FormSF30_Amendment 0002.pdf

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 or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

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.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

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

IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

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

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

Table of Contents

SECTION J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

J.1 Clarification questions and answers

J.2 Task Order Procedures

SECTION L INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 Instructions To Offerors

SECTION M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 Technical Evaluation Criteria

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SECTION J

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

J.1 Clarification questions and answers

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Updated response to previous question

10. Can the Department specify the ceiling amount for each TO or the IDIQ altogether?

The maximum ordering ceiling for each individual order is $3 million. The IDIQ ceiling for all orders is $10 million.

Second round of questions

Q. 1 Can the list of projects cited in either proposal as relevant corporate and staff experience be included in a table in the appendix? Please confirm that this table will not count toward the proposal page limit.

Ans.1 Yes, this can be included in the appendix. This table will not count toward the IDIQ page limit nor the Task Order page limit.

Q. 2 Could ED please clarify the technical evaluation criteria in subsections B (page 68) of the RFP? This section currently references expertise that do not seem relevant to this procurement about family engagement (e.g. ., career and technical education programs and policy and extraction and use of the Department’s Federal Student Aid data and other federal agency data)?

Ans. 2 The evaluation criteria in subsection B, second bullet (p.68) of the RFP should read as follows: "The leadership team (Project Director, Deputy Project Director, and/or Principal Investigator) and other key staff -- has experience and skill in leading, managing, designing, and conducting all aspects of evaluations (preferably in education settings) that are similar to this procurement in content (e.g., family engagement program development and delivery; types of engagement and programs for special populations; education choice strategies and engagement;

program operations and challenges; evidence of promising family engagement content and delivery strategies); methodology (i.e., design and use of large and small-scale random assignment; survey and instrument design, descriptive analyses of implementation); complexity (e.g., technical complexity, potential for multiple evaluations to be conducted at the same time);

scope (potentially hundreds of school districts for an implementation study, potentially thousands of students for an effectiveness study); and data collection modes (e.g., extraction and use of the Department’s survey data and other federal agency data; matching with EDFacts data; extraction and coding of districts’ or schools’ individual student records and surveys.)".

Q. 3 Should we submit the technical proposals for the IDIQ and the task order in one 50-page document, or should we submit two documents that cumulatively add up to no more than 50 pages of narrative?

Ans. 3 The instructions on the number of pages maximum for the technical proposal volume, as stated in the Amendment, are not correct. Here is how the Amendment should read: "The technical proposal for the IDIQ must not exceed 50 pages. The technical proposal for Task Order 0001 should follow and must not exceed 50 pages.” In other words, you should submit the IDIQ as "Volume 1, Part 1 (50 pages max)," and Task Order 001 in a subsequent section of the same

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("Volume 1, Part 2," an additional 50 pp. max). The technical volume should all be one continuously numbered 100-page document, divided in two parts.

Q. 4 Can the list of projects cited in either proposal as relevant corporate and staff experience be included in a table in the appendix? Please confirm that this table will not count toward the proposal page limit.

Ans. 4 Yes, this can be included in the appendix. This table will not count toward the IDIQ page limit nor the Task Order page limit.

J.2 Task Order Procedures

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TASK ORDER PROCEDURES

This clause shall be applicable to all orders issued under this Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ). Orders shall be issued in accordance with the procedures specified in this clause. Orders will be issued either on a Cost-Reimbursement, Fixed Price basis, or a Time & Materials basis, as required by the Government. The ordering minimum is $100,000 and the maximum ordering ceiling for each individual order is $3 million. The IDIQ’s ceiling for all orders is $10 million. In addition:

(a) Only a Contracting Officer (CO) has the authority to issue an order under this IDIQ;

(b) This IDIQ is for the use of the U. S. Department of Education (Department);

(c) All orders are subject to the terms and conditions of the IDIQ. In the event of a conflict between an order and the IDIQ, the IDIQ terms and conditions shall take precedence.

(d) No work shall be performed and no payment will be made except as authorized by an order;

(e) The Government intends to use electronic commerce methods to the maximum extent practicable for orders. Each request for an order will be sent electronically to the contract administrator of the single IDIQ awardee identified in Clause 306-8 “Contract Administrator.” It is incumbent upon the contractor to ensure that the information within said clause is accurate and current;

(f) Orders will be issued by the CO in accordance with the procedures specified in this clause;

(g) The contractor will be provided with a Performance Work Statement, Schedule of Deliverables, contract type desired, and other additional instructions as needed for each individual task order to be issued under this IDIQ. Proposals shall be due ten (10) working days from the date of the request, unless otherwise stated;

(h) The contractor shall be required to submit separate technical and business proposals for that specific order;

(i) The Contractor is allowed and encouraged to offer discounts off of their pricing schedules.

