DANTES AST PWS (9-12-2025).docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DANTES Academic Skills Training (AST) 12 September 2025

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Education and Training (DASD FE&T) implements policies and procedures for Career Investment Programs (CIP) that are critical for war fighting readiness as well as to ensure that Service members are prepared for transition to the civilian workforce following military Service. As a CIP, Voluntary Education (VolEd) programs enable Service member access to quality postsecondary educational opportunities, empower informed Service member decision-making, shape meaningful personal and professional pathways, and drive military student success in higher education. On behalf of the DASD FE&T, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), a component of the Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), manages a portfolio of Defense voluntary education programs that help Service members achieve their personal and professional career goals.

Through the consolidated management of programs, DANTES prevents the duplication of effort among the Services for Defense Education Partnerships, College and Career Readiness, Prior Learning Assessment, and VolEd Enterprise Support.

As a College and Career Readiness program, the Academic Skills Training Program supports Service members' improvement in math, English, and science skills for college level course placement, qualification for reclassification or advance training, and military advancement. The Department of Defense (DoD) requires a means to increase its capacity to deliver academic skills training and provide Services that support the evolving needs of Service members, changes in the developmental and postsecondary education landscape, and Defense human capital initiatives.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional education five years ago, many students have experienced significant setbacks in reading proficiency, with gaps widening especially among underserved and adult learner populations. This disconnect has led to reduced confidence, comprehension struggles, and challenges keeping pace with grade-level expectations. The Academic Skills Training (AST) program provides a flexible, adaptive solution that helps learners (i.e. new recruits) rebuild foundational reading skills, restore confidence, and progress toward college and career readiness.

Post-COVID educational disruptions left many young adults behind in academic basics. AST:

Closes learning gaps from high school Supports high-needs learners through 24/7 tutoring and skill-building Enables non-traditional learners (e.g., adult learners) to compete

2.0 BACKGROUND

Research indicates that students frequently graduate high school with deficits in college and career readiness. This includes gaps in the academic skills of postsecondary students, with approximately half of students needing remediation. Service members, who are a subset of the non-traditional adult student population, are not unique in needing additional academic skills training. To address those needs, DoD sponsors the Academic Skills Training Program in accordance with DoDD 1322.08E, DoDI 1322.26, DoDI 1322.25, and the DoD VolEd Strategic Plan. DoD 1322.08E directs the Department to maintain education programs that are voluntary and comparable to civilian opportunities available to citizens outside of the military.

Specifically, DoDI 1322.25 para. 2.a.4 requires the Department to maintain an "... academic skills program which allows personnel to upgrade their reading, writing, computation, and communication abilities in support of academic skills and military occupations and careers. Academic skills programs may include English as a second language and basic science.

The acquisition of basic educational and academic skills is essential to successful job performance and engaging in new learning experiences. The Department currently maintains two primary methods of Academic Skills Training program delivery: 1) Service-specific face-to-face instruction, 2) virtual instruction, and 2) self-paced, web based courseware.

Department offers a commercial, web-based academic skills product equally accessible to all Service members that encompasses basic through pre- college level math and English skills. In FY24, there were more than 40,000 Service members enrolled as new users in academic skills training.

The Department has the capacity to deliver Academic Skills Training (AST) that:

a. Enables flexibility across the Services to adapt the program to meet Service members' needs

b. Expands access to multiple instructional strategies and delivery methods to address various learning styles and the increased support required for remediation

c. Incorporates collaboration as a support to reduce attrition among high-needs learners (i.e. instructors, peers, etc.). The U.S. Department of Education defines high-needs learners are defined as young people 18 to 25 at risk of educational failure or with difficulties learning and who require additional support to help users progress and achieve.

d. Provides additional cognitive, metacognitive (i.e. self-awareness, the ability to self-assess, etc.), and non-cognitive (i.e. time management, self-discipline, self-advocacy, etc.) skills development

e. Integrates AST as a support throughout Service members' military lifecycle

f. Leverages quality resources to support learning

g. Monitors, evaluates, and documents Service member skills improvement related to measurable program outcomes (i.e. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) general technical (GT) and Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) composite score improvement, college-level course placement, etc.)

3.0 SCOPE

The goal of this requirement is to continue the Defense Department's capacity to deliver AST designed for Service members needing to improve their academic readiness for the purposes of college-level course placement, qualification for reclassification or advance training, and military advancement. The evidence concerning college and career readiness shows clearly that the knowledge, skills, and practices important for readiness include a great deal of mathematics, English language arts, science, critical thinking, and various self-directed behaviors. This requires a commercially available, computer adaptive, asynchronous web-based course that improves cognitive (i.e. math, English, science, etc.), metacognitive, and non- cognitive academic skills from basic through pre-college level learning to support Service member learning across the military lifecycle. The course shall be a student success tool that identifies Service member knowledge and skill gaps in academic areas and creates a personalized learning path that empowers students to address their individual academic needs. The course shall include instructional modules arranged into customized learning pathways; a range of diagnostic, formative, interim, and summative assessments; and integration of video tutorials.

