Instructional_Designer_RFP_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP) - Secondary

Instructional Designers

RFP #SD15-00008

April 28, 2016

QUESTIONS/STATEMENTS AND ANSWERS

1. Question(s)/Statement(s):

The current payment provisions state that you will withhold 15 percent from the payment for each deliverable and this amount will be withheld until the contract is completed. These provisions are extremely onerous and highly unusual given the size of this contract. These provisions essentially exclude small businesses from bidding on this Request for Proposal (RFP). Bidding is effectively limited to very large companies with the ability to fund payrolls for several months without being paid. It is clear that CCHCS wants to encourage small business participation because of the inclusion of the small business preference included in the RFP. The withholds proposed in the RFP are not consistent with this provision.

Our understanding of the process for payment is as follows:

1. A Course Map is developed for each of 21 lessons.

2. That Course Map goes through a review process with no work being done on the eLearning Course Conversion (ECC) until approval has been provided by CCHCS.

There is no commitment by CCHCS regarding how much time you have to approve the Course Maps. Therefore, significant periods of time could pass before the Instructional Designer can commence work on the eLearning Course Conversion.

3. Upon approval of the Course Map, work can commence on the eLearning Course Conversion. Given the size of some of the lessons, this could take a significant amount of time.

4. CCHCS has to approve all completed lessons before the contractor can bill for costs incurred. However, the RFP does not specify any time limit for CCHCS’ approval.

5. CCHCS withholds 15% of the cost of the deliverable until the contract is completed.

To require a contractor to carry this much of the cost for 18 months is not reasonable.

The Public Contract Code reads as follows:

10346. Contracts may provide for progress payments to contractors for work performed or costs incurred in the performance of the contract. Not less than 10 percent of the contract amount shall be withheld pending final completion of the contract. However, if the contract consists of the performance of separate and distinct tasks, then any funds so withheld with regard to a particular task may be paid upon completion of that task.

No state agency shall make progress payments on a contract unless it first has established procedures, approved by the department, which will ensure that the work or services contracted are being delivered in accordance with the contract.

Section 7.33 (B) of the State Contracts Manual states:

Not less than 10% of the contract amount shall be withheld pending final completion of the contract. If a contract consists of the performance of separate and distinct tasks, then any funds withheld for a particular task may be paid upon completion of that task.

It is clear that the ILT Lessons are distinct tasks. And within the Lessons, the Course Map and the eLearning Course Conversions are separate tasks. Therefore, the Public Contract Code and State Contracts Manual permit payment for the Course Maps and the individual eLearning Course Conversions. Also, it is clear that CCHCS has the ability to reimburse any withholds once each lesson is complete. Given the twice monthly sessions with each ID, CCHCS should have sufficient oversight to ensure that the contractor is completing all work in a timely manner.

Requested Change to the RFP

We request that CCHCS provide payment at the completion of the Course Maps with a 10% withhold. When a course within a Lesson is completed, we request that the amount attributable to the course be paid with a 10% withhold. Once the entire Lesson is completed, we request that the 10% withholds be released for that Lesson. This provides CCHCS with assurance that the deliverable products are complete and function to their satisfaction prior to payment.

Answer(s)/Statement(s):

All deliverables will be paid in accordance with Attachment 4 – Cost Worksheet. Addendum 1 amended Attachment 4 – Cost Worksheet to add language clarifying that Course Maps (each Deliverable a shown on Attachment 4) will be paid upon completion and acceptance minus a 15% withhold to be paid upon completion and approval of all deliverables identified in the contract.

2. Question(s)/Statement(s):

Minimum requirements for Instructional Designers are as follows:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Instructional Technologies, or equivalent educational degree. Proof of degree is required.

2. Five (5) years of fulltime Instructional Design experience, including experience creating training content using competency based training and instructional systems design models.

3. Three (3) years fulltime experience authoring eLearning content using Adobe Captivate 7 or above applying a moderate to high level of interactivity and multimedia assets including but not limited to: complex interactions, simulations or scenarios, branching navigation and content progression, static characters with speech boxes, action sequences, custom graphics and illustrations, audio and video editing, multifaceted quizzes, adding accessibility features to projects, recording audio and video demonstrations, using variables and conditional actions to control object visibility and navigation.

4. Two (2) years experience applying technical standards (i.e., HTML5, SCORM, API, Tin Can) to eLearning courses for delivery via an LMS.

5. Five (5) years experience using a variety of course authoring tools such as, but not limited to, Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Lectora, TechSmith Camtasia Studio.

6. Two (2) years experience using a Learning Management System (i.e., configuration, publishing content, package, creating courses and course catalog, etc.).

7. Three (3) years experience writing effective copy, curricula, instructional text, and audio and/or video scripts.

Requested Change to the RFP

Regarding Staff Minimum Qualifications, we believe they should combine education and experience in a way that is more reasonably indicative of success.

