REL_-_Amendment_2_SF30.pdf

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 STANDARD FORM 30. (Rev. 10-83) Previous Edition unusable Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Page of Pages AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. Contract ID Code

2. AMENDMENT MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (if applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6) CODE

(x) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (NO., Street, Country, State and ZIP Code)

CODE FACILITY CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of offers is extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning ______ copies of amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OR OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment your desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

Check One

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

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

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

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

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

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

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

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

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

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

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C. DATE SIGNED

Attachment Page

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Contents Amendment 0002 Supplemental Information

Concept Papers

Formatting

Human Subjects

Information Technology

Key and Named Personnel

Letters of Interest/Support/Commitment

Organizational Capacity

Past Performance

Pricing Matrix

Restricted Data Legend

Schedule of Deliverables

Small Businesses

Tables of Time Commitment

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Amendment 0002 Supplemental Information

Amendment 0002 to Solicitation No.: ED-IES-15-R-0016 responds to vendor questions and updates the Instructions to Offerors. Please note that all questions are stated as originally submitted by the contractor with minor redactions where appropriate.

The deadline for proposal submission remains unchanged.

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Concept Papers

Question 1: The Applied Research concept paper requires "up to a 500 word paragraph of relevant experience" for each Principal Investigator. Please confirm our assumption that since one 500 word paragraph is the equivalent of almost two double-spaced pages, these paragraphs are excluded from the 5 page limit.

Response: The 500 word paragraph of relevant experience is not included in the 5-page limitation.

Question 2: Please confirm that a letter of support that includes a clause on data access will address the requirement for a Data Agreement. Some states and districts, for example, require a funded study prior to considering and executing a formal data sharing agreement.

Response: If a data sharing agreement is allowable for a state or district without having a funded study, the Department will require a data sharing agreement. If funding is required, an offeror must submit a non-binding letter of interest from a key stakeholder in the participating state(s) or district(s) that would include a clause indicating that should the project be funded, data access for the contractor would be likely. This letter should also state two additional facts: (1) the necessary data do exist to do this work, and (2) there is in fact a policy in place that requires a funded study prior to a data sharing agreement being in place.

Question 3: Amendment one implies that each concept paper project should begin within the first 6 months of the contract. May bidders propose to start a concept paper project later than that if they explain why that’s appropriate?

Response: No.

Question 4: The revised A2 Concept Paper outline shows that the event must be a "webinar, video, or other virtual learning activity." Is it allowable to propose an event that includes both live and virtual components? For example, will an event that takes place live in one location and is concurrently streamed to other locations be acceptable for this Concept Paper?

Response: Yes.

Formatting

Question 5: The timeline tables in each of the Concept Paper Outlines in the revised RFP use single spacing. Would the Department please confirm that offerors may use single spacing for timelines within the Concept Papers?

Response: The offerors may use single spacing for the timeline.

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Question 6: Are photos or screenshots allowed in the appendices of the technical plan?

Response: Photos or screenshots are not permitted.

Question 7: Would the Department please confirm that offerors may use their own judgment in determining whether to use portrait or landscape orientation for a specific proposal element (e.g., logic models, Deliverable Schedule)?

Response: Offerors may use landscape orientation for the following proposal items: logic models, Gantt charts, organizational charts, schedule of deliverables, and tables of time commitments of staff. The Instructions to Offerors are revised accordingly.

Question 8: May offerors use landscape orientation to present charts and tables within the Business Proposal where necessary to improve the readability of the data?

Response: Yes

Question 9: In its response to Question 42, the Department reminds offerors to be mindful of how readable their tables and charts of cost/price data are. The complexity of the REL project (e.g., number of tasks and subtasks, further breakdown of tasks and subtasks [e.g., into IT and non-IT categories], number of deliverables) will result in some business volume charts and tables with many more columns than can fit across even a landscape page. For those charts and tables that have so many columns that they cannot be displayed in a readable and easily understandable way within the text, may offerors instead refer reviewers to the specific location in the accompanying Excel spreadsheet?

Response: Yes. Offerors may include cross-references to locations in an Excel file, but the original cost data should be in the PDF Business Proposal. Offerors have the freedom to format the Business Proposal as the offeror prefers, and there are no page limitations to convey the information. The purpose of the Excel volumes are to assist with the evaluation of the proposal rather than serve as the primary source of cost information.