The web-based course shall be available online, 24/7, 365 days per year and fully accessible to Service members located worldwide with unrestricted usage for all active, reserve, and National Guard military members (Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard). Provisions shall accommodate Service member access in remote locations via a mobile app that can operate with limited connectivity (i.e. previous provisions included courseware on a downloadable CD for offline usage for spaces that are classified).

Specific learner support methods shall accompany the web-based course. Leamer supports include a proactive early warning and response system to support course engagement and progression and course mentor support for ad hoc remediation or skill enforcement. The program shall provide ongoing student awareness of their progression throughout the course and an electronic/printable certificate of completion that the student can provide to their Services. VolEd workforce support includes availability of learning modules to support Service-specific face-to-face instruction; job aids and professional development support for AST; and administrator access with standard and ad hoc reports on learner engagement and progression.

The Contractor shall leverage the multidisciplinary best and emerging practices from across developmental education, learning science, computer adaptive learning, and postsecondary education preparation to provide technical and management support in the following areas:

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall:

4.1 Course Requirements

Deliver a commercially available, computer adaptive, asynchronous web-based course that improves cognitive, metacognitive and non-cognitive academic skills from basic through pre college level learning for Service members. The required training shall be available as an online course and shall include a combination of diagnostics, which drive individualized learning paths for each student. The courseware shall include at a minimum:

a. Formative, interim, and summative assessment of academic knowledge and skills.

b. Interactive and immersive instructional modules tailored to address multiple learning styles arranged into customized learning pathways. Instruction shall include interactive elements requiring responses from the user.

c. Varied instructional and delivery methods (i.e. self-directed asynchronous course, lesson content videos, etc.)

d. Definitive milestones for measuring readiness in terms of ASVAB scores and introductory level college course placement.

e. Course collaboration tools (i.e. message boards, etc.) that enable learner interaction with peers.

f. Integrate open source and/or contractor developed videos to support instruction and remediation.

g. Non-cognitive and meta-cognitive skills development, such as goal setting, time management skills, self-efficacy, growth mindset, etc., into separate instructional modules and/or incorporated into the cognitive skill lessons as applicable.

k. Student dashboard to aid in navigating the tool, direct users to their customized learning pathways, and provide feedback of their progression through their pathway, skill improvement, and engagement. The dashboard should enable users to select whether they would like to use the help features. If a user responds 'no,' they would not receive the prompts for interaction described above.

1. Pre-tests to identify academic skills needed and to inform the creation of customized learning pathways. Leaming modules within pathways shall address specific skills based on pre-test results and student-identified goals.

m. A self-assessment of goals, meta-cognitive, and non-cognitive skills. Indicators of progress through recommended modules and indicators of progress within a module. Normalized pre and post-test scores should show a minimum improvement of 20% in scores.

n. Access to a live course mentor/tutor (e.g., email academic support). The purpose of the mentor is to respond to student inquiries concerning course content.

o. Administrator dashboard to enable education counselors or education program managers to see student progress and performance.

p. Customer service support to resolve technical issues associated with the courseware.

q. Updates course content and features regularly to ensure the course remains relevant and engaging.

r. Upon successful completion of course, improve learner outcomes by ensuring a significant increase in Service members' math and English scores reflective on ASVAB/GT/TABE testing. The GT predictor can be used as a marker to measure these improvements.

4.1.1 Programs of Instruction

Include content taught in a logical, sequential manner aligned to national models (i.e. Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, College and Career Anchor Standards, College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education, Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems Content Standards for Reading and Mathematics, College Board Standards for College Success, ACT College and Career Readiness Standards®, etc.) of basic academic skill improvement and college and career readiness that includes cognitive, meta cognitive, and non-cognitive skills. Leaming outcomes at a minimum shall include:

4.1.1.1 Cognitive Skills: Math Content

a. Number and quantity. (i.e. Mathematical Practices, The Real Number System, Quantities, Vector and Matrix Quantities, etc.)

b. Algebra (i.e. Seeing Structure in Expressions, Arithmetic with Polynomials and Rational, Functions, Creating Equations, Reasoning with Equations and Inequalities)

c. Functions (i.e. Interpreting Functions, Building Functions, Linear, Quadratic, and Exponential Models, Trigonometric Functions, etc.)

d. Modeling (i.e. Basic Modeling, Descriptive Modeling, Analytic Modeling, etc.)

e. Geometry (i.e. Congruence, Similarity, Right Triangles, and Trigonometry, Circles, Geometric Measurement and Dimension, Modeling with Geometry, etc.)

f. Statistics and Probability (i.e. Interpreting Categorical and Quantitative Data, Making Inferences and Justifying Conclusions, Conditional Probability and the Rules of Probability, Using Probability to Make Decisions, etc.)

