ESBD_File_347828_3202400111_Form_1-QA_-_OGC_Review_2-28-24 (1) Final_tlm.pdf

Vendor Questions & TWC Answers 3202400111 2024 Child Care Workforce Strategic Plan

No. Solicitation Section Page Question TWC Answers

1.

Section 1.3 Schedule of Events

Can TWC confirm that the due date is 3/18/2024?

Yes

2.

Section 4.4.3 Submission Packages

Can you please confirm if the following forms should be uploaded as separate attachments in the section provided in the portal for Execution of Proposal or should we include them elsewhere?

Form 2 6.5 References Form 3 6.9.1. Financial Questionnaire 6.11. RFP Addenda From 6 TWC Substitute W9.

All forms & attachments required documents in this RFP are submitted as separate documents.

3.

Section 6.1.3 Key Personnel

Can we include resumes of Key Personnel as an appendix?

Resumes can be submitted in accordance with 4.4.3 (a). They should be combined as a part of the Original Proposal.

4.

Section 6.4.3.

Organizational Profile

Can you please confirm if we are to provide this information in both sections or is our response in the Financial Questionnaire adequate to fulfill this requirement?

The same information is requested under Section

6.9.1 and 6.4.3.a.

Please provide identical information under both sections.

5. Section 6.9.1. Financial

Soundness

52-53

Would it be acceptable to include our company Organization Chart?

Yes

6.

Section 6.9. Execution of Proposal

Can you please provide this form?

This form is available in Bonfire.com.

7.

Section 6.15. Optional Proposal Submission Checklist

Is it acceptable to include all of the non-cost related requirements listed in the RFP in a single document?

Section 4.4.3, Submission Packages, requires Respondents to submit one file named “Original” that contains the Respondent’s entire Proposal (except the cost proposal and HSP in searchable portable document format (PDF), unless otherwise specified for a particular attachment or exhibit)

8.

Section 1.3 Schedule of Events

Please clarify which date is the correct due date for vendors to submit questions.

Please see Section 1.3, Schedule of Events. The Deadline for Submitting Questions or Requests for Clarification has closed.

9.

Section 5.6. Written Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Is there a specific/preferred section(s) within our Narrative that we should provide a comprehensive response?

TWC shall evaluate Proposals in accordance with the criteria in Article V. The Narrative should include all requirements of Article VI.

10.

Section 6.6. Similar Contracts

Will this also be factored into the scoring?

TWC will score in accordance with the criteria on Attachment 3.

11.

General Question

Would the Funder please provide additional details and expected timeline and process for accessing the administrative data?

The RFP does not indicate the selected vendor’s access to TWC data, which may be what is referred to as administrative data.

TWC does not expect to share its data that are not already publicly available with the selected vendor.

Data used for the contract should be from the selected vendor’s data collection effort.

Respondents should plan the project implementation timeline according to Section C Meetings and Deliverables in RFP Section

2.2 for due dates.

12.

Attachment 1 Vendor Terms and Conditions

Attachment 2 Special Terms and Conditions

Are the sample terms listed negotiable or do they represent required minimum terms?

Attachment 1 and 2 are required minimum terms, but vendor may request exceptions per 4.3.5.

13.

Attachment 4 Insurance Requirements

Are the insurance minimums negotiable?

Attachment 4 is required, exceptions per 4.3.5.

14.

Section 6.1.3. Key Personnel

Would the Funder accept a co-project manager structure, with two project managers serving as leads on the project?

TWC is requesting that each Respondent name one Project Manager who demonstrates the required experience and meet minimum education and training requirements.

15.

Section 2.2.A Project Tasks

Does TWC have a preference for where the in-person workgroup meetings are held (e.g., in Austin?

Rotate cities?)?

"In-person workgroup sessions can be held at locations that are convenient and cost-effective for the TWC-selected members to attend."

16.

Section 2.2.A Project Tasks

Should travel reimbursements for workgroup participants be included in the respondent's budget?

Please refer to Form 4- Cost Proposal for instructions.

17.

Section 4.4.2 Submission Method-TWC Bonfire Portal

We are getting a bounce back message saying our email was detected as spam by TWC when we email vendorproposal@twc.texas.gov.

Can you add the socialfinance.org domain to your safe senders list?

Submission should be in accordance with Section

4.4.2 TWC Bonfire Portal.

mailto:vendorproposal@twc.texas.go

18.

Attachment 4 Insurance Requirements

Will you consider negotiating insurance amounts for this work as it consists of writing a report only?

Attachment 4 is required, exceptions per Section

4.3.5. of the RFP.

19.

Terms Section 2.14

Will you consider a shorter record retention period of 5 years?

