Combined Synopsis Solicitation w Brand Name or Equal Desc. (Draft 1) VL 06-22-2021.docx

Request for Proposal: 693JJ921R000102 Implicit Bias Training Service Support

**PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE ISSUED**

(i) This is a COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION for commercial item services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring this site to ensure they have the most current information in reference to this acquisition.

(ii) The solicitation number for this procurement is 693JJ921R000102 and is issued, as a Request for Proposal (RFP).

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-05.

(iv) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code associated with this procurement is 611430, Professional and Management Development Training. The small business size standard is $12.0M. This procurement has not been set-aside for small business participation.

(v) Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINS). NHTSA intends to award a Firm Fixed-Price Contract.

B.1 Price Proposal: Implicit Bias Training Service Support:

B.1.1 PRICE SCHEDULE

Base Period: Base Period costs shall cover the period from the effective date of contract award through two (2) months thereafter.

TOTAL PRICE BASE PERIOD

(End of Section B)

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION C DESCRIPTION, SPECIFICATIONS, WORK STATEMENT

Implicit Bias Training Service Support

C.1 BACKGROUND

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity.

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) created the framework for agencies to plan, develop, establish, implement, evaluate, and fund training and development programs designed to improve the quality and performance of the workforce. Executive Order No. 12107 emphasizes the importance of using effective interagency training programs to meet common needs training across Government and requires that employees be selected without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to the need for training.

(a) The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requires all Federal agencies to have a Strategic Plan that includes learning and development initiatives that are strategically aligned to the agency’s objectives and mission.

(b) NHTSA has a combined workforce of approximately 600 employees working at its’ Headquarters in Washington, DC, in 10 Regional Offices, and NHTSA’s Vehicle Research Test Center (VRTC) located in East Liberty, OH. This purchase order focuses on all NHTSA employees at-large.

(c) NHTSA has estimated that approximately 40% of the current workforce is or will be eligible for retirement within the next 3 – 5 years. This characteristic of the agency’s current workforce speaks to the need to provide skill gap alleviation and core-competency building training given these potential exodus agency employees.

NHTSA is seeking to utilize a commercially available off-the shelf (COTS) training course work for implicit bias training and educating for all NHTSA employees in support of the Presidential Management Agenda to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations and communities. The objective of this Contract is to provide Contractor support to NHTSA Office of Human Resources (OHR) in facilitating its comprehensive strategic training plan to ensure that the agency will have the workforce needed to meet its mission in the short and long-term future. This comprehensive training plan must address mission critical and other skills for the entire range of functions and occupations comprising the entire agency and at all levels (executives, supervisors, managers and employees) throughout NHTSA for needed non-technical training interventions targeting sessions in accordance with the NHTSA Annual Training Plan. It is also required that any COTS training considered shall have speakers that possess expertise as well as past experience in training state and local law enforcement agencies on implicit bias, which provides an added value and benefit because of the work that NHTSA does with States on their high visibility enforcement (HVE) campaigns as part of the agency’s safety mission.

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The objective is to procure a COTS training course work for implicit bias training and educating to support recently signed Executive Orders, employees have been charged with the responsibility to pursue a comprehensive whole of government approach in the work they perform to advance transportation equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. A suitable COTS training course work shall have speakers that possess expertise as well as past experience in training state and local law enforcement agencies on implicit bias. The COTS training course work shall also support a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes in the work employees perform on behalf of NHTSA.

In addition to Section C.3 “General Requirements” and specific dates for training this solicitation employs the use of a “brand name or equal” item description as listed in Section B “Schedule” to that of: IMPLICIT BIAS AWARENESS (IB 101), or equal; and no other items will do in satisfying this requirement.

C.3 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

SCOPE OF WORK FOR NHTSA Implicit (Unconscious)Bias Awareness and Mitigation Training (IB 101)

NHTSA will work with Contractor staff to identify, understand, and manage the content, skills, and behavior needed to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations and communities. The Contractor shall use an interactive non-judgmental evidence-based training approach to address and sensitive topics.

Within one (1) week after execution of the contract:

1. Meeting w/Contractor Logistics Team; NHTSA will have a discussion with Contractor’s Logistics Team to determine the logistics for IB 101, including the virtual platform they will use to provide the training sessions; Zoom interactive, including polling features.

2. Meeting w/Principal Trainer and key personnel; NHTSA will have a discussion with key personnel to discuss content and customization of IB 101 training sessions for the NHTSA workforce.

3. NTIRE will provide an Employee Engagement tool in the form of an anonymous survey titled: “A Measure of Implicit Bias” that will be used to engage employees in discussion. NHTSA will not provide the survey to employees until 24-48 before the sessions begin to maintain anonymity.

Within two (2) week after execution of the contract with NTIRE:

4. The Contractor shall provide session registration links and meeting codes via email that will be used for NHTSA employees to gain entry to the Zoom interactive virtual platform.

5. The Contractor shall provide a registration report that NHTSA can use to track employees who have completed the training sessions. This information can be uploaded to DOT Learns to NHTSA employees individual training profiles.

6. The Contractor shall recommend additional Implicit Bias tools for NHTSA in a compiled PDF resource.

Required Dates for Training:

The six (6) sessions (1:00pm-2:30pm) to be executed by the end of September 2021.