4.1.1.2 Cognitive Skills: English Language Arts Content

4.1.1.2.1 Reading Comprehension

4.1.1.2.2 Vocabulary

4.1.1.2.3 Production of Writing

4.1.1.2.4 Grammar

4.1.1.2.5 English as a Second Language (i.e. English Language Use, English Writing, Speaking, Listening, Reading, etc.)

4.1.1.3 Cognitive Skills: General Science Content

4.1.1.3.1 Earth and Space Sciences (e.g. Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Astronomy, etc.)

4.1.1.3.2 Life Sciences (e.g. Biology, Ecology, Anatomy, Nutrition, Botany, and Zoology, etc.)

4.1.1.3.3 Physical Sciences (e.g. Chemistry, Units of Measurement, and Physics, etc.)

4.1.1.3.4 Electronics (e.g. Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Electrical Systems, Circuits, Electromagnetism, etc.)

4.1.1.3.5 Physics (e.g. Mechanical Comprehension, Kinematics, Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Physics, etc.)

4.1.1.3.6 Anatomy and Physiology (e.g. Anatomical Terminology, Cellular Biology, etc.)

4.1.1.4 Metacognitive and Non-Cognitive Skill Content

Given the importance of non-cognitive skills in academic success, and the need for continuous learning among Service members, these requirements include not only academic subjects, but also other skills that are critical for learning. The Contractor shall ensure the AST course and program structure supports the development of skills that research has shown to support positive student outcomes for high need learners and those preparing for college and career pursuits. Skill development in these competency areas may be incorporated into cognitive skill learning modules or may also be represented in stand-alone learning activities. Metacognitive and non-cognitive skills shall include, but are not limited to: Behaviors, skills, attitudes, and strategies that are crucial to students' academic performance and persistence; Self-regulated Leaming; Critical thinking and analytic ability; Self-management, self-regulation, self assessment, and self-monitoring; Self-awareness; Knowledge of academic strategies and learning techniques (e.g. test taking, study skills, note-taking, strategic reading, etc.); Self efficacy; Self-advocacy; Individual and collaborative problem solving; Working with others; Goal orientation; Motivation; Persistence, etc.

4.1.2 Assessments

The online learner evaluations shall include a range of diagnostic, formative, interim, and summative assessments that help inform, understand, and support Service member learning. This includes, at a minimum:

a. Information about the learner's prior knowledge and misconceptions before beginning learning activities. This shall provide a baseline for understanding and measuring how much learning has occurred from engaging in the learning activities within the course. These diagnostic pre-test assessments shall:

i. Identify academic skills (cognitive, non-cognitive, and meta cognitive) needed

ii. Enable self-assessment of goals

iii. Form the basis for learning pathways/course modules to address specific skills based on pre-test results and student-identified goals

b. Diagnostic assessments shall inform basic through pre-college level Service member learning needs assessment and analysis.

c. Information regarding how well the learning objectives of a given learning activity are met by the learner. These on-going formative assessments shall take place during the learning activity as indicators of learner progress through and within recommended modules. Formative assessments shall be accompanied by clear, actionable feedback to Service members, sharing learning goals, and modeling what success looks like. This includes:

i. Explicit connections to instructional units

ii. Consists of many kinds of formal and informal strategies

iii. Guides the learning process rather than only grading or evaluating learner performance

d. Information about student learning relative to the instructional and learning process. Interim assessments shall be used to guide and track learning such as:

i. Individual and collective Service member learning growth

ii. Effectiveness of instructional modules and practices

iii. .Projections of whether individuals, or other demographic groupings (i.e. installations, occupational groups, branch of military Service, etc.), are on track to achieve established benchmarks or are in need of additional program support

iv. Instructional needs of individual Service members

e. Information collected from interim assessments must have the ability to be aggregated at critical points in the learning cycle to enable broader evaluation than formative and summative assessments with an aim of providing data for instructional, predictive and evaluative purposes.

f. Information on the overall extent of student learning. An array of summative assessments instruments shall be incorporated at the end of modules (i.e. end-of unit tests, etc.) and at course completion (i.e. end-of-course tests, post-training assessments, etc.). Summative assessments shall be used to certify learning in terms of predictors of ASVAB GT scores and college level placement prediction. Summative assessments tied to these score/placement predictors is key to documenting program outcomes.

g. Include practice tests to prepare students for retaking the ASVAB, TABE or college placement tests (i.e. ACCUPLACER, etc.).

h. Development of a GT-like predictor test, so that with 95% confidence Service members could estimate their scores when taking that test for math and English.