Human Subjects

Question 10: Regarding human subjects, is the solicitation requesting an exempt and nonexempt research narrative for each study proposed in the proposal as an appendix or is it requesting general exempt and nonexempt statements for the overall proposal with the assumption that upon award the contractor will submit IRB human subject narratives for each study proposed?

Response: Offerors should include general exempt and nonexempt statements for the study. The IRB human subjects narrative should be submitted after the study proposal is approved.

Question 11: Page 18 of 145 in the solicitation states that offerors proposing to do research that involves human subjects must provide the Department with information on the proposed exempt and nonexempt research activities. The amendment to the solicitation further clarifies that the

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human subjects information shall be provided in an appendix. Should this appendix include human subjects information for proposed research activities that involve human subjects during Year 1 only? Or, should information be provided for all proposed research that involves human subjects across the 5-year contract period?

Response: See the response to Question 10 above.

Information Technology

Question 12: The RFP and the Amendment specify that "All websites and web applications must be developed using ASP.net (.NET Framework 2.0 - 4.5 supported).” Those versions of .NET are currently unsupported by Microsoft. Will IES provide a means to deal with security issues that can be expected from using an unsupported network, or will offerors be expected to resolve these issues?

Response: Microsoft currently supports .NET framework 4.5.2 as well as version 3.5. In order to maintain support for legacy applications, IES continues to house applications developed in .NET 2.0. It is preferred that all new applications developed for IES be .NET version 4.5.2 or newer.

Question 13: Given that a key goal of this proposal is bridging the gap between research and practitioner, it is clear that navigation and organization are absolutely fundamental to the success of this web application. Will the awardee be given access to IIS logs and other tracking information (whether Google Analytics or other tracking data) to analyze user access to content on the site, and to adapt the site structure (within the confines of the overall site defined by the RFP) to accommodate clientele needs and behaviors?

Response: The contractor will be provided access to reports in Google Analytics.

Question 14: Can RELs subscribe to services that have per-person fees for usage, such as social media, web conferencing, asynchronous collaboration, content dissemination, data visualization, and learning management when trying to inform and increase the capacity of policy makers and practitioners? Would such subscriptions be considered IT costs in the budget?

Response: Yes, these subscriptions are allowed as long as the contractor notes these costs in its Business Proposal. Subscriptions would be considered IT costs if they are part of a specific project rather than a general service that the offeror utilizes as an organization on a variety of projects.

Question 15: Can ED give guidance as to which subtasks should be considered IT?

Response: The IT/Non-IT designation depends on the individual project and deliverable within a subtask. For this reason, the Department cannot designate whole tasks or subtasks as IT or Non-IT.

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Key and Named Personnel

Question 16: Please confirm that a Key Person can come from a subcontractor as well as a Named Person coming from a subcontractor.

Response: Key Personnel and Named Personnel may come from a subcontractor with the exception of the Director and Deputy Director. The Director and Deputy Director shall be employees of the prime contractor.

Question 17: The revised RFP requires that offerors describe how they will transition Key and Named staff to the REL if they are committed more than 50% to other projects. A) For non-key Named staff, it is possible that their role on the contract will be significant but their hour allocation will be less than 50% of their time. B) Would the Department please confirm that Named staff may be allocated to a REL for less than 50% of their time

Response: Named Personnel may commit less than 50% of their time to the REL (note that this is distinct from the Key Personnel time commitment requirements referenced in the instructions).

Letters of Interest/Support/Commitment

Question 18: Page 4 states that letters of interest are required from state or local agencies or other parties to indicate interest in a specific partnership and will be evaluated as supporting documentation. Two state education agencies in our region have indicated they will not provide letters of support to any potential offeror. If we propose a state partnership based on needs sensing in these states, will documentation of the decision by the state not to provide letters of interest address this requirement?

Response: In this scenario, an offeror should propose a different partnership. The Performance Work Statement does not require an offeror to partner solely with a State.

Offerors may propose partnership with Local Educational Agencies or other entities within a State.

Question 19: [REDACTED] is partnering with an organization as part of the [REDACTED] proposal. We have also been asked by another organization if we would provide a letter of support for them in the instance that they would win and we would be a part of their research alliance. Is it allowable for us to partner on a proposal with one organization and also provide a letter of support for another organization, per IES guidelines?

Response: Yes, this is allowed.