(j) The Contractor must delineate which portions of the order shall be performed by the prime contractor and the subcontractor(s) (needed only if subcontractors are proposed) respectively;

(k) Each finalized order will be signed by the CO as a single party instrument, not requiring the Contractor's signature. The Contractor's acceptance of each order shall be presumed by its commencement of work called for therein. The Contractor is cautioned to observe the following instructions:

(1) If the Contractor finds any order unacceptable for any reason, it shall contact the CO within 24 hours after receipt of such order and not begin the work required therein until the problem has been resolved;

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(2) The Contractor shall not accept any order that exceeds the maximum amount of the $3 million threshold, or which requires the base period start of performance beyond the IDIQ termination date, unless approved by the CO. Orders whose base period of performance start in advance of the IDIQ termination date may have option periods exercised past the termination date;

(3) If at any time during the performance of the Task Order, the Contractor has reason to believe that the total price to the Government to complete the order will be greater than the authorized amount, the Contractor shall notify the CO as soon as possible. At that time, the Contractor shall provide a revised estimate of the total price for performing the task, supporting reasons, and documentation. If fewer hours are required, only the hours actually used shall be invoiced.

(l) Each finalized order will contain the following:

1. Project title;

2. Date of award;

3. Contract number;

4. Order number;

5. Type of order:

(a) Fixed price orders shall include the total firm fixed price; or

(b) Time and Material and Cost Reimbursement orders shall include the total not-to-exceed amount;

6. Period of performance;

7. Name and address of COR;

8. Shipment and marking of deliverables;

9. Key personnel designation;

10. The PWS for the order including a schedule of deliverables (the Contractor's quote for the order shall be incorporated by reference); and

11. Corresponding payment schedule (for fixed price orders).

(m) In the event any task is so urgent that time cannot be allowed to issue an order in writing, the CO may provide oral authorization for the Contractor to proceed. In such an event, the CO will identify the contract number, the order number, and state the total price/cost of the effort. Oral authorization will be confirmed in writing through the issuance of an order.

(n) Additional clauses may be added at the order level, as needed

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SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 Instructions To Offerors

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INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

EVALUATING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Solicitation No.: 91990020R0018

The Department anticipates awarding a single-award Indefinite Delivery- Indefinite Quantity IDIQ contract that allows for task orders to be issued on a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), Fixed Price (FP), Time and Materials, (T&M), or a hybrid basis. The Department intends to award the single award (IDIQ) contract along with its’ first task order. Task order 0001, which will be awarded on a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) basis. This contract will be awarded by utilizing beta.SAM.gov and using FAR Part 15 procedures. The contractor is expected to show a thorough understanding of the proposed tasks as specified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The proposal should address how the contractor plans to carry out the specifications in the PWS, not simply repeat the language. The proposal shall be written with sufficient details to enable the Department to perform a comprehensive evaluation based on its full merits.

The cover of each proposal, and the header of each proposal page, should contain the title "Evaluating Family Engagement." The Government will evaluate proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the Technical Evaluation Criteria of this request for proposals. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official contract file.

The Government reserves the right to award the contract without discussions , per FAR 15.306(a)(3).

This Request for Proposal (RFP) does not commit the Government to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a proposal. In addition, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this acquisition.

Offerors should prepare separate technical and business/cost proposals for the project.

Each proposal should be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of the other. Cost information should be restricted to the business proposal, and the technical proposal must not contain reference to specific costs (although resource information may be included so that the offeror' s understanding of the scope of the work may be evaluated). Past performance information should be included in the technical proposal.

An official authorized to bind your organization must sign the proposal. Offerors must submit the technical proposal electronically in PDF format and the cost proposal

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(including a narrative description of costs) electronically in PDF format. The offeror must also electronically submit an EXCEL WORKBOOK version of the cost proposal.

Proposals are due, by 2pm on 8.13.2020.

