HESSIT_INDUSTRY_DAY_QA.docx

INDUSTRY DAY

Enterprise-wide Strategic Sourcing Initiative for Training Services Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Questions and Responses

Please be advised that, while the government is electing to provide written responses to questions received during the industry day held on April 22, 2016, this is not an indication that the government has elected to proceed with the acquisition. Additionally, all responses are based upon the current environment and are subject to change.

1. Please provide a listing and contact information for industry day attendees.

Response: The listing of the industry day attendees and their phone numbers will be posted to FedBizOpps.

2.a. Can you please describe the circumstances where vendors will be required to provide facilities for training?

Response: When the government awards a purchase or task order for contractor-site training, the contractor will be required to provide the facilities for training. Additionally, as required, the government may seek facilities for training because the government’s training facilities have exceeded capacity.

2.b. How frequently will this requirement be exercised?

Response: The frequency is unknown at this time.

2.c. Will this requirement be confined to certain pre-determine markets?

Response: The government does not anticipate this requirement to be confined to certain pre-determined markets.

3. What percent of customized training does HUD currently utilize?

Response: Currently, less than 1% of HUD’s training can be characterized as customized training.

4. There seems to be two types of students/learners: a) HUD/Government employees, and b) Contractors such as lenders, inspectors, grantees, etc. Does HESSIT only pertain to HUD/Government employees?

Response: Yes, HESSIT only pertains to HUD/Government employees.

5. Should HESSIT include “contractor” training for strategic sourcing since it is a consolidation of training programs?

Response: No, HESSIT will not include training requirements associated with contractor training.

6. Will vendors be able to respond to one pool only or will they have to respond to all pools?

Response: At the current time, the Government anticipates allowing vendors to respond to one, or more pools, as the contractor desires.

7.a. Does HUD have any specific requirements on criteria for Return on Investment on training?

Response: Not at this point in time.

7.b. Is the government interested in developing performance metrics on Return on Investment on training?

Response: No, HUD has the tools to develop its level IV assessment.

8. Will future updates to customized content belong to HUD and reside behind HUD’s firewall?

Response: Yes, all customized content will belong to HUD.

9. Will HUD allow a prime contractor to be large with the ability to track subcontractor utilization that is small/diverse businesses which meet HUD’s utilization requirements?

Response: Maximizing opportunities for small business is important to HUD, given its historically high small business achievement record. As such, HUD will build any future solicitation with that in mind.

10. Is HUD making a distinction between open enrollment training onsite and private training?

Response: In its strategic sourcing business case, HUD anticipates any future solicitation to include requirements for both commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) training (contractor facility and government facility) and customized training.

11. When the cost for course materials makes up the majority of the cost of a training acquisition versus the cost of the trainer, could HUD acquire these trainings under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 511130 Publisher versus 611430 Training? This would also widen your access to more small businesses as the NAICS 511130 threshold is 500 employees.

Response: When identifying a NAICS for any future solicitation, HUD will select the one that represents the predominance of the work. Additionally, HUD is looking for a total solution and is looking for industry to establish the appropriate relationships (teaming, joint ventures, etc.) to bring the best total solution to the Government.

12. Would HUD consider acquiring printing Leadership Development participant course materials versus the vendor printing them? This practice can reduce the cost to the Government by 60% or more when utilizing a reprint license right. This also can help with any refresh needs as vendors could easily update.

Response: The Government sees significant risks in breaking up training requirements modularly and a significant expansion in organic contract oversight responsibilities using this model. However, we will further consider the recommendation going forward.

13. Would the Government consider setting aside Pool 4 Leadership Development for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses?

Response: The Government is considering various alternatives regarding maximizing small business opportunities and will consider the recommendation going forward.

14. Would the Government consider establishing as a standard the International Association for Continuing Education and Training?

Response: The Government will consider the recommendation going forward.

15. Would the Government consider an unrestricted competition with a small business subcontracting requirement?

Response: Maximizing opportunities for small business is important to HUD, given its historically high small business achievement record. As such, HUD will build any future solicitation with that in mind.

16.a. Is HUD looking for COTS software/platforms or custom LMS or trainings, or both, with HESSIT?

Response: HUD is seeking both COTS and customized training.

16.b. Will HUD Virtual University be included within the scope of the new HESSIT vehicle?

Response: No.

16.c. Given the recent migration to Cornerstone on Demand, is there an advantage for vendors with experience working with or customizing this platform or partnering with this firm?

Response: No.

16.d. Will HUD post the slides from today’s industry event to FedBizOpps?

Response: Yes, the slides were posted to FedBizOpps on April 20, 2016.

16.e. Are there any scenarios that HUD can envision where training is developed and delivered by a HUD Program Office outside of the new HESSIT vehicle?

Response: No, the only way HUD would deliver outside of HESSIT is with our constituents.

