Strategic Talent Development Services RFP SCC-26-011-HR Q&A #1.pdf

RFP # SCC-26-011-HR: Strategic Talent Development Services

Questions and Answers Document #1

September 1st, 2026

# Question SCC Response 1 Can there be any general conversations with you and your team? All questions should go through the

SPOC Jesse Case. The SCC does not guarantee the opportunity for further discussion on proposals.

2 It shows varied locations for work, but not the related percentages / time.

Since we are not right in Richmond and we will have to travel, we just need to figure our travel and related activities to fully burden our rates?

Terms for Travel Reimbursement are included in Exhibit A. Services Agreement Section 1.c

3 Exhibit B states that suppliers shall fulfill the specific requirements in Section 2.0, while the RFP anticipates multiple contract awards. May an Offeror propose services in selected areas, such as Organizational Development, Assessment Services, and Training Facilitation, without proposing Coaching Services under Section 2.1?

Per the solicitation, the only optional service requested is the section 2.5 of Exhibit B. Executive Coaching.

4 Pricing when a service area is not proposed If Offerors may elect not to propose Coaching Services, how should the Offeror complete the Coach labor category in Exhibit D, Section 1.1, given the instruction that an hourly rate must be provided for all labor categories?

Should the Offeror enter “N/A,” or is a rate required regardless of the services proposed?

Please see response to question #3

5 Pricing of assessment tools OQ Strategies anticipates proposing assessment tools that can be customized to SCC’s needs, including Pulse360 and DSIC. For purposes of Exhibit D, Section 1.2, should Offerors provide the standard per-person cost for each assessment tool, with any SCC-specific customization, administration, analysis, and reporting scoped separately through the

Yes, please include the standard per-person cost for each assessment tool in Exhibit D, Section 1.2.

Per Exhibit B Addendum # 2, customization may be billed hourly at the administrative rate.

applicable Statement of Work, or should the per-person price in Exhibit D incorporate those anticipated services?

6 Exhibit B states that coaching may be performed by individuals possessing a recognized professional coaching certification from an accredited organization, with ICF certification strongly preferred. Exhibit D’s Coach labor category appears to specify ICF certification. Please clarify whether recognized non-ICF professional coaching certifications satisfy the minimum requirement for the Coach labor category, or whether ACC, PCC, or MCC certification from ICF is required.

The SCC prefers ICF coaching certification and the preferred minimum certification is the PCC.

Exhibit D will be updated in Addendum #2

7 Section 3.1.1 states that all coaches working with SCC must be "certified in coaching," with ICF certification preferred. Can you clarify what SCC considers an acceptable coaching certification? For example, would graduate or doctoral-level education with a concentration in executive coaching meet this requirement, or is a separate professional coaching certification required

The SCC prefers professional coaching certification with ICF the preference.

8 Since SCC plans to make multiple awards, can you provide some insight into how work will be assigned among the selected vendors? If available, it would also be helpful to know the approximate number or types of coaching, leadership development, facilitation, or other talent development engagements SCC typically expects in a year.

Work will be assigned to awarded suppliers at the SCC's discretion.

9 Is it mandatory to submit a bid for all three categories—3.1.1 Coaching,

3.1.2 Organizational Development, and 3.1.3 Training and Instructional Design—including all subcategories under each category? Alternatively, if we choose to bid on only one or more categories, are we required to bid on the entire selected category, including all of its subcategories?

Please see response to Question #3

10 Are you planning to assemble a stable of providers or do you hope to find a single provider?

Per the solicitation the SCC reserves the right to award to multiple suppliers at the SCC's discretion

11 Does SCC expect each awarded supplier to demonstrate full capability across all core service areas, or may suppliers be selected based on

Subcontractors and partners are permitted per the solicitation particular areas of strength while using qualified subcontractors or partners for complementary capabilities?

12 Does SCC require proposed coaches themselves to hold current Hogan administration credentials, or would SCC consider a model in which qualified coaches integrate Hogan results while administration and scoring are performed by a qualified assessment specialist or subcontractor?

The SCC would consider a model in which qualified certified coaches integrate the Hogan results while administration and scoring are performed by a qualified assessment specialist or subcontractor.

