RFP_DTFH6115R00009.pdf

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING PAGE OF PAGES

1 64

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED 6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

HCFA-21 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than item 7)

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

Tabitha.Lorthridge@dot.gov

Matthew.Phelps@dot.gov

AREA CODE

NUMBER

366-5022 366-1726

EXTENSION

DTFH6115R00009 3/17/2015 OTS-NHI-15020

7. ISSUED BY CODE

Federal Highway Administration

Office of Acquisition and Grants Management

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Mail Stop E65-101 See Block 7

Washington, DC 20590

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in 1 original hard copy & 6 Compact Disks copies for furnishings the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590, E65-101 until 1:00PM EST local time April 16, 2015

(Hour) (Date)

CAUTION - LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

(X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S)

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM 1 X I CONTRACT CLAUSES 39

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS 2 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 3 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 46

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING 25 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 26 X

K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER

STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 27

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 28 X L INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 51

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 33 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 62

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS(%)

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

15A. NAME AND

ADDRESS

OF OFFER-

OR

CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND THE TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS

DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER SUCH

ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXTENSION

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) 41 U.S.C. 3304(a) ( )

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) 27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (REV. 6/2014)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214 (c)

Primary Contact: Tabitha Lorthridge Secondary Contact: Matthew Phelps

X mailto:Tabitha.Lorthridge@dot.gov mailto:Matthew.Phelps@dot.gov

DTFH6115R00009 Page 2 of 64

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS (IDIQ)

This is an Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract utilizing Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) and Time and Materials (T&M) task orders in accordance with FAR 16.500.

During the term of the contract, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $25,000.

The maximum amount of all task orders issued against all contracts awarded as a result of this acquisition shall not exceed a ceiling of $19,500,000.

DTFH6115R00009 Page 3 of 64

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 BACKGROUND

Established by Congress in 1970, the National Highway Institute (NHI) is the training and education arm of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). NHI’s mission is to provide technical transportation training and associated materials to the surface transportation community. Since 2004, NHI has been authorized by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training

(IACET) to award Continuing Education Units (CEU) to participants who successfully complete selected NHI training courses. Additionally, several NHI courses are approved for State licensure programs, while others serve as prerequisites for state certification curricula.

Traditionally, the NHI offered Instructor-Led Training (ILT) within a classroom setting. Sensitive to the time and travel constraints of customers and aware of advances in a wide array of instructional technologies, NHI has dramatically expanded their distance learning offerings. These include Web-

Based Training (WBT), Web Conference Training (WCT), Videoconference training (VCT), and an assortment of new technologies such as mobile apps and virtual world delivery.

NHI delivers training based on demand from customers, thus the number of sessions delivered is based entirely on requests for sessions. The NHI website (http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/) provides a listing of current training courses in the Transportation Planning and Environment categories (i.e. the

1420XX, 1510XX and 1520XX series), as well as information on resources, training philosophy, instructor standards, and the NHI Style Guide.

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to develop and deliver training for the FHWA Transportation

Planning and Environment program areas.

C.3 TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for NHI training courses is diverse, it includes staff from Federal, State, regional and local transportation agencies located within the United States, as well as consultants, advocates, developers, and other stakeholders.

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall furnish all necessary facilities, materials, equipment, and personnel and shall perform technical, non-personal services necessary to develop, update, and deliver training as described herein under this IDIQ contract entitled, “Transportation Planning and Environment

Training.”

C.4.1 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

The public is the primary beneficiary of the nation's intermodal transportation system built to serve public mobility and productivity. Transportation decisions need to be made in an environmentally sensitive way, using a comprehensive planning process that involves the public and considers land use, development, safety, and security. Transportation planners undertake a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the potential impact of transportation plans and programs while addressing the http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/

DTFH6115R00009 Page 4 of 64 aspirations and concerns of the society served by these plans and programs. Planners examine past, present, and prospective trends and issues associated with the demand for the movement of people, goods, and information at local, rural, tribal, metropolitan, statewide, national, and international levels.

Topics in Transportation Planning include, but are not limited to:

Canada/U.S. Border Transportation Planning

Census Issues

Congestion Management Process

Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program

Economic analysis

Economic Development

Freight Planning

GIS and spatial analysis

Land Use and Transportation

Livability Initiative

Metropolitan Planning

Mexico/U.S. Border Transportation Planning

National Highway System

Operations and Planning

Performance Based Planning

Planning Processes

Public Involvement

Rural and Small Community Planning

Safety Planning

Scenario Planning and Visualization in Transportation

Smart Growth and Communities

Statewide Planning

Tools for Planning

Transportation and freight forecasting

Travel Model Improvement Program

Travel surveys

Tribal Planning

More information on Transportation Planning is available by visiting:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/index.htm

C.4.2 TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENT

Before any project can move forward to construction, the FHWA must address and comply with environmental laws and regulations. These laws cover social, economic, and environmental concerns ranging from community cohesion to threatened and endangered species. To get complete this detailed process, FHWA and FTA use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to evaluate impacts associated with each individual project.