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Organizational Capacity

Question 20: Are organizational capacity statements required as part of the technical proposal? (Page 9 of “instructions to offeror” indicates that this is a requirement, but the response to March 4, 2016 question 5 says it is not required)

Response: Yes, organizational capacity statements are still required. The Department interpreted Question 5 in Amendment 0001 to refer to capability statements described in the August 5, 2015 Request for Information.

Past Performance

Question 21: Please clarify response to question 100. Should the cost information for projects that are described in the past performance volume be provided in the past performance volume or in the business proposal volume?

Response: Cost information for projects described only in the context of past performance should be included in the Past Performance Proposal rather than the Business Proposal. For example, an offeror may want to include the total contract value of a referenced contract (or grant, if applicable). This is the only cost information that should be included in the Past Performance Proposal.

Question 22: If the Department removes the requirement to provide point of contact information for past performance, how will the Department evaluate the performance of the offeror on work performed as a subcontractor (since no CPARs or other federal evaluations will exist for subcontractors (due to privity of contract))?

Response: Offerors may include contact information for any projects referenced in the Past Performance Proposal (keeping in mind the up to five project limitation referenced in the Instructions to Offerors).

Pricing Matrix

Question 23: In the referenced answer, the Department’s description of the pricing matrix suggests that it is for all intents and purposes a price list for all fixed price items that might be required sometime during the course of the contract, with separate prices for each year, to ensure that items are priced consistently over the life of the contract. Also, the Department stated in its response to Question 104 that specific events in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 are not yet known, and that the Department is not asking offerors to plan those events. Please answer these follow-up questions regarding the pricing matrix:

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(a) Because specific events in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 are not yet known, and no specific plan for such events is required at this time, would the Department consider omitting the quantity columns since that information is not yet known? If the Department will not omit the quantity columns, would the Department please explain the intent and provide some guidance on how offerors should arrive at this number if we are not required to plan specific events for Years 2 through 5?

(b) The nature of the pricing matrix (as a price list of sorts) and the uncertainty of the quantity data for Years 2 through 5 makes the “Grand Total” unmeaningful. Consequently, would the Department please consider omitting the Grand Total line? If not, would the Department please explain the intent of the Grand Total line so that we can understand it in the context of the overall pricing data?

Response: The purpose of the pricing matrix is not to define the exact work that the REL will do over the life of the contract or for the initial 18 months of performance. The Pricing Matrix is designed to be used both at the proposal stage and once the contracts are awarded. For this reason, the Department understands that the frequency column and the summary totals may (1) not be applicable for out years at the present time, and (2) will change with the production and approval of each Updated Annual Plan (in terms of proposed frequency – not price). The critical concern is not necessarily the frequency of events beyond Year 1 and the first half of Year 2, but rather that the core prices for these tasks as discrete activities are priced for the entire period of performance.

Question 24: Will the Technical Review Panel also have access to the past performance submissions so that offerors can cross-reference materials in that section?

Response: Yes.

Question 25: FFP Matrix: The table in rows 187-192 of the FFP Matrix requests unit cost & frequency for travel. Since all travel is cost reimbursement, what information should offerors include in this table?

Response: This was an oversight during development of the matrix. Travel is purely cost reimbursable, and including trip estimates in the matrix is not necessary. We expect offerors to include estimates in the Business Proposal itself as well as justifications for those estimated costs with the understanding that travel needs will evolve during the life of the contract and will change with each Updated Annual Plan.

Question 26: Should Year 1 in the pricing matrix and other business volume documentation be a 12-month period or the 18 month period used for the Deliverables Schedule and UAP Schedule?

Response: No. The pricing matrix and business proposal documentation should still be divided annually. We expect that the frequency column in the pricing matrix to reflect activities through the first six months of Year 2.

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Question 27: According to the PWS, infographics can be associated with both Subtasks 4.2 and

5.3. However, infographics only appear under Subtask 4.2 in the pricing matrix. Would the Department please clarify this issue?

Response: The offeror may propose infographics in Subtask 4.2 and Subtask 5.3 and may update the Pricing Matrix accordingly prior to submission.

Restricted Data Legend

Question 28: In this section, the Department references FAR clause 52.215-1, which allows an offeror to include a legend on the title page of its proposal to restrict the use or disclosure of data in its proposal. The RFP does not provide for a title page. Would the Department please confirm that offerors may include a title page (not included in the 75-page limit) directly following the cover page on which it may place the FAR-specified legend, and may the legend be presented in less than 12 point font?

