SP4703-17-Q-0060_DCAA_Critical_Thinking_Assessments_Attachment_2_-_PWS.docx

CRITICAL THINKING ASSESSMENTS

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Mission and Background:

The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), as a key member of the government acquisition team, are dedicated stewards of taxpayer dollars who deliver high quality contract audits and services to ensure that warfighters get what they need at fair and reasonable prices. Our mission statement clarifies our commitment to getting the most value for every dollar spent on defense contracts. We operate as a member of the acquisition community that works together to equip and serve our service-members in uniform. As stewards who look out for our taxpayer’s interests, we conduct high quality contract audit services to ensure that the government is paying fair prices for what it buys.

The DCAA operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. DCAA consists of about 4,800 employees at over 300 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific with three geographic regions, a field detachment to conduct classified work, and four-Corporate Auditing Directorates (CAD).

1.2 Objectives:

DCAA’s overarching objective is to contribute to the development and maintenance of a competent workforce essential for effective operations and attainment of the agency mission and strategic plan goals. Specific objectives are to:

1.2.1 Accomplish the agency’s mission.

1.2.2 Improve operational efficiency.

1.2.3 Promote life-long learning by employees to acquire related knowledge and skills.

1.2.4 Develop a well-rounded staff who possesses interpersonal, team, technical, management, and leadership skills.

1.2.5 Plan, establish, and maintain career programs, which will attract, develop, and provide an incentive for the retention of personnel.

1.3 Scope:

1.3.1 Contractor will provide

(i) On-line critical thinking assessments for each agency employee,

(ii) A database detailing assessment results,

(iii) Train-the-trainer (TTT) certification course and materials to support critical thinking training,

(iv) Individual on-line training courses, and

(v) Re-assessments of current employees and assessment of new employees.

1.3.2 Base year period of performance will consist of the above. The option years will include an option for one TTT session and course materials, if required; on-line assessments and results for new employees, if required; and on-line re-assessment and results of current employees, if required.

1.4 Specific Tasks:

1.4.1 Assessment: The contractor will provide critical thinking assessments for each agency employee that will be:

1. web-based commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS);

2. accessible to all employees simultaneously within the period of performance;

3. tailored to the type of staff (auditor and professional support);

4. be based on, at minimum, the following attributes of critical thinking (resourceful, honorable, judicious, adaptable, problem analysis, evaluating alternatives, and quantitative contexts);

5. able to identify and include the appropriate demographic information to be included on the assessments in coordination with the agency (e.g. auditor/professional support indicator, years of experience, location, office type, etc.);

6. able to immediately provide, via email, individualized results of the assessments to each employee along with a narrative for each critical thinking attribute that explains the attribute, and shows how the employee scored compared to the norm group; and

7. able to provide the agency with an Access database that summarizes the overall agency results by question and attribute. The entire database requirements are outlined in section 1.4.2 below.

1.4.2 Database: Individual assessment results for the entire agency in an Access database that will:

1. be utilized in identifying the gaps in critical thinking;

2. provide the ability to measure results over time;

3. provide the ability to analyze data by assessment attributes;

4. provide the ability to analyze data by type of staff (auditor and professional support);

5. allow for compilation of scores by various demographics (e.g.. field audit office, region, etc.); and

6. be free of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to ensure anonymity.

1.4.3 Train the Trainer (TTT): Conduct a live (in-person) TTT course to prepare DCAA instructors to train the DCAA workforce on the critical thinking attributes listed in 1.4.1 (4) above, and any other included in the assessment, and to focus on any identifiable areas of weakness from the agency summary level results required in 1.4.1 (7).. This includes:

1. training Defense Contract Audit Institute (DCAI) Instructors for TTT within 30 days after receipt of agency results or at a later time based on agency discretion,

· maximum of 20 people for a minimum of two days of training per person

2. training that covers all the attributes tested during the assessment phase 1.4.1(4),

3. assisting DCAI to incorporate critical thinking skills into existing and future training courses,

4. providing instructor/student course material to properly train the selected DCAI instructors,

5. creating agency specific course materials (i.e., guides, supporting PowerPoint slides, job aides, posters, and/or assessments) for DCAI instructor led training (DCAI will reprint student course material in-house).

6. providing supplemental instructional support to the DCAI trainers on an as-needed basis while the instructors are training the workforce.

