Learning_Management_System_042319.pdf

Learning Management System (LMS) Request for Information Questions

1. I am wondering if an incumbent exists for the potential requirement: Learning

Management System outlined under USCA19Q0030. If so, could you please provide the following information?

Vendor name:

Response: Saba (LMS) and The Educe Group (LMS Maintenance and Support) Contract number:

Response: USCA14C3016 and USCA15F1002, respectively Value:

Response: Base and four one-year options; $1.6M Not to exceed & Base and four one-year options; $164K Not to exceed, respectively Date of award:

Response: July 22, 2014 and January 15, 2015, respectively Expiration date:

Response: August 14, 2019

2. Saw this post, and I wanted to know how to be considered for bidding?

Response: This is a Request for Information. Should an RFQ/RFP be released, it will be posted on GSA eBuy or FBO.gov, respectively.

3. Has the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) conducted a formal evaluation of its Learning Management System (LMS) requirements to aid in selection of the best possible LMS tool to satisfy its user population?

Response: Yes, AOUSC performed an internal evaluation to establish requirements.

4. Has the AOUSC thoroughly investigated the variety of LMS options available in the marketplace regarding functionality, user experience, and customer support?

Response: Yes, AOUSC has performed market research.

5. Would the AOUSC be interested in receiving an alternate response to this RFI that explores suggestions for a thorough evaluation of its LMS-related needs and tools available in the marketplace?

Response: No.

6. Requirement - Ability to send and receive data to and from multiple third-party applications and/or databases Software Developers Kit (SDK) or open architecture will suffice), to include importation of data from our e-learning Content Provider and Learning Content Management System (currently Skillsoft and Blackboard)

Question: Regarding this requirement, are the course formats from Skillsoft and Blackboard SCORM compliant?

Response: This is a requirement for transcript/enrollment information from the 3rd party vendors into the LMS. Some if not most of the Skillsoft and Blackboard are SCORM compliant.

7. Requirement - Export of AOUSC content packages to be retained on media and delivered to AOUSC upon request

Question: Can you clarify what is meant by this requirement: what is the 'content package' and what media are they to be retained on?

Response: ‘Content packages” refer to SCORM, AICC, xAPI, etc. The medium could be a flash drive, cloud storage, etc.

8. Requirement – Badging

Question: What kind of Badging system is used? Is the badging requirement to integrate a learner's badge with their classroom attendance?

Response: The badging referred to is the functionality required to award training “badges” to those who accomplish specific training criteria (e.g., a new employee would earn a “new employee badge” for completion of all of the required new employee training or related learning activities.).

9. Requirement – Past Performance Questionnaire

Question: The RFI notes Attachment 3 is to be used to complete the past performance questionnaires, but the Attachment 3 included is an Excel sheet with Functional requirements. Can you please clarify or provide this attachment? Also, it notes this attachment is to be completed by the customer agency and submitted to the US Courts POC. If this is correct, can the US Courts please provide an extra week for these to be submitted?

Response: The Past Performance Questionnaire is not a requirement for submission with this Request for Information (RFI). Therefore, an extension to the RFI responses isn’t being granted. However, the Past Performance Questionnaire would be part of the submission to a subsequent Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) and thus the reference to the Past Performance Questionnaire.

10. Requirement – FedRAMP

Question: If a solution does not have FedRAMP authorization at the time the RFP is released, can it be a requirement of award within a predetermined timeframe?

Response: FedRamp In Process would be the least accepted status at the time of RFP.

11. Will the acquisition strategy be full and open or small business?

Response: The strategy is still under consideration. However, please note that set-asides do not apply to the Judiciary.

12. How much importance are you placing on integration of the LMS and change and communication and training?

Response: The importance on integration of the LMS and change and communication and training are procurements sensitive matters.

13. Can you provide a timeline post RFI?

Response: No, a post RFI timeline can’t be provided. Should an RFQ/RFP be released, it will be posted on GSA eBuy or FBO.gov, respectively.

14. What will be the outcome of the RFI? Award, RFP, demonstrations, other?

Response: The intent of the RFI is as detailed in the synopsis of the FBO.gov posting.

15. In the pricing section the following is requested:

Quoters shall complete Attachment 1 of this solicitation for each potential period of performance using the form provided in Attachment 1. Quoted rates must be in accordance with the quoters approved GSA Schedule rates although dis- counts are requested in accordance with FAR 8.405- 5.