Response: Yes, if offerors wish they may include an additional page directly following the cover page for the legend, and this page will not count against the page limitations.

Offerors are also free to include this information as a disclaimer on the cover page itself as this is a common industry practice. Yes, offerors may use 10-point font if they desire.

Schedule of Deliverables

Question 29: On p. 70 of the amended RFP (REL_Amendment_0001_SF30.pdf) there is only one deliverable listed for the subtask 5.4, "Informal assessments of research study quality using WWC standards." Other TCTS subtasks require proposals, products, or tools as part of deliverables. Please clarify whether a proposal and/or a written memo/summary of findings from such review are also required. If so, will IES provide a template for the summary?

Response: Proposal and summary information will be required. The Department will provide additional guidance following award.

Question 30: The period of performance for the Schedule of Deliverables indicated “the first eighteen months of performance” while on page 28 of 130, the Department’s response indicates that Schedule of Deliverables “has been revised to include deliverables… for the life of the REL”. Please indicate whether the Deliverable Schedule should be for 18 months of performance or for all five years.

Response: A detailed schedule of deliverables is required only for the first 18 months of performance, and the Instructions to Offerors are revised accordingly.

Question 31: Task 1.3: How many REL Directors Meetings will be held in the first 18 months of the contract? Should we assume two during January-December, 2017 and one during January- June, 2018?

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Response: Yes, there are three meetings in the first 18 months of performance and two will be held during January – December, 2017 with the third occurring during January – June, 2018.

Small Businesses

Question 32: A number of my staff continue to ask me for clarification and recently cited the attached document which lists the NAICS Code as, “611-Educational Services/611710 – Educational Support Services.” When a word search is done of the RFP there is no reference to a NAICS Code number that they could find. Then only reference to a size standard for small business is the one that states 500 or fewer employees. Can you confirm that the 500 or fewer employees is the definition/size standard for a Small Business being used for this solicitation?

Response: The reference to 500 employees applies to contracts “other than on a construction or service contract[s].” This is a contract for services. Offerors must look at the size standards published by the Small Business Administration for NAICS 611710.

There is a dollar threshold ($15,000,000.00) but no employee standard listed on page 35 of the published standards PDF. Offerors should consult with their own counsel, accountants, or other business affiliates to make a self determination as to whether an offeror meets the small business size standards for this procurement. The Department will not confirm whether an offeror meets these standards.

Tables of Time Commitment

Many offerors asked whether and how they should include specific responsibilities of staff included in Table B as well as percentages of time allocated for each position at the subtask level. The revised Table B in Amendment 0001 did not include a field for either option. The Department has revised the table to include a percentage column for each subtask in addition to the column for number of hours. Note that the table spans two horizontal pages.

An individual description of responsibilities may be noted at the end of the table, and it is not necessary to include this information in the body of the table itself. Offerors should limit the description of responsibilities to no more than two or three sentences per position.

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Version Date: March 15, 2016

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY (REL) PROGRAM

I. Introduction

All proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals (RFP) will become a part of the official contract file. The RFP does not commit the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a proposal. In addition, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisition. The Department will not be obligated to provide any equipment or a work site.

Offerors shall prepare separate technical and business/cost proposals in response to this RFP.

The technical proposals shall not contain reference to specific costs, although resource information may be included so that the offeror’s understanding of the scope of the work may be evaluated. Cost information is restricted to the business proposal (with the limited exception of contract value data that offerors may include in the past performance volume explained in greater detail below). Each proposal shall be separate and complete so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of the other. The proposed costs shall also be commensurate with the proposed technical solution set forth in the technical proposal.

Submission Information:

The offeror shall submit their proposals as four separate digital files:

(1) Technical Proposal (including appendices and résumés),

(2) Business Proposal (narrative volume and price information)

(3) Excel workbook of cost/price information contained in the narrative volume

(4) Past Performance Volume.

Offerors must submit files electronically as PDFs and unlocked Excel spreadsheets.

All pages shall be 8 ½ x 11. All pages shall be numbered.

Vendor Questions:

The Department will accept solicitation questions. Offerors must submit all questions to Jonathan E. Bettis (Jonathan.Bettis@ed.gov) with a cc to Heather Watroba (Heather.Watroba@ed.gov) no later than 1 PM Eastern on February 16, 2016. The Department will not accept or respond to questions submitted via mail, facsimile, or telephone. The Department cannot guarantee responses to questions submitted after the stated deadline.

