RFP_16-14_Amendment_0006_Vendor_Q&A.pdf

OMB Approval 2700-0042

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1 13

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

0006 12/6/2016

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)

CODE

National Endowment for the Arts

Grants & Contracts, 3rd floor

400 7th St. SW, Washington DC 20506

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No. Street, county, State and ZIP: Code) ( ) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

Offerors RFP 16-14

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10/13/2016

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning one (1) copy of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE

DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATA SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and data specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM

14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is required to sign this document and return ___ copy to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

***DEADLINE EXTENSION***

The purpose of this amendment is to 1) issue the vendor questions & answers and 2) implement an extension to the proposals deadline. The proposals deadline is hereby extended to 5:00 PM EST, 15 December 2016. All proposals must be submitted via email to chaudhryu@arts.gov by this time. The vendor questions & answers may be found on pgs. 2-13 of this amendment.

Continued, pgs. 2-13.

Except at provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

USMAAN Z. CHAUDHRY

CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

BY Usmaan Z. Chaudhry (Signature of Contracting Officer)

12/6/2016

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 30-105 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE Computer Generated Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

mailto:chaudhryu@arts.gov

VENDOR Q&A

NEA RFP 16-14 | Diversity Training

1. Do you have a ballpark number of participants that will be included in the Diversity Training? This will allow us to determine the number of facilitators needed, participant materials, etc.

The contractor should propose its best approach. For reference, the total NEA staff is approximately 150, and the total number of managers is approximately 40.

2. Could you please provide the incumbent contract number? If not, is this a new requirement?

There is no current or previous contract for this requirement. This is a new requirement.

3. Pricing for my programs is based on per person attendance. The RFP does not include numbers of people to be trained. Do you know how many are expected?

See question 1.

4. Also – one of the clauses is that the NEA will own the content of the courses. These courses are already owned by me. Will that be a problem?

This should not be a problem; the clauses are geared towards courses that are drafted/developed specifically for the NEA’s training requirement.

5. C.2 Scope of Work - Please clarify that "skill sets" relate to management techniques and styles.

Skill sets may refer to management techniques and styles but may also refer to other approaches such as active listening, leadership tools, diversity sensitivity, etc.

6. C.2 Scope of Work - Is there a current needs assessment that will be available to vendor?

No.

7. C.2 Scope of Work - Number of NEA staff and leadership to be trained?

See question 1.

8. C.3 Task Details - Task 2 Finalize curriculum for staff training and leadership training. Clarify

"3-month facilitated training" is that 3 consecutive months or three two day trainings over the course of three months?

It is training that will take place over a consecutive three-month period. The time commitment for the training in that period will be proposed by the contractor.

9. F.1 Timeline For Performing Contract Requirements - Task 3 Conduct training, including but not limited to facilitation of constructive group dialogue among training participants. Please specify how often the trainers are expected to facilitate group dialogue or is this a hybrid of face to face and online facilitated dialogue?

See question 8.

10. Is there an incumbent or is this a new requirement?

See question 2.

11. Can the Diversity Training also include elements of: Business Networking as a form of

Professional and Career Development?

No

12. According to section F in the RFP (see below), there are only 6 weeks for conducting the training, and 12 weeks to provide a summary of best practices. Should we assume that there will be training during the last 12 weeks or will you only need training for 6 weeks?

The delivery schedule above lists how many weeks after the award date that the task is due so training will need to be completed after 6 weeks and summaries are due after 12 weeks.

13. Are there specific number of trainings you are looking for per week? In other words, are you expecting a training every single day for 6 weeks, or is this something that you are expecting the contractors to propose?

No, the contractor should propose its best approach.

14. Is there an incumbent or is this a new requirement? If so, who is the current incumbent?

See question 2.

15. How much time will the government allow for courseware development?

See question 12.

16. When does the government anticipate training to begin?

See question 15.

17. Will the government consider Commercial-off-the-Shelf courseware that meet SOW requirements?

Yes.

18. How many NEA staff members does the government want trained within the 3-month period of performance (POP)?

See question 1.

19. Is the government anticipating training a specific number of NEA staff members over the 3-month period (i.e. 30 staff members trained in diversity one month, the same 30 members trained in equity the second month, and the same group trained in inclusion month 3?)

See question 1.

20. For pricing purpose, does the government have a specific dollar amount for travel?

No. The contractor should propose its best approach (including amount of travel/travel cost) keeping in mind the provided overall budget for this RFP of $75,000.