TWC declines as this is required by statute.

20.

Terms Section 2.18

Can this language be made mutual?

Given the nature of the project task and its statutory required fulfillment, TWC will own all right, title and interest in and to the work products.

21.

Terms Section 2.30

Can we submit affidavits confirming passage of background check to meet this requirement so that we can ensure compliance with our employees’ FCRA rights?

The Contractor Criminal History Report Investigation Request form P33c can be completed in lieu of a background check.

Terms Section 3.4.3

Is there an item or certification you will accept to demonstrate compliance with this section other than items that pertain to specific individuals?

The certification as outlined is what is required.

23.

Terms Section 3.34

Does this disclosure requirement apply to any former Texas agency employees or only those that were involved with drafting this RFP?

It applies to any former TWC employees.

24. Section 2.2 B Project

Deliverables

Will you consider a liability cap for both parties to the contract?

This consideration is rejected.

25.

Section 2.2 A Project

How many in-person facilitated sessions should vendors budget for? Can any sessions be held virtually?

The number of facilitated sessions is to be proposed by the Respondent and should be sufficient to gather the required information.

All workgroup sessions will be held in-person.

26.

Do facilitated sessions have to happen in Austin, TX or is TWC open to hosting them in other locations?

See the response to No.

15.

27.

Does TWC have a survey tool that the vendor can leverage? If not, do they have a preferred tool?

The vendor will need to provide a survey tool that meets data security requirements.

28.

Section 2.2 C Meetings and Deliverables

Will TWC have any required DSAs executed prior to project kickoff?

Or is the vendor responsible for identifying data before DSAs can be executed?

The vendor is responsible for collecting data and information required under this contract. TWC does not expect to share its data that are not already publicly available with the selected vendor, and therefore there will not be a need for Data Sharing Agreements (DSA) between the selected vendor and TWC.

29.

Section 3.4. Contract Term

Can TWC share a budget associated with this scope of work?

Can vendors propose either a T&M or Fixed Fee structure?

TWC does not disclose the budget in RFPs. The payments under the contract resulting from this RFP will be on cost-reimbursement basis.

30.

Section 4.2. Pre-Proposal Conference

Can TWC share a recording of the pre-proposal conference. Or share any slides or information that was shared during the conference?

The Pre-Proposal Conference Recording and Power Point is posted on the ESBD.

31.

Article II Scope of Work

Please confirm that the TWC childcare workforce strategic plan is intended to focus only on facility-based childcare services in the state, either center-based or home-based, and does not include non-facility-based childcare services (e.g., informal childcare provided by a nanny, family member, etc. )?

The Plan focuses on both center-based and home-based licensed or registered childcare providers. See Texas Labor Code § 302.0062 referring to the childcare workforce.

32.

Will TWC provide the consultant with access to any of the datasets used in prior strategic plans to allow for consistency in the update?

As appropriate, TWC will share with the selected vendor pertinent information after the contract has been awarded.

33.

Did TWC work with a vendor to develop the current strategic plan, if so, who was the contractor and what was the contract value of engagement?

TWC previously contracted with the Lyndon B.

Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University at Texas. TWC does not disclose budget information for RFPs.

34.

Section 2.2 Description of Services/Scope of Work/Specifications

10-11

Does TWC intend for all workgroup meetings to take place in-person? If so, does TWC anticipate that workgroup meetings will take place at key junctures throughout the engagement, or are they expected to be held on a more regular cadence (e.g., biweekly)?

35.

Section 2.2. A Project

Should the consultant expect to reimburse the "travel arrangements and reimbursements for workgroup members" directly from the awarded contract funds?

Or will the consultant manage the reimbursement process from funds separate from the awarded contract?

Yes, the vendor contracted with TWC will manage travel arrangements and reimbursements for workgroup members to allow attendance of the in-person meetings. You will propose the costs in Form 4 – Cost Proposal.

36.

Section 2.2. B Project Deliverables

Does TWC expect for the next Strategic Plan to continue on work of the current plan? Does TWC have current data collection methods or data points it uses and wants to continue to use/track?

TWC expects the current plan to build on the work published in the 2022 Workforce Strategic Plan.

See 2.2.A Description of Services/Scope of Work/Specifications for data collection details. In addition, the selected vendor will be required to work with TWC to develop data collection instruments.

37.

Section 6.1. Narrative Proposal Section 6.1.3. Key Personnel

For the project manager, can extensive experience with similarly focused and scaled projects replace the graduate-level coursework requirement for this role?

The Project Manager must meet the required qualifications specified in 6.1.3.

38.

