LDP RFQ QandA V2.pdf

Question Answer

Is there an incumbent? If so, please provide the incumbent and the previous contract number information. The incumbent is Jrodgers Consulting under contract number N0018917D0030.

2 Are resumes for lead facilitators required & part of evaluation criteria & what’s the resume page limit? No, resumes are not required.

Reference PWS – 2. Scope - SLDP: 27 (non-consecutive) days of classroom-based training & 16 CEUs –

Would it be acceptable to deliver one course on two consecutive days or 3 consecutive days?

Yes, two consecutive days. If a course requires a 3rd day, the preference is to schedule the 3rd day in a different week.

Reference PWS – 2. Scope - MLDP: 24 (non-consecutive) days of classroom-based training” & 14 CEUs -.

Would it be acceptable to deliver one course on two consecutive days or 3 consecutive days?

Yes, two consecutive days. If a course requires a 3rd day, the preference is to schedule the 3rd day in a different week.

Reference PWS 4. Additional Contractor Requirements/Responsibilities – “A summary of feedback, along with copies of the individual forms, shall be provided to the government POC within 5 business days of each course completion” Would it be acceptable to the Government to have the feedback form for the participants online where the form content is as per the government-provided feedback form? 5 day turnaround is quite short if physical forms have to be completed, collected, and provided (via mail/email) to the COR. Online form is acceptable. Vendor still has to review them and provide a summary.

Reference 5.2.2.6 – SLDP – Executive Coaching – How many coaching sessions are to be provided for each participant? How many minutes coaching session is acceptable i.e. 30 minute per session or 45 minutes per session etc. ? One coaching session, typically 30 minutes in duration.

PWS does not mention any coaching for MLDP. Typically for any such program coaching is an important element. Is this omission intentional?

Intentionally omitted as a "minimum requirement." But vendor can certainly recommend a coaching topic be added to the curriculum.

For any participants who are unable to attend a course does the contractor need to make arrangements for any individual tutoring?

No. If a participant misses any portion, there is no requirement to "make it up" or provide any tutoring.

Reference 5. SLDP program specific requirements – There is a mention of team projects and Capstone

Event however it does not mention the facilitators role in either of these. Is there any expectation for the facilitator to oversee or guide the team projects/Capstone Event other than providing constructive feedback?

Only to facilitate the process, make sure projects are selected, being worked on, progressing, provide feedback as needed. At the CAPSTONE event, facilitate the event by establishing the briefing schedule, line-up, time-keeping during the event to make sure presentations are completed within the allotted time.

Reference – PWS Appendix A - Summary of Contract Deliverables - “Qualified Instructors/Facilitators shall be provided for each program/course.” Would it be acceptable to have multiple SME facilitators for the program or does the Government prefer one-lead facilitator for the entire program? Multiple facilitators is fine.

11 What’s the tentative award timeline since the delivery date is AUG-2022 TO 31-JUL-2027 ? Award is anticipated prior to 31 July 2022.

Past Performance Report – For one of our references, would it be acceptable to include previously completed NAVFAC Past Performance Questionnaire in our submission since our client has already previously provided this form? (attached for reference)

The Government's preference is to utilize the form provided in the solicitation. If a form is not received, the Contracting Officer will make an attempt to contact the reference POC in order to make a quality determination.

Reference PWS II Quote Content – Factor 1”For technical review and evaluation, Vendors shall submit a sample lesson (See PWS Section 5) for the SLDP Program’s introductory topics of: 1.1 Introduction to

Leadership Theory, & 1.2 Overview of the DoD Civilian Leader Continuum. The sample shall include all elements required to teach the topics to students, such as hand-outs, presentation materials, examples, and instructor notes.” Given the 25-page limit it's impossible to submit all the material including hand-out, presentation material for the entire sample lesson. Each introductory topic itself will have approx.

over 40 pages of material for the participants. Would it be acceptable to submit the sample lesson plan and choose any one topic and include all the material for that one topic under the 1.1 and 1.2 instead?

Yes, submitting a sample lesson plan for just one topic would be fine. Please see Amendment 1 which articulates this change.