Electronic proposals shall be emailed to the primary and secondary contacts listed below:

Primary Point of Contact:

Michael Rivera

Contract Specialist

Michael.Rivera@ed.gov

Secondary Point of Contact:

Colin Alleyne

Contracting Officer/Source Selection Authority

Colin.Alleyne@ed.gov

NOTE: If an email's attachment size exceeds 15MB, it is recommended that the offeror break up the proposal into smaller attachments in separate emails.

If the submission exceeds 15MB, the Department may not receive the proposal.

Clarification Questions

The Department will accept clarification questions from potential offerors.

Clarification questions must be submitted, via email, to:

Michael.Rivera@ed.gov with a cc to Colin.Alleyne@ed.gov , no later than 2pm on 8.6.2020. The Department does not guarantee that a response will be given to clarification questions submitted after the due date.

Offerors will not receive a response until all questions have been received by the due date and note that all questions and answers will be published tobeta.SAM.gov Opportunities.

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Offerors shall submit questions in an MS Excel file following a format similar to the table below:

Questions Format

Question No. Reference Question Category Question

RFP, PWS,

or attachments, and Section

Contract or Technical

Question

Volume I: Technical Proposal Instructions

The Technical Volume shall consist of two parts:

Part 1 -Technical Proposal addressing the general requirements of the Indefinite Delivery- Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) performance work statement

(PWS)

Part 2-Technical Proposal addressing the specific requirements of Task Order 0001

Through the technical proposals, the offeror must show a thorough understanding of the goals and activities of the IDIQ PWS overall and the task order and demonstrate that proposed staff have the necessary experience and expertise to meet both sets of task objectives. Where staff, corporate experience, and past performance proposed for the task order overlap with those described in the technical proposal for the IDIQ, offerors may refer back to the descriptions in the IDIQ proposal rather than repeat them verbatim in the task order proposal. In the task order proposal, offerors should clearly indicate which aspects of the IDIQ proposal are relevant for consideration.

While the intent of each task is spelled out in the PWS and task order description, this should be considered a starting point, and technical proposals must include detailed work plans, where possible, and illustrative examples to fully describe the offeror's plans to accomplish each task and the relevant deliverables. A proposal that simply repeats the language of the PWS and task order description without providing details about how the offeror will carry out the activities will not be considered eligible for award.

Offerors are encouraged to suggest improvements to the approaches detailed in the PWS and task order description, along with a justification of the merits

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of these alternative approaches. Offerors may find it necessary to adjust the schedule provided in Task Order 0001, in accordance with the newly proposed strategies and/or procedures. In this case, offerors shall clearly identify any changes in the schedule and explain their rationale, keeping in mind the Department’s objective of completing the requirement within the stated time frame.

Note: Although the Department encourages alternative approaches, all technical approach information will be evaluated in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria.

Technical Proposal Evaluation for the IDIQ and Task Order 0001

There will be a two-step technical evaluation approach for awarding the IDIQ and Task Order 0001.

Step one: Will be the technical evaluation of each proposal for the IDIQ.

Step two: Will include the technical evaluation of Task Oder 0001. This second step will only include the offeror whose proposal makes the competitive range at the IDIQ level. The only proposals that will be considered for the competitive range have to have a rating Good or better.

The award determination for the IDIQ and Task Order 0001will be made by the Source Selection Authority (SSA). The award will be made to the offeror that demonstrates the best value at the IDIQ level and Task Order level.

At the IDIQ level we will evaluate the labor rates for the period of performance of the IDIQ for cost reasonableness. For Task Order 0001 we will evaluate the price reasonableness of the proposal.

Technical Proposal Format and Contents

Formatting Requirements:

• The technical proposal for the IDIQ must not exceed 50 pages. The technical proposal for Task Order 0001 should follow and must not exceed 50 pages. In both cases, pages shall be double-spaced with a 12-point font size and margins of at least 1 inch.

o Included: the page limits include the narrative and corresponding tables/graphics, abstracts of selected relevant corporate work, and lists of the current contractual commitments of proposed staff.

o Excluded: the page limits do not include the cover sheet; table of contents and appendix containing any relevant letters of commitment and resumes for key project staff proposed for the task order work or the IDIQ more generally. However, resumes each must be no more than 3, single-spaced pages. The

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Department will not review any pages that exceed the maximum page limit.

• Offerors must number consecutively all pages, including appendices.

• Bulleted and numbered lists within the regular text of the proposals shall be double-spaced. They are not required to be indented, however. Footnotes may be single spaced and 10-point font.

