ID05180023_QA_(05_Apr_18).docx

ID05180023 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(as of 05 Apr 18) Q1) Reference PWS 1.1 Scope “….These classes shall be delivered at various locations which include, but may not be limited to: Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; Los Angeles AFB, CA; Hanscom AFB, MA; Tinker AFB, OK; Eglin AFB, FL; Hill AFB, UT; Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL; Robins AFB, GA; Kirtland AFB, NM; Peterson AFB, CO; and the Washington D.C. area.”

Questions:

1. In order to develop and responsibly price a viable staffing plan and schedule it would be critical to understand either historical schedule details or planned / anticipated course offerings by location. What information is, or could be, made available that would provide more insight and detail into which courses will be offered by location?

2. Does the Government anticipate that the same faculty member(s) would teach the course at all locations?

Answers:

1) The FY19 calendar will not be scheduled until after contract award. The locations provided are the typical locations that the Better Business Deals (BBD) Workshop is taught. The Workshop currently takes 4 days to instruct. Travel on Monday; arrive on site to inspect classroom location, Tuesday-Friday workshop instruction, travel home late Friday. A staffing plan and pricing are not required in response to the sources sought notice. Additional detail can be provided with the solicitation in regards to historical data on when/where the course took place.

2) The Government would prefer the same instructors to deliver the BBD workshop on a consistent basis to ensure workshop integrity. The Government would entertain a team of instructors (perhaps 3-4 instructors) that could rotate offerings though the more instructors there are the more difficult it is to ensure a consistent course delivery. If instructors change, there is a process included in the PWS that explains the approval process for new/additional instructors.

Q2) Reference PWS 1.2 Description of Services “The contractor shall customize and deliver/teach a pre-existing Better Business Deals Industry Insight Course owned by the Air Force.”

Questions:

3. At what point will the Government be providing copies of the pre-existing course materials owned by the Air Force to potential bidders?

4. Does the Government anticipate there will be a down select and/or multi-step process so that all the information now available to the incumbent is available to interested parties before they are asked to provide and commit to details regarding price, personnel/staffing and schedule?

Answers:

3) Electronic versions of all materials used during the workshop are expected to be made available with the solicitation. All materials are owned by the USAF and can be used by the winning team. It is the perception of AFIT that if the incumbent does not win the recomplete, the new awardee will be given all materials to review and to then design their own workshop. It is expected that significant edits and modifications will be made and not excluding a complete re-write of original material if desired by the awardee, as long as the lesson objectives are achieved. All materials must be approved by the USAF prior to workshop instruction.

4) No down select anticipated, see answer #3.

Q3) Reference PWS 1.2 Description of Services & PWS 1.3.1 Key Personnel & PWS 1.3.1.1 “The contractor shall be an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited or an Accreditation Council for Business Schools (ACBSP) accredited business school.”

“…Each member of the teaching team for each offering shall be faculty members of the accredited business school with documented excellence in classroom instruction (student surveys, teaching awards, teaching evaluations, etc.)…” Questions:

5. Are Visiting, Adjunct and/or part time Faculty acceptable for the Teaching Team or must everyone proposed be full time?

6. Are teaching team members associated with ACBSP or AACSB other than just the accredited business school named in response? In other words are faculty members from “any accredited business school with document excellence…” versus only “the accredited business school….”?

Answers:

5) The Government prefers that full time faculty instruct the BBD workshop. If visiting, adjunct, or part-time faculty meet the qualification requirements, then they would be acceptable.

6) Any accredited business school is acceptable.

Q4) The FBO Sources Sought Notice requests information on Small Business sources and contract vehicles. Business Schools with the accreditations (AACSB/ACBSP) are typically by definition affiliated with large non-profit educational institutions disqualifying them for Small Business set aside preference based upon their affiliation with large business. Since the courseware is already developed and owned by the Air Force, is the Business School accreditation considered a “critical and vital” requirement of the prime contractor or can the prime contractor satisfy this requirement (and avoid potential SBA affiliation) by providing Faculty / Teaching Team members that are from a diverse group of professionals from one or more accredited business school that are managed, controlled and directed by a prime that is not necessarily an accredited business school?

Answers: The sources sought notice is for market research purposes to determine how many small businesses, large businesses, etc. are interested in the requirement and to determine which contract vehicle will be used; i.e., open market, GWAC, GSA Schedule, etc. Therefore, if market research does not result in two or more small businesses being capable of meeting the requirement, the procurement will not be set-aside for small business. This will be determined after market research is completed and the acquisition strategy is determined. The prime contractor is not necessarily required to be the accredited business school. It is up to each offeror to determine if they would like to propose a team/subcontractors/etc. The PWS will be updated to provide further explanation regarding the business school accreditation requirement once the solicitation is released.