13 While we understand SCC cannot guarantee volume, can SCC share the anticipated or historical mix of requests across individual coaching, executive coaching, team coaching, facilitation/training, organizational development, and assessment services? Are there particular service areas SCC expects to utilize most frequently during the initial contract period?

The SCC does not have an estimated amount for the life of the contract

14 Once the multiple-award supplier pool is established, what factors does SCC anticipate considering when selecting a supplier for an individual Statement of Work; for example, specialized expertise, personnel fit, availability, methodology, prior performance, or project-specific cost?

Work will be assigned to awarded suppliers at the SCC's discretion.

15 Can SCC provide guidance regarding the anticipated frequency of onsite engagements, particularly for coaching and facilitation, and the typical amount of advance notice suppliers may receive for onsite requests?

There is no set cadence for the onsite engagements. Each statement of Work will be agreed to by both parties and will document the period of performance.

16 For an Offeror that is not itself Virginia DSBSD-certified but Oklahoma DSBSD certified, is that accepted in the scope of this RFP? If not, what is the preferred percentage for subcontracted work?

Per Exhibit E "No Offeror, Supplier, or subcontractor shall be considered a small business unless certified by Virginia DSBSD". There is no set preferred percentage for subcontracted work

17 What are the primary business outcomes or organizational objectives SCC seeks to achieve through this contract?

The goals of the solicitation are laid out in Section 3 of the Solicitation document

18 Are there specific organizational priorities, strategic initiatives, workforce readiness goals, culture-related outcomes, or leadership challenges SCC expects selected vendors to support?

Please see SCC response to question #18

19 How many employees are currently employed across SCC? Of that total, how many employees may be eligible for coaching services under this contract?

The SCC currently employs 750 people.

Approximately 100 people will be eligible for coaching services under this contract.

20 Has SCC used leadership assessments in the past? If so, will any prior assessment results, tools, frameworks, or related information be available for future use by selected vendors?

The SCC has used multiple leadership assessments in the past. Select materials may be available for future use if deemed appropriate for the project.

21 Does SCC anticipate making multiple awards under this solicitation? If so, how does SCC anticipate issuing future task orders or service requests among awarded vendors?

Per the solicitation, the SCC reserved the right to award to either one or multiple suppliers. Usage of the awarded contract will be at the SCC's discretion.

22 Exhibit B indicates that SCC may contact one or more selected Suppliers regarding a potential project before assigning the project through an agreed-upon Statement of Work. What process or criteria does SCC anticipate using to select among contracted Suppliers for individual projects or SOWs?

For example, will selection be based primarily on subject-matter expertise, personnel availability, proposed approach, price, prior SCC experience, or some combination of factors?

In the event of multiple awards, appropriate candidates will be chosen for SOWs at the SCC's discretion.

23 Does SCC anticipate circumstances in which multiple contracted Suppliers may provide related or sequential services to the same individual, team, cohort, or initiative? If so, what level of coordination among Suppliers would SCC expect? For example, if one Supplier delivers leadership training and another subsequently provides group or individual coaching related to that content, would coordination between the Suppliers be expected? If such

In the event of multiple awards, appropriate candidates will be chosen for SOWs at the SCC's discretion. If coordination is needed between Suppliers, billable hours will be negotiated as part of the SOW.

coordination is requested by SCC, may that time be included as billable labor under the applicable SOW?

24 For training, facilitation, retreats, keynotes, and similar engagements, may an SOW include reasonable preparation and project-development time as billable labor in addition to actual delivery time? This may include client consultation, research, customization, instructional design, development of slides and participant materials, preparation of exercises or activities, and post-session follow-up. For example, if a two-hour customized workshop requires six additional hours of design, preparation, and follow-up, may the SOW reflect eight total labor hours?

The SOW may include reasonable preparation and development time.

25 Exhibit A addresses reimbursement of allowable travel expenses under SCC's Travel Policy. For onsite engagements requiring travel, may reasonable travel time also be included as billable labor in an individual SOW, or is travel time considered non-billable?

All in-person events will be held in Richmond, VA. Terms for Travel reimbursement are included in the Services Agreement Section 1.c.

26 Table 2 of the RFP states that Appendix A: Offeror Profile should include resumes; however, Appendix A does not include a specific section for resumes, while Exhibit B contains the Key Personnel and Optional Personnel tables. Please confirm whether resumes should be appended to Appendix A and whether resumes are required for all individuals identified as Key or Optional Personnel in Exhibit B.