4.1.3 Instructional and Delivery Methods

The web-based course shall provide flexible program delivery formats, enabling the Services to adapt the program offerings to meet Service members' needs. At a minimum, the course shall include self-directed and self-paced learning pathways.

4.1.3.1 Self-Directed, Self-Paced Learning Pathways

Provide an asynchronous, self-paced computer adaptive customized learning modules organized into learning pathways that enable Service members to register, enroll, and engage in the course. Clear and intuitive connections shall guide the user experience from assessments to learning activities in a logical manner. The learning modules shall focus on remediation of skill areas that do not align with learner identified goals and standard national content benchmarks for basic through college and career readiness standards.

4.1.4 Learner Support

The Contractor shall deliver specific learner support methods to support Service member academic skill improvement. At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide:

a. Help Desk Support, email, phone, or online access to contractor courseware experts to assist with course content technical issues.

b. Early warning system to gauge learner engagement and progression. The early warning system shall identify learners in jeopardy of not making academic gains and or at risk for dropping out of the course. At a minimum, the system shall be embedded into the online courseware and be based on student attendance/time per week engaged in the course, student behavior within course modules, and academic performance on interim and formative assessments.

c. Academic support for ad hoc guidance, remediation or skill enforcement (e.g., email academic support). The contractor shall respond to academic support requests within 72 hours of receipt. If a student uses the email support system and the Contractor determines the student needs more intense support, tutoring support will be available to users via the system.

d. Engagement tools such as a message board to support discussion with peers.

e. Tutor Support, the contractor shall be capable of providing tutor support to higher-needs learners whenever it is reasonably apparent that the user needs it to satisfy any course requirements or objectives. The objective is to provide authorized Service members with educational support to address academic needs and to help learn their subjects in a timely and structured manner through the online facilitation of qualified tutors. This support is expected to be available 24/7, except on Federal holidays.

Contractor shall provide an interactive, online classroom environment where students and tutors may chat via instant messaging; and/or diagram problems on two-way, real-time whiteboards; and/or browse the web together for resources and information; and share files for review.

Sessions shall have the capability to add voice tutoring, as needed by the Services. A session shall be defined as academic tutoring activity between a tutor and student for a minimum of 5 minutes not to exceed 60 minutes. The sessions shall be conducted one-on-one. Tutors MUST not be tutoring multiple students at one time or have students in a "wait zone" while tutoring other students.

Wait time to connect to a tutor shall be on average under 3 minutes. However, there should also be the ability to schedule an appointment for a tutor, appointments not kept will not be charged to the government.

Contractor must provide an online survey to students at the end of each tutoring session to determine if the tutoring services met the needs of the student. Provide results of satisfaction surveys to DANTES at the end of each month.

4.1.5 Instructor Qualifications

Instructor qualifications shall include, at a minimum:

a. Minimum of two years of teaching adult learners within the last five years

b. A bachelor's degree from an accredited university in a field related to course content (i.e. education, math, English)

c. If teaching on site, have the ability to obtain a Common Access Card (CAC)

d. Be available at a minimum of forty hours per week for two-week increments to deliver face-to-face or synchronous, remote academic skills instruction, to monitor and prompt student engagement, respond to student inquiries, etc. All classes will be located on a military installation in the Continental United States and Alaska at this time.

e. Possess strong oral and written communication skills with fluency in the English language

f. Student assessments must be collected electronically on each instructor after each class and a copy should be provided to DANTES. The assessment should be developed by the contractor and approved by DANTES prior to administration Assessments should reflect a professional and positive educational experience by the students.

4.1.6 Lesson Video Content

The Contractor shall secure necessary agreements to leverage open-source video content (i.e. Khan Academy, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), etc.) if used. However, the Contractor may also develop the video content itself. Video content shall be included in at least 50% of the learning modules to support content instruction and remediation. The Contractor shall ensure that video content is engaging, formatted in sufficient resolution quality, and relevant. The Contractor shall review and update all outdated video content on a yearly basis. All new/updated content should be live by month 4 of each successive Option Year.

