Answers_to_RFP_Questions.pdf

Literacy Professional Learning Questions

1. Has a contractor performed similar work to this for the government in the past?

If available, please provide the incumbent contract number. If you are unable to provide a contract number, is it safe to assume this is a new requirement for the government?

Answer: Similar work was performed under contract HE1254-15-C-0002; however this is a new requirement for Literacy Professional Development.

2. The file labeled Attachment 2 Sample CLIN Structure notes that the below CLIN structure is for example only and that a CLIN structure modeling the Literacy CLIN structure will be provided via amendment to this solicitation. When will the Amendment be issued?

Answer: An amendment will be issued NLT 12 February 2015.

3. The RFP makes reference to the “DODEA Cloud Vendor Information Collection Form at Attachment 8” and that this is due as part of the IT components on February 1, 2016. Will the Attachment 8 be provided? It was not included in the RFP. When will the Attachment 8 be provided?

Answer: Attachment 8 was provided via Amendment 0001.

4. Is actual video required in the sample module that is due on February 1, 2016, or may we indicate where video would be inserted and detail what that video would include?

Answer: A video is not required in the sample module; however the module shall address the design principles to be used to develop and deliver the professional development to DoDEA educators and the overall quality of the professional development (provided via a web link and/or DVD).

6. Since we do not yet have the actual CLIN structure modeling the Literacy CLIN structure or the DODEA Cloud Vendor Information Collection Form at Attachment 8, will the February 1, 2016 deadline and the February 12, 2016 deadline be pushed out in order to provide vendors with adequate time to complete their proposals.

Answer 1: The delivery of all proposed IT components including the sample module, responses to the DoDEA Cloud Vendor Information Collection Form at Attachment 8, due date is extended to 5:30 PM EST on 12 February 2016. Please deliver to:

Department of Defense Education Activity 4800 Mark Center Drive Suite 05F09-02 Attn: Stesnie Ridley Alexandria, VA 22350-1400

No hand carry items will be accepted

Answer 2: The proposal due date is extended. Proposals are due at 5:30 PM EST on 24 February 2016, deliverable to:

Department of Defense Education Activity 4800 Mark Center Drive Suite 05F09-02 Attn: Stesnie Ridley Alexandria, VA 22350-1400

7. Please clarify the form of submission and number of copies for Attachment 8 - DoDEA Cloud Vendor Information Collection Form (due February 1, 2016).

Answer: Please provide 2 copies of the DoDEA Cloud Vendor Information Collection Form in accordance with paragraph 13 of the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation.

8. Can you clarify? Are any electronic components due on February 1, 2016? If so, what electronic components are bidders required to submit?

Answer: See RFP Attachment 8 and Section 5.1 of the PWS.

9. Regarding Attachment 1, page 3, paragraph 2.2: “The DoDEA PK-12 Literacy curriculum, which is being developed . . . “ Is someone currently helping the DoDEA do that work? Or, is this a part of the proposed scope of work? And, if so, to what extent?

Answer: The development of the Pk-12 Literacy curriculum is internal to DoDEA.

10. In some places, the “contract period of performance” is listed as “one 12-month base year followed by three 12-month option years (Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, page 1, section vii)” and in other places it is listed as “one 12-month base year followed by four 12-month option years (Attachment 5, page 9)” – can you please clarify the full length of the base contract and option years?

Answer: The project lasts five years from date of award – One 12-month base year followed by four 12-month option years.

11. What is the budget for this project (either the full total budget for all years, or year by year budget)?

Answer: DoDEA cannot release this information.

12. In the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation, section vii states, “The anticipated award date is May 4, 2015.” Please clarify the anticipated award date.

Answer: The anticipated award date is May 4, 2016.

13. Attachment 8 – Cloud Vendor Information Collection seems to pertain to situations in which DoDEA users are logging into vendor online, cloud-based systems, and asks for information related to such situations. In this solicitation it appears that all digital content and resources will be hosted in the DoDEA learning management system (LMS), rather than in vendor-hosted or vendor-managed platforms. Please clarify how bidders should respond to the Cloud Vendor Information Collection given that cloud-based technology services do not appear to be a part of this solicitation.

Answer: DoDEA is requesting that vendors provide responses to the Cloud Vendor Questionnaire for review by Information Assurance (IA) staff. The IA team will perform a risk assessment based on the answers provided in the questionnaire that will be used to determine if acceptable security practices are being followed in order to protect unauthorized access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or otherwise mission sensitive data.

14. The “contract period of performance” is listed as “one 12-month base year followed by four 12-month option years”– can you please clarify the full length of the base contract and option years?

Answer: The contract is for five years from date of award.

15. Reference PWS, page 18, paragraph 4.10.3, Table 6, includes a footnote that states, “Although district structure will change dramatically in SY17-18, it is not expected to affect the site locations listed above.” Can you please describe these changes to the district structure?

Answer: DoDEA is reducing the number of district offices from 14 to eight. Almost all of the changes are above-school level and should have no impact on the work being required.

16. Reference PWS 3.2.1, 4.1.9 and 4.8.4. The PWS refers to both “implementation configuration maps” (in 3.2.1 and 4.8.4) and “innovation configuration maps” (in 4.1.9). Are these different terms referring to the same type of tool?

