S000000364 Questions and Answers - Agency & OSP Responses Final - 10.22.24 - KH.pdf

Question Number Question Subject Question Answer

1 Licenses How many number of licenses are required as pricing is normally subscription based depending upon the number of users accessing the content?

This is addressed in the Revised RFP Document, Section 2.16 Reporting Requirements, SubSection D.

Courses must be compatible with Totara software.

Our courses are hosted on moodle based platform and can we accessed via browser. so computer with internet is enough to access our courses.

This is a general requirement. This will be satisfied if proposed solution meets the specific requirements of the RFP.

Training content requirements

There seems lot of content topics like Operating Systems, Adobe Systems, Mac Applications, Google Suite, social media, Computer Programming, web design etc.. it means do we need to provide all these content topics or it is okay that we can provide few of them? our LMS has courses like Python, HTML, CSS, Javascript, safety and security.

This is addressed in the Revised RFP Document, Section 2.5 Training Content Requirements.

Regarding the

Evaluation Process

1. What weight is assigned to each part of the proposal (e.g., technical solution, pricing, past experience)?

2. Will there be an opportunity to clarify or address any misunderstandings about our proposal during the evaluation process before final scoring?

1. This is addressed in Section 3.1 Selection Process, Section 3.2 Technical Proposal Score, & Section 3.4 Grand Total Score of the Solicitation.

2. This is addressed in Section 3.1 Selection Process, Section 3.2 Technical Proposal Score, & Section 3.4 Grand Total Score of the Solicitation.

Clarifications on Scope of Work

1. Can you elaborate on the specific integration requirements for the ArkansasIDEAS LMS, especially concerning SCORM or LTI compatibility?

2. What level of customization or branding is expected for the online training courses within the ArkansasIDEAS platform?

3. Are there specific accessibility tools or software preferred by the Arkansas PBS that we should use for closed captioning and other accessibility features?

1. The integration requirements for SCORM / LTI will allow for courses from the bidder's portal to be embedded within our own LMS as a course activity. This arrangement would allow us to create and include additional activities and assessments within the course deemed necessary for our specific audience, as needed.

2. We do not require branding, but if the opportunity to add our logos exists, we may wish to.

3. We do not prefer any specific tools or software.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

1. How often is the course content expected to be updated, and are there any specific timelines or events that will trigger updates (e.g., annual updates, changes in state regulations)?

2. Does Arkansas PBS have existing content or modules that the contractor should consider when developing the new courses, or will all content be newly created?

3. Can you provide a more detailed breakdown of the expected number of courses to be developed annually and the average length or complexity of each course?

4. What balance of content types (e.g., video-based, interactive, assessments) is preferred for these courses?

1. 2.5F addresses the need for updated course content. Our main concern is that the vendor maintains current topics and does not let course subject areas become stagnant. For example, we would not want to contract with a vendor who has not kept up with releasing courses on the latest advancements in AI whole language platforms or the latest programming languages, etc.

2. We are not seeking to work collaboratively to create new content, we just want to integrate an existing library and the future courses that would be created by the vendor independently. We have our own LMS and courses that we create for the LMS that are specific to the needs of Arkansas teachers but we wish to integrate courses from (and also provide passthrough access to) an existing library of additional courses related to the topics in the RFP, as well as future courses developed by the vendor.

3. As many as needed to keep up with current trends/releases related to the subject matter list

4. There is no preference for content type and all courses must include an assessment and certificate (section 2.8).

Regarding the

Evaluation Process

1. What weight is assigned to each part of the proposal (e.g., technical solution, pricing, past experience)?

2. Will there be an opportunity to clarify or address any misunderstandings about our proposal during the evaluation process before final scoring?

See the response to question 4.

Clarifications on Scope of Work

1. Can you elaborate on the specific integration requirements for the ArkansasIDEAS LMS, especially concerning SCORM or LTI compatibility?

2. What level of customization or branding is expected for the online training courses within the ArkansasIDEAS platform?

3. Are there specific accessibility tools or software preferred by the Arkansas PBS that we should use for closed captioning and other accessibility features?

See response to question 5.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

1. How often is the course content expected to be updated, and are there any specific timelines or events that will trigger updates (e.g., annual updates, changes in state regulations)?

2. Does Arkansas PBS have existing content or modules that the contractor should consider when developing the new courses, or will all content be newly created?