However, inserting frequent and/or lengthy footnotes that contain substantive information as a strategy to convey more content in the same number of pages is strongly discouraged. Overuse of footnotes is distracting to a reader and can make the proposal more disjointed or disorganized.

• Figures, tables, and graphics may be single spaced and 10-point font.

However, offerors are strongly discouraged from converting substantial blocks of text into tables, figures, or graphics as a strategy to convey more content in the same number of pages. For example, offerors shall not convert a bulleted or numbered list into a table simply to save space. Figures, tables, and graphics shall only be used if they substantially improve the organization and presentation of material.

Figures, tables, and graphics with a large amount of text are typically ineffective ways to present information.

Together the IDIQ and task order proposals must include, but are not limited to, each of the following sections:

• A single cover sheet with the name and address of the firm and signed by an officer of the firm. (Does not count toward the page limit.)

• Table of Contents. The single Table of Contents must provide a means of quickly accessing important points of discussion in the two proposals. The table of contents must also provide the name of the senior author (and coauthors, if applicable, by descending order of their contribution) of each section. (Does not count toward the page limit.)

• Introductions. For each proposal, the offeror must provide an overview that demonstrates knowledge of: (a) issues relevant to the purpose of the procurement; and (b) relevant study design , implementation, and analysis considerations. In addition, each introduction shall also briefly describe the proposal, provide a rationale for why the proposed approach will best meet the intent and

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requirements of the contract, and describe the ways in which the proposed approach is unique, insightful, or particularly comprehensive.

• Soundness of Technical Approach . This section in each proposal shall completely and concisely explain the strategies , operations, and procedures the offeror proposes to achieve the contract's objectives, addressing each subtask, in the order presented in the PWS or the task order description. This section should include a discussion of any potential issues that might arise and the proposed solutions to address them. Offerors are encouraged to suggest technical improvements to the work, so long as the suggestions are justified and feasible.

• Quality of Staffing and Management Plan. This section in each proposal shall provide the names of the proposed project or task order director, other key personnel, subcontractors, and consultants, and describe the specific responsibilities of each proposed staff person. An organizational chart illustrating management roles and responsibilities shall be included.

This section should also include a narrative description that clearly describes how staff qualifications and experience relate to the requirements of the IDIQ PWS or the task order, and to the proposed task assignments. For staff charged with project management, this section should include a description of their experience monitoring project costs and carrying out quality control activities.

To indicate the availability of staff persons to work on the IDIQ in general and the task order specifically, offerors should also indicate the proportion of each staff person's time (including subcontractors and consultants) that is committed to current and pending federal and non-federal projects from September 2020 through September 2027. If staff proposed for the task order overlap entirely with those proposed for the IDIQ, the offeror may reference in the task order proposal the specific table or text on staff commitments that is included in the IDIQ proposal rather than include it a second time.

In the task order proposal only, the offeror shall indicate the proposed proportion of each staff person's time that would be committed to that work during the 24-month period of performance (by year and total) and the number of proposed hours for each staff person (including subcontractors and consultants) in total and by task.

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Any sub-contractual arrangements shall be described thoroughly, and it must be clear which tasks are expected to be completed by subcontractors and the role that they are expected to play. The offeror shall assure that proposed subcontractors/consultants are free of conflicts of interest that might bias their approach to this work.

Letter(s) by proposed subcontractors/consultants indicating willingness to serve, if the offeror is selected, shall be included with the offeror's proposal as an appendix.

The offeror shall present a proposed timeline that includes start and end dates for each project task and activity in Task Order 000 I. It should be clear when work related to each subtask and deliverable will be accomplished , the key staff responsible for the work, and how time for Department approval of deliverables has been budgeted. This section should also discuss how the offeror will assign staff and oversee their work (including subcontractors and consultants), resolve problems, and ensure work quality, timeliness, and cost control.

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This section of the IDIQ and task order proposals should be accompanied by a single appendix that includes resumes of no more than 3, single-spaced pages each for key staff members . The resumes should include educational and professional background and should only highlight experience relevant to the contract. The narrative and/or resumes should provide sufficient detail about prior projects for reviewers to assess relevance to the IDIQ performance work statement and to the task order description.

• Relevant Corporate Experience. This section shall discuss prior corporate experience similar to the requirements of the IDIQ and the task order. Offerors should provide sufficient detail about prior projects for reviewers to assess their relevance in terms of the specific tasks to be performed, content, methodology, complexity, scope, sample size, and data collection modes.