DTFH6115R00009 Page 5 of 64

Topics in Transportation Environment include, but are not limited to:

Air Quality

Bicycle and Pedestrian Program

Climate Change

Environmental Justice

Environmental Review Toolkit

Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives

GIS and spatial analysis

Highway Traffic Noise

Human Environment

Natural Environment

Public Involvement

Re: NEPA Forum

Recreational Trails Program

Smart Growth

Transportation Enhancements

More information on Transportation Human Environment is available by visiting:

C.4.3 GENERAL WORK DESCRIPTION

This contract includes course development, update, and delivery of Transportation Planning and

Environment training courses. The NHI’s goal is to optimize training for maximum effectiveness, ensuring that the greatest amount of learning takes place within defined constraints. Part of this process involves developing and updating course materials responsive to the training needs of the target audience, with clearly articulated learning outcomes. The principles of adult learning and

Instructional System Designers (ISD) must be incorporated into the curriculum materials, as well as an end of course learning assessment (i.e. exam, skill demonstration, etc.) in order to be consistent with IACET requirements. Classroom training includes a combination of instructional strategies, such as lectures, facilitated discussions, group exercises, case studies, field trips, and/or participant presentations.

Highly qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable instructors have been the hallmark of NHI training courses. To be truly effective, instructor-led training requires skilled, competent, and credible instructors with relevant, nationwide project level experience. These instructors must be so well versed in their Transportation Planning or Environment specialty area, that upon thoroughly reading an NHI Instructor Guide and reviewing associated course materials, a qualified and experienced instructor could teach an NHI course session within their program area.

Since the NHI training program is Federal by nature, the NHI designs individual course developments for a national audience. However, to ensure that every NHI training session is a relevant and meaningful learning experience for all participants, NHI instructors are required to perform pre-delivery work in advance of a course session. Specifically, NHI instructors are required to determine which “hot issues” or local topics should be addressed after contacting the local host for the training session, the FHWA Division office, the State DOT and/or other “key” contacts. They must review State or local laws, regulations or practices and be prepared to address their relationship to comparable Federal requirements. For some selected courses, the contractor completes State

DTFH6115R00009 Page 6 of 64 licensure application packages in advance of a session to meet training requirements for those attending.

For other selected courses-- in which State policies, practices or procedures may differ from the

Federal requirements-- instructors are tasked with identifying and meeting a State program representative. As part of the curriculum development for these selected courses, a “State Session” lesson template is available. The NHI instructors are responsible for assisting the State program representative in preparing and presenting a course lesson that provides an overview of how the featured Federal program (around which the NHI course is designed) is administered by the State in which that course session is held.

Additionally, as part of delivery task orders, NHI expects instructors to continually monitor course materials to ensure that they are accurate and contain the latest information. This includes refreshing case studies and group exercises if needed; incorporating examples of current best practices or notable projects; including references and resources that may be valuable to augment the existing materials. By reviewing completed course exams, instructors can determine if any questions need to be revised, eliminated or new questions written. If so, contractors can compile a listing of suggested improvements to discuss with the NHI Training Program Manager and FHWA Program Office lead.

These sorts of course changes are required as part of a delivery Task Order. In terms of administrative responsibilities, the prescribed series of requirements NHI instructors are to follow is available on the NHI website-- http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/.

The NHI instructors are required to take the NHI Instructor Development Course (IDC) —or an approved equivalent instructor-training program-- with the aim of becoming certified NHI instructors. Only the NHI Instructor Liaison can approve waivers from the IDC for curricula from equivalent instructor-training programs. NHI does automatically approve college level teaching experience as meeting the NHI instructor requirements. Therefore, contractors can visit the NHI

Website for more information on the procedures for becoming certified.

In terms of volume, the NHI Planning and Environment courses are very popular with sessions held monthly at various locations across the country. The contractor is required to have qualified instructors who can meet these demands within 30 days after notice.

