Sources Sought Notice APEX Program Support Services(II).pdf

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

ACQUISITION DIRECTORATE

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

General Information

Document Type: Sources Sought Notice BS111520231031 Title: Advanced Professional Executive (APEX) Senior Executive Service (SES) Orientation Program Support Services.

Sources Sought Post Date: 11/15/2023 Sources Sought Response Date: 11/29/2023 at 10:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time) NAICS Code: 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services Product Service Code: R499

Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Acquisition Directorate (AD) is conducting market research to locate qualified, experienced, and interested businesses from “all” sources, including Other than Small Businesses, Small Businesses, 8(a) Small Businesses, HUBZone Small Businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Businesses to provide Advanced Professional Executive (APEX) Senior Executive Service (SES) Orientation Program Support Services.

Sources Sought Notice

This Sources Sought Notice is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as an obligation on the part of Washington Headquarters Services /Acquisition Directorate

(WHS/AD).

In order to proactively plan for future requirements, WHS/AD is conducting market research to locate qualified, experienced, and interested firm who have the capability to provide Advanced Professional Executive (APEX) Senior Executive Service (SES) Orientation Program Support Services. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services with a size standard of $24.5 million dollars.

The Government anticipates a requirement with a one-year base period and four one-year option periods. The anticipated requirement has an estimated value ranging from $3,000,000.00 and $4,000,000.00 .

This Sources Sought Notice is not a request for proposal (RFP), nor does it restrict the Government as to the final acquisition strategy. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. At this time, no solicitation exists. Therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. Responses in any form are not offers.

The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this Notice.

Background

The Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 1403.03 requires Senior Executive Service (SES) leaders to possess the background, ability, and skill to lead across organization and functional boundaries, as well as across the broad national security spectrum. The APEX Program is designed to provide senior executives with both a practical and theoretical understanding of the structure and processes of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the (all or select number) Combatant Commands (CCMD), the Joint Staff (JCS), and the Military Departments (MilDeps). Additionally, the program helps executive employees gain an enterprise-wide perspective that encompasses expectations, opportunities, and challenges currently facing our DoD leadership. The APEX program allows for Senior Executive “Joint Training” across OSD and the MilDeps SESs as mandated in the Defense Management Report Decision No# 974, dated December 15, 1992. The APEX program was established in 1994 to support this requirement.

The APEX Program will be offered twice per year (fall/spring) for no more than 35 DoD Career Senior Executives per session. APEX provides a high quality, joint orientation for newly appointed career senior executive members; the program helps new leaders gain an enterprise-wide perspective that encompasses expectations, opportunities, and challenges currently facing DOD leadership. The primary program objective is to provide executives with an opportunity to expand their networks and pursue personal and professional development across the DoD.

Upon completion of the program, executives gain an enterprise-wide perspective which encompasses expectations, opportunities, and challenges currently facing our DoD leadership.

The APEX curriculum will utilize a variety of instructional methodologies including, but not limited to, discussions, activities, and simulations to enhance learning and address current world issues to foster collaboration, communication, and problem solving in an enterprise context.

The WHS, Human Resources Directorate (HRD) has an immediate need for executive training facilitation, event planning, logistical coordination and administrative support. The main goal of the program is to provide participants with opportunities to broaden their professional networks and obtain an enterprise-wide perspective.

The APEX curriculum will utilize a variety of instructional methodologies including, but not limited to: discussion, activities, and simulations to enhance learning and address real world issues that foster collaboration, communication, and problem solving in an enterprise context.

Mandatory Service Requirements

Key Personnel: Offerors shall be able to provide as a key personnel a Senior Facilitator that shall be a recently separated or retired SES member (Tier 2 or higher), Flag or General Officer (two star or higher).

Security Requirements: An active SECRET facility clearance.

For interested 8(a) Joint Ventures (JV), the firm shall indicate if the 8(a) JV itself or the individual partner(s) to the 8(a) JV hold the required facility clearance.

Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements

Firms submitting a response to this Notice should address performance of the following Service Requirement Basic Services and Critical Tasks/Elements in their capabilities statement.

Critical Tasks/Elements:

Basic Services. The Contractor shall provide executive facilitation, event planning, logistical and administrative support services for a maximum of 35 executives (70 per calendar year) for two sessions (April and October)

1. Development of the Program. The contractor shall:

• Plan and conduct each APEX SES Orientation Program, including the analysis, design, development, delivery and evaluation;

• Develop activities to cover 10 days in length for each iteration, based on program objectives;

• Arrange and confirm presenter/speaker participation and availability and in detail, provide presenter/speaker with their roles, responsibility and program support requirements;

• Provide OSD leadership with program executive summaries, briefs, talking points and daily summaries/reports of participant feedback;

• Provide creative learning opportunities to describe the future challenges facing Defense.

The initial program shall be approved by HRD within 60 days of the award of the contract, and subsequent programs will be approved by HRD 60 days prior to program delivery.

• Prepare contingency plans to adequately support national emergencies and/or pandemic situations;

• Communicate and collaborate with DoD Public Health officials to obtain guidance on program delivery formats that will be in the best interest of the government.

2. APEX Program Facilitation. APEX program facilitators shall be able to provide executive-level facilitation by summarizing current DoD-wide issues and navigate the CoCOMs.

Facilitators shall be a recently separated or retired SES member (Tier 2 or higher), Flag or General Officer (two star or higher), or equivalent. The APEX program facilitator(s) shall:

• Share insight about what it means to be a senior executive;

• Discuss expectations of new Executives as the strategic climate has changed over the years;

• Provide any personal and professional experiences that will strengthen knowledge transfer and reinforce the key "learning points" made during CoCOM/MilDep visits;

• Provide additional clarification on any discussions or topics presented during the APEX

Program during DoD Senior Leaders presentations;

• Conduct working group sessions on relevant topics pertaining to current events/activities and discuss impact of their decisions.

• Provide Program pre-work briefing to deliver travel details and answer program-related questions.

3. Travel, Transportation, Lodging, and Logistics. The Contractor shall perform all administrative, logistical, transportation and financial requirements to carry out an executive-level program. The Contractor shall arrange the following, as well as, additional appropriate administrative elements that evolve during the work:

• Logistics shall capture photographs and/or video clip to upload to the Program website;

and obtain permission of program participants for use;

• Logistics shall adjust lodging requirements, as required, based upon adding and/or removing participants.

• Logistics shall make transportation, meals, and travel arrangements for presenters, speakers, experts, consultants, and Program support staff. This may also include but will not be limited to parking and lodging for non-local/non-government program participants/personnel; and also accommodate program schedule changes, as required.

• Logistics will coordinate military air (MILAIR) travel that has been initiated by the Government Program Manager.

*Known travel locations are: Local travel during the first week of the training course will be in and around the Washington, D.C. metro area and interstate travel within the National Capital Region to include Cyber Command, Ft. Meade, MD; Quantico, VA (Marines); Virginia Beach, VA (Coast Guard); Norfolk, VA (Navy); Hampton, VA (Air Force). Additional travel throughout the continental United States to include Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO (Army); Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO; Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, NE; Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL; Central Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL; Special Operations Command, Doral, FL; Southern Command, Miami, FL. Additional locations may be required based upon program needs.

4. Program Evaluation. The contractor shall:

• Design, conduct, analyze, and submit evaluation reports regarding participant evaluations of the Program. Daily and summative evaluation reports should include, but are not limited to: surveys and verbal or written feedback. Include questions on logistics (including lodging and transportation), speakers, meals, etc. Surveys must include a Likert-type 5-point scale with questions focused on each program element, facilities, accommodations, attainment of objectives, in addition to open- ended questions. Formats for final evaluation reports will be determined by the Government lead. For example, formats may include: full written report(s), executive summary (ies), PowerPoint slides, raw data, and correspondence.