4.2 VolEd Workforce Support and Reporting

4.2.1 Online Administrative Functionality

Ensure functionality for VolEd workforce professionals at more than 250 military base locations that enable monitoring of learner enrollments, academic progression, engagement, and reporting. This shall include, but is not limited to:

a. Administrator dashboard to enable education counselors or education program managers to see learner enrollments, academic progression, engagement, and reporting.

b. Administrator access to include standard and ad hoc reports on learner engagement, progression, and predictive outcomes (i.e. course completions scores on summative assessments in relation to ASVAB GT scores or introductory college-level course placement) communication.

c. Web-based administrator training modules that include a comprehensive exam and downloadable certificates of completion.

4.2.1.1 At a minimum, conduct six, live webinar series annually, at least one webinar should be a studio-quality recorded for those professionals unable to access live webinars and access provided via a website. These seminars should be tailored to address the needs of the VolEd workforce for continued professional development for academic college and career readiness, updates on course features/components, and trends in program and student performance. All webinar recordings are owned by the government and may be published on government websites or government utilized social media venues (i.e. YouTube, Facebook).

4.2.1.2 Promotional and marketing materials for AST are required to be provided in digital format for the purpose of increasing program participation (i.e. through social media, web banners, website, mobile marketing campaigns, content marketing, etc.). The Contractor must determine the format, design, and message for all digital marketing materials with approval from the Government. The contractor shall ensure any digital marketing materials align with the Communication Management Plan, in support of the program with items tailored to each external audience group (i.e. Service members, institutions, etc.). All digital promotional and marketing materials must be reviewed and approved by the Government prior to final release and dissemination. All approved digital promotional and marketing materials must be provided to the DANTES Voluntary Education Enterprise Support Division via email to dodhra-outreach-dantes@mail.mil for central hosting and ongoing digital marketing activities. The contractor shall distribute digital and limited printed materials directly to education, family support, and wounded warrior centers across the globe to support education outreach events, group workshops, and individual counseling. DANTES does not support the warehousing and mailing of these materials. These materials also become the property of the government.

4.2.1.3 The contractor shall provide stakeholder support by participating in education fairs, voluntary education workshops, working groups and professional development training sessions for the military services upon request by DANTES. Participation would include presenting a workshop and information about the program and how to use the program to Service members or Education Professionals and solicit stakeholder feedback on issues/needs/concerns regarding the product and process. No more than five (5) educational support events, of no more than three (3) days in length, are expected annually. The COR will either recommend and/or approve customer events in advance and provide a minimum often (10) business days advanced notice of a scheduled event. The Government reserves the right to review and edit presentation materials (e.g. slides, handouts, training agenda) at least 10 days prior to delivery of engagement events.

4.2.2 Data Management and Information Technology (IT) Support The Contractor shall be responsible for all maintenance, sustainment, systems hardware, and hosting required for the training platform and courseware. The Contractor shall provide minimum system availability 98 percent of the time reported monthly. The Contractor shall provide a dedicated phone line, which provides daily technical support for students and administrators via telephone during a 12-hour timeframe. In addition, the Contractor shall respond to all technical support inquiries within 24 hours of receipt during business hours. Additionally, the Contractor shall have information available on the training website to assist users with technical troubleshooting. Upon request, access to the entire data collection set shall be made available in a format usable in a data-warehouse or immediately transferable into Microsoft Excel.

4.2.3 Post-Award Conference. The Contractor shall attend a Post-Award Conference within seven business days after contract award. The date, time, and location for the Post-Award Conference shall be coordinated with the COR. Contractor personnel shall discuss technical, management, security issues, and implementation schedule (see section 4.2.3.1 below) for new course elements (specifically, new learning content) during the Post-Award Conference. The Contractor shall be prepared to discuss any items requiring clarification and gather information to support each deliverable and shall provide a written summary of the conference, including minutes, within five business days after the conference.

4.2.3.1 Implementation Schedule -The Contractor shall provide an implementation schedule for new course elements required by this contract. Contractor provided format for this schedule is acceptable. The Contractor will document start, review, and completion dates for new training elements within this schedule. This schedule will be used as a management tool by the COR for communication between the Government and the Contractor regarding the integration of new content into the training as well as communication of new elements within the training course to the Military Services by DANTES.

4.2.4 Management and Technical Reviews

Attend program status updates at annual In-Process Reviews (IPRs) virtually via teleconferencing). Upon the Government's request, additional IPRs may be scheduled if critical issues arise or significant events or changes occur. The report shall focus on the status, progress, and any issues. The report shall clearly summarize and present program data on work accomplished during the reporting period.