C.4.4 KICK-OFF MEETING

The contractor shall attend a face-to-face kick-off meeting lasting no longer than six hours at the NHI facility in Arlington, VA. The objective of this meeting is to introduce attendees to NHI staff, processes, procedures, programs, and training facilities; provide an opportunity for contractors to meet with the Contracting Officer and/or contract administrator; define roles and responsibilities; and respond to questions. Three contractor personnel may attend this meeting, and the project manager shall be an attendee.

C.5 TASK ORDER SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Specific work to be performed will be set forth under individual Task Orders in one or more of the following areas. When a Task Order is awarded, the Contractor shall perform in accordance with the requirements of the work statement. Individual task orders will be managed, monitored, and evaluated by the federal employee assigned by the office requiring support services.

DTFH6115R00009 Page 7 of 64

C.5.1 DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATE OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

COURSES

As new regulations, emerging technologies, research results, major initiatives, updated procedures, guidelines, and so forth affect the surface transportation industry, existing NHI training offerings need to be updated or new training courses developed.

Specifications for NHI Instructor Led Training Course Materials

The contractor shall develop/update course materials. Materials may include items such as an

Instructor Guide, Participant Workbook, end of course assessments and visual aids. In some cases, a separate Reference Manual may be associated with a specific course; in other cases, the course

Appendix serves as the reference manual. Curriculum development shall proceed with draft submissions of lessons in the Instructor-Guide format. These will be used by the Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR) and NHI Technical Panel Members as the basis for discussion at each Technical Review Meeting, the Technical Walk Through and at the Course Pilot.

The contractor shall develop required curriculum materials as described in the following specifications unless directed otherwise in a subsequent task order:

Instructor Guide

The Instructor Guide (IG) is based on approved Preliminary Lesson Plans (PLP) and provides a comprehensive presentation of the course to serve as a guide for a qualified instructor tasked with delivering a specific NHI training course. The IG includes a detailed, interactive Lesson Plan for each course lesson; explains visual aids, case studies, group exercises, sample problems, equipment or software demonstrations, or field trips; and presents specific instructions about the conduct of the class (e.g. arranging and conducting field trips, setting up computer applications, tips on managing group exercises, equipment set up instructions, etc.).

The IG provides instructors the Key Message for every slide in addition to suggested speaking points, visual cues for participant activities, questions to prompt discussion, answers to these questions, as well as time allotments for each lesson. The Key Message shall state the learning point of what the slide is intended to convey rather than a repetition of the slide title. The IG shall not include a complete narrative that an instructor could recite or read to the participants. Rather, the IG background section includes additional information on the key message a series of talking points the instructors are to review in advance of the lesson they are delivering. The background information can be shared with session participants if further explanation is needed and time permits.

Instructor Guides shall include as a minimum:

• Course Title

• Table of Contents

• Executive Summary

• Description of Target Audience, including any pre-requisites or assumed pre-training competencies

• Course Outcomes

• Course Agenda

• Organization of the course (i.e. number of days, number of lessons, table of lesson titles and

DTFH6115R00009 Page 8 of 64 time allotted to each, etc.)

• Description of items for the Instructor Tool Kit (e.g. job aids, oversized maps to be used in group exercises, charts, posters, any equipment that will be used as part of the course presentation, colored pencils for group exercises, colored handouts for group activities, as

NHI course materials are printed in black and white only, power strips, etc.)

• Description of training room requirements (e.g. classroom set up; tables for instructors; tables for reference materials, handouts, exhibits, demonstration materials, computer classroom, etc.)

• Participant requirements (e.g. completing an interactive CD or Web Based Training (WBT) in advance of the class, bringing specific calculators to class, etc.)

• Lesson plan preceding each lesson

• A comprehensive Appendix, including a Glossary, list of Acronyms, listing of related-NHI training offerings, as well as course specific materials (e.g. case studies, best practices, copies of laws, regulations, guidance, publications, job aids, etc.). In some cases, the appendix will meet the requirements for the course Reference Manual.

Lesson Plans shall include, as a minimum:

• Lesson Title

• Learning Outcomes that map to the overall course goal and outcomes

• Instructional Methodology (e.g. lecture, facilitated discussion, demonstration, workshops, small group exercises, case studies, etc.)

• Time allocation for each activity

• Guidance for presenting the material and tailoring it for different audiences

• Inventory of participant handouts, job aids, visual aids, and equipment needs

• Copies of visual aids, including photographs, tables, graphs, etc.

• Photographs that provide as much descriptive information as possible to meet Section 508 compliance requirements (e.g. date, location, project description, etc.), as well as documentation for future instructors and a historical context for the course materials

• Lesson presentation notes (slightly enlarged font may be appropriate), including possible questions to prompt discussions, and likely answers to typical questions

• A plan to evaluate the effectiveness of each lesson to meet the stated learning outcomes by including activities such as discussions, question and answer periods, problem solving exercises, workshops (e.g. Kirkpatrick’s Level 2 evaluation).