1.4.4 Online Training: On-line training system must accommodate 5,000 DCAA individual user accounts. Program will allow the ability to take courses from an exhaustive library on a variety of computers, PCs, tablets, and other mobile devices. The training system must be available 24/7 and accessible from desk top computers, laptop computers, tablets, and smart phones using all versions of Windows, Android, and iOS operating systems. All courses will be related to the attributes tested during the assessment phase. The system must allow off-line viewing of course and exercise material, and the downloaded material must be available and persistent for at least 30 days.

1.4.5 Option Years: Perform re-assessment of employees previously tested (up to 5,000 employees) and assessment of new employees (up to 500 employees). Provide the assessments and database meeting the identical criteria listed in 1.4.1 and 1.4. Conduct a TTT meeting the identical criteria listed in 1.4.3 on an as needed basis. Provide on-line training in accordance with the criteria listed in 1.4.4.

1.5 Deliverables. The contractor shall submit the deliverables in the timeframe agreed upon by the DCAA Project Manager (PM) and contractor. All deliverables acquired or developed as a result of this requirement shall become property of the government after acceptance. The DCAA PM will review all deliverables and mandatory requirements for quality and completeness, and accept or reject them.

1.6 Performance Measures

2.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, LOCATION, HOURS OF OPERATION, TRAVEL

2.1 Period of Performance: Assessment, database, TTT, and on-line training exact dates to be coordinated between DCAA and contractor after contract award.

Base Year: September 15, 2017 – September 14, 2018 Option Year One: September 15, 2018 – September 14, 2019 Option Year Two: September 15, 2019 – September 14, 2020

2.2 Location of Performance: Assessment, Database, On-line training at vendor facility (assessments and on-line training provided virtually).

TTT Session Location: Defense Contract Audit Institute (DCAI), 10 Glendale Parkway NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30328

2.3 Hours of Operation: The contractor is responsible for making the assessments and on-line training available 24 hours a day. The contractor is responsible for conducting the TTT Monday through Friday, between the hours of 0800-1630 (less 30-minute lunch). No courses will be conducted on federal holidays or when the government facility is closed because of local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar government directed facility closings.

2.4 Travel. The contractor will be required to travel to DCAI in Atlanta, GA for the TTT course one time per year for approximately two days each. Prior to travel, a DCAA Form 5000-8, DCAA Contract Travel Authorization/Reimbursement, shall be filled out with the estimated travel costs. This estimate will be submitted to the DCAA PM for review and approval. Upon completion of travel, a completed DCAA Form 5000-8 will be submitted with the appropriate invoice and copies of all travel receipts. All travel performed will be reimbursed based on actuals, and conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46 (http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm) and the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). Local travel shall be at the contractor’s expense and shall not be billable to the government.

3.0 CONTRACTOR KEY PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

Contractor personnel providing support under this order must clearly demonstrate expert knowledge and experience in critical thinking and performing the tasks listed above.

4.0 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

The government will furnish the facility, on-site desk, chair, computer equipment with internet access, telephone, facsimile machine, copy machine, and audio-visual equipment.

5.0 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

The contractor will furnish all course materials and services to meet performance requirements, except the specified government-furnished items above. The contractor will ensure that facilitator course material for the TTT session are provided to the selected DCAI instructors on the first day of the training session.

6.0 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The contractor will furnish personnel that have been the subject of a completed and favorably adjudicated National Agency Check with Written Inquires (NACI). The contractor Facility Security Officer or security official will submit a Visit Request to DCAA HQ Security using JPAS SMO Code B9000 or by submitting a visit access letter (VAL) via e-mail to dcaa-cs@dcaa.mil.

7.0 PROPRIETARY/SENSITIVE DATA REQUIREMENTS

The data processed within DCAA offices is considered proprietary and/or sensitive and cannot be used to solicit or benefit other work by the contractor. Contractor agrees to comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses 52.224-1 and 52.224-2.

8.0 CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

The contractor is required to safeguard personally identifiable information (PII) in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, DCAAR 5410.10 DCAA Privacy Program and DoD Privacy Act Regulation 5400.11-R. The DCAA PM must be informed immediately of discovery/detection if DoD PII data is compromised, lost, or stolen. The DCAA PM must contact DCAA Operations immediately to report the discovery/detection of DoD PII data that has been compromised, lost, or stolen.

The contractor shall remain compliant with all applicable federal government and DoD rules, regulations, directives, instructions, orders, and policies pertaining to information assurance (IA), information technology (IT), IT security, and protection of federal and DoD data and information systems including adherence to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) policies, NIST/DoD security standards, and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). In addition, the contractor shall not connect any non-government issued computer or Universal Serial Bus (USB) Flash Drive Media Device to the DCAA network.

9.0 DCAA POINTS OF CONTACT

To be provided at time of award.