Where corporate experience proposed for the task order overlaps with that described in the technical proposal for the IDIQ, offerors may refer back to the descriptions in the IDIQ proposal rather than repeat them verbatim in the task order proposal. In the task order proposal, offerors should clearly indicate which aspects of the IDIQ proposal are relevant for consideration.

• Vendor Past Performance

To support the review of past performance, offerors shall submit identifying information such as the title, contract number, award date, end date, and client contact information for all projects cited in either proposal as relevant corporate and staff

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experience, with the first three listed being the most relevant. The Source Selection Official/Contracting Officer reserves the right to obtain past performance information from other external sources such as CPARS/FAPIIS for these or other projects.

The Government also reserves the right to obtain past performance information from other sources, such as contacting identified clients. The Department will consider the offeror' s reputation in terms of quality, problem resolution, cost control, timeliness, business relations, and customer service.

Offerors must include a list of all contracts (title, contract number, award date, end date, and client contact information) with the National Center for Education Evaluation in the Institute of Education Sciences for which the offeror or its proposed subcontractors served as prime contractor (currently active as well as active at any time during the past five years) and were not included in the list from the paragraph above. This list may be included in a table in the appendix and will not count toward the proposal page limit.

If an offeror does not have recorded past performance in the CPARS/PPIRS system, offerors may request that past performance information be submitted directly from references using the "Contractor Performance Information" form (Attachment). Each reference is to complete the form and return it to the points of contact listed below, as prescribed on the form.

Completed forms from references are due on the same day as Technical & Business Proposals under this solicitation. Request that the reference please return the

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completed form via email to the following individuals:

Michael.Rivera@ed.gov and a cc to: Colin.Alleyne@ed.gov

If past performance information proposed for the task order overlaps entirely with that described in the technical proposal for the IDIQ, offerors may refer back to the information in the IDIQ proposal rather than repeat it verbatim in the task order proposal.

• Substantive Small Business Participation. The Department values an approach where substantive work in a meaningful capacity is performed by capable small businesses. A valued approach for the anticipated contract will be one where technical, analytical, data collection, or other significant services are performed by one or more small businesses that are capable of doing this work.

Offerors must describe the work to be performed by a small business(es), the name of the small business(es), the socioeconomic status of each small business concern, and the percentage of work proposed to be performed by each small business concern (by and for each performance period, inclusive of option periods). Do not include cost information in this section.

If small business participation proposed for the task order overlaps entirely with that of the IDIQ, offerors may refer back to descriptions, lists, or tables in the IDIQ proposal rather than repeat them in the task

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order. In the task order proposal offerors should clearly indicate which aspects of the IDIQ proposal are relevant for consideration.

U.S. Department of Education Final FY 2020 Goals:

Volume II: Business Proposal

The Business Proposal will consist of two parts:

Part l: Proposed labor rates to be used for Pricing in the IDIQ. This shall include the following:

Labor Category

(LCAT)

Fully Loaded Hourly Rate Per Year (Fixed Price)

Fully Loaded Hourly Rate Per Year (T&M)

Proposed Fixed Price/Fee

Proposed T&M Profit/Fee

Unburdened Hourly Rate Per Year (Cost Plus)

*Note: Though we will evaluate the proposal as a whole, this table will NOT be used in determining the offeror's proposed contract price, for the purpose of evaluating cost and/or price analysis/realism. However, if the offeror should be chosen as the awardee, this cost/price table will be incorporated into the contract and the offeror is expected to abide by, or offer discounts on, the rates provided in this table on all future task

Sub

Small Business 47.00%

SDB 5.00%

WOSB 5.00%

SDVOSB 3.00%

HUBZone 3.00%

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orders. As such, the offeror should provide pricing that adheres to its current published rates or rates that were found to fair and reasonable, either by the Government or the commercial marketplace, in previous acquisitions.

Part 2: Cost proposal for Task Order 0001. For the purposes of cost/price evaluation , the response on Part 2 will be used as the offeror' s proposed contract cost.

Business volumes must contain sufficient information for the Department to conduct a cost analysis, cost realism analysis, and make a fairness and reasonableness determination. The offeror is expected to use their best business judgment in submitting the necessary information.