How many unscheduled additional meetings are anticipated for the base year ? Can the unscheduled additional meetings and first planning meeting be conducted virtually?

Just about everything can be accomplished over the phone, email or virtually. Other than the base year, there are not many times the vendor and COR need to physically meet.

Reference - PWS 5.1.1.3 - 1-day "outdoor challenge/rope course" - Will the outdoor course/venue be provided by the Government ?

No. The contractor is responsible for arranging the event. In the past, the group has used a local venue, The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium.

In response to notice, N0018922Q0133, could you please clarify whether the intent was to issue a pre-solicitation notice and then subsequently issue the RFQ and full solicitation documents in the same day and due at the same time? If yes, can you please provide an explanation for issuing the notices together?

Yes, this was the intent in accordance with FAR 5.203(a)(1). The pre-solicitation notice does not have a response due.

Additionally, is there an incumbent for this opportunity, and if so can you please provide the name of the company and contract number? Please see Question 1.

Can the government please clarify if federal employees enrolled in each course are expected to devote full time 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily) to the course, or is the course meant to be balanced with students' full time positions and work schedules?

Balanced with their full time positions. Typically meet for courses once per month, with each course taking up between 1 and 3 days during a week. 8am to 4 pm.

19 Can the government provide an estimate of the # of courses per year? (min and max) MLDP typically contains 10 courses (10 different "topics"), SLDP typically contains 12.

Can the government provide an estimate of # of students per session, and the min. # to meet the

"sufficient demand" threshold to run a course?

We always try and get 24 into each program. We sometimes run a program with less than 24, 18 probably being the lower limit. It really is a judgement call on if we are willing to expend the dollars when we don't have a full class of 24.

Based on the above 2 questions, does the government envision instructors to be resident in the Norfolk area full time, or could instructors travel to the area to deliver the course, with the understanding that instructor travel costs are at contractors' expense?

No residency requirement. It is assumed that facilitators will travel in for each course at the expense of the contractor.

Will the government cover travel costs for federal employees to travel to the ropes course or other off-site location for the courses, or should this be included in our pricing offer?

No. No employee out of area travel for this portion. The expectation is to use a local venue, such as The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium.

The evaluation approach suggests best value, but the technique described on pg. 24 implies LPTA. can the government please consider changing the evaluation technique to rank offers based on their technical merit without prejudice for price, if pricing is determined fair & reasonable?

The evaluation of quotes will consider the Non-Price Quote to be significantly more important than the Price Quote. The Technical Approach and the Past Performance Factor are of approximate equal importance. Quotes will be ranked according to price, inclusive of all ordering years and 52.217-8 option pricing. A quoter’s quoted prices will be determined by adding all amounts for the CLINs on the continuation section of the SF1449. If the lowest priced quote is evaluated to have a Technical Approach Combined Technical/Risk rating of

“Outstanding,” and an overall Past Performance Confidence Assessment rating of ‘Substantial

Confidence’, that quote represents the best value for the Government and the evaluation process stops at this point. Award shall be made to that quoter without further consideration of any other quotes. However, if the lowest priced quote is not evaluated to have an

‘Outstanding,’ Technical Approach Combined Technical/Risk rating and a ‘Substantial

Confidence’ Past Performance Confidence Assessment rating, the next-lowest priced quote will be evaluated. The evaluation process will continue (in order of price from lowest to highest) until a quote is evaluated to have an ‘Outstanding,’ Technical Approach Combined

Technical/Risk rating and a ‘Substantial Confidence’ Past Performance Confidence Assessment rating. At that time, the Contracting Officer shall make an integrated assessment best value award decision between the quote rated “Outstanding” and ‘Substantial Confidence’ and all lower priced quotes. If no quoter is rated as “Outstanding,” with "Substantial Confidence" the

Contracting Officer shall make an integrated assessment best value award decision among all quoters rated "Unknown Confidence" or "Satisfactory Confidence."

24 Are offerors required to be an IACET Accredited Provider? No, quoters only need to be able to grant CEUs.

If they are not currently IACET accredited, can offerors nevertheless submit proposals and, if awarded the contract, thereafter apply for IACET accreditation? See Question 24.