Attachment_G-_Questions_and_Responses_from_Draft_RFP.docx

1. Question- Will this be a multiple vendor award? Multiple task orders will be issued each year, so we are assuming there will be multiple vendors competing on each task order. Is this correct?

A1. Answer – No. This will be a single award Indefinate Delivery Indefinite Quantity type contract. Task orders will be issued as needs arise that reflect course instruction required by various Department of Defense users on behalf of Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO).

2. Question- If the contract is going to be awarded to multiple vendors, how many prime vendors will be awarded the contract?

A2. Answer – See above.

3. Question- Will the prime be responsible for hiring instructors for the various IHEs, all of which are colleges and universities?

A3.1. No. The Prime contractor is responsible for establishing agreements with the IHE’s in accordance with the Performance Work Statement. Please review PWS for guidance on what the prime contractor is required to do and the minimum requirements necessary to accomplish performance objectives.

The second Performance Objective states the prime is to provide “qualified instructors at the training locations and times identified at the task order level.” We are unsure that the IHEs are NOT in the best position to select qualified instructors if they know what the qualification requirements are as set forth by the Government (PWS paragraph 4.1). The same applies to effectively replacing or substituting “key personnel” (PWS paragraph 4.9)

A3.2. Answer – The “prime” will be responsible for having various IHEs available as potential agreement holders. The IHEs will provide the instruction, and will have the instructors available at the training locations. The IHE’s are responsible for providing qualified personnel. Regarding key personnel -- they work for the prime contractor, and are covered by para. 4.9. Key personnel are not at the IHEs.

4. Question- PWS Paragraph 4.1.2.1 states the vendor shall, “Issue request-for-proposals to IHEs for each task order requirement. Does this mean that the IHEs will be responsible for submitting responses to the prime and that all of them will be competing for each task order?

A4. Answer – The prime will determine how to “compete” the task order course instruction requirements to IHEs. This will be part of the prime’s technical proposal. It is assumed that the prime will provide an opportunity for some or all the IHEs it has available to make an offer to fulfill the course instruction of the task order. See the task ordering procedures for more detail.

5. Question- PSW Paragraph 2.1.2.2. states the vendor shall review proposals received from IHEs. . . and issue the award. Isn’t it only the Government which can issue an award on a task order from the IHEs, or is the ultimate purpose of this contract for a vendor to take responsibility for this aspect of managing the overall LTC program on behalf of DLNSEO?

A5. Answer – The vendor is responsible for establishing agreements with accredited IHEs to provide quality language and cultural instruction to fulfill the requirements of each task order made with this IDIQ, and to manage all awarded task orders issued under this contract. Course Instruction will be performed by the IHE. Note: this contract will not replace the LTC grant program. Please read the PWS in its entirety for complete task level requirements.

6. Question- Once task orders are issued by the Government, how much time will the IHEs have to draft and submit a proposal response?

A6. Answer – Please see the updated task ordering proceedures included in the solicitation.

7. Question- Approximately how many IHEs will be competing on these task orders?

A7. Answer – The prime contractor shall propose the number of eligible IHEs it has available to address the language requirements described in the PWS. The number of IHEs competing for a task order will be based on the number of IHE agreements that the prime has established and available within its network. Please review the PWS in its entirety for complete task level requirements.

8. If the Government is considering agreements as “subcontracts,” we believe there could be some issues with university partners. Some universities are unwilling to incorporate certain requirements within subcontracts such as FAR and other flow downs. This, of course, becomes a compliance issue for the prime supporting the agency. State-sponsored universities may also have limitations on what services they can provide due to minimum dollar value requirements, and different states have different laws and regulations with their own compliance implications.

The solicitation states “the prime offeror to demonstrate that it has experience negotiating agreements and working with IHEs, and that the prime should have the ability to receive task order requirements from the Government and show how it will manage its pool of universities and task order process to support these requirements”. In contrast, specifically requiring the prime to enter into “subcontracts” with IHEs may not be a workable framework for many otherwise qualified IHEs.

In addition, given the lack of specificity in the draft RFP, IHEs may not wish to be “under contract” for the proposal without knowing dates, class focus and objectives, and other information necessary to properly price, plan and execute.

A8. Answer – The government states that the vendor must have agreements with IHEs who are available to provide instruction as articulated within task orders. This will be part of the Vendor’s technical proposal. While the Vendor may choose to have the IHEs available through sub-contracts, this is not a government requirement. The Vendor will need to demonstrate that it has assembled an adequate number of IHEs available to provide instruction for future task orders as defined within the PWS and RFP schedule of course requirements. In addition, the contractor will have at least 90 days from task order award until to this the intention is to provide multple training classes over a period of time and will provide a 90 day until instruction will commence.

9. Under the IDIQ, it will be important that the Government’s task orders are issued with sufficient time for the IHE to respond and execute, and that rates are at an appropriate level to ensure quality instruction. Based on our past experience with IHEs and recent discussions – including with some current LTCs – 90 days lead time is preferred (from request for TO proposal to execution), as these institutions are generally less agile than industry contractors in meeting Government requirements. While certain universities may be able to execute in 6 weeks in some circumstances, that is not a given across the board for accredited training.

Upon review of the draft RFP, some IHEs have also commented that, unlike language companies, they may not always have the personnel or infrastructure available to continually prepare competitive bids and respond on short notice. They have further observed that there may not be much incentive under the Government’s model, which they perceive to be spreading the work around multiple partners with little assurance of being awarded even a baseline level of work. As part of our vetting process, we will seek to secure partners

A9. Answer – See the Task Ordering procedures for additional guidance, a 90 day period prior to the first training session has been included as a requirement to allow the contractors time to set up the training classes. The Government is not stipulating how many agreements the contractor must establish to meet the language requirements, the Government is requesting multiple agreements so that the contractor can meet all of the language and schedule requirements when each task order is issued.

10. Upon review of the draft RFP, some IHE partners have expressed concern about providing pricing for the proposal. They have identified a number of variables to consider for the program such as whether the course is an existing credit-bearing course or a new requirement that needs to be properly established for credit, as well as the level/seniority of the instructor. As the prime offeror, we have already seen different approaches to the Government’s pricing attachment from our academic partners given all the variables and uncertainties. We anticipate that the Government may receive a wide range of pricing by bidders that may be difficult to evaluate.

A10. Government Response: See additional guidance under PWS section 4.2.4. The Vendor shall describe in its technical proposal how it will make college credit or CEUs available for courses as they are required at the task level. Furthermore, Universities shall provide qualified instructors at the task order level that can meet all of the performance requirements described in the PWS.The Vendor shall use the details within the technical proposal to support the prices listed in the pricing schedule.

11. May we request more information on the relationship between this future solicitation and the LTC program. Is any overlap in participating IHEs anticipated?

A11. Response: See above this contract does not replace the DLNSEO LTC grant program, which can be found at https://www.dodltc.org/. Nevertheless, the justification for this requirement is based on the same legislation used for the LTC grant program: Section 529 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010.

12. In terms of training delivery, will training delivered in government facilities need to be done by persons who are US citizens only and / or by those with clearance?

A12. Response: All instructors must be legally hired by their respective IHE, and must have a background check per section 8.1 of the PWS. Also, per the PWS, all work and requirements within this contract are at the UNCLASSIFIED level. Note that instructors teaching on a government facility will need a legal form of identification to access the facility.

13. Will courses delivered at government facilities necessarily need to be credit bearing and is there a minimum number of credits desired (or is this the credit number that reasonably matches the 120 hour minimum / course duration and intensity)?

A13. Response: See updated credit information in PWS section 4.2.4

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