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Proposal Submission:

The Department will only accept electronic proposals submitted in accordance with the instructions below. The Department will not accept or review proposals submitted by mail (public or private) or facsimile.

Electronic copies of proposals shall be emailed to Jonathan.Bettis@ed.gov with a cc to Heather.Watroba@ed.gov no later than 1 PM Eastern April 5, 2016. The Department’s email servers cannot guarantee delivery of emails larger than 15MB. This size restriction accounts for possible expansion of file size due to certain Microsoft Cloud properties. Offerors must submit PDF versions of the Technical and Business Proposals, and Past Performance Reports. Cost and price data should also be submitted as a Microsoft Excel file (additional information is provided below). If attachments are too large for one individual email then offerors may submit more than one email as long as the email subject line clearly indicates that multiple emails will follow (e.g. “REL XX Proposal: One of Four”). If a subcontractor is not willing to share its proprietary information with the prime contractor, the subcontractor may submit subcontractor packages directly to the contacts listed above by the deadline listed above.

II. Volume I: Technical Proposal (Page Limit: 75 Pages)

General instructions:

The offeror must completely address all of the tasks described in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and provide sufficient detail on the proposed approach for each task to allow a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) to adequately evaluate that approach. All information necessary to evaluate the technical soundness and management capabilities of the offeror will be contained in the technical proposal.

The TEP will not make assumptions or guesses.

Technical proposals shall be no more than 75 double spaced pages (8 ½ x 11) in length, using a 12 point font and 1 inch margins. Appendices do not count towards the 75 page limit. Logic models may be size 10 font and single spaced and may be presented in landscape orientation. Below are some details about what may or may not be included in an Appendix:

- Tables and figures:

o Gantt charts for project timelines may be single spaced and in an

Appendix. The font shall not be smaller than size 10 font and the orientation may be landscape. There is no page limit.

o Organizational charts may be single spaced and size 10 font. These should appear in the body of the technical proposal, not in an Appendix. The orientation of this chart may be landscape.

o Deliverable Schedules may be in an Appendix. They shall have size 12 font and be double spaced. There is no page limit. The orientation of this chart may be landscape.

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o The Tables of Time Commitments of Staff may be single spaced. It shall have size 10 font and shall appear in an Appendix.

o All other tables and figures must have size 12 font and be double spaced. These should appear in the body of the technical proposal, not in an Appendix.

- Résumés may be single spaced. They shall have a size 12 font. There is a limit of 12 résumés of up to 3 pages each. These shall be in an Appendix. No references are required.

- There are no page limits for the letters of commitment for subcontractors and consultants. These shall have a size 12 font and may be single spaced. These shall be in an Appendix.

- Concept papers shall be double spaced and shall have a size 12 font. There is a limit of 3 concept papers of up to 5 pages each. These shall be in an Appendix.

- The Cover Page (including one additional page of information that contains restricted use information in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215-1 in 10-point font), Cover Letter, and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limit.

These pages shall have at least a size 12 font and do not need to be double spaced.

- Footnotes shall be no smaller than size 10 font and single spaced.

- Offerors may include certifications associated with EDAR Clause 3452.224-71

NOTICE ABOUT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES INVOLVING HUMAN

SUBJECTS in an appendix to the Technical Proposal.

When labeling appendices please keep in mind the concept paper appendix naming requirements discussed in item 10 below. Appendices for information described above should begin with B and continue in sequence.

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

A résumé shall be included for up to 10 personnel named in the proposal. Each résumé must be no more than 3 pages and shall clearly demonstrate that individuals have the experience and expertise to perform the work for which they are proposed.

While the intent of each task is stated in the PWS, it is the offeror’s responsibility to propose the most effective method for carrying out these tasks in their region. The task specifications contained in this RFP are a starting point; the proposal is expected to build on them by providing examples, where appropriate, rather than simply repeating the language contained in the PWS. Repeating the language of the PWS does not demonstrate an understanding of the requirement. Offerors are encouraged to suggest technical improvements to the work for each task and subtask if appropriate.

Proposals must include the following elements, in the order specified. Offerors can cross-reference between sections in the proposal:

1. Cover Page

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The cover page must include the name and address of the entity submitting the proposal and be signed by an officer of the entity. The offeror shall explicitly state the region they are bidding for on the cover page. If the primary address of the offeror is outside of the region for which a proposal is being submitted, firms may add a second address to the proposal with a location or proposed location within the REL region. The cover page does not count against the page limit. Offerors may include a page immediately following the Cover Page but before the Cover Letter that includes any restricted data information in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215-1 if an offeror does not wish to include this information as a disclaimer directly on the cover page. Font size is restricted to 10-point font or larger.