21. How does the government want the contractor to price travel and per diem cost?

See guidance on Price (Section L, pg. 18 and Section M, pg. 20). Contractors must provide a cost breakdown of the total cost. This should include a breakdown of the travel cost as well, specifying what the cost for the various travel items are (flights/hotels/ground transportation/meals, etc.)

22. For pricing purpose, will all training take place in Northern Virginia? If, not what other locations will training take place?

At this time, all training is scheduled to take place in Washington, DC.

23. For student guide/workbook pricing, how many NEA staff members will be required to attend training?

See question 1.

24. What is the anticipated throughput for the 3-month POP?

The agency does not understand this question.

25. What is the government’s anticipated course length for each training session? ( half-day, one-day, two-day, three, or five-day training sessions)

This is to be proposed by the contractor.

26. How many students does the government want to attended each training session?

See question 1.

27. Does the government want three separate courses (i.e. diversity course, equity course, and an inclusion course?)

There should be one course that covers all three topics.

28. Under B2 Pricing, the government has under Item Number 0004 Task IV “Provide Summary and

/or tailored toolkit for Agency based on training”. Can the government clarify what you are asking for when you say “tailored toolkit”? Is the government looking for follow up support from instructors, a specific type report, reference material, or some type e-learning material that students can access?

NEA is looking for a customized product that serves as a learning tool and takeaway from the training.

29. What situations have occurred that require NEA to seek out this type of training?

No situations have occurred. The motivation for this training is that the NEA wants its employees to be able to best serve an increasingly diverse group of constituents.

30. Are you looking for two parallel tracks of training? General workforce and leadership?

The contractor may propose one track or two separate tracks.

31. How are you now defining these terms...

a. diversity

b. equity

c. inclusion

NEA does not have definitions for these terms.

32. How many hours of training are you seeking for the session proposed?

That is to be proposed by the contractor.

33. Will this be company wide or for a targeted population of staff?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

34. Are you seeking to integrate it into new employee orientation?

No.

35. Are you seeking to develop civil treatment policies?

No.

36. Are you looking for an all inclusive price quote that includes travel or considering that as a separate line item to direct services?

Contractors must provide an all-inclusive firm fixed price – this must include all work required for the contract. Contractors should take all aspects of necessary costs into consideration when drafting proposals/pricing. That being said, contractors must also provide a cost breakdown of the total price. Also, see question 21.

37. Of the out of pocket expenses that would be incurred, we consider these estimates only and not steadfast quotes. What is this being interpreted as by the agency?

See question 36.

38. Are you considering to place the program online? P.7 infers this. Please clarify\

Submissions may include an online program.

39. Is the $75,000.00 noted an all inclusive figure or is it exclusively for direct services?

This is an all-inclusive figure (as stated in the RFP, there is some room for upward flexibility beyond this amount).

40. Is there an incumbent or an individual or firm that the agency has regularly used historically?

No.

41. Where are you planning to hold the sessions?

Sessions will be held at the NEA Offices.

42. In task 4 you reference 12 weeks to do the summary. Are you implying that there will be 12 additional weeks, or that these weeks are included in the 3 month engagement?

That is 12 weeks from the date of the award not 12 weeks to do the summary (not 12 additional weeks).

43. Please provide a breakdown of the workforce for purposes of the training classes and materials. We will also need to have confirmed if you will be training volunteers or just your W2 staff. Please also confirm if your Board of Directors will be participating in the training.

See question 1.

44. Are you seeking a half day session or a full day session for your workforce?

This is to be proposed by the contractor.

45. How many copies of the response do you want the offeror to prepare?

1 copy submitted electronically (per the instructions in the RFP).

46. What is the number of NEA staff and leadership who will attend the sessions?

See question 1.

47. How many individuals will be attending each session?

See question 1.

48. It appears that there is an expectation that staff and leadership will be provided a different series of sessions. Is this accurate?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

49. Can you please clarify what is meant by a “3-month facilitated training”? Will this be once a month for each employee?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

50. Will the sessions be a full day or a half day?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

51. How many sessions do you anticipate will be needed?

The contract should propose its best approach.

52. May the initial discussion with the NEA Chief of Staff be by phone or must it be in person?

It may be done by phone or in-person but the preference is for in-person.

53. What the total number of participants that will be attending the program? How many are management and how many are staff?

Approximately 150 total with approximately 40 managers.