Upon the completion of each Program, the Contractor will collect, analyze and compile data into a Comprehensive Program Review report and Executive Summary.

• Forward the published complete report to the Government lead;

• Create and/or maintain Program materials and historical repository

(presenters, speakers and participants).

• Archive information so that program history can be maintained.

Government will have access to site, and all information stored on the site should be turned over to Government at the end of contract or when requested.

• Develop and explore new and creative ways to connect participants and encourage networking using technology or other methods on a regular basis.

• Recommend such activities, for example, participant tracking, communities of practice, lessons learned and web site links with no expectation of funding or implementation by the Government

Instructions.

If your company is an interested business that has the capability to perform Advanced Professional Executive (APEX) Senior Executive Service (SES) Orientation Program. Support Services; please send the capability statement to the following contact listed below: via email to whs.mc-alex.ad.mbx.ks@mail.mil, Subject Line: Response to Sources Sought; APEX SES Orientation Program Support Services.

Respondents are limited to 10 pages. A minimum font size 12, left justified, and one inch margins all around.

Respondents must submit documents in Word or PDF format. Neither zipped files will be accepted nor telephone requests be honored.

Responses must be submitted no later than November 29, 2023 at 10:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time). Capability statements will not be returned.

Please provide the following information:

1. Vendors shall address their capability in meeting each of the Critical Task Elements listed above.

mailto:whs.mc-alex.ad.mbx.ks@mail.mil

2. Company name and address.

3. UEI and CAGE Code Number.

4. Company Point of Contact, phone number and email.

5. NAICS codes associated with the company.

6. Business Size Status and Socio-economic categories associated with the company (e.g., 8(a), SDB, VOSB, WOSB, etc.) based on the NAICS: 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services. If the company is an 8(a) Joint Venture, please identify each member partner and the date the Joint Venture was established.

7. Identify contracts your company has been awarded under NAICS: 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Service. Additional information on NAICS codes can be found at www.sba.gov.

8. Specific examples of prior efforts same/and or similar to Advanced Professional Executive (APEX) Senior Executive Service (SES) Orientation Program Support Services as outlined in the Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements section of this document. The synopsis must include where, when, for whom each similar contract and/or project was performed, a brief description of each contract and/or project, including the size, scope, dollar value, and period of performance.

9. Recommended/suggested NAICS codes for this effort.

10. Recommended/suggested contract type (i.e. FFP, Cost, T&M, LOE, etc.).

11. Identify/Recommended Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWACS) that these services can be obtained based on the Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements section of this document. Identify the GWACs contract number.

12. Identify if this requirement is commercial or non-commercial based on the Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements section of this document. Please specify why it is commercial and/or non-commercial.

13. Number of contracts currently held with the Government to include any Federal Supply Schedules listed under GSA Advantage.

14. Point of Contact, phone number, and emails of individuals who can verify the demonstrated capabilities identified in the responses.

15. Please provide feedback or questions regarding the Service Requirement Critical Tasks/Elements section of this document.

http://www.sba.gov/

16. For overall requirement, or each task element, indicate any Small Business Participation opportunities and percentage of participation, as applicable.

Confidentiality

Proprietary information and trade secrets shall NOT be submitted as part of a response.

Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

All Government and contractor personnel reviewing Sources Sought responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is submitted, as it is clearly stated this type of information shall NOT be submitted.

Contracting Office Address

Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate 4800 Mark Center, Suite 09F09 Alexandria, VA 22350

POINTS OF CONTACT:

Contracting Officer:

Karen A. Smith Email: karen.a.smith202.civ@mail.mil

Small Business Specialist:

Tara Upchurch Email: tara.n.upchurch.civ@mail.mil mailto:karen.a.smith202.civ@mail.mil mailto:tara.n.upchurch.civ@mail.mil