2. Cover Letter

The Cover Letter must contain a clear list of all proposed subcontractors, their small business status, and DUNS numbers of the prime. The cover letter does not count against the page limit.

Additionally, the Cover Letter must include an affirmation of acceptance of the Department’s Rights in Data clause. The Department will include FAR Clause 52.227-17– Rights in Data-Special Works in the final contract. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) affirms its commitment to, and points to its unimpeachable record of, releasing all high-quality scientific research and research-related products promptly and without regard to the nature of the findings. However, IES includes this clause to ensure that only high quality, peer-reviewed work is distributed. The offeror must affirm that, if it is awarded the contract, it will accept this clause in its entirety, without amendment. The Department will not negotiate this clause or its wording. Offerors must include the following affirmation of the offeror’s acceptance of this clause for a REL contract in their region:

[Company name], by submitting this proposal and executing any contract that results from this proposal, affirms that it accepts in full the Department’s inclusion of FAR Clause 52.227- 17– Rights in Data-Special Works in its entirety. We understand that the

Department will not waive this clause or issue any contract that does not contain this clause.

3. Table of Contents

The table of contents shall identify key authors of each section. The offeror shall write the proposal in the order shown below. The table of contents does not count against the page limit.

4. Introduction

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The offeror shall provide an introduction demonstrating an understanding of the project and a familiarity with the issues relevant to the REL program and the specific region for which the offeror is submitting a proposal. The overview shall briefly describe the technical approach the offeror proposes and provide rationales for why the proposed approach will meet the intent and requirements of the contract. The rationale shall include information on how the offeror gathered information on the needs of the region, including specifying how it sought input from state and local education agencies in the region and identifying key offices that provided input and/or feedback on the proposal. The offeror shall highlight any unique features or approaches included its proposal.

5. Technical Plan

The offeror shall provide details explaining the strategies, operations, and procedures it proposes, by task and subtask. The offeror shall add details and propose specific solutions to demonstrate an understanding of the purpose, requirements, complexities, and difficulties of this contract and how the offeror proposes to respond to them. Offerors shall not re-state the PWS, but shall instead use their expertise and understanding to propose a comprehensive proposal that builds upon the requirements stated in the PWS.

For each task in the PWS, the offeror shall provide the following information:

• A broad description of the work – strategies, operations, procedures, and activities – that the offeror proposes to achieve all task objectives over the five-year contract period, including a schedule of deliverables during the first year (which may be part of the Appendices listed above). Note that the schedule of deliverables will be updated each year with the contractor’s Updated Annual Plan.

• Specific detail on the strategies, operations, procedures, activities and deliverables proposed for each task and subtask in the first year, including any specific ideas on topics for events, research, and training, coaching, and technical support, including a justification for why these strategies are the best option for the program.

• A description of work that the offeror, including key personnel, has conducted in the past that demonstrates that the offeror has the experience to carry out the task as described.

Subtask 3.3 in the PWS indicates that each REL shall be responsible for coordinating, reporting, and promoting REL activities on one topic in education that have both regional and national importance. In the proposal, the contractor shall indicate between one and three topic areas for which they have the expertise and experience to undertake this cross-REL coordination. Topics include but are not limited to: English learners, early childhood education, family and community

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engagement, transition to college, rural education, school completion, college and career readiness, educator quality, professional development, teacher preparation for instructional improvement, school climate, and research-practice partnerships.

In the proposal, the offeror shall identify 1-3 of the topic areas listed above (or others that meet the criteria of both regional and national importance) and provide information about the offeror’s experience and capacity to serve in a cross-REL coordinating role for those topic areas. In addition, please describe the approaches or strategies that you will use to coordinate and disseminate the work and efforts of the entire REL program on the topics you have selected.

6. Key and Named Personnel

The offeror shall propose a list of up to 12 personnel, including Key Personnel (6) and Named Personnel (up to 6). The six Key Personnel are Director, Deputy Director, and Task Leads for 3, 4, 5, and 6. Key and Named Personnel shall be responsible for large portions of technical direction and oversight and are considered essential to the performance of the work. Any changes in the six Key Personnel require the approval of the Department.