54. What if any kind of Diversity training /development has this group received in the last 12-16 months?

None.

55. Does the National Endowment for the Arts currently have a Diversity Advisory Council?

Yes.

56. What are the 4 major challenges that NEA faces currently regarding Diversity and Inclusion?

There are no current “major” diversity and inclusion challenges that the NEA specifically faces.

The challenges we seek to respond to and that we hope training will help enable our staff better to assist with are the diversity and inclusion challenges facing the nonprofit arts community writ large.

There are no current “major” diversity and inclusion challenges that the NEA specifically faces.

The challenges we seek to respond to and that we hope training will help enable our staff better to assist with are the diversity and inclusion challenges facing the nonprofit arts community writ large.

57. What is currently going well for NEA regarding Diversity and Inclusion?

See question 56.

58. What is currently not going well for NEA regarding Diversity and Inclusion?

See question 56.

59. How would you describe the NEA's culture and the NEA's readiness for culture change?

The NEA and its staff are actively engaging and responding to requests from the arts and cultural fields that we support that are tackling the hard challenges of diversity and inclusion in the arts and cultural field.

60. Does the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) currently have an Inclusion and Diversity training program or will the contractor be creating a tailored program from scratch?

No.

61. What is the demographic make-up of the prospective trainees (age, race, ethnicity, gender, years of service with NEA, nationality, etc.)?

N/A.

62. How many individuals will receive the training? Of this total number, how many are staff and how many are leadership?

See question 53.

63. How many hours and/or days of training does NEA request/expect Contractor to provide for staff and for leadership?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

64. How many participant groups does NEA request/expect to be trained? How many individuals will be in each group?

Approximately 150 total. Group size to be determined by the contactor in consultation with NEA.

65. What is NEA’s budget for this project? To what extent will cost be considered in selecting a

Contractor?

Please read the RFP. Pg. 18 states the estimated budget as $75,000.00. Price is 10% of the overall evaluation as stated in Section M (pg. 19). For further details, please read through Sections L and

M.

66. Where will the training be delivered (what city and state)?

Washington, DC.

67. What is the approximate demographic composition of NEA staff and leadership, in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and any other data categories tracked by NEA? Can NEA send potential

Contractors a copy of its most recent EEO-1 Report and a description of its EEO Job Categories prior to our submitting the Proposal?

N/A and no.

68. What is the expected date for awarding this contract? If it falls in November or December, will there be flexibility in determining the 12-week period for completing performance, to accommodate the major national holidays?

Contract award is currently anticipated to be sometime during December. Yes, there will be flexibility in the 12 week schedule; the agency and awardee will work together as needed to set a feasible schedule.

69. Has it been determined that this will be a Small Business Set-aside?

Yes, this RFP is solicited as a 100% small business set-aside.

70. How many course will be delivered and what is the length of each? How many staff will receive training?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

71. What are the grades/positions of the staff who will receive training?

Varied.

72. Where will training be held?

Washington, DC.

73. Is the place of performance to be mainly at the contractors location with trips to NEA or totally at the NEA facility?

Contractor will work at its facility except when meeting with NEA or conducting training at NEA.

74. What is the desired medium for the training (i.e., Instructor based seminar using PowerPoint, or other medium such as videos, web-based, computer-based, blended, webinar)?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

75. Where are the 6-weeks of training to occur?

See question 72.

76. Is it the same group of trainees each week, or multiple groups?

This will vary depending on the contractor’s proposal.

77. If multiple groups, what is the desired length of each training session?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

78. What is the desired student to instructor ratio?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

79. Will NEA provide or recommend case studies to be used in the training?

No, but the NEA will need be consulted on those that are selected.

80. How many NEA staff (leader, front line employees, etc…) are expected to participate in this training?

See question 1.

81. Is there an incumbent? If so, please provide the name and contract number for the vendor?

See question 2.

82. Does NEA anticipate that there will be different audiences each training courses for all employees.

For instance, a diversity and inclusion training for leader only and a separate course for frontline employees only or will the curriculum be produced to support a mixed audience training?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

83. On page 20 of the RFP, under Evaluation Criteria - 3. Description of Organizational Qualifications

/ Past Performance, it states, “…includes samples of previous work that demonstrate the ability to analyze project requirements to design course materials that align with the specific needs of the customer.” Is NEA looking for an example such as a prior recommendations report submitted to one of our prior clients (with names and other personal information redacted)?