3. Can you provide a more detailed breakdown of the expected number of courses to be developed annually and the average length or complexity of each course?

4. What balance of content types (e.g., video-based, interactive, assessments) is preferred for these courses?

See response to question 6.

Data Security and

Compliance

Can you specify the data transfer process and security measures expected for integrating the online training data into the ArkansasIDEAS system?

This is addressed in Section 2.17 Data Security.

Data Security and

Compliance

Are there specific state regulations or requirements for data storage locations (e.g., within the United States) that we need to comply with?

This is addressed in Section 2.17 Data Security, Subsection B.

Data Security and

Compliance

What are the State's expectations for the Disaster Recovery Plan in terms of response time and recovery point objectives (RPOs)?

This is addressed in Section 2.18 Disaster Recovery of the Solicitation.

Pricing and Costing

Details Are there any price adjustment clauses for inflation or changes in the cost of delivery over the seven-year period?

This is addressed in Section 1.6 Response Documents, Subsection B. Technical Proposal Packet, Subsection c. Completed Official Solicitation Price Sheet attached to the Solicitation in ARBuy, Subsection iv., of the Solicitation.

Pricing and Costing

Details How should costs for optional services be presented in the proposal if they are not included in the main price sheet?

This is addressed in Section 1.6 Response Documents, Subsection B. Technical Proposal Packet, Subsection c. Completed Official Solicitation Price Sheet attached to the Solicitation in ARBuy, Subsection iii., of the Solicitation.

15 Payment Terms What are the payment milestones or schedules once the contract is awarded? Will payments be tied to the completion of specific deliverables or phases?

This is addressed in Section 4.2 General Terms and Conditions of the Solicitation.

System Integration and

Compatibility What LMS versions are currently being used, and what upgrades are anticipated during the contract period?

Currently Totara 12 is in production and an upgrade to Totara 13+ is planned.

System Integration and

Compatibility Is there a specific API documentation for integrating with the ArkansasIDEAS LMS that we can review before submission?

Totara offers many integration options. They have developer documentation as well as partner networks to support content creators. https://www.totara.com/us/totara-partners/

System Uptime and

Performance Requirements

Could you provide more details on the specific content and format expected for the monthly System Usage and Performance Report?

This is addressed in 2.16 Reporting Requirements.

Timeline and Project

Kickoff Can you provide more information about the expected timeline between the contract award date and the project kickoff?

This is addressed in Section 3.7 Anticipation To Award of the Solicitation.

Timeline and Project

Kickoff What is the expected duration of the testing phase before going live with the courses on ArkansasIDEAS?

This is addressed in Section 2.13 Implementation and Testing of the Solicitation.

Regarding the

Evaluation Process What weight is assigned to each part of the proposal (e.g., technical solution, pricing, past experience)?

See the response to question 4.

Regarding the

Evaluation Process

Will there be an opportunity to clarify or address any misunderstandings about our proposal during the evaluation process before final scoring?

See the response to question 4.

Clarifications on Scope of Work

Can you elaborate on the specific integration requirements for the ArkansasIDEAS LMS, especially concerning SCORM or LTI compatibility?

See response to question 5.

Clarifications on Scope of Work What level of customization or branding is expected for the online training courses within the ArkansasIDEAS platform?

See response to question 5.

Clarifications on Scope of Work

Are there specific accessibility tools or software preferred by the Arkansas PBS that we should use for closed captioning and other accessibility features?

See response to question 5.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

How often is the course content expected to be updated, and are there any specific timelines or events that will trigger updates (e.g., annual updates, changes in state regulations)?

See response to Question 6.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

Does Arkansas PBS have existing content or modules that the contractor should consider when developing the new courses, or will all content be newly created?

See response to question 6.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

Can you provide a more detailed breakdown of the expected number of courses to be developed annually and the average length or complexity of each course?

See response to question 6.

Content and

Curriculum-Related Questions

What balance of content types (e.g., video-based, interactive, assessments) is preferred for these courses?

See response to question 6.

30 Training Are you looking for a single training provider to provide all training or will it be split between different training providers?

This is addressed in Section 1.2 Type of Contract, Subsection A., of the Solicitation.

31 ARBuy To submit the response in ARBuy, can I simply register there?

Or do I need to submit an application or register on another website first?

This is addressed in Section 1.6 Response Documents of the Solicitation.