For each individual, the offeror shall include their expected roles, and a description of the experience and expertise that the offeror believes qualifies these proposed staff to successfully complete the REL work. These descriptions shall be no more than one paragraph for each person that points towards the most relevant experience and qualifications that are applicable to the particular task.

In a separate appendix, the offeror shall include résumés for Key and Named Personnel and only these individuals. These résumés should not exceed 3 pages (single space and size 12 font) and should include professional background, including degrees held and specializations, along with relevant experience and related accomplishments.

In addition, this appendix shall contain letters of commitment from all proposed Key or Named personnel not currently employed by the offeror. The appendix must also delineate the nature of each agreement and their commitment to the project if awarded the contract.

7. Time Commitments of Proposed Staff

In Table A (see below), the technical proposal must indicate the time commitments to both federal and non-federal contractual obligations (as well as outside consulting assignments) by all Key and Named Personnel. Key and Named Personnel must be identified by name along with the percentage of their time allocated to those contractual obligations. If proposed personnel are committed to more than 50% of time to another contract or grant, please provide information on how you will transition those personnel to the REL. In Table B, PAGE 18 OF 30 ED-IES-15-R-0016/0002 the offeror must indicate the number of proposed hours of all staff by subtask by year for all five years, and also describe the specific responsibilities of each proposed staff person. In addition, the offeror must indicate the number of hours (and proportion of time) committed by each staff person by-year, to encompass the full performance period of the anticipated contract. The Tables of Time Commitment (Tables A and B) shall be included in an Appendix and may be presented in landscape. The contractor shall use the tables below. Table B shall include five tables, one for year of the contract.

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Version Date December 30, 2015March 15, 2016

Tables of Time Commitment

Table A. Hour Allocations for Key and Named Personnel

Name Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

REL Other Projects REL Other

Projects REL Other Projects REL Other

Projects REL Other Projects REL Other

Projects

Table B. Hour Allocations and Percentage of Time for all Proposed Personnel by Task and by Year

Name Task 1 Task 2 Task 3

1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3.1 3.2 3.3

Task 4 Task 5 Task 6

Total

4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5

Note: Table B has been revised to span two landscape pages, but both charts are consolidated onto one page for readability purposes.

Offerors may caption the second half of the chart as “Table B. Hour Allocations and Percentage of Time for all Proposed Personnel by Task and by Year Continued” or any other method that the offeror wishes to utilize to ensure that the information is clearly presented.

Percentages are not required for Table A.

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The offeror shall ensure that the following personnel meet the specified criteria:

• Project Director and Deputy Director. Together, the Project Director and Deputy Director shall represent a combination of expertise in the areas of research, researcher-practitioner partnerships, and project management.

Professional publications in applied education research and a project management certification are recommended, but not required. The Project Director shall commit at least 60% FTE to the contract during the first four years of the contract.

The total combined FTE of the Director and the Deputy Director shall be at least

1.4 FTE throughout the duration of the contract. The Director and Deputy Director shall be employees of the prime contractor.

• Dissemination Lead (Task 4): The Dissemination Lead shall demonstrate a general expertise in dissemination best practices and expertise in Plain Language guidelines. The Task 4 lead shall also have relevant graphics expertise and sufficient experience in producing graphic summaries of education research for education policymakers and practitioners in an easy to understand format. The Dissemination Lead shall also have experience creating infographics and visually pleasing invitations, newsletters, and data analysis tools. Experience disseminating information within the federal space, including familiarity with the requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Data Center and the IES Newsflash System is recommended, but not required. The Dissemination Lead shall commit at least 50% time throughout the duration of the contract.

• Training, Coaching, and Technical Support for Evidence Use (TCTS) Lead (Task 5): The TCTS Lead shall have significant experience providing similar training and coaching to educators ranging from the school level to state departments of education or equivalent. The TCTS Lead shall have experience in planning and conducting online learning opportunities for adult learners, including webinars, internet chats, and videos, and the ability to imagine new and engaging forms of professional learning opportunities. The lead shall also have experience leading teams that produce graphic summaries of research findings, including creating infographics. The TCTS Lead shall commit at least 60% time throughout the duration of the contract.

• Research Lead (Task 6): The research lead shall have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and/or experience in sociology, psychology, economics, education or a related field and have significant experience conducting education research. The Research Lead shall have expertise working with practitioners to conduct research and have demonstrated scholarly content expertise in high priority areas identified by IES in the PWS or otherwise identified by the offeror and the region. The proposed Research Lead shall commit at least 50% time throughout the duration of the contract.