Materials that can adequately demonstrate and provide documentation of the offeror’s past performance will be helpful. It is possible that a prior recommendations report could work for this purpose.

84. Is all training to occur within Washington DC? If NEA has other offices to be included in the training, please state where (city/state) and how many days will be needed in alternative sites?

Yes, all training will be in Washington, DC.

85. How many TOTAL trainees are expected to participate and how many students per training session?

See question 1.

86. The deliverables indicate a due date of 6 weeks post-award (Task III: training) and 12 weeks post award (Task IV: summary of best practices + tailored toolkit). How many days are needed to train all included staff and can these days be consecutively scheduled?

Yes, they can be consecutively scheduled. The number of days is up to the contractor to propose.

87. Is task #4 considered a daily onsite mentorship + implementation guidance of applying principles taught in training? Or is this merely a written summary/report provided post-training of our recommendations to NEA leadership?

A written document is required for summary, and there may also be a need to review the document in an in-person meeting.

88. What is the anticipated/estimated quantity of participants per class per day for the training program?

See question 1 and the contractor should propose its best approach.

89. Please confirm the training program will be held in Washington, District of Columbia?

Yes.

90. It is not clear from your "deliverable" table in the RFP - what is the alloted training time you require/designate?

Training should take place over a 3-month period.

91. Or - do you intend for us to nominate the training program schedule?

Yes.

92. How many employees of NEA are to be included in this project?

See question 1.

93. How many sessions of training/facilitation do you estimate might be required to fully serve your organizational goals/needs?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

94. How long should each session of training/facilitation be? (Please state answer in number of hours.)

The contractor should propose its best approach.

95. Are you amenable to blended learning approaches with some sessions being held onsite and others via live webinar and/or elearning sessions?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

96. With regard to the length toolkit requested, would it be acceptable to plan for 12 months of activities and resources for teams and individuals?

No.

97. In reference to the RFP noted above please tell me how many people will need to be trained within the NEA leadership and staff?

See question 1.

98. How many participants make up the NEA staff/leadership?

See question 1.

99. What diversity issues are you specifically looking at?

We are most interested in the diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges faced by the arts field.

100. Task #2 says to design a 3-month facilitated training for NEA Staff and Leadership. How should the training be delivered? Weekly, daily?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

101. What do you mean when you ask for modules and case studies?

These are examples of types of tools that can be employed when developing the training.

102. Are all the participants all in one place?

Yes.

103. Is it one group that will be going through multiple weeks of training, or is it multiple groups going through multiple trainings?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

104. Is the design/ collaboration done in person or can it be done remote?

Some meetings will need to be in-person, but the bulk of preparation work can be done remotely.

105. How many participants are expected to take this training?

See question 1.

106. Is this a new initiative or is there an incumbent? If there is an incumbent, please provide previous contract information.

See question 2.

107. Is there an incumbent or preferred contractor? If so, please identify the contractor and their relationship to NEA.

See question 2.

108. Is this a follow-on to an existing contract or a re-bid/re-write of a previous contract? If so, who had the existing/previous contract and what were the specifics and dollar value of that contract?

See question 2.

109. If a previous contractor existed, is there any reason for you to believe that this contractor would not be bidding this RFP?

See question 2.

110. In tailoring a program for NEA, we intend to utilize our own intellectual property and copyrighted materials, as appropriate, in addition to NEA-specific material. Will this conflict with NEA’s desire to own the material (RFP Section C.5)? Will you consider a license arrangement?

This should not be a problem; the agency will work with the contractor to work out an agreeable arrangement with respect to contractor owned intellectual property/materials are concerned.

111. How many staff and leadership individuals do you plan to have trained? Are these groupings sub-divided in any way that we should be aware of?

See question 1.

112. Do you have a preferred class size limit? If not, would you accept limiting the class size to 20-25 individuals to allow for optimal class participation and interaction?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

113. Do you have a preferred time limit for the classes, viz. half-days, full-days, consecutive days?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

114. Will you provide the classroom for the training sessions, or will the contractor need to provide an off-site location?

Space will be provided by NEA.

115. For the classes, will the contractor need to provide food and beverages? If so, is that cost to be incorporated into the firm fixed price, or listed separately as an Other Direct Cost, to be reimbursed by NEA?

No.

116. The price table in RFP Section B.2 does not show travel costs, yet the paragraph at Section C.4 discusses reimbursement for travel and incidental costs. Are we to propose a separate line item for travel and incidental costs, or include those costs in the firm fixed price for each of the four tasks?