Electronic copies of the In-Process Review Report shall be delivered to the contract's COR. In preparation of any IPR, the Contractor shall provide the following deliverable: Briefing Materials (white paper and accompanying PowerPoint slide deck).

4.2.5 Reporting Requirements

4.2.5.1 Monthly Status Report

On a monthly basis, deliver a Monthly Status Report (MSR) that briefly discusses program performance, upcoming meetings, deliverables, activities accomplished, plan for the next month, new issues, and current issues. The report should highlight those items that are new additions over the previous MSR. The Contractor shall propose a monthly report structure reviewed and accepted by the COR.

4.2.5.1.1 Include, at a minimum, the following items on program performance:

4.2.5.1.2 Program Analysis and Usage to include detailed data and analysis on the mobile app from the App stores

4.2.5.1.3 Registrations - New registrations by cohort groups

4.2.5.1.4 Training Started - Students starting the training

4.2.5.1.5 Pre-Assessments Completed- Number of Pre-Assessments completed.

4.2.5.1.6 Post-Assessments Completed - Number of Post-Assessments completed.

4.2.5.1.7 Comparison of the normalized scores of pre and post assessment scores, showing percent improvement by subject and overall.

4.2.5.1.8 Lessons Recommended by Subject Area- Number of Lessons Recommended per individual's original customized lesson path developed from pre-assessment.

a. % Completed - Percentage of required lessons on customized path completed by enrollees

b. Average session duration

c. Student Progression

d. % Completed - Percentage of required lessons on customized path completed

e. Improvement metrics based on learning benchmarks from formative, interim, and summative assessments

f. Reports on student needs gathered from diagnostic assessments

g. Program Effectiveness measures that gauge overall effectiveness of individual and groups of students and identify high need learner demographics

h. Trends occurring within the Program and provided by Service

i. System Availability

j. System Availability - Expressed as a percentage

4.2.5.2 Quarterly Status Reports

On a quarterly basis, deliver a Quarterly Status Report (QSR) for the Inter-Service Voluntary Education Board (IVEB) using the template provided by the COR. The COR shall provide the annual IVEB meeting schedule. The QSR shall be delivered at least 15 business days prior to the scheduled IVEB meeting. The intent of this report is to provide the Voluntary Education Service Chiefs the status of program execution, elevate issues that require policy level resolution, discuss trends, forecast possible constraints or efficiencies, information required to support data-informed decision making, and seek approval for program changes and future innovations.

4.2.5.3 Student Survey and Feedback Reporting

The contractor shall develop and provide a customer feedback instrument for users. Questions must be approved by the COR prior to implementation. Results/analysis of this feedback should be provided in report form to the COR on a monthly basis.

Complaints emailed or telephoned in should be reported by complaint category to the COR. Data regarding complaints shall contain access location to troubleshoot network access issues.

4.3 Transition Planning and Execution

The Contractor shall:

4.3.1 Facilitate a Post-Award Conference within seven business days after contract award.

The date, time, and location for the kick-off meeting shall be coordinated with the COR. Contractor personnel shall discuss technical, management, and security issues during the Post- Award Conference. The Contractor shall be prepared to discuss any items requiring clarification and gather information to support each deliverable. Provide a written summary of the conference within five business days after the conference concludes.

4.3.2 Develop a detailed Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA&M) to serve as the project plan for each initiative/product requirement that supports the approach and methodology proposed, indicates the timeline for deliverables, dependencies, resources needed, defines roles and responsibilities, and status reporting meetings. It shall address the major milestones and timing for delivering the initial drafts, incorporating the COR's comments, delivering revised copy/messaging, and delivering final products to the COR for approval. The POA&M shall be delivered within 14 calendar days of completion of the Post-Award Conference. The COR will review the proposed project plan and return it to the Contractor within a reasonable period of time with comments and necessary adjustments.

4.3.3 Conduct Weekly Virtual Transition Meetings with the COR to ensure projects stay on schedule. This weekly virtual meeting will serve as a regular forum to review project status, address and resolve issues, and review task assignments.

4.3.4 Take all necessary Transition Actions to assume total responsibility for the requirement. The Government estimates a phase-in transition period that shall not exceed 30 days. The new contractor shall not be responsible under this contract for reviews scheduled in advance under the expiring contract. The new contractor shall coordinate with the existing contract service provider to facilitate the turnover of technical and management support at the beginning of the transition period. This may include hosting face-to-face and/or virtual working group meetings, conducting process mapping, and transferring all program data. The Government shall provide technical points of contact with the existing service providers.

4.3.4.1 Ensure the readiness of all personnel, subcontractor(s), and other efforts necessary to assume all the responsibilities to perform the requirements of Sections 4.0 at the conclusion of the phase-in period. Performance of tasks within the PWS Requirements Section 4.0 other than those subject to phase-in, shall commence upon contract award.