The Department anticipates awarding a single-award IDIQ contract that allows for task orders to be issued on a Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), Fixed Price (FP), Time and Materials, (T&M), or a hybrid basis. There is no page limit to the business proposal. The offeror shall submit proposed costs for each task and subtask and for the task order project overall. The proposed budget for each task and subtask (total and by contract year) shall include the number of hours each staff person (including subcontractor level of effort/cost/price) is expected to commit, the labor category, and the hourly labor rate.

Where applicable , Offerors must ensure that its company, and its proposed sub-contractor and consultants follow the General Services Administration' s (GSA) Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). Please provide a statement saying that the offeror will comply with the FTR.

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In this case, Task Order 0001 is issued as a CPFF task order.

Business Proposal Contents

The Business Proposal must include each of the following:

• A cover sheet with the name, address, and DUNS number of the firm and signed by an officer of the firm.

• Abstract. A one-page summary is to be provided abstracting the proposal contents in language understandable to an informed layperson. The abstract shall indicate full acceptance of the solicitation requirements or note any offeror or assumptions justified.

A summary chart showing the proposed Cost Reimbursement costs for the full performance period shall be included.

• Cost Accounting, Estimating, and Purchasing System Information. The offeror shall include information on the status of your accounting system, estimating system, and purchasing system.

If these systems have been reviewed and approved by a Government Agency, include a copy of the approval letter.

• Labor Rates. The labor mix and labor categories proposed should be consistent with the personnel proposed in the technical proposal. Any rate higher than $800 per day for any proposed consultant requires justification.

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• Breakdowns for Other Direct Costs and Other Resources. Offerors shall submit proposed costs itemized for each task/subtask, as well as a total proposed cost for the entire work to be performed under the contract. The proposed budget for each task and subtask should indicate the number of hours being proposed for each staff person (including subcontractor personnel) and breakdowns of direct charges for materials, supplies, consultants, equipment, telephone, copying, travel, and any other major budget items, as well as indirect cost rates used in preparing the cost estimate. Indirect rates on cost-type orders shall be in accordance with your current provisional billing rate agreements or forward pricing rate agreements. A copy of current indirect rate agreements shall be included with the business proposal.

The business proposal shall also include costs itemized by project year.

o Subcontractor Cost(s). The offeror shall submit the same cost breakdown information for subcontractors that was submitted for the prime. Offerors shall submit their labor rates broken out, not fully loaded. Offeror’s labor rate should be consistent with their current labor rates. Offerors are permitted to propose discounted rates to improve the competitiveness of their proposal. The labor mix and labor categories proposed should be consistent with the personnel proposed in the technical proposal. Additionally, in accordance with FAR 52.215-22 Limitations on Pass-through Charges - Identification of Subcontract Effort, if applicable, if the offeror intends to subcontract more than 70% of the total cost of work to be performed, the proposal must identify (i) the amount of the offeror's indirect costs and profit applicable to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s) and (ii) a description

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of the added value provided by the offeror as related to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s).

• Validity of Offer: Include a statement to the effect that the proposal submitted is firm for a period of at least 120 business days from the due date for proposals specified by the Government.

• Conflict of lnterest Plan and Certificate. The offeror shall submit a Conflict of Interest Plan, providing details on its policies and procedures to identify and avoid potential actual or apparent organizational or personnel conflicts of interest. The Plan should also address procedures taken to neutralize or mitigate such conflicts if they have not been or cannot be avoided. The Plan should indicate that such policies and procedures are operative throughout the period of outside activities financial interests, or other significant connections or identifications that would establish, or give the appearance of establishing, a conflict of interest. A method for periodically reviewing financial interests of employees, subcontractors, and consultants, and their immediate families, in order to assess actual or apparent conflicts of interest, should be included in the plan. The term "potential conflict " means a reasonably foreseeable conflict of interest.

Note: Offerors must disclose any potential conflicts in this section and must provide a mitigation plan for any disclosed conflicts.

• Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Other than small businesses must submit a subcontracting plan consistent with the requirements of FAR Clause 52.219-9 (Alternate II).

Consultants' agreements should be included in the subcontracting plan.

If the Other than Small Business(es) offeror provides a small business subcontracting plan that does not or

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cannot meet the Department's stated goals in the solicitation , the plan should provide enough information detailing the rationale to not do so.