Yes, resumes should be provided in Appendix A for all proposed Staff. An Addendum will be published to include a specific section for resumes

27 For purposes of Appendix A, Section 3.6, does SCC consider commercially available third-party software, assessment, productivity, communication, and learning platforms used in the ordinary course of delivering professional services to be “strategic partnerships” requiring the detailed subcontractor information and copies of agreements described in Section 3.6(b)? Or is this requirement intended primarily for subcontractors and third parties performing substantive portions of the contracted services? For example, would routine use of platforms such as Canva, Trello, Zoom, Google Workspace, or commercially licensed assessment platforms need to be disclosed in Section 3.6?

No, the SCC does not consider commercially available third-party software, assessment, productivity, communication, and learning platforms used in the ordinary course of delivering professional services to be “strategic partnerships.

Yes, the requirement is intended for subcontractors and third parties performing substantive portions of work.

28 Is the conflict-of-interest restriction in Exhibit A, Section 4.9 intended to prohibit a Supplier from providing services to any entity subject to SCC jurisdiction, or only where the nature of the Supplier's services to that third party creates an actual or potential conflict with the Supplier's work for

SCC?

Only in the event that there is a potential conflict with the suppliers which is determined at the SCC's discretion per section 4.9

29 Can we bid on part of the scope, ie only organizational development? Please see SCC response to question #3

30 Can you clarify the credit scoring that is requested? Can free credit reports be used for Duns and Bradstreet and is Equifax suitable to be used?

Offerors may submit what they have available and if more information is needed the SCC will request it upon review.

31 Approximately how many employees does SCC employ, and approximately how many executives, managers/supervisors and individual contributors could potentially receive services under this contract?

751 employees to date - the SCC employs approximately 200 leaders and any of our professional or administrative employees may be included in development training and education as well.

32 Will questions from all vendors get consolidated and shared with all other vendors?

Yes all questions will be addressed in publicly posted Q&A Documents

33 Is it mandatory to submit a bid for all three categories—3.1.1 Coaching,

3.1.2 Organizational Development, and 3.1.3 Training and Instructional Design—including all subcategories under each category? Alternatively, if we choose to bid on only one or more categories, are we required to bid on the entire selected category, including all of its subcategories?

Please see SCC response to question #3

34 For the resumes do they also need to be Word Doc as well or can they be a combined PDF?

Instructions for submission of resumes will be addressed in Addendum #2

35 Please clarify whether proposed hourly labor rates are expected to remain fixed throughout the initial three-year contract period and any renewal periods. Additionally, how should Offerors account for travel, The hourly labor rates are expected to remain fixed during the inital contract period. Offerors should account for assessment/licensing fees, participant materials, books, instruments, and other direct costs associated with an individual SOW, should these costs be incorporated into hourly rates or proposed separately at the SOW level? The RFP requires fixed hourly rates for each labor category for pricing evaluation.

direct costs separately at the SOW level.

36 Because the SCC anticipates multiple awards, can you explain how individual assignments will be distributed among contractors? For example, will work be competed through task orders, rotated among vendors, matched to particular specialties, or assigned at the SCC’s discretion?

Task orders will be assigned at the SCC's discretion

37 For executive coaching, does SCC anticipate a preferred minimum certification level such as PCC/MCC, or may an ACC coach with substantial senior executive experience qualify?

The preferred minimum certification is the PCC.

38 The RFP specifically references non-HR functions, such as assessments and coaching. Could you please confirm that these services are intentionally included within the scope of the RFP? Additionally, are firms that specialize in these non-HR services eligible to submit proposals and be considered competitively?

These services are intentionally included within the scope of the RFP.

And, yes, they can submit proposals for consideration.

39 At what stage of the RFP will our client references be contacted? Can we introduce over a call/email instead of you directly reaching out?

References may be checked at the SCC's discretion without the Offeror present

40 Are in-person services expected primarily in Richmond, and should travel be incorporated into the hourly rates?

All in-person events will be held in Richmond, VA. The SCC’s travel policy is laid out in Section Section 1.c of Exhibit A, Services Agreement

41 For instructional design and SCORM-compliant e-learning deliverables, will materials be hosted in an SCC-owned LMS? If so, which platform, so we can confirm technical compatibility?

