QA_1473508_04.04.2024_Amd1.pdf

IHS-RFP-24-1473508: Questions and Answers Training and Education Contract for the Indian Health Services (IHS) Alzheimer's Program

Question # Question Answer 1 Regarding section 3.3.8, page 8: IHS states that “commercial training content options may not involve participant registration or any other collection of personal information.” Is there a specific reason for this? How does IHS intend to certify participants have completed trainings or award CEs if no data is being collected?

The Department of Health and Human Services will deliver a new Learning Management System to the Indian Health Service starting in FY2025. This will become the federally approved system to manage training registrations and deliver trainings. This is also why the Government requires Offerors to provide training content in a Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) format that the HHS LMS can ingest. The Government does not require Offerors to implement a new LMS or process personal information to register people for training. The HHS LMS will provide that capability.

2 Regarding section 3.3.8, page 8: IHS states that “All final training content and resources must reside on or in IHS systems.” Is there a specific reason for this? Would IHS be willing to entertain a third-party SaaS Learning Management System that is FedRAMP certified?

The IHS does not require Offerors to propose a new Learning Management System to deliver trainings.

The final training content and resources shall reside in the new HHS Learning Management System because that system will become the official training system used by the IHS starting in FY2025. It meets Federal Cybersecurity, Records Management, and operational requirements for an Enterprise

LMS.

3 Regarding section 3.3.8, page 8: IHS states it “shall retain sole and exclusive ownership of all content, resources, training, and deliverables.” Is this only in relation to deliverables developed specifically for IHS (such as custom training content)? Or does this relate to commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), licensed content libraries as well?

See response to question 1 & 2. This relates to all content incorporated into final training.

4 How many total trainees will take part in COTS/asynchronous training? How many total trainees will take part in live/in-person training events?

COTS is not a required element of this RFP, it is an option. For budget purposes, assume up to 200 participants for asynchronous trainings and up to 150 participants at in-person training events for the core contract.

5 How many live/in-person trainings are expected per site, per year? Please refer to 3.3.11, pg 9-10 of the RFP.

6 What are the major topic areas you want covered by COTS/asynchronous training? As noted in the RFP, the contractor is responsible for developing a curriculum, learning objectives, content, and training plan. COTS is not a required element of this RFP, it is an option.

7 What are the major topic areas you want covered for live/in-person training?

As noted in the RFP, the contractor is responsible for conducting a brief learning assessment, developing a curriculum, learning objectives, content, and training plan.

8 Would IHS consider splitting this project into two projects, one for COTS/asynchronous training and one for live/in-person training?

Not at this time.

9 Is IHS expecting the different levels of discipline specific in person trainings to all occur at a single annual IHS conference? (4 in person over 4 years) Or is each discipline specific in person training associated with a different meeting? (12 meetings in 4 years) All will occur at a single annual IHS conference.

10 The RFP includes the phrase "this subpart shall include a breakdown price by task for firm fixed price tasks to demonstrate understanding of the level of effort and required tasks/items to support and execute services"- can you clarify what these tasks refer to?

Tasks 3.3.1 - 3.3.14. Please refer to the RFP and Attachment A- Price Schedule (Tab "Per Task Fixed Price")

10a Is IHS looking for an estimate for each task (i.e., a single number based on estimated FTE, travel, supplies, etc.)? Only a single number is needed (per task/period).

10b Does this exclude the costs for the IDIQ costs?

Yes, this excludes IDIQ costs. IDIQ pricing is separate and should be provided under Attachment A-Price Schedule (Tab "IDIQ Portion"), 11 Are the dollar amounts cited in the text (e.g, 3 million for IDIQ portion) direct costs or total costs? The IDIQ ceiling of $3M is total costs.

Can you confirm that no executed subcontracts are expected?

Proposed subcontracting in the required Small Business Subcontracting Plan need not be executed at the time of proposal submission or award. During work performance, the Government will monitor the contractor's adherence to their subcontracting plan and good faith efforts to do so. Offerors may also consider potential task order services in the formulation of this plan to identify areas where small business may participate. For other proposed subcontracts, outside of the Small Business Subcontrating plan, subcontracts must be executed in a timeframe that ensures adherence to the deliverables schedule.

In the subcontracting plan, do we need an itemized budget? No.

Page 9 and 10 of the RFQ state “The contractor shall be responsible for conducting one (1) pilot trainings for each unique discipline-specific training during an IHS-sponsored annual conference or training event. The Dementia Training and Education: IHS-RFP-24-1473508 Page 10 of 55 training pilots will be used to evaluate the training process and achievement of educational outcomes and objectives, and shall result in necessary updates to training approach or content based on pilot results. In option years, each discipline-specific training shall be offered virtually at least once quarterly, and in-person at one (1) IHS sponsored annual conference or training event.” Can the IHS please confirm: -

14a The contractor should assume that in the base year, all five discipline-specific trainings will take place one time in person at the same IHS-sponsored event? Yes. Please also refer to question 9.

14b The contractor should assume that in the base year, none of the five discipline-specific trainings will take place virtually? No. Please refer to 3.3.11 in the Deliverables Schedule table.

14c The contractor should assume that in the option years, all five discipline-specific trainings will take place four times virtually? Yes. Please refer to 3.3.11 in the Deliverables Schedule table.

14d The contractor should assume that in the option years, all five discipline-specific trainings will take place one time in-person at the same IHS-sponsored event? Yes.

Would IHS consider granting an extenstion on the submission date based on the timeline for respones to questions? As a result of this Q&A, the response deadline has been extended an additional 24 hours.

Sheet1