Tasks-Workgroup Facilitation

At what frequency does the TWC anticipate the workgroup meetings taking place (e.g., monthly, quarterly)?

39.

Does the TWC anticipate that all workgroup meetings will be held in person in Austin? If not, what is the TWC’s vision for where meetings will be held?

See the responses to No.

15 and No. 25.

40.

What is expected of the contractor in the creating the “workgroup member selection report”?

TWC will publish an RFP amendment #2 to remove references to this report.

41.

Amendment 1

What is the due date for proposals? The most recent RFP (file name “Final RFP

3202400111 RFP CCEL

0109-24-“) states that proposals are due March 28, 2024 by 10 AM Central Time, but Amendment 1 (dated January 22, 2024) says the due date is March 18, 2024.

March 18, 2024, by

10:00AM CST

42.

Will TWC provide a list of childcare providers and their contact information with which the vendor can utilize as part of the data collection process?

The vendor has access to the public database, published by Child Care Regulation, of childcare program information. TWC will work with the selected vendor to supply additional information, if needed.

43.

In what ways has the 2022-2025 Child Care Workforce Strategic Plan influenced the state legislature and the TWC in their current initiatives?

The 2022-2025 Child Care Workforce Strategic Plan informed a number of existing initiatives and created new initiatives TWC is currently implementing.

44.

Could we be pointed to the state regulations for using incentives (money, gift cards, etc..) to motivate childcare providers to participate in the data collection process, as needed?

Incentives for completing data collection activities are allowable if they are reasonable and necessary.

Respondents will include proposed costs in the Cost Proposal form for TWC review and consideration.

45.

Section 2.2.A (1) Project

Will the TWC supply licensing/contact information for all programs in the state, and by type (FCC, centers by age of children served)?

See the response to No.42.

46.

Section 2.2.A (1) Project

Will the TWC supply data from the Texas Registry (TECPDS)? Is the Registry required for any, some, or all segments of the ECE system?

TWC does not expect to share data with the selected vendor.

Respondents are encouraged to visit the TECPDS website listed in the RFP to consider how to best collect the data related to TECPDS participation. Not all childcare providers and educators participate in TECPDS. As of 2021, childcare providers participating in the Texas Rising Star program are required to have an administrator's account to be Texas Rising Star certified.

47.

Section 2.2.A (2) Project

Please clarify if there are specific segments of the sector the workgroup is expected to represent, for example, higher education, resource, and referral?

As indicated in the RFP, the TWC-selected workgroup will be “comprised of 20-30 members representing childcare providers, childcare workers, and community stakeholders.”

48.

Section 2.2.A (2) Project

Please specify if the Successful Respondent will have any input regarding the selection of workgroup members.

TWC will select and invite the workgroup members.

49.

Section 2.2.C Meetings and Deliverables

Please clarify what the “workgroup member selection report” deliverable consists of, as

2.2. A. 2. States, “TWC

will select and invite workgroup members for this project.”

See the response to No. 40.

50.

Section 2.2.A (2) Project Tasks- Workgroup Facilitation

Please specify if there is an expected number, or minimum number, of workgroup meetings.

See the response to No. 25.

51.

Section 2.2.A (2) Project Tasks- Workgroup Facilitation

Please indicate whether attendance at all workgroup meetings must be in-person, or if there is flexibility to conduct some meetings virtually while others are held in-person.

See the response to No. 25.

52.

Section 6.13 HUB Subcontracting Plan

Please confirm that, although the HUB HSP form is required of all respondents, it is not required to contract Texas HUB vendors to be considered a Successful Respondent.

The HUB HSP Plan form is required for all respondents. It is not required to Sub-Contract with Texas HUBs; however, all Respondents must make the good faith effort. If you have any other questions, contact:

TWCHUBINFO@twc.texas.gov mailto:TWCHUBINFO@twc.texas.gov

53.

Do you have any policies regarding indirect costs (also known as IDC, F&A costs, or overhead costs)?

TWC will accept federally negotiated indirect cost rates. Respondents must provide documentation for the negotiated rate.

54.

Amendment 1

My understanding is that there is a requirement for a HUB subcontracting plan (which was originally due on 1/22, before this became publicly available), and that a courtesy review of a completed HSP is optional and available. The due date for submitting this review is a little confusing, but we think that - according to the Addendum #1 - it is now due on February 7.

Is there any way for you to get clarification on this to see if vendor is still eligible to apply given that the submission plan for the required HUB subcontracting plan has passed? Or has it?

The HUB HSP Plan is required. The courtesy review was due by 2/7/24 by 5:00PM. HUB will still take questions sent to:

TWCHUBINFO@twc.texas.gov mailto:TWCHUBINFO@twc.texas.gov