Strats_Contract_FAQs.pdf

Contract FAQs for potential partners

(Pre-solicitation Version)

Pre-solicitation Q: Can I get guidance on how to apply from my Recruitment and University Program contacts at Peace Corps?

A: Yes, so long as these discussions occur before the Request for Quote (RFQ) is officially posted. Guidance will be limited to common practices of prior vendors, such as how the Strat is often created as graduate student position to save on cost. However, specific pricing cannot be discussed under any circumstance (e.g., “a competitive bid in your region would be $x per year”). Please direct all financial questions to the Peace Corps’ Office of Contracts.

Strat RFQ Submission Logistics

Q: Where can I find the link for Strat Request for Quotation (RFQ)?

A link will be distributed once the RFQ is posted on www.fbo.gov. If you would like to be notified with the RFQ goes live, please send an email to strats@peacecorps.gov.

Q: When is the proposal deadline?

The proposal deadline will be noted in the RFQ. Generally speaking, universities will have 30 days to submit their proposal once the RFQ goes live.

Once the solicitation is active and the deadline is official, all questions from universities must be directed to the Peace Corps’ Office of Acquisition and Contract Management (ACM) prior to a posted question deadline. The ACM point of contact will be noted in the RFQ once it is live.

Note: Recruitment and University Program contacts cannot respond to questions once the RFQ is live.

Q: When is the question deadline?

All questions regarding the RFQ after it is posted must be directed to the Peace Corps’ Office ACM. The point of contact will be noted in the RFQ once it is live. The question deadline will lapse days before the proposal deadline, so please submit your questions early. If the question deadline passes, you may still ask the question and the Contract Office will determine if it can be answered without giving the inquiring party an unfair competitive advantage.

All substantive answers to questions submitted will be published www.fbo.gov and www.fedbizopps.gov to ensure every school has equal access to the information.

http://www.fbo.gov/ mailto:strats@peacecorps.gov http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

Q: What needs to be submitted?

Completed Technical Template Three References with similar grants/contracts Price template

Q: How does a university submit their Quote?

Submit quotes (consisting of the two filled out templates) to the Peace Corps Contracting Office point of contact listed on the RFQ posting on www.fbo.gov and www.fedbizopps.gov.

Q: Who should the university work with to put this Quote together for the RFQ?

Most universities and colleges have a grants/contracts office, which is a great place for them to start the conversation. Also, schools will likely need to work with their General Counsel Office as well.

Contract Basics Q: Does the college qualify for a Strategic Campus Recruiter?

The only two firm requirements are 1) be an accredited, four-year college or university; and 2) the campus must have at least 6,500 undergraduate students.

Q: What is the duration of the contract?

Typically one (1) 12-month contract with up to four (4) 12-month options.

Q: What does CLIN stand for in the Request for Quote (RFQ)?

Contract Line Item Number Line items are established to define deliverables or organize information about deliverables. Each line item describes characteristics for the item purchased, e.g., pricing, delivery, and funding information. “Line item number” means either a numeric or alphanumeric format to identify a line item.

Q: How does the university get paid?

A: Electronic invoices are sent to Peace Corps three times a year – October 15, February 15 and May 15, or the next business day. Additional guidance will be provided by the Contracting Officer during the contract awarding process.

Roles & Responsibilities Q: A university rep has a question about the proposal process. Who do I direct him/her to at Peace Corps?

Please refer any specific RFQ or contract questions to the Contract Specialist provided on the RFQ. If there is not an active RFQ, email your questions to strats@peacecorps.gov.

Q: What are the responsibilities of the university?

Below is a list of sample responsibilities. Please note these are intended to be informational purposes only, and are not definitive.

Establish a Peace Corps Campus Recruiting Office on campus to include:

o Access to the university’s room scheduling system so that the Campus Recruiter can reserve larger conference rooms http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/Subpart%204_10.html mailto:strats@peacecorps.gov o Online listing for the Peace Corps Campus Recruitment Office in the appropriate category within the institution's Internet webpages.

o Direct access or liaison access (via sponsoring university organizations) to email or postal addresses and/or boxes for all faculty, students, and campus associations o Direct or liaison access to lists of graduating students o Postage costs for communication with the Peace Corps Regional Office (mass mailings are not included).

o Free access to, or reduced fees for, university-sponsored career fairs and campus media outlets.

Interview and hire a part-time (20 hours per week) Campus Recruiter to staff the Campus Recruitment Office and coordinate campus recruitment activities.

Develop a campus-wide Recruitment Strategy Plan (as part of the RFQ process).

Submit monthly, mid-year and final reports.

Q: Who hires the Strategic Recruiter?

The university takes the lead, but Peace Corps is part of the process. The Strat must be a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

Q: What are Peace Corps’ responsibilities?

Below is a list of sample responsibilities. Please note these are intended to be informational purposes only, and are not definitive.

Provide training for the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter to accurately inform student population about Peace Corps.

Assign a Peace Corps staff member to establish and facilitate weekly performance and planning meetings.

Review and approve the recruitment plan.

Provide Peace Corps recruitment materials.

Provide reporting templates.

Provide transport and per diem funds for authorized travel to Peace Corps offices for trainings and/or meetings.

Provide programming information and performance data regarding trends in program openings and the application pipeline so that the Peace Corps Campus Recruiter has the necessary information to execute terms of contract.

Q: What deliverables do universities need to submit to Peace Corps?

1. Monthly reports due on the 5th of every month and should be sent to the Strat manager and campus supervisor.

2. Mid-year report due at the end of the first half of the academic year and should be sent to the Strat manager and campus supervisor.

3. Final report due at the end of the academic year and should be send to the Strat manager and campus supervisor.

4. Leads uploaded or sent to the assigned Strat manager within five business days.

Strat Basics Q: What is the difference between a Strategic Recruiter, a Strat and a Campus Recruiter?

Peace Corps use these terms interchangeably. They all refer to the contract recruiter on a college campus.

Q: How many hours per week does a Strat work?

20 hours per week (limited exceptions for less).

Q: Do Strats work over the summer?

Typically services are not performed over the summer; however, rare exceptions have been made.

RFQ Review Q: What criteria will be used to review the Quotes?

Please refer to the solicitation language in the RFQ when released.

Q: Who will be on the proposal review committee?

Typically three Government Employees from Peace Corps Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS) office.

Q: What happens after the proposal review committee meets?

1. The committee reviews the technical portion of the quotes only. Pricing information is withheld. If there are any questions about the technical volume, the committee will pass them onto the Peace Corps Office of ACM. Note: The Peace Corps Office of ACM acts as an intermediary, and will facilitate communication between the proposal review committee and the university.

2. With all questions answered, the committee evaluates each technical proposal (again without pricing information).

3. Next, the Peace Corps Office of ACM begins negotiating with the schools that successfully pass the technical review.

4. The committee is given pricing information, and asked to make a best value determination. Consistent with the RFQ language, the submission that is determined to offer the most value to the Peace Corps – taking into account both the technical volume and the pricing information – will be chosen.

5. The committee shares its decision with the Peace Corps Office of ACM, who then communicates the committee’s final decision to all schools that submitted a RFQ for consideration.