• Cross reference numbering of visual aids to source documents

• List of references and source documents

Participant Workbook

The Participant Workbook (PW) is a subset of the Instructor Guide and consists of copies of

PowerPoint slides, screen shots, charts, graphs, photographs, et al of the instructor’s presentation.

The PW shall allow room for the participant to take notes during the course in lined areas or white space, specifically intended for this purpose. Slides in the PW must be clear to participants. If screen shots consist of bulleted text, two slides per page is adequate. If they depict photographs, charts, maps, or related material, one slide per page is more appropriate.

DTFH6115R00009 Page 9 of 64

Participant Workbooks shall also include the following:

• General course information, including a class Agenda, Executive Summary, Introduction, a

Table of Contents, Course Goal and Course Outcomes

• Copies of case studies; step-by-step solutions for all problems used in class

• Photographs should provide as much descriptive information as possible to meet Section

508 compliance requirements (e.g. date, location, project description, etc.).

• The same Appendix as included in the Instructor Guide, with the exception of the course answer key

Reference Manual

Depending on the nature of the course, the Reference Manual can vary in size and variety of information: it may be a freestanding document or a comprehensive array of materials located in the

Appendix of the Instructor Guide and Participant Workbook. In some cases, it may be prudent to produce this deliverable in electronic format to distribute to participants with their Participant

Workbook. If this option is selected, the contractor shall design the Reference Manual such that the information is easy to navigate and includes web links to ensure that the information is the most currently available. If a less comprehensive Reference Manual is deemed more appropriate, it should be viewed as a companion to the course materials and produced in a complementary format.

Discussion on the type of Reference Manual to produce can occur at the Kick Off meeting and/or subsequent Technical Review Meetings.

Visual Aids

For each lesson, the contractor shall develop the most suitable type of visual aid or combination of aids to support and reinforce the subject material. This includes selecting or generating slides, generating computer graphics, selecting and/or shooting photographs, and preparing graphs and tables for use in class. Computer generated graphics shall be developed using the most modern technology generally available, and the computer software program proposed for this purpose shall be approved in advance by the COR. Electronic and hard copies of any transparencies, slides, video, formulae, cross section(s) of plans, wall charts, etc. used by the instructor to conduct the class shall be provided to the COR. The contractor may also create flip charts during the class and used effectively to generate participant interaction.

Handouts are any additional material used by the instructor and given to participants during class.

These could be information on group exercises, copies of regulations, case studies, best practices, problems with solutions, or other supplementary information. The NHI provides all course materials in black and white; therefore, the contractor is responsible for color handouts, if the use of color is important to convey the learning point of the lesson.

Photographs shall be clear and contain appropriate labels to identify all features of the item or detail shown in the image. To the maximum extent possible, photographs should not appear more than once, unless necessary to re-emphasize an important point.

Use of video clips is encouraged to demonstrate key concepts and/or practices; however, NHI accepts closed captioning only. All graphics shall follow the NHI Style Guide available from the NHI website: www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov

DTFH6115R00009 Page 10 of 64

Learning Assessment

As part of a continuous improvement process and in conformance with IACET standards, NHI has instituted a course design policy to include a post-course assessment. Selection of this learning evaluation tool is an ISD decision and shall be designed to measure participant performance in relation to the course outcomes. Acceptable assessment tools include: end of course exam, structured group exercises, problem-solving exercises, and demonstrations of a specific skill, among other objective tests.

To this end, the contractor shall develop “end of course assessments” that fully measure mastery of each overall course outcome (at the Kirkpatrick Level II evaluation). The assessment shall form a comprehensive end of course evaluation of the participant’s retention of critical skills and knowledge for successful job performance following completion of this training. Participants should complete a basic assessment within about 30 minutes. In developing the assessment tools, include objective measures, such as multiple choice questions, matching questions, or methods that require critical thinking, such as case studies or demonstrations of specific skills. Subjective formats such as case studies shall have clearly stated response criteria or parameters to reduce subjectivity when evaluating participant responses. A test score of 70 is the minimum score needed in order to pass the course.