Do you mean Attachment 2 Pricing Table? Is that a typo?

Response: Responders are to comply with the RFI instructions as posted in the FBO.gov synopsis. The three (3) attachments pertinent to the RFI are attached to the FBO.gov posting and are 1) USCA19Q0030, 2) the pricing template, and 3) the functional requirements. The excerpt provided at the beginning of question 15 of this document is from the pricing section of USCA19Q0030 and would be the potential structure of an RFQ if one were to be released.

16. In the Request for Quote section, the following is requested:

Volume 4 - Request for Quote, Standard Form 18:

The Quoter shall fill in required information on the cover page of the Solicitation SF-18 including all amendments and submit the cover page signed by an authorized official of the Quoter as an Acrobat PDF. The Quoter must attach to the SF-18 cover page a completed copy of all section of the SF 18 (including those incorporated by reference) that require completion by the Quoter.

Do you mean the first few pages of the main attachment 1 document? Can you please clarify?

We are not seeing SF-18

Response: Responders are to comply with the RFI instructions as posted in the FBO.gov synopsis. The three (3) attachments pertinent to the RFI are attached to the FBO.gov posting and are 1) USCA19Q0030, 2) the pricing template, and 3) the functional requirements. The excerpt provided at the beginning of question 16 of this document is from the Request for Quote section of USCA19Q0030 and would be the potential structure of an RFQ if one were to be released.

17. Electronic Submission We take our commitment to the environment seriously. We ask that prospective customers receive sales proposals from us in electronic form only in order to save paper.

The RFP stipulates that you require printed copies of our response, which we will provide if mandatory, but if not, we would propose submitting an electronic copy only.

If hard copies are absolutely essential, we would like to propose that vendors submit the proposal via email by the due date/time and schedule hard copy delivery for the following business day. Please let us know if this is acceptable.

Response: As per the FBO.gov Synopsis, submit electronic responses only, via email by 10:00 AM Eastern, April 30, 2019 to the Contracting Officer at patricia_butler@ao.uscourts.gov.

18. Related to integration with Skillsoft and Blackboard content

In this question: Ability to pull course completion and registration information from designated eLearning Content Provider and Learning Content Management System (Skillsoft/Blackboard)

- Please expand on this requirement? Can you provide details on your designated eLearning Content Provider(s)?

Response: Currently the providers are Skillsoft and Blackboard.

- Will this content be in SCORM format?

Response: Currently completion records are sent via a flat (CSV) file.

- Will Skillsoft content be loaded into the new LMS solution or are you logging into

SkillPort to consume this content and looking to sync only transcript data back to the new LMS?

Response: Course completion would need to be recorded by both methods.

- Will you have a Blackboard deployment alongside the new LMS with an integration to pass transcript data back to the LMS via a batch process?

Response: That process will be determined at a later time.

19. In subsection C-2.2.1 (pp 7-8), on the System Maintenance bullet, there is a reference to “corn jobs.” Could you please define this term?

Response: The term was misspelled and should have read “cron jobs”, which is defined, in terms of software, as a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like computer operating systems. People who set up and maintain software environments use cron to schedule jobs (commands or shell scripts) to run periodically at fixed times, dates, or intervals.

20. In subsection L-3 (Response Instructions, pp 20-21), there is reference to a Past Performance Questionnaire included in the solicitation as “Attachment 3.” Attachment 3 to the RFP, however, is the Functional Requirements worksheet and the solicitation does not include a Past Performance Questionnaire. Given the short turnaround time for responses to be submitted, could this requirement either be removed from the solicitation, or could the Past Performance Questionnaire be submitted and an extension to the deadline granted?

Response:

The Past Performance Questionnaire is not a requirement for submission with this Request for Information (RFI). Therefore, an extension to the RFI responses isn’t being granted. However, the Past Performance Questionnaire would be part of the submission to a subsequent Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) and thus the reference to the Past Performance Questionnaire.

21. When were the RFI questions to be submitted?

Response: As per L-1 of USCA19Q0030, questions should have been received no later than Thursday, 10:00 am Eastern on April 18, 2019. No further questions for this RFI will be entertained.

22. Should a subsequent RFO or RFP be released, will late submissions be accepted?

Response: The onus is on the vendor to ensure that their quote or proposal is submitted in a timely manner and in accordance with the due dates listed in the solicitation. The AOUSC is under no obligation to accept late submissions.