• Item 1 – Given that the largest component of project work relates to using Captivate to convert instructional content that is already designed and approved, we request that the item 1 requirement for a degree in Instructional Design or related field be either diminished in importance by lowering its weighting, or at least that the language be broadened to include equivalent experience.

• Item 2 – Also, given that the CCHCS ILT course content to be converted for this project is already designed and approved, we request that item 2, the minimum qualification for Instructional Design experience, be reduced from 5 years to 3 years.

• Items 3 and 5 – Captivate 7 has only been available for 2.5 years, and mastering this or any authoring tool does not require more than 2 years of full-time applied experience.

We request that the minimum qualifications for items 3 and 5 be combined, and changed to 3 years full-time experience with any eLearning authoring tool.

Answer(s)/Statement(s):

Addendum 1 amended several minimum qualifications, please review Addendum 1 for the specific changes.

Item 1 – The requirement will remain as stated in the RFP.

Item 2 – The requirement will remain as stated in the RFP.

Item 3 and 5 – Addendum 1 amended Item 3 to remove “7 or above” in reference to

Captivate. Addendum 1 also amended Item 5 to remove “Articulate Storyline, Lectora” and to move it to B. Desirable Qualifications.

3. Question(s)/Statement(s):

The RFP has no limitation on where work is performed. Our concern is that large companies could realize an unfair advantage by performing much of this work offshore.

Requested Change to the RFP

We request a stipulation be added to the RFP that none of the work on this RFP should be performed offshore.

Section I. Purpose and Description of Services, A. Scope and Description, Item 3 states that, “Instructional Designers shall perform their duties on the premises of the CCHCS Elk

Grove Campus, during CCHCS’ work days, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard time, Monday through Friday, unless specifically agreed to otherwise by the Staff Development Unit (SDU) Program Manager or designee.”

4. Question(s)/Statement(s):

The RFP requires the contractor to start work within 15 days of the contract execution.

Requested Change to the RFP

We request that the RFP include language clarifying that the contractor is not in breach if CCHCS is not prepared to commence the project within 15 days of the contract execution.

The language will remain as stated in the RFP.

5. Question(s)/Statement(s):

We may be interested in responding to this RFP. However, we did notice in section I A3 that you require an ID to be on site and no travel costs or per diem will be paid. Is that a flexible requirement, or something that would immediately disqualify from consideration if you couldn't meet it?

Section I. Purpose and Description of Services, A. Scope and Description, Item 3 states that, “Instructional Designers shall perform their duties on the premises of the CCHCS Elk Grove Campus, during CCHCS’ work days, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard time, Monday through Friday, unless specifically agreed to otherwise by the Staff Development Unit (SDU) Program Manager or designee. There will be no increase in hourly rates or deliverable costs for such extended hours or days. CCHCS does not anticipate any travel to multiple locations as a result of this ensuing Contract, consequently CCHCS will not pay for any travel or per diem costs.”

The ID’s are required to work onsite at CCHCS and travel to/from the CCHCS location will not be reimbursed.

6. Question(s)/Statement(s):

To confirm, to qualify we would have had to execute at least 3 eLearning projects like this each with a budget of over 3 million dollars in the last 5 years? Am I reading this correctly in the RFP? So over 9 million project dollars for eLearning in the last 5 years? We’ve executed several large projects that entail ILT and eLearning, but unfortunately most of our large corporate clients and NFP’s just don’t have those types of budgets. And these are global fortune based companies we do project work for.

Addendum 1 amended the requirement as follows:

Provide three (3) client references (including name, title, telephone number, and e-mail) within the last five (5) years for completed eLearning projects. The references must demonstrate the successful completion of three (3) large eLearning projects in the last five

(5) years with a combined total cost of at least $3 million. All references must be verifiable and communicate a positive outcome of services. If references provided cannot be verified by CCHCS and do not indicate a positive outcome of services, the proposal may be rejected. Only one (1) CCHCS/CDCR reference will be accepted. Letters of recommendation are NOT acceptable as references. Bidder is responsible for ensuring the references provided respond to requests for information. Inability to confirm references may cause the proposal to be rejected and deemed nonresponsive.

7. Question(s)/Statement(s):

Would CCHCS consider awarding the engagement to multiple vendors, or must it be awarded solely to a single vendor?

Answer(s)/Statement(s):

CCHCS will be awarding to a single Bidder. Subcontracting a portion of the work will not disqualify a proposal. If any subcontractors are used, the Prime Contractor will be responsible for ensuring the work is completed in accordance with the provisions of the resulting Contract. All subcontractors will need to perform a commercially useful function as defined in the RFP and be identified on the Bidder Declaration (Attachment 11).