DRAFT OVAE Immigrant Integration Capability Statement 05-02-2012.docx

Adult Ed and Immigrant Integration Invitation to Submit Capability Statements 5/2/2012 2:30 PM

U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL)

Invitation to Submit Capability Statements Adult Education and Immigrant Integration

Background and Purpose:

The full and successful integration of immigrants into the American spheres of work, school and community is vital to the social and economic strength of the United States. However, immigrants often face challenges which hinder their full integration and participation into American society. These challenges include, but are not limited to, limited English proficiency, low literacy skills, limited education, lack of access to job training and retraining, lack of access to credentialing and professional licensing, lack of access to employers, limited access to technology, cross-cultural misunderstandings, limited understanding of the US educational systems, lack of knowledge about US civic engagement, and piece-meal services that may help in one area of need, but not provide holistic support across these needs.

The Department requires technical expertise to identify promising practices that integrate three important pillars of immigrant integration:

· Linguistic integration

· Civic integration

· Economic integration

With a particular focus on how Adult Education can 1) improve immigrants’ access to effective and innovative English language programs, 2) support immigrants on the path to citizenship, and 3) support career development through training and education, the Department requires technical expertise in designing integrative and innovative Immigrant Integration models that will reduce linguistic, academic, and employment barriers for unskilled and skilled immigrants and refugees, and to integrate them into the US workforce and professional population.

Objectives of this contract include designing evidence-based and innovative technical assistance models, managing the implementation of the technical assistance in multiple sites, and documenting the effectiveness of the assistance.

The Department anticipates awarding this action and beginning services in September 2012.

The purpose of this market research is to identify potential offerors, clarify OVAE’s requirements, and remove barriers to maximize competition.

In meeting the goals and objectives of this Performance Work Statement (PWS), the contractor:

a. Shall have the key personnel with the qualifications, knowledge, and experience in order to support the purpose and objectives of this contract.

b. Shall have expertise and experience in immigrant integration (as described in the PWS), research, publication and/or practice, emphasizing support for limited English-proficient, low-skilled immigrants, refugees and/or foreign-born professionals.

c. Shall have experience successfully managing and/or the providing large-scale technical assistance, within an educational context, at multiple sites.

Capability Statement Requirements:

Interested parties are invited to submit a capability statement. Offerors must demonstrate extensive expertise in immigrant integration, with particular emphasis in English as a Second Language, adult education, literacy, and/or career and workforce development, specifically for low-skilled immigrants, refugees and/or foreign-born professionals.

Offerors shall describe their experience and capability, in relation to the above, in the following three areas:

1. Existing extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in immigrant integration:

Describe the experience of the potential Key Personnel who would lead the project, establishing clear evidence of extensive expertise, knowledge and experience, as evidenced by appropriate advanced degrees, related work experience, a relevant and sustained agenda of active research inquiry, a relevant record of peer-reviewed presentations and publication, relevant involvement in immigrant communities, and/or successful leadership activities in immigrant integration.

2. Experience with, and existing resources that support, immigrant integration:

Describe experience working on immigrant integration initiatives and/or existing resources that support immigrant integration, including but not limited to programs designed; projects implemented; tools developed; research studies carried-out; papers, monograms, or reports published in peer-reviewed and/or professionally acknowledged venues; materials created; and/or meaningful multi-sector partnerships coordinated.

Describe how these experiences and existing resources position the offeror to effectively and efficiently meet the purposes and objectives of this contract, including but not limited to building upon and extending these existing experiences and resources.

3. Experience in managing and/or providing large-scale technical assistance:

Describe experience in managing and/or providing large-scale technical assistance within educational contexts, and the key methods used for successful management and provision, such as, but not limited to, selection and management of sites for receipt of technical assistance, leveraging complex partnerships, using technology for support of immigrant populations, and/or coordinating efforts. Indicate if and how these experiences in large-scale, educational technical assistance supported immigrant integration, as described in the draft PWS.

Capability statements shall be word documents in at least a 12 point font and no more than 15 double-spaced pages in length (page limit does not include additional comments, see below).

Request for Comments Interested parties are requested to additionally submit comments to the draft Performance Work Statement, and identify competition barriers. We are particularly interested in your feedback on the following question:

· Based upon your experience with design and/or implementation of immigrant integration, does the PWS, as written, present any barriers to your participation? If so, how?

Submission Due Date:

Submit Capability Statement and Additional Comments to the Department by Monday, May 14, 2012 by 2:00pm EST to: Colin Alleyne at colin.alleyne@ed.gov with a cc to: Sheryl Adler at sheryl.adler@ed.gov.

Interested parties are encouraged to participate in a Webinar on May 9, 2012 at 1:30pm EST in which the Department will share its vision and goals for this procurement. Please indicate your interest in the webinar by emailing colin.alleyne@ed.gov and sheryl.adler@ed.gov. Instructions for accessing the Webinar are provided below.

Topic: Market Research for Immigrant Integration Procurement Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Time: 1:30 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00) Meeting Number: 743 163 956 Meeting Password: OVAE

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