AG-3187-S-15-0049_Answers_to_Questions.docx

1. The SOW, Attachment 1 shows three phases with dates. Phase 3 shows a date of October 30th “course completed.” Please confirm whether these phase dates are start dates or end dates, as December is shown elsewhere as the project completion target.

Answer: Completion deadlines have been amended to 60 days per phase after contract initiation date.

2. For the base project CLIN 004 – NTE Travel Cost: What is the assumed location/destination of the vendor’s travel?

Answer: Exact location is TBD. Proposed location site is the R2 Regional Office, Lakewood, Colorado.

3. Is a beta – Pilot course with the Forest Service (FS) trainers required after all material has been developed and approved?

Answer: Pilot course with Forest Service trainers is required after the three phases have been completed. Revisions may be required after pilot course before final acceptance of work.

4. Will a Train-the-trainer course be needed for the FS training personnel who will deliver this course in addition to the final material walkthrough review? Have they used structured course materials before?

Answer: A Train-the-trainer course separate from the pilot course will not be required.

5. Should the vendor plan to attend and observe the first couple of sessions of the newly implemented course?

Answer: The vendor is not required to attended and observe sessions (aside from presenting the material during the pilot course session).

6. What role and level of involvement should the vendor expect from WO Forest Management and each of Group Leader from the 9 Regions? (I.e. will the vendor interact primarily with one FS point of contact or will the vendor need to coordinate with the entire group?

Answer: The vendor will interact primarily with one FS point of contract.

7. The course outline is very well structured. Does the FS desire a technical writer to develop slides or is FS also interested in collaborative instructional strategy and instructional design services? (Skill set and labor rate)

Answer: The US Forest Service (FS) is soliciting for a vendor to create a sale preparation course collaboratively with the FS, with approval of material required at key points. The FS provides the syllabus and draft core course materials, including draft PowerPoints, manual and handbook references, and other background material. The vendor will be responsible for development and completion of the course materials for the class, which includes the narrative, instructor notes, digital workbook, and class exercises.

8. Three positions were identified for this course (Forest/District level presale employees, transportation engineers, and resource specialists). Based on the outline provided, all three groups will receive the same level of course information. Does each group of employees play a specific role in the Sales Preparation process or do they all equally work through the various activities and gates as part of their regular job duties?

Answer: Each group of employees has a specific role in the sale prep process however; all groups will have a common need to learn/gain understanding of what the process involves and how their specific role fits into the process. The presale employees will be the primary focus audience.

9. Is there any other training that the target audience needs to have prior to the Basic Sale Prep Course (prerequisite)? If so, what is the prereq knowledge/skill?

Answer: No prerequisite are required.

10. What is the age range of employees who will participate in this training?

Answer: Various age groups although the focus audience would be early-career and potentially younger individuals.

11. Work specifies that the contractor will provide the first training session as part of the mandatory work. I can not find anywhere in the solicitation it specifies where this is to take place. Can you point me to that page?

Answer: See answer to question 2

12. There is a lot of reference to "draft" work already completed by the FS. Without an understanding of what this really amounts to I could only bid as if no work has been accomplished. Will the FS make this draft work accessible to view prior to submission of a proposal or not?

Answer: Draft course content has been made accessible prior to submission of proposal. Proposal due date has been extended to facilitate bidder review of draft course content.

13. Solicitation states that Questions are to be received by June 10, answered by June 15, and the contractor is to submit their proposal by June 17. This in itself is a very short duration for contractor consideration of answers. However, can you share with me how long do you think the FS will take to review proposals, make phone calls, and determine best value bid for the gov, and then award? This usually spans a 30 days period. As I read this solicitation all of these items are to be completed and leave the contractor with adequate time to submit Phase I to the FS by June 30. I do not see this as a reasonable timeline especially given that once award takes place the FS will have to ship all draft material and other materials to be used in the creation of this training to the contractor. Unless I am reading the June 30 date incorrectly I do not see this as a doable project to bid upon due to potentially very short deadline for Phase I.

Answer: The Phase due dates have been revised and are reflected in the amended solicitation. The Government anticipates making an award no later than 30 days after the receipt of proposals.

14. Solicitation identifies that the first training will occur in December 2015. Given that gov employees are wrapped up in holiday season and use or loss leave is this really an appropriate time to try to hold a training session. Trying to secure lodging and flights into a large city this time of year may result in higher than normal costs.