The number of test items shall be sufficient to adequately measure a student’s mastery of each course outcome. The contractor shall determine the specific types of test items by the behavior specified in the outcome to be tested and the instructional delivery system used. The various types of test items that may be used are displayed below:

Test Item Type Characteristics

Multiple-choice Useful for testing knowledge and cognitive abilities

Consists of a stem and four responses, including the correct answer and distractors

Matching Useful for testing terms and labels

Consists of two columns of related words, phrases, or symbols to be matched by the participant

Completion or “fill in the blank” Useful for testing recall of knowledge committed to memory

Consists of a statement from which a word(s) or short phrase has been omitted

The participant must supply the missing word(s) or phrase in the blank(s) provided

Performance Useful for testing job tasks and skills

Consists of a simulated or actual environment with certain conditions of performance and certain expected outcomes

True/False Useful for testing knowledge

Consists of a single statement

The number of T/F questions is limited to 10% of the total number of questions, No exceptions

DTFH6115R00009 Page 11 of 64

The contractor shall develop the required test items, and all required supplemental materials (e.g.

instructions for the instructor, instructions for the participants, scoring procedures, answer key, etc.).

The decision on whether to develop multiple versions of a test will be made by the COR during the course development process.

Learning Assessment for Pilot Presentation

Since the validity of the test needs to be determined at the pilot, the contractor shall prepare additional questions for the pilot presentation. The number of additional questions shall be determined by the COR as part of the final review of curriculum material in advance of the pilot.

NHI Needs Assessment

Task orders for new course developments or major course updates may be preceded by an NHI-sponsored needs assessment. The results of which will be included in the Background section of the specific task order proposal requests. Facilitated by the NHI COR, assessment participants will articulate the overall objective of the new training course, define the target audience for whom the course is to be developed, list the major course learning outcomes, and include any major points that need to be included in the curriculum materials. Through the task order solicitation process, approved contractors will be invited to submit a suggested course outline for the proposed new course or updated NHI course; this outline will be evaluated as part of the task order selection process. Course update task order proposal requests may or may not include a needs assessment, depending on the scope of the update.

A typical course development or course update task order includes the following specific tasks and the contractor shall, as a minimum, satisfactorily perform the following items:

Task Order Kick-off Meeting

The Kick-off meeting will be held at National Highway Institute (NHI) facilities in Arlington, Virginia or another location as determined by the COR and last no longer than eight hours.

Contractor staff attending the Kick-off meeting shall include the Project Manager, the subject matter expert(s) responsible for content development, and the instructional system designer(s). If the contractor proposes additional project staff, the Task Order proposal shall list these staff members and explain why their attendance is critical. Others present at the Kick-off meeting will be the COR, the Technical Panel, and the Contract Specialist, if available.

The contractor shall bring their draft of a suggested course outline to the Kick-off meeting, which will be used during the meeting to guide discussion. The number of hard copy outlines to be brought to the meeting will be stated in the applicable Task Order. The contractor shall discuss -- in broad general terms -- the major topic areas presented in their proposed course outline, the depth of coverage they anticipate for each topic area, the type of instructional techniques they propose to incorporate, as well as any recommendations or questions on course content or direction. Discussion will also focus on NHI’s expectations regarding ISD and

IACET requirements related to development of participant-focused, interactive training. This meeting will typically be held within 45 calendar days of the task order award.

NHI strives to complete a new course development within nine months of the Kick-off Meeting.

However, we are aware that the timeline can be affected by the complexity of the course topic area

DTFH6115R00009 Page 12 of 64 and the availability of Technical Panel Members. Therefore, discussion will also include finalizing the proposed Course Development Timeline, which lists each stage in this course development process, assigns responsibilities for various stages, and establishes due dates.

Chief among the objectives of the Kick Off meeting is to ensure common expectations on the Course

Outline, so the contractor can proceed with lesson development. The deliverables from the Kick-Off meeting will be designated in the Task Order.

Develop Preliminary Lesson Plans

The contractor shall develop Preliminary Lesson Plans (PLPs) which serve as the framework around which the final Lesson Plans (the preface of the Instructor Guide) and related curriculum material will be developed. These PLPs will serve as a benchmark before starting the course development process to ensure complete understanding between the contractor and the Government, as well as assurance that the finished product will meet the training needs of the target audience and is consistent with the course goal(s).

The PLPs shall be structured to provide a minimum of 6 hours of actual instruction time, excluding breaks, pre-tests, course evaluations, the end-of-course learning assessment, and time for instructors to review the assessment with all participants. Ideally, the course will contain no more than 30 percent lecture with only one-way communication. Adequate breaks shall be allowed, but no block of instruction shall be longer than 90 minutes without a break or some form of participatory activity for the course participants. Breaks can be incorporated into the time allocated for the participants to complete group exercises, workshops or other activities.