Currently, the SCC does not have an LMS. All SCORM-compliance e-learning deliverables will be hosted on Percipio.

42 Can SCC clarify the expected frequency and scale of keynote speaking requests (e.g., an annual leadership retreat, all-staff events) to help us size that labor category appropriately?

The SCC does not anticipate requiring more than 2-3 keynote speaking requests annually. The keynotes will support leadership retreats with no more than 60 attendees.

43 Approximately how many organizations do you anticipate will be awarded? The number of awards will be at the SCC’s discretion

44 Do you consider Coaching and Executive Coaching separate aspects of the scope? You have said that Executive Coaching is optional, but "Coach" is listed in Exhibit B Section 1.1 for a rate. How should that be addressed?

Per the solicitation Exhibit B, Coaching and Executive coaching are separate portions of the Requirements, Methodology, and Approach laid out in Section 2. Executtive coaching is listed as optional per section 2.5

45 Was there an initial culture assessment, employee satisfaction survey, or root cause analysis completed by the SCC HR department that initiated this

RFP?

No

46 Has SCC determined a budget for this contract? The SCC will not share budget information at this time

47 Is SCC currently using specific assessment instruments or platforms (e.g., a particular 360, engagement survey, or personality tool) it would like continuity with, or is the Offeror free to propose its own suite?

The SCC uses a variety of well-established tools such as the MBTI, DISC, etc. However, the Offeror may propose its own suite for consideration.

48 Is there a deadline (day/time) when you'll post the last addendum updates to the eVA?

There is no deadline for posting of addenda

49 Is there a page limit or preferred length for the Exhibit B narrative responses? There is no page limit 50 Are the hours shown in section 5.2.1 an approximation of the hours that will be requested?

The SCC does not have an estimated amount for the life of the contract

51 Is there an incumbent supplier (or suppliers) currently providing coaching, OD, training, or assessment services to SCC HR, and if so, are they eligible to submit on this RFP?

Yes there is an incumbent and yes they are permitted to submit on this RFP

52 Is SCC specifically seeking vendors capable of providing Hogan assessments, or was Hogan provided as an example of an acceptable assessment instrument? For enterprise assessments, should suppliers include assessment platform/software licensing within the hourly labor rate, or may third-party assessment/license costs be included in the Assessment Tools section of each SOW?

The SCC Is interested in vendors that can provide Hogan assessments. It was included as an example.

The third-party assessment/license costs can be included in section 1.2 Assessment Tools or Section 1.3

Additional Services of Exhibit D. Any SOW executed off of an awarded contract would include applicable pricing from Exhibit D.

53 Do we need to do a wet signature on the coversheet since we are submitting it as a word doc

No, wet signature is not required

54 Do you want a redacted version if we are asking proprietary information not be shared?

Yes, per the instruction in Section 4.2 b of the solicitation document please provide redacted copies if offeror seeks to protect from disclosure any proprietary or trade secret information contained in its proposal

55 Where do you want us to put resumes? Are summarized resume's okay? Resumes should be provided in Appendix A for all proposed Staff. An Addendum will be published to include instructions for submission. Resumes should include all relevant information for the SCC to assess individual’s qualifications

56 Exhibit B, Section 2.1 states that coaching may be performed by holders of a recognized coaching certification from an accredited organization such as ICF, CCE, CTI, or iPEC, while the Coach labor category in Table 1 specifies ICF ACC, PCC, or MCC. Please confirm which standard governs assignment to the Coach labor category

The SCC prefers ICF certifications at the PCC or MCC level.

57 Exhibit B, Section 2.5 identifies PCC or MCC as the example credential for the optional Executive Coach category. Would the SCC consider an ICF ACC-credentialed coach who also holds substantial prior senior-executive leadership experience, including experience inside an SCC-regulated Virginia utility, for executive coaching assignments?

The SCC prefers ICF certifications at the PCC or MCC level but individuals holding other credentials may be assessed

58 Exhibit B, Section 2.4 lists the ATD CPTD/APTD and IAF CPF as preferred facilitator certifications. Please confirm these are preferred and not required.

They are preferred.