The table in Section B.2 is for purposes of listing the grand total figure for all work required.

Contractors must submit a full cost breakdown in addition to this, which must include any travel/incidental costs. Such costs will not be treated on a ‘reimbursable’ basis – contractors must budget appropriate amounts in their cost breakdowns for all such items that will contribute to the final price. In the cost breakdown, yes, contractors should indicate travel and incidental costs separately.

117. Please provide an organizational chart for NEA.

No.

118. Would you like separate presentations for managers and non-managers to address their respective differences in level of responsibility?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

119. How many employees will be required to participate in the training?

See question 1.

120. How long should the training be held 4hrs, 8hrs, 2 days etc.?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

121. Will all the training take place in the same facility?

Yes.

122. When is the training expected to start?

Shortly after award.

123. How many people will be trained?

See question 1.

124. Do you plan for half day or full day classes?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

125. Please provide a profile of the attendees.

The attendees will be members of the NEA staff.

126. Have they had any kind of training or diversity training before? If so, please provide details.

No.

127. Where will the training be held?

Washington, DC.

128. How will you measure success?

Metrics to determine success will be proposed by contractor and agreed upon after consultation with NEA.

129. Please provide an ethnic and socio-economic profile of training attendees.

No.

130. The first meeting with the training team is in person. Will the other meetings be held by video or conference call?

Other meetings may be held by video or conference call.

131. To aid in the proper submission of an RFP, may we ask how many training sessions or how many participants you are looking to provide this training to?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

132. How many courses and how many sessions of those courses will be needed? May we suggest four:

a. Collaborate For Results: Deepen collaboration and trust throughout organization

b. Communication Skills: Fostering a culture of open communication across business lines, disciplines, teams and individuals

c. Coaching For Success: Creating a coaching community in which learning is encouraged at all levels; and

d. Diversity Plus: Refining skills internally and externally around diversity, equity and inclusion.

The contractor should propose its best approach.

133. What level are the participants? Will senior and staff levels be integrated? We propose separate courses for honest dialogue and participation.

All seniority levels will be included.

134. How long are the courses? What works well are one-day courses consisting of eight hours with two fifteen-minute breaks and one-hour lunch break.

The contractor should propose its best approach.

135. How many participants are in the training sessions? We recommend twenty-five people with one facilitator. If more then twenty-five, two facilitators.

The contractor should propose its best approach.

136. Will the training be held on consecutive days or broken up according to participant schedules?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

137. May we submit our course catalog? If not, may we provide the following information on the courses? (1) Course Title, (2) Brief Overview, (3) List of Objectives (4) Materials. (If needed we can also provide the (5) Duration and (6) Target Audience)

Yes.

138. To whom will materials be delivered? Our practice is to deliver materials all tent cards, workbooks, handouts, pre-questionnaires, post-questionnaires, homework and evaluations two weeks prior to scheduled course delivery.

NEA Chief of Staff.

139. Are you planning to certify? We advocate an elegant certification with participants name given 2 to 3 business days after the course.

No.

140. Is Task 4 solely a presentation/report to Chief of Staff or is it also follow-up support for the participants? If it’s follow-up, may we suggest Learning Labs: Bite-sized information presented via audio, video, handouts with a short questionnaire focused on diversity and leadership delivered weekly.

It is both.

141. What is the most recent soft skill training NEA has received?

Leadership training for managers.

142. Section B1: “The Contractor shall conduct a leadership development program for NEA staff and leadership.” What is the anticipated number of participants?

See question 1.

143. Assuming 20 participants per session, what is the anticipated number of training sessions?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

144. What is the desired length of each training session i.e. 4 hours, 8 hours, multiple days?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

145. Will NEA provide the training facility(s)?

Yes.

146. If so, what is the location of the training facility(s)?

Washington, DC.

147. Will NEA provide any equipment?

Training:

a. Screens

b. Projectors

c. Tables

d. Chairs

e. Easels

f. Butcher board paper

g. Speakers

Participants:

h. Note paper

i. Pens

Yes, to the extent the NEA is able to.

148. Will the NEA provide printing services?

No.

149. Can the NEA share any employee diversity, inclusion or equity research data as it applies to workplace or workforces culture or challenges? i.e. surveys findings, records or reports, etc.

No.