4.3.4.2 Provide a comprehensive and detailed Transition Phase-In Plan, including a milestone chart, that adequately addresses the following to ensure full operational capability no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the phase in period: obtaining, recruiting and training a workforce involved in course and occupational reviews and quality control in accordance with qualifications as outlined in the PWS Section 6.0, obtaining security requirements and badging for personnel, and acquiring access and completing training for required non-classified computer network access. Critical milestones during the phase-in period shall include: 1) establish transition plan for data exchange within 15 days of contract award, 2) coordinate the communication plan to Service members within 15 days of contract award, , 3) ensure transfer and access to all current and previous student data records, and 4) ensure transfer and access to military service level metadata and metrics used to evaluate the program and provide usage and return on investment reports. The Contractor's phase-in plan will become an attachment to the contract.

4.3.4.3 Meet and provide the Government with a Monthly Transition and Program Start Plan Progress Report and virtual briefing on the Contractor's efforts towards accomplishing their phase-in plan. It shall address all areas of the plan and provide a current status of each specified area, along with an updated milestone chart outlining efforts for meeting full operational capability by the end of the post transition period (60 days). Additionally, it shall identify any known problem areas and provide expected solutions to mitigate issues. Significant issues may require additional progress reports, briefings, and meetings to ensure full operational capability by the end of the phase-in period on an as needed basis; however, this should be specific to resolving the identified issue or problem.

4.3.4.4 Phase-Out. Upon notification of the transition of services to a new service provider, the incumbent contractor shall cooperate and develop a plan in coordination with the new service providers plan, to provide full support for a smooth transition of the phase-out period. This would include notifying in-progress account holders of the transition and allowing no more than 90 days for these Service members to complete the course they have enrolled and receive earned certificate. Incomplete course data should be transferred to the new provider. The incumbent is fully responsible for the continued operation of all areas of effort covered by this contract during the phase out period, unless released by the Contracting Officer for such purposes of an incremental transition, the incumbent shall provide sufficient experienced personnel during the phase-out period to ensure that the services called for by this contract are maintained at the required level of proficiency.

4.3.4.5 During this period the successor contractor will be allowed full access to all required facilities. Successor contractor personnel will be permitted access, if desired by the successor, to observe all operations and the incumbent contractor shall allow full and complete observation to the extent that it does not impede the incumbent's proprietary processes and does not interfere with the continued operation and production efforts of the current contract personnel.

5.0 DELIVERABLES

5.1 Format for Deliverables - Contractor format for written deliverables is acceptable.

5.1.1 Review of Deliverables - Deliverables provided under this requirement shall be submitted to the Government Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The COR typically will review within ten working days after receipt and provide comments, corrections, and changes to the contractor. The contractor shall incorporate changes and submit revised deliverables to the COR within 10 working days after receipt or unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.

5.1.2 Schedule of Deliverables - The Contractor shall provide deliverable(s) in a format mutually agreed upon by the Government and the Contractor. Review all deliverables for timeliness, accuracy and format. If a deliverable due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the Contractor shall submit the deliverable on the last workday prior to the due date. In fulfillment of this effort, the Contractor shall provide the following deliverables to the COR.

In-Process Reviews (IPRs) Briefing Materials - white paper and PowerPoint slide deck

Government no later than 15 calendar days prior to IPR

Routine Reports Monthly Status Report A. Quarterly Status Report (for IVEB) 4.2.5 4.2.5.1 4.2.5.2 A. Monthly (Not later than the 10th of the following month) B. Within 15 calendar days of Quarter end

completed no later than 30 calendar days after contract award (if transition is required).

B. Online product shall be ready to use no later than 60 calendar days after completion of the transition phase-in

5.2 ANNUAL CONTRACTOR MANPOWER REPORTING

5.2.1 The contractor shall report ALL contractor labor hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of Services provided under this contract via a secure data collection site. Reporting inputs will be for the labor executed during the period of performance during each Government fiscal year (FY), which runs October 1 through September 30. While inputs may be reported any time during the FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year, unless a later date is otherwise authorized by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness). The DoD has transitioned reporting from eCMRA to the System for Award Management www.sam.gov .

5.2.2 The contractor shall submit an annual report in the contractor's format to demonstrate the progress towards small business subcontracting stated in the Small Business Participation Commitment Document (SBPCD) submitted with the contractor's proposal. The report is due no later than 30 days after the end of each period of performance, and shall be submitted to the CO and COR. Additionally the contractor shall submit the report via email to the DHRA Office of Small Business Programs at dodhra-small-business@mail.mil.