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8. Management Plan and Timelines

The offeror shall provide a summary description of the management control system that will be used internally for planning, scheduling, budgeting, managing, and reporting the accomplishments of the REL. The offeror must describe how the internal management control system will be applied to the work of this proposal as specified in the PWS and the evaluation criteria. The proposed management system should include procedures for the following: (1) effective management of project resources; (2) procedures for controlling the quality of products/services; and (3) procedures for early identification of potential problems in carrying out task activities.

In addition to describing the management system, the offeror shall present the following information:

• An organizational chart for the project showing responsible parties and lines of authority for each task.

• An internal quality control plan that addresses accountability in each task and subtask area must be provided. This shall include the review process for deliverables before they are submitted to the COR and shall include which individuals are responsible for assuring that all work is complete, accurate, and free of errors and omissions. This quality control plan shall be included in the technical proposal and not in an Appendix.

• Sub-contractual or teaming arrangements including the work to be performed, responsibilities for tasks, reporting arrangements, and any other terms of the agreement. This information shall be included in a letter of commitment from the proposed subcontractor(s) delineating the nature of the agreement. This information should be included as an Appendix.

• A schedule of task activities and the delivery of products in calendar weeks and the interrelationship of tasks throughout the first 18 months of the project. This may be the Gantt chart in the Appendix.

In summary, the management approach should provide a clear indication that all tasks can be completed on time and with a high level of quality.

9. Organizational Capabilities, Experience & Resources

This section must describe pertinent corporate experience and qualifications in conducting the tasks/subtasks outlined in the PWS. This section must also briefly identify the organization’s track record of recruiting and maintaining well-qualified researchers and staff, resources (other than personnel), such as facilities and equipment, that are available for use in carrying out the activities of this project.

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10. Concept Papers

Each offeror shall submit three concept papers as proposed sample work products that respond in a realistic and regionally-specific manner to the general topics described for each region below. These may respond to a need from different clients. These concept papers shall be a maximum of 5 pages each and shall be included as Appendices A1, A2, and A3. Because these concept papers are included as appendices, they do not count towards the 75 page limit. Based on the topic assigned below to each of the 9 competitive regions, the three concept papers should propose a realistic:

a. Training (5.1) or coaching and consultation (5.2) technical support activities for evidence use (TCTS) for one or more state or local education agencies in the region where this issue is especially salient and high-leverage (Appendix A1);

b. A webinar or video or other virtual learning activity that bridges research and practice on this topic (Appendix A2); and

c. An applied research study on this topic that uses administrative data from one or more state or local education agencies in the region (Appendix A3).

Concept papers shall reflect a targeted, realistic plan that could commence within the first 6 months after the effective award date of a REL contract. Data access agreements shall be included if applicable. Letters of commitment shall be included if the proposed staff are not currently employed by the offeror. Letters of support are required as part of the concept papers requested for A1 and A3. The letters from stakeholders shall demonstrate how this work will address their high leverage need. These letters will not count toward the 5 page limitation. Additionally, the “up to 500-word paragraph of relevant experience” referenced in the Applied Research Concept Paper is not included in the five page limit. Proposals or concept papers that have been previously reviewed by the Department may not be submitted.

Regions have been assigned the following topics for Appendices A1, A2, and A3 (all other appendices may begin with the letter B and continue in accordance with the other provisions of these instructions).

Appalachia: Topic: Increasing high school graduation rates Central: Topic: Improving mathematics outcomes in the middle grades Mid-Atlantic: Topic: Improving adolescent literacy outcomes Midwest: Topic: Improving education outcomes for English learner students Northeast and Islands: Topic: Postsecondary access, persistence, and/or completion Northwest: Topic: Improving high school mathematics outcomes Pacific: Topic: Improving beginning reading outcomes Southeast: Topic: Kindergarten readiness West: Topic: Transition to college and career for rural students

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11. Letters

Letters of Interest are required to indicate interest in a specific partnership with a potential REL contractor. (Include in Appendix)

Letters of support are required as part of the concept papers requested for A1 and A3. These letters from stakeholders shall demonstrate how this work will address their high leverage need.

Letters of commitment shall be attached to the concept if the proposed staff are not currently employed by the offeror.

Data access letters of agreements shall be…