FY 2020 Subcontracting Goals

Small Business Category Goal

Small Business 47%

Small Disadvantaged Business 5%

Women-Owned Small Business 5%

HUBZone Small Business 3%

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business 3%

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SECTION M

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 Technical Evaluation Criteria

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TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

EVALUATING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Solicitation No.: 91990020R0018

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The Government will make an award of the Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity contract (IDIQ) and Task Order 0001 ”Implementation of the Statewide Family Engagement Center Program,” to the responsible offeror whose offer conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the Government (i.e., that which represents the best value to the Government), cost and other factors considered. The Best Value Continuum is applicable to this procurement in accordance with FAR 15.101. Trade-offs apply to this requirement. All technical factors other than cost, when combined, are significantly more important than cost. Past performance will be reviewed as part of the trade-off decision. However, as technical merit among offerors becomes equal, cost will become more important in the source selection decision.

Technical Proposal Evaluation for the IDIQ and Task Order 0001

There will be a two-step technical evaluation approach for awarding the IDIQ and Task Order 0001.

Step one: Will be the technical evaluation of each proposal for the IDIQ.

Step two: Will include the technical evaluation of Task Oder 0001. This second step will only include the offeror whose proposal makes the competitive range at the IDIQ level. The only proposals that will be considered for the competitive range have to have a rating Good or better.

The award determination for the IDIQ and Task Order 0001will be made by the Source Selection Authority (SSA). The award will be made to the offeror that demonstrates the best value at the IDIQ level and Task Order level.

At the IDIQ level we will evaluate the labor rates for the period of performance of the IDIQ for cost reasonableness. For Task Order 0001 we will evaluate the price reasonableness of the proposal.

Best Value Methodology: A tradeoff methodology will be employed during the evaluation to identify the best value. Price/cost is significantly less important than technical merit. The Department will use the following factors to evaluate offers for the IDIQ contract and Task Order 0001. Note that Criteria A and B are of equal importance to one another and are more important than criteria C, D, and E.

Criteria C, D, and E are of equal importance to one another.

A. Soundness of the Technical Approach

The extent to which the Offeror’s technical approach demonstrates understanding of the goals and context of the procurement and provides a sound plan for executing the procurement. More specifically, the extent to which the Offeror’s technical approach demonstrates:

• Capability of achieving the goals of the procurement with minimal intervention by the Department as evidenced by the clarity, rigor, policy relevance, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of the Offeror’s plan for addressing the key questions and conducting each task; identification of potential challenges and the quality of recommended solutions; and an appropriate balance between creativity and rigor, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness.

• Knowledge of the context of the procurement as evidenced by attention to relevant prior research evidence, policy content, and program context throughout the technical approach.

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• The quality of the offeror’s writing and the extent to which the technical proposal is well-organized, clear, and concise while simultaneously providing an appropriate level of detail.

B. Quality of Staffing and Management Plan

The extent to which the Offeror’s staffing plan demonstrates:

• Clarity of task and management roles for all proposed staff; proposed roles that are well-aligned to the level of effort and to clearly identified staff experience, knowledge, and skills relevant to this procurement

• The leadership team (Project Director, Deputy Project Director, and/or Principal Investigator) and other key staff -- has experience and skill in leading, managing, designing, and conducting all aspects of evaluations (preferably in education settings) that are similar to this procurement in content (e.g., family engagement program development and delivery; types of engagement and programs for special populations; education choice strategies and engagement; program operations and challenges; evidence of promising family engagement content and delivery strategies)), methodology (i.e., design and use of large and small-scale random assignment;

survey and instrument design, descriptive analyses of implementation), complexity (e.g., technical complexity, potential for multiple evaluations to be conducted at the same time), scope (potentially hundreds of school districts for an implementation study, potentially thousands of students for an effectiveness study), and data collection modes (e.g., extraction and use of the Department’s survey data and other federal agency data; matching with EDFacts data; extraction and coding of districts’ or schools’ individual student records and surveys).

• Adequacy of time commitment of leadership team and key project staff.

• Procedures for managing staff and controlling work performance efficiently and effectively, including clear lines of authority within and across tasks, assigning responsibilities and monitoring staff, promoting communication, resolving problems, overseeing and integrating work of subcontractors and/or consultants, and ensuring work quality and timeliness.

C. Relevant Corporate Experience

• The extent to which the proposal demonstrates that the Offeror played a similar role in leading, managing, designing, and conducting previous evaluations preferably in education settings that are similar to this procurement in content (e.g., family engagement program development and delivery; types of engagement and programs for special populations; education choice strategies and engagement; program operations and challenges; evidence of promising family engagement content and delivery strategies); methodology (i.e., design and use of large and small-scale random assignment; survey and instrument design, descriptive analyses of implementation);

complexity (e.g., technical complexity, potential for multiple evaluations to be conducted at the same time); scope (potentially hundreds of school districts for an implementation study, potentially thousands of families for an effectiveness study); and data collection modes (e.g., extraction and use of the Department’s survey data and other federal agency data; matching with EDFacts data; extraction and coding of districts’ or schools’ individual student records and surveys).