The “introductory material” of the Preliminary Lesson Plans shall include, as a minimum:

• Course Title

• Description of the course

• Description of Target Audience, include any pre-requisites or assumed pre-training competencies

• Course Outcomes

• Course Agenda

At a minimum, the Preliminary Lesson Plan for each lesson shall include:

• Lesson Title

• Specific material to be taught

• Learning Outcomes which are performance based and learner oriented

• Instructional method(s) that will be employed: e.g. lecture, demonstration, facilitated discussion, workshops, small group exercises, case studies, field trips, etc.

• Time allocation for each activity

• A plan to evaluate the effectiveness of each lesson to meet the stated learning outcomes:

e.g. facilitated discussion, question and answer period, lesson quizzes, participant presentations, problem-solving exercises, etc.

The contractor shall develop and submit to the COR an electronic draft PLP, receive written comments from the COR for each proposed lesson plan; submit the final PLP and receive written authorization to proceed to the next task, in accordance with the established Timeline. Once the

DTFH6115R00009 Page 13 of 64 course lessons are completed, the PLP for each will be finalized and become the formal Lesson Plan, preceding each lesson in the Instructor Guide.

Technical Review Meetings – Face to Face

Face to Face Technical Review Meetings are designed to allow the COR and Technical Panel

Members to review, comment, and approve all draft course materials prior to pilot. Face-to-face meetings may be one or two days in length and typically held at the NHI facility in Arlington, VA.

As preparation for these meetings, the contractor shall provide draft lessons for the COR and

Technical Panel to review in advance of the meeting. Technical Review Meetings include curriculum development. The number of lessons to be discussed per day will be designated in the

Task Order. Three or more lessons per day are the standard.

The purpose of these Technical Review Meetings is for the COR, the Technical Panel and the contractor to ensure that curriculum development or course revision is proceeding in the right direction. The Project Manager, Subject Matter Experts (SME), and ISD specialists are expected to attend. The COR chairs the meetings, and the Project Manager takes the lead in “walking” attendees through the draft lessons. The number of Technical Review Meetings will depend on the length of the course and will be determined by the COR.

At least 1 week in advance of the meeting, the contractor shall provide each attendee a complete set of the draft lesson materials in the Instructor Guide format. The NHI will designate in advance which lessons will be discussed at each Technical Review Meeting. The Contractor Team shall be prepared to cite sources, respond to questions, discuss types of reference materials to include, and explain any case studies, group exercises or other interactive learning techniques they propose for each lesson.

The outcome from a Technical Review Meeting is NHI approval on the content and format of the lesson(s) discussed. The deliverable is the final draft of the lesson(s) that incorporates all the comments made at the meeting and which is provided in accordance with the established timeline.

The COR will provide final approval accordingly.

Technical Review Meetings – Web Conferences

To streamline the course development/update process, a series of web conferences may be scheduled in lieu of face-to-face Technical Review Meetings. The FHWA Web Conference Coordinator provides assistance on web conferences and can be reached by contacting

Webconferencing@dot.gov.

As preparation for Web Conference Technical Review Meetings, the contractor shall provide Draft lessons for the Technical Panel to review, so please note that this task also includes curriculum development. Each web conference shall be two hours in length. The standard is that one lesson will be discussed during a two-hour web conference. Draft lesson(s) shall be provided to the COR and

Technical Panel at least one week in advance. The Project Manager is responsible for formally scheduling the web- conference via the NHI website, uploading course materials, and providing access information to the COR and Technical Panel. The contractor representative shall “walk” the

Technical Panel through the draft course materials; cite sources; respond to questions; discuss types of reference materials to include; and explain any case studies, group exercises or other interactive learning techniques they propose for each lesson.

mailto:Webconferencing@dot.gov

DTFH6115R00009 Page 14 of 64

The outcome from a Web Conference Technical Review Meeting is NHI approval on the content and format of the lesson(s) discussed. The deliverable is the final draft of the lesson(s) that incorporates all the comments made at the meeting and which is provided in accordance with the established timeline. The COR will provide final approval accordingly.

Technical Walk Through

This milestone meeting is the last stage of course development or course update in advance of the pilot and will be held at the NHI facilities in Arlington, VA. The purpose of this meeting is to review the new or updated course materials in their entirety before going to pilot. The contractor team

“walks” the COR and the Technical Panel through the course and all team members have the opportunity to make final changes, edits, or adjustments. Generally, the walk through is one day less than the scheduled training course.