Answer: The exact date of pilot course session is to be determined with due date no later than 03/30/2016

15. Is there a requirement the Contractors’ Instructional Designers and trainers be familiar or have experience work with the USDA FOREST SERVICE? And specifically with the knowledge of timber sale preparation for the Forest Service and prescriptive vegetation treatment in the field?

Answer: There are no formal requirements for vendors to have prior work experience with the USDA Forest Service. Knowledge of USFS Timber Sale Preparation procedures and policy is required as this is the subject of the training course.

16. Is there an existing sales model/approach or as part of the finalization of the program, can the Vendor include best practices/models on sales effectiveness?

Answer: There is not an existing sales model/approach as part of the finalization of the contract.

17. Will the government extend due date since short turnaround from date of answers?

Answer: Due date for submission of proposals has been extended to June 24, 2015.

18. How do we access the PowerPoints and other teaching materials that have been assembled and indicated would be provided with the solicitation.

Answer: Draft course content has been included as attachment 04.

19. Is this project fully funded and by how much?

Answer: The project will be fully funded. The Government will not disclose the amount pre-award.

20. Will the Sales Prep team include instructional designers or is the expectation that would be provided by the vendor along with project management and the trainers?

Answer: Instructional design and the first training will be provided by the vendor. Subsequent vendor-taught training will be a potential option. FS will evaluate the course development and accept work (oversee project). Vendor will manage their own work.

21. Is there any requirement to develop videos in support of the instructor lead training material?

Answer: No; although if the vendor wanted to incorporate short videos into course development to supplement instructor led/taught content the FS would evaluate the effectiveness of that approach.

22. Is there an assessment pre/post for the course that needs to be designed into the program? Other measurements of effectiveness?

Answer: Pre-development: There will be an evaluation of technical proposals to determine (in part) the best approach for meeting FS objectives through course development. Post-development: The cadre will evaluate and accept work completed for each Phase. Also, the POC or selected cadre representative will attend the first vendor-taught course, evaluate, and coordinate with vendor to make adjustments as needed. This will potentially carry into subsequent vendor-taught sessions. Continued agency/vendor coordination to assure course effectiveness/adequate delivery and currency of material.

23. Is there a sustainability plan to ensure learning transfer has occurred once back on the job?

Answer: No. That will be the responsibility of individual attendees and their supervisors.

24. What is the anticipated # of participants per course?

Answer: Twenty-five to forty students. Vendors should state in their technical proposal if they cannot develop effective course material to accommodate that range of attendees or suggest the most effective attendance range based on the material they have developed; Max/Min.

25. What level of skill, knowledge and experience do the participants have with regards to the Forest Service Sales process and FS Handbook 2409.18?

Answer: The skill level of participants will vary, however primary focus group will be early career and relatively in-experienced.

26. Please explain what is meant and intended by “digital workbook referenced in 1.0 Instruction. Is it intended there be both hard copy workbook for the in-person course and the digital workbook for post course work?

Answer: All course materials including the course workbook will be made available in digital format. Intent is to have a printed workbook for the course with digital copies available for future reference.

29. Given the suggested syllabus there seems to be little to no time for a comprehensive class project. Would there be opportunity to propose another exercise that fits into the time schedule and reinforces what material has been presented?

Answer: Proposals may include an alternative proposal.

30. Who will be responsible for acquiring facilities for the 3 training locations? Should those costs be reflected in the bid? Are there limiting specifications regarding facilities – room size, pre-approved facilities, etc. This includes projectors and screens, etc.

Answer: FS will acquire meeting facilities. Vendor does not need to include facility costs in the bid/proposal. Room size will accommodate up to 40 participants including the teaching cadre. FS will provide projector and screen, microphone, speaker, podium, flip charts, power chords etc. Vendor will be responsible for providing laptop with course content filed/stored therein. Laptop must have PowerPoint/slide and video projection capability.

31. The Statement of Work mentions a digital workbook and a task book. Can we get a bit more specific understanding of what these two items are?

Answer: Workbook: will contain course presentation material; agenda, schedule, outlines reflecting various steps for completing respective sale preparation gates processes, PowerPoint presentations/slides, notes, examples of completed products, reports, policy/handbook references where appropriate, helpful hints. Workbook must be organized in sections reflecting the sequence of presented material and formatted to allow note-taking by participants while following and referencing presentation material. Workbook will be provided in digital format (as well as hardcopy for participant reference during the first vendor-taught session).