D. Vendor Past Performance

• The extent to which past performance information is submitted that is relevant to the nature, scope and complexity of the work outlined in the PWS and the degree to which this information is rated on the rating scale. Additionally, the extent to which projects are like this procurement in content, PAGE 27 OF 31 91990020R00180002 methodology, complexity, scope, and data collection modes. Note: The Department reserves the right to review external sources for past performance information (e.g. Contract Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS), contact with clients of cited relevant work, etc.). If there is no past performance information available that is relevant to the procurement on any of the factors listed in the Relevant Corporate Experience criterion, the Offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably based on past performance.

E. Substantive Small Business Participation

• Small business participation evaluation is a two-part process. First, the Department will review and consider the extent to which the Offeror proposes substantive work for small business participation in a meaningful capacity to fulfill the requirements of the PWS. Second, the Department will utilize the following small business calculation tool. This tool will provide a number that the evaluation team will use to evaluate the small business subcontracting plan, and the Small Business Subcontracting Score is tied to thresholds described in the rating scale. It is possible to earn a score higher than 100 and exceeding this score does not represent a competitive advantage. Additionally, the Department may downgrade your score if it determines that you did not propose substantive and meaningful work to subcontractors.

Definitions and Process for Rating Scale

The adjectival rating scale for the technical evaluation criteria listed on the attached Technical Proposal Evaluation Forms is defined below. Panel Members shall cite specific proposal references and page numbers to support comments listed under the strength, weakness, significant weakness, or deficiency categories. The Department will use the following adjectival rating scales for the selected criteria:

EVALUATION SCALE 1:

CRITERIA A:TECHNICAL APPROACH AND B:STAFFING AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

EXCELLENT

Identified strengths exceed the requirements in a way which yields significant benefits to the Department. The approach either contains no weaknesses or has very few weaknesses that are collectively of small impact. The approach does not contain significant weaknesses or deficiencies. The approach represents a very low risk to the Department.

VERY GOOD

Identified strengths exceed the requirements in a way which yields some benefits to the Department. The approach contains few weaknesses that are collectively of small impact. The proposal does not contain significant weakness or deficiencies. The approach represents a low risk to the Department.

GOOD

Identified strengths meet the minimum requirements of the Department. Weaknesses are present that are collectively of moderate impact. The approach does not contain significant weaknesses or deficiencies. The approach represents a moderate risk to the Department.

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FAIR

Does not meet the minimum requirements because one or more significant weaknesses (or combination of weaknesses that rise to the level of a significant weakness) are present. The approach does not contain any deficiencies. The approach represents a high risk to the Department.

POOR

Falls far short of the minimum requirements because one or more deficiencies (or combination of significant weaknesses that rise to the level of a deficiency) are present. The approach represents a very high risk to the Department.

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EVALUATION SCALE 2:

CRITERION C: RELEVANT CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

EXCELLENT

Corporate experience includes at least one project that is highly relevant to the procurement and at least one additional project that is relevant on the factors listed in the criterion (all of which have been successfully completed or are nearly completed); no weaknesses, or very few weaknesses that are collectively of small impact, are present. NO significant weaknesses or deficiencies are present.

VERY GOOD

Corporate experience includes a single project that is highly relevant to the procurement or at least two projects that are each relevant on the factors listed in the criterion (all of which have been successfully completed or are nearly completed);

few weaknesses are present that are collectively of small impact. NO significant weaknesses or deficiencies are present.

GOOD

Corporate experience includes a single project that is relevant on the factors listed in the criterion or at least two projects that are collectively relevant on the factors listed in the criterion (all of which have been successfully completed or are nearly completed); weaknesses are present that are collectively of moderate impact. NO significant weaknesses or deficiencies are present.

FAIR

Corporate experience is minimally relevant on the factors listed in the criterion; one or more significant weaknesses (or combination of weaknesses that rise to the level of a significant weakness) are present. NO deficiencies are present.

POOR

Corporate experience is deficient because demonstrated experience falls far short of being minimally relevant on the factors listed in the…