Pilot Presentation

The Project Manager, the course instructor(s), and the ISD staff are expected to attend. By the time the pilot is scheduled, the COR and Technical Panel will have reviewed drafts of every course lesson and provided feedback, edits and corrections to the Contractor Team. The contractor shall incorporate all feedback into the final course lessons, which will be presented at the pilot. The pilot is a “dry run” of the course and presented before a representative target audience. However, course participants shall receive the same level of instruction as in a regular NHI course presentation and are eligible for CEUs if they meet the requirements.

The location and dates of the pilot will be established by the COR. The “host” of the pilot will register up to 30 participants, secure the training facility, provide audio-visual equipment, and be responsible for logistical information (i.e. directions to the training location, room set up, lodging recommendations, parking, etc.). The contractor shall deliver to the pilot location all Participant

Workbooks and related course materials (e.g. group exercises, job aids, case studies, best practices, etc.), as well Instructor Guides for the Technical Panel.

The contractor shall provide qualified instructor(s) for the course. The instructor(s) shall contact the

Pilot Host to discuss training room requirements and starting times for the class; provide copies of their biographies, an Executive Summary of the course, the course agenda; and discuss any other related items. The instructor(s) shall arrive at the pilot site in sufficient time to locate the facility;

assure that the training room is set up properly, including tables at the back for the Technical Panel observers; check that audio visual equipment is in working order; verify that any shipped course materials have arrived; familiarize themselves with housekeeping items, lunch recommendations, etc.

The COR and the Technical Panel will attend the course pilot as observers and will complete Subject

Matter Expert (SME) or Adult Learning Specialists (ALS) observation forms from their respective vantage point (sample SME and ALS Pilot Observation Forms are available from the Contracting

Officer upon request). The pilot course presentation will be checked for accuracy and clarity of content, scheduled length versus actual length, level of interactivity, and degree to which learning outcomes were achieved. Delivery techniques are assessed and questions raised by participants are recorded. The COR and/or a Contractor Team representative will facilitate a 15-minute debriefing of participants at the end of each day, without the instructors present. Essentially, the questions posed to participants at the debriefings are: What worked? What needs work? Following the participant

DTFH6115R00009 Page 15 of 64 debriefs, instructors will join the COR and the Technical Panel for a second debrief. The contractor shall record and incorporate feedback as part of the final course development. The deliverable is the final draft of course materials to COR and Technical Panel in accordance with the established timeline. The COR will provide final approval accordingly.

The instructor(s) shall administer and proctor the type of “End of Course Assessment” agreed upon by the COR and the Technical Review Team (e.g. exam, demonstration, etc.). Upon completion of the allotted time, the assessment tool shall be collected to maintain security. The participant answer sheets for objective assessments shall also be collected and scored by the instructor after the session has been completed. The contractor shall build time in the course pilot delivery to review the exam with the participants and record their comments to determine whether a particular question needs to be re-worded, eliminated or clarified—or whether new questions need to be drafted. In addition, the contractor team shall complete a test item analysis of the pilot exam and present their recommendations for any changes to the COR. Participants achieving a score of 70 percent or higher will be eligible for award of CEU’s, provided they have attended 100 percent of the course.

If the Assessment is designed as an objective test, the instructor shall take time to provide the class answers to the questions as part of the course wrap up. If the Assessment is designed as “participant involvement” in a case study, the instructor must verify that participants were fully engaged and are able to achieve the application level learning. The instructor shall provide one copy of the End of

Course Assessment results to the COR and to the Host within 2 weeks after the pilot.

Final Curriculum Material

As explained above, Technical Review Meetings and Technical Walk Through include development of draft and final curriculum materials. This task is the formal compilation all curriculum materials after the pilot. The deliverables are the final course materials in the specified NHI format.

C.5.2 DELIVERY OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COURSES

Demand for courses is driven by many factors; therefore, the NHI is not able to forecast the number of sessions to be held for any particular course in a given year. However, for general planning purposes, the contractor shall be capable of delivering, at a minimum, as many as 15 sessions of a single course each year.

The NHI website has a variety of information to assist instructors, located under Working with NHI.

NHI courses are generally taught in teams of two instructors, including combinations of contractor instructors and FHWA instructors. In addition, there may be times when a local representative is invited as a “guest” speaker to address a particular course topic; this would be specified in the

Instructor Guide associated with the specific NHI course. As specified in Section C.4.3, above, the contractor shall provide only technically qualified, credible instructors, with experience providing instruction to adults and who embrace NHI’s adult learning philosophy to deliver NHI training sessions. The Government is not responsible for making travel arrangements for instructors.

The contractor shall secure advance written approval of instructor changes from the COR, and shall remove any instructor who performs unsatisfactorily as determined by the Contracting Officer.