• Tuesday, August 24, 2021

• Wednesday, August 25, 2021

• Thursday, August 26, 2021

• Tuesday, August 31, 2021

• Wednesday, September 1, 2021

• Tuesday, September 14, 2021

TIMELINE

Period of performance: August 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021.

(End of Section C)

D. INTRODUCTION

D.1 Administrative Consideration

D.1.1 Points of Contacts

D.1.1.1 Contractor’s Project Manager:

TBD

D.1.1.2 NHTSA COR:

TBD

U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Washington, DC 20590 Phone: (202) 366-XXXX Email: XXX@dot.gov

D.2 Place of Performance:

U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Washington, DC 20590

D.3 Duration of Task:

D.3.1 Estimated Period of Performance: The Period of Performance for this firm fixed-price contract shall be a Base Period of two (2) months from date of award. There is no obligation by NHTSA to renew this contract beyond the initial fixed order term.

D.3.2 Effective: This contract will be a firm fixed-price contract.

(viii) 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-- Commercial Items (JUN 2020).

E.1 Solicitation Provisions-

FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998). This solicitation and any resulting contract incorporates one or more provisions and clauses with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: (http://www.aquisition.gov/far/)

The contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses.

(ix) 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items (OCT 2014).

As prescribed in 12.301(c), the Contracting Officer may insert a provision substantially as follows:

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Listed in descending order of importance:

(a.i) Section C.3, “General Requirements”

IMPLICIT BIAS AWARENESS (IB 101)

The Offeror will be evaluated on the extensibility, interoperability, and customization of the COTS package with existing SQL databases. Specifically, this includes the following:

IMPLICIT BIAS AWARENESS (IB 101)

IB 101 places emphasis on the individual. It addresses the following questions: 1. What is implicit bias? 2. What does implicit bias look like in the real world? 3. What causes implicit bias? 4. How is implicit bias measured? 5. How does implicit bias affect the person who holds the bias? 6. How does implicit bias affect the attitudes and behaviors of the target group?; and 7. How can implicit bias be reduced/managed at the individual level?

(a.ii) Past Performance

This factor will be scored based upon the offeror’s corporate experience and past performance performing similar work and past experience in training state and local law enforcement agencies on implicit bias training concerning HVE campaigns with those officers charged with maintaining traffic safety for the American public on our roads and highways, as described in Section C.3.

(a.iii) Price.

The Offeror is expected to establish a reasonable price relationship between all price/cost elements listed in their Cost Proposal. An evaluation of the Offeror’s Cost Proposal will be made to determine if the cost is realistic for the work to be performed, reflects a clear understanding of the requirements, and is consistent with the technical proposal. Reasonableness determinations will be made by determining if competition exists, by comparing proposal prices with established commercial market prices, General Services Administration price schedules, and/or by comparing proposal prices with the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE).

All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(x) 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items (FEB 2021).

(xi) 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-- Commercial Items (OCT 2018).

(xii) 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders-- Commercial Items (JAN 2021).

(xiii) Special Contract Clauses and Provisions.

E.2 FAR Part 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services. (NOV 1999)

As prescribed in 17.208(f), insert a clause substantially the same as the following:

Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 60 days.

(End of clauses)

E.4 SPECIAL PROVISIONS

Seat Belt Use Policies and Programs

In accordance with Executive Order 13043, the recipient of this award is encouraged to adopt and enforce on-the-job seat belt use policies and programs for its employees when operating company-owned, rented, or personally owned vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for providing leadership and guidance in support of this Presidential initiative. Information on how to implement such a program or statistics on potential benefits and cost-savings to companies or organizations, can be found in the Click It or Ticket section on NHTSA’s website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Additional resources are available from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), a public-private partnership headquartered in Washington, DC dedicated to improving the traffic safety practices of employers and employees. NETS is prepared to help with technical assistance, a simple, user-friendly program kit and an award for achieving the goal of 90 percent seat belt use. NETS can be contacted at 1 (888) 221-0045, or visit its web site at www.trafficsafety.org.

This Special Provision shall be included in all contracts, subcontracts, and assistance agreements entered into by the recipient under this award.

(xiv) Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS)

N/A = Not Applicable

(xv) Date, time and place offer are due.

Proposals shall be transmitted electronically via email to Lauren Weitzel (with a courtesy copy to Vincent Lynch) on or before Tuesday, July 06th, 2021, not later than 1:00 pm EST.

(xvi) Name and Telephone of individual to contact for more information.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Questions pertaining to the is acquisition should address to Lauren Weitzel, Contract Specialist, via email at Lauren.Wietzel.ctr@dot.gov with a courtesy copy to Vincent Lynch, Contracting Officer via email Vincent.Lynch@dot.gov, as soon as possible but not later than 4:00 pm, EST, Monday, June 28, 2021. Phone calls will not be entertained.

Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites contractors to submit a quote for services described in the attached Request for Quote (RFQ). The applicable North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS Code) for this RFQ is 611430, Professional and Management Development Training, and the Primary Service Code (PSC) code is U099, Education/Training- Other.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTAL: Offerors are hereby reminded that a Best Value Source selection decision will be made after review of all Technical and Cost Proposals received in response to this solicitation to the Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) Offeror, whose quoted price represents the best value to the government.