Answer: They are the same. Our school leaders and our district leaders need to know the targets of implementation. The innovation/implementation maps provide a way for school and for district leader to see where they are as we begin and know what they need to do/plan for to move their school and districts to full implementation.

17. Reference PWS 3.2.3 The PWS says the base year will have two semesterly sessions for the Core Content Cohort (with four in option years). Can you please clarify the number of modules in the base year?

Answer: PWS 3.2.3 refers to face-to-face professional learning sessions. There will be one annual 2-day sessions and two semesterly 1-day sessions in the base year.

18. Reference PWS 3.2.7 Can you please clarify the total number of model units? Is the total number for ELA-specific classrooms 78 model units (i.e., 13 grades x 6 units each)? Is the total number for other content areas, when accounting for various subjects, 36 model units (i.e., fifteen model units for 6-12;

twelve model units for K-5; three model units for educational technologists; and six model units for information specialists)?

Answer: Use PWS 3.2.7, 3.3, and 4.16 as the guide.

4.16.1: ELA K-12 six per grade level (13x6=78 units)

4.16.2: Other

Middle school: one 6, 7, 8 science = 3 units; one 6, 7, 8 social studies units = 3 - total of 6 units

High school: courses listed – 9 units

K-5: 6 per science, 6 per social studies – total of 12 units

K-12 Education Technologist – 3 units

K-12 Information Specialists – 6 units

114 exemplar units over life of contract (based on timeline)

19. Reference PWS 4.1.5 Can you please clarify the intent of the statement that “Facilitators shall not be vendor developers/project managers, who need to be onsite to coordinate with their DoDEA counterparts.”?

Answer: DoDEA requires project support throughout the life of the contract. If we call to discuss, e.g., a model unit, we must be able to speak to a developer or project manager. We cannot wait for someone to return from facilitating a face-to-face session to obtain a response.

20. Reference PWS 4.3.5: Can you please clarify what is meant by the fourth bullet “narrated step-by-step screen cast”?

Answer: The user-friendly navigation needs to include narrated step-by-step screen casts or screen shots so that users can easily located information, so our technologist working with the project can explain the step by step.

21. Reference PWS 4.4.1: The PWS says “resources for 6-12 literacy shall be placed on the LMS no later than August 1, 2016”. What is the extent of the resources? Is this specifically related to resources to be used for the summer face to face training, or is the expectation larger in scope?

Answer: The expectation is that all of the resources for the initial summer training and most of the 6- 12 resources in general would be available by August 1.

22. Reference PWS 4.7: Please clarify the intent of the statement: “DoDEA expects above-school-level educators to participate in the initial face-to-face and subsequent trainings that are provided to the Contractor’s facilitators.” Does DoDEA intend to send its literacy leaders to the U.S. city in which the contractor provides its own in-house training to its facilitators? If so, is this primarily in preparation for the summer face to face sessions or also when facilitators are prepared for quarterly sessions?

Answer: The intent is for summer training. DoDEA would send our educators to the vendor’s own in-house training. Although DoDEA would also be open to having its participants to attend follow-up training sessions virtually, the fact that our educators are in many time zones may make that impractical.

23. Please clarify PWS 4.9.1 (and related items): Will the contractor’s facilitators conduct the onsite quarterly, in-person trainings rather than training DoDEA literacy leaders to deliver the contractor’s planned content?

Answer: Yes, vendor facilitators would conduct the quarterly trainings. Note: There might be a possibility that quarterly trainings at remote or hard-to-access locations might be handled by DoDEA staff or be trained virtually. These sites are in the Middle East and Spain. We want consistent facilitation, consistent learning across DoDEA to ensure quality implementation. We will involve out literacy leaders to support learning in a myriad of ways, and they will attend all professional development, but we need a coherent, consistent professional learning in all schools.

24. Reference PWS 4.13.1 and Table 1: Can you please clarify when the first K-5 face to face training occurs? PWS 4.13.1 seems to indicate they begin in Option Year 2 (summer 2018), but Table 1 indicates there is some aspect of K-5 Literacy Implementation in the Base Year.

Answer: First K-5 face to face will occur in Option Year 2 (summer 2018), per PWS 4.11 and 4.18.3

25. In PWS Exhibit 2A and PWS 4.18.3: In Table 8, the dates for the initial 2-day professional learning are listed as January 2016, while in PWS 4.18.3, Table 8, the dates for the Core Content Cohort PD are listed as January 2017, which seems consistent with the other dates in the PWS. Can you clarify the dates in Exhibit 2A?

Answer: The dates should be January 2017. 2016 was an error we did not catch and correct.

26. PWS Can you please clarify the implementation timeline? Is the project four or five years?

Answer: The project lasts five years from date of award.

27. Regarding the Professional Development Module can the Offeror submit more than one sample module in order to demonstrate a broader range of design principles and content expertise?

Answer: One Professional Development Module needs to be submitted—only one. The module needs to provide your best sample that demonstrates the greatest range of design principles and content expertise possible that engages participants and the requirements requested.