DTFH6115R00009 Page 16 of 64

A variety of entities can serve as the “host” of an NHI course. These include State or local transportation agencies; Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs); environmental agencies, resource agencies; private sector consultants; transit providers; other Federal agencies, etc.

The host agency will designate a “local coordinator” whose name, phone number and email address will be listed on the NHI website for sessions that have been confirmed. This person is the contact for any logistical information related to the scheduled session (e.g. publicizing the session, course registration, training location, directions, lodging information, etc.). Most NHI training offerings are designed for 30 participants; because of demand, some of the Planning and Environment courses are designed for 35 participants.

As the course registration contact, the Local Coordinator is responsible for selecting and inviting participants who match the target audience. To assist in filling course sessions, NHI can make

“Public Seats” available through the NHI website. The Government encourages contract instructors to assist in filling sessions to avoid cancellations.

The Local Coordinator will provide a training facility large enough to accommodate the participants.

The Local Coordinator provides audio-visual equipment; flip chart stands, flip chart paper, markers, screens, tape, extension cords, etc. Most Local Coordinators arrange for morning and afternoon refreshments and provide information on nearby lunch options. Local Coordinators are also responsible for completing the NHI Certificates of Training. Additional information on Local

Coordinator responsibilities is available on the NHI website under Training Information and

Resources.

The instructors are responsible for bringing a laptop computer compatible with a multi-media projector (e.g. LCD projector) that supports operation of Microsoft ® PowerPoint 2010 or higher software, with compatible resolution; the course presentation materials; their copy of the Instructor

Guide for the course; and any other course-related materials specified in the Task Order. The laptop computer and multi-media projector shall be capable of projecting images, videos, and other multi-media training materials at a resolution appropriate to the materials, and bright enough to be seen in a training room with some ambient light.

Printing and shipping of participant course materials (e.g. Participant Workbook, Handouts, job aids, maps, case studies, etc.) and various NHI administrative items are the responsibility of the

Government for all courses deliveries other than the pilot. Included within the course materials are

NHI Certificates of Attendance that are partially pre-printed on heavy card stock. Session specific information (i.e. participant names, NHI course number and course title, location, and dates of the session, etc.) must be keyed—not handwritten—on each certificate. While the Local Coordinator is responsible for preparing the certificates, instructors shall confirm that they are able to do so in case alternative arrangements need to be made.

Typical Specifications for Course Presentations Contained in a Task Order

The contractor Point of Contact will receive an e-mail notice of a request to schedule a session from

NHIScheduler@dot.gov. For each session presentation, the contractor shall, as a minimum:

1. Contact the Local Coordinator and confirm agreed upon dates for the session within 10 business days of receipt of a request to schedule an NHI session. Once the session dates and location are agreed to by the POC and the Local Coordinator, immediately contact the NHI Scheduler

(NHIScheduler@dot.gov. or 703- 235-0534) to confirm the agreed upon dates. A confirmation mailto:NHIScheduler@dot.gov.s mailto:NHIScheduler@dot.gov.s

DTFH6115R00009 Page 17 of 64 e-mail notification will be sent from NHIScheduler@dot.gov. This e-mail notification will contain the unique NHI Session Number and the confirmed session will be posted on the NHI

Web site.

2. Provide the NHI Session Number to the assigned instructors.

3. Ensure that each instructor has registered on the NHI Web site as an NHI instructor, has indicated which courses they are under contract to instruct, has uploaded their biography (not to exceed

2000 characters) on the NHI website, and has been assigned a four-digit NHI Instructor Code.

Questions about this procedure may be directed to the NHI Instructor Liaison at

NHIInstrucorLiaison@dot.gov.

4. Contact the Local Coordinator at least 10 days prior to the session starting date to ensure that the

NHI training materials (i.e. shrink-wrapped session materials; three-ring binders; the session

Administrative Package, containing the NHI Session Roster, NHI Sign-In Sheets, blank NHI

Certificates, Course Evaluation forms, Participant Registration forms. pencils and name tents) have arrived, as well as any companion materials associated with this course.

5. Ask the Local Coordinator to open the boxes to validate that the materials are for the appropriate

NHI course, that enough copies have been sent for the session, and that the administrative package is complete. If materials have not arrived at the designated location, immediately call

(703-235-0552) or e-mail the NHI Materials Manager at NHIMaterials@dot.gov requesting follow up assistance.

6. Contact the Local Coordinator to discuss the training facility, room set up arrangements, audio/visual needs, recommended lodging, directions, and any other relevant information necessary for a…