150. Will there be an opportunity for additional diversity, inclusion and equity data gathering i.e.

focus groups, interviews, etc.?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

151. Is it possible to meet with the requirements team prior to proposal submission?

No.

152. How many participants will attend the specialized training?

See question 1.

153. Does the government require one proposal including the pricing table or should the bidders submit the pricing table as a separate pricing proposal?

Either method is fine as long as all information is clearly laid out. All materials should be submitted at the same time.

154. Can a bidder add an addendum that includes, easily modified, Certified and developed Diversity and Inclusion Classes, Additional Training Certifications held by the bidder, Requirements met to receive these Training Certifications etc.?

Yes.

155. SAM Registration requires submitting a completed copy of the Section K Representations and

Certifications. If a bidder is registered in SAM as required, will the government allow submitting a standard statement “Presently registered in SAM and all information in SAM is up to date” and avoid resubmitting a completed copy of the Representations and Certification (Section K)?

Yes, this is acceptable.

156. How many total people (NEA Staff and Leadership) will be involved in the training?

See question 1.

157. During the 3-month facilitated training, are you looking for a specific amount of physical meeting dates?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

158. For "Task 4: Provide summary and/or tailored toolkit" is there a specific amount of pages or a model you are seeking?

No.

159. Task 2 "Design a 3 month facilitated training for NEA staff and leadership". How many staff and leaders are there respectively and in total? Will the training be classroom instruction?

Will the training be held on-site at NEA in Washington DC? If yes, is the NEA training facility equipped with internet connection, tables, chairs, flip charts, screens etc.?

See responses to previous questions for number of staff/leaders. Yes, classroom instruction in

Washington DC. Internet connections are available, as well as tables, chairs and screens.

160. Task 3 "Conduct training, including but not limited to facilitation of constructive group dialogue among training participants". What is the estimated total number of training sessions? How many participants do you anticipate per session?

See question 1.

161. What is the length of each training session?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

162. How many training sessions will be offered?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

163. Approximately, how many employees will attend each session?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

164. Where will the training be located?

Washington, DC.

165. As it relates to the NEA Request for Proposal (RFP) 16-14 Leadership Development Program; I just received this notice today; however, a response was due by the 17th. Are requests still being accepted without the response?

Yes. A response to the Oct 17th deadline for vendor interest is not required for proposal submission. Proposals will be accepted until the proposals deadline.

166. Please provide the number of non-leadership, NEA staff (i.e., number of people) who are to be trained. (Page 5, Section C)

See question 1.

167. Please provide the location(s) for where the training will be conducted?

Washington, DC.

168. What event(s) precipitated the need for the training?

N/A.

169. Have there been employee relations issues that led to this need?

No.

170. How did leadership determine that Collaboration and trust, fostering a culture of open communication, creating a coaching community were the necessary skills for this training?

These are skills we wish to see in the training proposals.

171. Was an Organizational Assessment or 360 Performance Assessment conducted within the past year?

No.

172. What are the number of leaders who will attend the training?

See question 1.

173. What are the number of staff?

See question 1.

174. Will leader's be required to have enhanced performance objectives as a result of the training?

No.

175. C.2 Scope of Work – The scope of work states that the contractor shall provide training for staff and leadership. What is the expected number of participants who will be attending and will the same personnel attend the entire training program?

See question 1.

176. C.3 Task Details – Task 2 states that it will be a 3-month facilitated training for NEA staff and leadership. During the actual 6-week training period for task 3, is the instruction expected to be conducted daily or a certain amount of days per week?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

177. Is the procurement still a small business set aside or has it been fully opened?

This procurement is still a 100% small business set aside. Proposals will only be accepted from vendors that are registered small business concerns.

178. What is the address for all the facilities that require physical presence?

NEA, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20506.

179. What is the number by location of the personnel to be trained?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

180. What are the options for billing and payment that you will entertain?

Invoice guidance and submittal procedures are in Section G.2 of the RFP. Additionally, the agency anticipates establishing a payment schedule shortly after contract award after discussion with the awardee.

181. Will this training be utilized on a recurring basis? Is it expected that interactive modules will be stand-alone and constitute completion of specific requirements?

This will be determined by NEA in consultation with contractor.

182. Are there specific performance and knowledge assessment requirements for successful completion?

This will be determined by NEA in consultation with contractor.

183. Does content exist?

No.

184. Who owns the content / what modality is it currently in?

N/A.

185. What modality is expected for the diversity training?

The contractor should propose its best approach.

END OF AMENDMENT