5.2.3 The goals for small business subcontracting at DHRA are 30% of total contract value. The contractor shall submit a copy of its plan to meet the subcontracting goals for this contract, within 30 days after award. The goals shall be submitted to the COR, CO and via email to the DHRA Office of Small Business Programs at dodhra-small-business@mail.mil. The contractor shall submit an annual report in the contractor's format to demonstrate its small business subcontracting towards its goals. The report is due no later than 30 days after the end of each period of performance, and shall be submitted to the CO and COR. Additionally the contractor shall submit the report via email to the DHRA Office of Small Business Programs at dodhrasmall-business@mail.mil.

6.0 TRAVEL

Contractor costs for Government authorized travel are anticipated for this requirement. All travel shall be approved in advance by the COR. The Contractor shall conduct authorized travel in accordance with FAR 31.205-46. Travel expenses reimbursed by the Government shall not exceed those authorized under the Federal Travel Regulations (for travel in 48 contiguous states), the Joint Travel Regulations, Volume 2, DoD Civilian Personnel, Appendix A (for travel to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories and possessions). Contractor payment claims shall include applicable documentation to support actual costs incurred (e.g. airfare and hotel/lodging receipts). No fee or G&A will be allowed, only actual costs will be reimbursed. Failure to provide appropriate documentation may result in a loss of reimbursement of travel expenses.

We expect the first year to consist of 30 courses and travel to approximately 10 Army bases located in FL, KY, CO, LA, KS, MD, VA, WA, and AK.

The Contractor is encouraged to obtain federal discounts to the maximum extent practical.

6.1 Not-To-Exceed Notification. The Contractor shall notify the COR when travel funds expended reach 80% of the funded amount. The Government's liability for reimbursement of travel expenses is limited to the funding expressed as a Not-To-Exceed amount available under the Travel Reimbursement Line Item of the contract.

6.2 Travel Accounting. A monthly accounting of travel shall accompany the monthly invoice submitted through Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) and itemize travel expenses for the Contractor staff and evaluators. This shall include the name of each traveler, travel dates, travel location (from and to), purpose of trip, mode(s) of transportation, transportation costs, miscellaneous travel expenses, per diem, and total costs.

7.0 RESERVED

8.0 SECURITY

8.1 Personnel Security. Overarching security requirements are UNCLASSIFIED. Contractor and subcontractor personnel do not require access to DoD network(s), Information Technology (IT) systems, or Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Contractor and subcontractor personnel must obtain, DoD credentials, (also known as the Common Access Card (CAC)) for physical and logical access to federally controlled facilities and DoD Information Systems (IS) containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

8.1.1 All Contractor personnel assigned to this contract are required to obtain and maintain the appropriate background investigation (BI) and adjudication or suitability determination in accordance with DODI 5200.02-DoD Personnel Security Program (PSP).

8.1.2 The contractor/subcontractor personnel on this contract will be designated performing in Non-Sensitive positions for Unclassified access in accordance with Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) investigative alignment, and DoDI 5200.02, DoDM 5200.02 and 32 C.F.R. Part 117.

8.1.3 No employee may perform under this contract or have access to information or systems under this contract until they have completed a Tier 1 (T1) or higher background investigation (BI) that meets the requirement or be in the process of a Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) with a minimum of interim eligibility.

8.2 Staffing. The personnel supporting this contract who require a DHRA sponsored CAC, access to DoD network(s), DoD information systems with CUI/PII data, or DoD IT/Information Systems must be Citizens of the United States. The citizenship requirement also applies to personnel assigned or working on the contract at any remote sites.

8.3 Onboarding. Prior to requesting access to DHRA sponsored resources (e.g., DoD credential(s), Network(s), IT systems, Information Systems (IS) or facility), the contractor must provide an official request via DHRA’s onboarding system(s)/encrypted email/DoD SAFE accompanied by a complete Defense Logistics Agency Headquarters (DLAH) Form 1728 - Request for HQC Contractor Badge and/or Information Technology (IT) Access. The DHRA Security and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Personnel Security (PERSEC) will validate the contractor meet the requirement.

8.4 Listing of employees & Clearance Documentation. The Contractor shall maintain a current listing of employees. Within 10 calendar days of contract award, the Contractor shall provide the COR a list of all company employees assigned to this effort. The employee list should include the following information Contract number, employee information (full legal names), location of performance, The list shall be validated by the company and DHRA Personnel Security (PERSEC). The Contractor shall provide the COR with an updated listing when any employee’s status or information changes.

8.5 Access to Sensitive Information.