59 Exhibit B, Sections 2.1 and 2.3 reference the Hogan inventories specifically.

Does the SCC require Hogan administration, or will comparable validated instruments — for example EQ 360, MBTI Step II, or the Pearman Personality Integrator — satisfy the requirement where they address the same developmental question?

The SCC Is interested in vendors that can provide Hogan assessments. It was included as an example.

Other assessments will be considered as part of our development programs.

60 Does the SCC currently hold licenses for any assessment instruments or an engagement survey platform, or must the Supplier provide all instruments under its own practitioner license?

The SCC currently holds licenses for multiple assessment instruments and an engagement survey platform.

However, the SCC expects Suppliers to be able to provide instruments under their own practitioner license.

61 Exhibit D, Section 1.2 requests a cost per person for assessment tools.

Should that figure be the instrument and standard report only, with interpretation and debrief billed at the applicable hourly rate, or should it be an all-in cost including debrief?

The instrument and standard report should be included in the per-person costs. The interpretation and debrief can be billed at the applicable hourly rate.

62 Does the SCC operate a learning management system, and if so which platform, what SCORM version, and what accessibility standard (Section 508 / WCAG level) must asynchronous content meet?

Our learning platform is Percipio.

63 Please clarify the price scoring formula in RFP Section 5.2.1, which reads "Lowest Proposed Price + Offerors Proposed Price X 20." Should this be read as (Lowest Proposed Price ÷ Offeror's Proposed Price) × 20?

Pricing formula will be updated in addendum #2

64 May hourly rates be escalated in the two optional renewal years, and if so by what mechanism?

Per the Services agreement price escalations in renewal periods are tied to the CPI Index

65 Is travel within the Richmond metropolitan area reimbursable, or is it expected to be included in the hourly rate?

Hourly rate should not include travel.

Travel. Travel, where applicable, would be Reimbursed in accordance with the travel policy in Exhibit A. Services Agreement Section 1.c

66 Are there page limits or length expectations for Exhibit B beyond the three-page limit stated for Appendix A, Section 2.1?

No

67 Can the SCC share the number of contract awards it anticipates making under this RFP?

The SCC reserves the right to award to a single or multiple suppliers at its own discretion

68 Can the SCC share the estimated annual usage volume or historical annual spend for the services described in Section 3.0?

The SCC does not have an estimated amount for the life of the contract

69 Is there a predecessor or incumbent contract under which the SCC currently receives any of these services? If so, can the SCC identify the contract or supplier?

The current contract URFP including Notice of Awarded suppliers is available at the VBO site

70 Given the multiple-award structure described in Section 1.1, will the SCC consider awards to Offerors whose proposals address a subset of the service areas described in Section 3.0 (for example, training facilitation and organizational development)? If so, should such an Offeror provide hourly rates in Exhibit D, Section 1.1 only for the labor categories it proposes to staff?

Please see SCC’s response to question #3

71 Will awards be made by service area (Coaching, Organizational Development, Assessment Services, Training Facilitation, etc.), or will all awarded vendors be eligible for all work?

Please see SCC’s response to question #3

72 Does SCC currently have any vendors that they work with across these service areas?

Yes

73 What is the estimated volume/spend annually on this contract? The SCC does not have an estimated amount for the life of the contract

74 Is there a page or word limit for our response to Exhibit B (or any of the other required documents)?

No. There is no word or page limit.

https://mvendor.cgieva.com/Vendor/public/IVDetails.jsp?PageTitle=SO+Details&rfp_id_lot=20063&rfp_id_round=5

75 Exhibit B calls for Key Personnel details to be submitted in Tables 1-4, can we also submit individual bios (including a more complete view of each individual’s experience and credentials) with this section?

Yes

76 In addition to the 5 categories requested in Exhibit B (Coaching Services, Organizational Development, Assessment Services, Training Facilitation, and Executive Coaching /optional), you mention additional needs including "Strategic Planning, Culture Building, Change Management" in the pre-proposal conference call slides and "Training and Instructional Design" in Section 3.1.3 of the RFP pdf. Would you like us to address our methodology and approach for each of these additional categories not listed in Exhibit B, or just provide a general overview? And where should we include this information in our response?

Per the solicitation, Strategic Planning, Culture Building, Change Management are requested in Exhibit B. Section 2.2 and training facilitation is covered in Section 2.4.