360-degree assessments for up to 20 personnel”, can the Mission please clarify how many assessments total it would like to see per personnel included in the proposal?

Answer: 360-degree assessments will be required once for the number of participant where necessary and applicable.

Q6. Can the Mission confirm if the purpose of the activity under 3.0, “Conduct interviews with an appropriate number of technical and support office staff”, is to inform the design of the retreats, or if not, what the purpose of this activity is so we know the intended output and outcomes?

Answer: The interviews will help in the retreat design and also provide an insight to participants core areas of developmental need.

Q7. Can the Mission confirm if all attendees at the retreats (items #4 and #5 under 3.0) are going to be in-person in Abuja, or if any participants will be given the option to join virtually?

Answer: Retreats will be in person

Q8. Can the Mission please confirm if Office Directors and Deputy Directors are in addition to the 20 staff members participating in the coaching program?

Answer: Some Office Director and deputies may be part of the 20 staff members.

In addition, Office Directors and deputies may have up to four hours per quarter of executive coaching and a group coaching for senior management, office directors and CCN leaders.

Q9. Can the Mission please confirm if, in addition to being responsible for booking the rooms of offsite events (5.1), the Mission will also cover the costs, or if the Contractor should include those anticipated expenses in their proposal budget?

Answer: The Mission will be responsible for the cost and booking the rooms for offsite event.

Q10. Item iv at the end of page 5 states, “Only organization with representatives in

Nigeria will be considered for these task”-- can the Mission please clarify if by this they mean organizations with legal representatives in Nigeria, or if it just means Nigerian-based team members, so that US-based organizations with facilitators in Nigeria would also qualify?

Answer: Organizations with legal representatives in Nigeria experienced in coaching and facilitation services that can be called upon for physical meetings.

Q11. What percentage of the technical and support staff would be considered appropriate? Do you have a specific number in mind?

Answer; Question not clear

Q12. What type of interview are you expecting for the technical and support staff?

Answer: Question not clear

Q13. What is the expected outcome of the interviews?

Answer: To provide feedback on participant’s area of need and possible improvement. Please refer to the SOW – Scope 3.0, #3 for guidance.

Q14. Does the client need access to the raw interview data?

Answer: USAID/Nigeria will not need the raw interview data, but the participant/personnel being interviewed would be provided the feedback.

Q15. Is there minimum or max number of hours expected for each participant for coaching hours for personnel who are required to supervise, manage, and lead?

Answer: Minimum of 30 hrs per CCN participants for the 15 month period.

Q16. Is there minimum or max number of hours expected for each Participant for coaching hours for those who actively support mission management?

Answer: Minimum of 30 hrs per CCN participants for the 15-month period.

Q17. Is there a specific key personnel that needs to be the Nigerian Representative

Answer: Organizations with legal representatives in Nigeria experienced in coaching and facilitation services that can be called upon for physical meetings.

Q18. The terms facilitate on, leadership counseling and coaching synonymously in the solicitation on are these are different. From our understanding, the mission needs MBTI assessment, facilitators for a 2-day leadership retreat, facilitators for a senior staff retreat and coaching for the 20 leaders.

Answer: Please refer to the SOW – Scope 3.0, #1-7 and Deliverable 4.0 for guidance.

Q19. Please confirm the approximate number of hours of coaching the mission needs per leader and exactly how many leaders need coaching. This will affect the coaching price.

Answer; TBD After the award.

Q20. Please if the 2-day leadership retreat will be virtual or in person in Abuja

Answer: The retreat will be in person.

Q21. The solicitation on calls for facilitators to have experience facilitating leadership sessions in the mission. This is a very strict requirement, and it may exclude competent firms, reduce competition and may give the impression that this requirement is skewed for a particular firm. Please confirm.

Answer: Please check the Contractor’s Qualification as listed in the Statement of work (SOW) for guidance.

Q22. Please confirm selection criteria, best value or LPTA

Answer: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable

Q23. We are a firm with deep experience working with USAID and offer executive coaching. We have team members in Nigeria who have delivered workshops for USAID staff in Abuja. Is there a deadline for questions regarding the solicitation for executive coaching services? Is there an incumbent contractor who has already provided coaching for your team?

Answer: Yes, the deadline for questions is 03/28/2023.

There is no incumbent contractor. The contract for the pilot coaching program had been executed and completed. This is a new solicitation with new scope and perspectives.

Q24. Can you provide a copy of the initial program since it will be an extension of the new leadership program?

Answer: The initial program is attached.

Q25. Will the leadership coaching team have access to the US Embassy?

Answer: Yes, if there is need after a fully approved access request.

Q26. Can the coaching team be comprised of local nationals?

Answer: Yes, please refer to the contractor qualifications as clearly stated in the Statement of Work (SOW) for guidance.

Q27. Is there a minimum number of coaching staff that must be in country for the entirety of the 15 month contract.