17. Sometimes enterprise-wide training initiatives are triggered as a reaction to serious legal situations, political focus and public visibility (for example, DOD’s reaction to sexual assaults and some class action lawsuits against Fortune 500 companies for workplace discrimination and civil rights violations). These initiatives share the following a) urgent deployment, b) massive scale, c) tailored, not COTS, and d) mandatory. Can such initiatives fit within HESSIT?

Response: The Government’s intent is to build a flexible contract vehicle and has included customized training in HESSIT.

18.a. What are the core competencies you are seeking to develop?

Response: The draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) that the Government posted to FedBizOpps, includes the various competencies in each Training Pool. The Government is in the process of identifying the training course requirements.

18.b. What behavioral changes are you seeking to develop with leadership training?

Response: It depends on the content and focus of the subject matter.

19. Training requirements are driven by learning objectives. Has the government developed the learning objectives for each training course or Training Pool?

Response: The Government anticipates providing learning objectives in any future solicitation.

20. Has the Government considered fidelity of implementation for courses taught across the country?

Response: Fidelity of implementation falls within the purview of HUD Learn. However, suggestions associated with this training component may be a business intelligence perspective that a contractor brings to the government under that section of any future requirement.

21. Will the Government share its Level 1 assessment so a vendor can judge what 3.5 means in terms of performance metrics?

Response: Yes, the Government will provide this as part of any future solicitation.

22.a. What type of LMS does HUD Learn utilize?

Response: HUD is continuously migrating from Success Factors to Cornerstone.

22.b. Will the full capabilities of HUD Learn’s LMS be provided to potential vendors?

Response: It depends on the service required.

22.c. Is the HUD Learn LMS being used for employee succession activities?

Response: Yes.

23. Please describe HUD’s current learners and HUD’s learners of the future.

Response: HUD has a full demographic culturally diverse workforce i.e., baby boomers, generation X, Y, Z, and millennials.

24. Please provide a definitions list for mobile and National Account Representative.

Response: The Government anticipates including these in the definitions list of any future solicitation.

25. What is the procurement schedule for HESSIT (anticipated release date, response date, and award date)?

Response: The Government is still in the early stages of market research. The Government’s goal, should it elect to proceed, is to award contracts by the end of the calendar year 2016.

26. Will the Government consider eliminating the ISO 900 requirement since it is not prevalent within the training industry?

Response: The Government is considering all suggestions from industry on the draft PWS including this one.

27. What is mobile training and is it a composite of multiple modalities?

Response: Mobile training enables the workforce to receive training wherever they are. Therefore, the technology must support this effort, very closely tied to our distant enabled strategy.

28. What scale is the performance metric for average evaluation ratings of 3.5 on?

Response: The scale is on a 1-5 evaluation rating scale.

29. Is the 3.5 average evaluation rating performance metric based upon the end of course survey or is it for course evaluation learning outcomes and effectiveness?

Response: The Government will share the evaluation form in any future solicitation.

30. Is the PMP certification necessary for the National Account Manager?

Response: The Government considers PMP certification a value-add for this key personnel given that this individual will be responsible for managing the training purchase and task orders for the entire department, and for the data analysis and business analytics brought to the Government by the contractor.

31. Did the Government consider HCATS?

Response: The Government was approached by the HCATS team and HUD informed them that currently training customization represents less than 1% of the overall spend of the department. Should training customization grow significantly, the Government will consider transitioning that piece of the requirement to HCATS.

32. Where does data analytics fit within the PWS?

Response: Data analytics and business intelligence overlay the entirety of any future HUD training requirement.

33. Why is HUD not using HCATS instead of putting its own strategic sourcing vehicle in place?

Response: HCATS focuses on customized training. HUD’s acquisition focuses on COTs training with less than 1% of customized training as a support activity.

34. We had a question about what HUD identified as “Professional” and “Technical Training” during the event. The presenters talked about FAC C/FAC PPM/Project Management, etc., but did not talk about Cyber Security certifications, Privacy certifications, Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, or any other IT or software related training. Is the intention of the HESSIT to only address training that falls outside those areas, or is it intended to include those areas? Do those areas fall within the 20% of training expenditures not included in the HESSIT totals for agency spend ($8.4M)?

Response: The specific training required by HUD will be addressed by HUD in the solicitation.

35. HUD recently had a goal of training a large percentage of its entire workforce…I believe somewhere around 90%...is that still a goal? If the HESSIT has a spend ceiling of $8 Million per year, and HUD has approximately 8000 FTEs, that would only allow for $1,000 in training funds per individual. Average costs of vendor provided training can often exceed that amount. We would suggest that HUD consider raising the ceiling for the HESSIT program.

Response: HUD will consider your feedback when crafting any final requirements in the solicitation.

36. In the past, SF182s were often utilized by HUD due to time constraints. Offices were always scrambling from April until June to secure training and have it delivered before the end of the fiscal year. This was because funding was not ultimately approved until that time and there was little choice for program managers to get training procured in time. How will the HESSIT eliminate this problem? Will training appropriations be available from day one of the fiscal year through the HESSIT program?

Response: HESSIT does not impact the Congressional appropriations process.