Answer: There is no minimum number, but the coaching staff must be adequate for all necessary interventions. Please refer to the contractor qualifications in the Statement of Work (SOW) for guidance.

Q28. Can you provide any additional information on key personnel requirements and qualifications?

Answer: This is listed in the SOW, please refer to contractor qualifications.

Q29. Can you provide additional instructions for the financial proposal, including what type of contract this would be (Firm Fixed Price, Cost Plus, T&M, etc.) and the desired format for the financial proposal?

Answer: Firm fixed price. The financial proposal should show details per the deliverables for client review.

Q30. Can you provide additional information on the Evaluation Factors for award?

Answers

1. Past performance

2. Cost and Price reasonability

3. Technical Proposal acceptability

4. Professional Experience that demonstrates attainment of client expectation

Q31. Is the Mission looking for anything different than from what was provided by the incumbent contractor or is this more of an expansion of existing work?

Answer

There is no incumbent as the pilot contract had been completed. This is a different scope with a different perspective. The Mission expects a robust coaching project.

Q32. Is there flexibility to go above 4 hours per quarter of coaching for Office Directors and Deputy Directors? Is this low maximum number of hours per quarter related to the fact that this group has already benefited from earlier coaching?

Answer: There could be flexibility so long as such flexibility will drive the required objective.

Q33. Can you provide the range or expected number of hours of coaching for other staff?

Answer: Clarify question.

Q34. Under "Final Report", the RFP states "Progress updates may be provided to Office

Directors on the progress of their staff receiving coaching."

Given the confidentiality that coaches must uphold with those being coached, we assume that individual progress updates would need to be provided by participants. Will there be a standard coaching agreement that will make participants aware of the need to report their progress to their Office Director.

Answer: There will be a coaching agreement, not content reporting.

Q35. What level of detail are you looking for with regards to each of the deliverables in the proposal as the SOW is void of many details? In other words, are you expecting a syllabus, outline, retreat location (with multiple details), sample of materials, PowerPoint presentations, etc.?

Answer: USAID/Nigeria expects a robust coaching program per Deliverables in the

SOW. We expect agenda, structure, syllabus, outlines, sample of materials, powerpoint presentation to enable the Mission achieve the overall objective of the program.

Q36. We assume USAID will select the location and will coordinate the logistics such as lunch, dinner, lodging, and refreshments for the retreats(s). Government agencies typically are afforded favorable pricing over contractors.

Answer: USAID/Nigeria will be responsible for booking conference rooms facility for offsite events in Abuja, Nigeria. USAID/Nigeria will not be responsible for lodging/accommodation/meals of the contractor.

Q37. Can initial interviews be conducted via Zoom or similar platforms (e.g.., MS

Teams)? Answer: Yes, the interviews can be virtual or in-person.

Q38. Can interviews and coaching sessions be conducted via Zoom or similar platforms?

Answer: Yes, the interviews can be virtual or in-person.

Q39. Is 20 the maximum number of participants expected to receive the executive consulting and training?

Answer: No. Per the SOW Scope, the Mission will take advantage of the contract to provide leadership strengthening and empowerment to the CCN committee via a retreat/ Senior Staff Retreat. (Please refer to SOW 4.0 specific task and

Deliverable for more details).

Q40. Is there a bid pricing template or pricing schedule?

Answer: No

Q41. Do you expect our pricing to be one lump sum for a fixed price contract or should each deliverable (assessment, retreat, final report, etc.) be priced separately?

Answer: This is a firm Fixed Price Award. Your pricing should show details per the deliverables.

Q42. Should pricing be based on number of participants or per event/deliverable?

Answer: The pricing maybe based on events/deliverables. Detailed pricing is required.

Q43. What information is required in the Technical and Financial proposals? How much specificity must be included in these documents. We assume you require a capabilities document, past performance, and biographies of the coaches/instructors as part of the

Technical proposal.

Technical proposal requires a capabilities document, past performance, and biographies of the coaches/instructors. While the Financial proposal requires the price/cost of the level of effort.

Q44. Is there a minimum amount of liability insurance required by the contractor?

Answer: No

Q45. Can you provide a budget ceiling ($) for this contract, so we understand the magnitude of the effort?

Answer: This is a Simplified Acquisition.

Q46. Does qualification 1 below mean that if my company has not facilitated or coached within Missions overseas that the company is not eligible to compete for this opportunity? We are skilled in coaching and facilitating DEIA issues with senior leaders throughout the US within the Federal Government as well as for profit sectors.

CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS 1. Offeror will have experience in successfully leading and facilitating retreats as well as addressing difficult team communication issues within Missions overseas. Contractor knowledge of USAID, especially field mission structures, is required. Offeror will have demonstrated experience in successfully facilitating open dialogue and consensus building amongst diverse audiences.

Answer: All companies may compete for this opportunity. Our work is based in

Missions located oversea hence the need for a contractor with field mission experience. The requirement is clearly stated on the SOW – contractor qualifications.