W50UW821Q0001 Questions and Answers _ (002).pdf

Solicitation Issued Solicitation # W50UW8-21-Q-0001 PMP Training

Number

Date/Time Received in Outlook

(Govt Exchange Server)

Question Answer Initials of Respondent

Date/Time Answered

Thu 2/25/2021 10:43

AM

Will the contractor be responsible for paying the PMP Exam seat fee or will this be the students/customers responsibility?

PMP exam seat fee is the students responsibility DSG 3-Mar-21

Fri 2/26/2021 11:12

AM

In reference to STEP 1 - the expected student count listed 15-25. The most recent number conveyed to me was a total of 27 students, has this changed?

Want to make sure we allow for the appropriate number of students at our facility for the in-person Kick-Off Meeting.

The RFP SOW is the current list based upon internal USACE evaluation of updated needs and students to be allowed to take the training

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Fri 2/26/2021 11:12

AM

In reference to STEP 6 - Want to confirm the 3-day CRAM session is to be done in an online (virtual) setting? The last communication was to be done as an in-person live session. If the CRAM session is to be online, can you confirm all students will have the appropriate device to connect/communicate through a virtual setting?

CRAM session is to be "online" and scheduled after the student establishes their official "test date" with PMI certified testing center.

Intent is that the student can get online (i.e. Wednesday thru Friday), do a "CRAM" session and then take their official PMP exam that Saturday as an example.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

1.Is the cost to take the PMP Exam to be included in the cost or will USACE be paying for each individual who submits their application and is accepted to take the exam?

PMP exam seat fee is the students responsibility DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

2.If the simulation exams are cloud-based, will the contractor still provide the computers or will the students computer be allowed to take the exam, only internet access is required to run the simulation?

Contractor shall provide computers for simulated exams DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

3.The SOW states that by the end of Step 2, each student will have submitted their application to PMI. PMIs process can take up to 5 work-days for approval from receipt and thus the applications would need to be submitted prior to class start to get final approval. Also, any corrections could extend the 5-day time as well. Do you expect that each student must get PMI’s final approval prior to getting course credit, certificate and sitting for the Practice exam #1 the following Monday? Or is just submission of the application to PMI enough?

Students will be expected to do everything possible to submit their application and the Vendor is to provided guidance and support, but if the student fails to perform this effort, this will not be the responsibility of the vendor. The vendor will notify the USACE COR of status so the USACE Supervisor can address issues/concerns with the student. Student does not need to get PMI final approval to get course credit or certificate.

USACE cannot "force" a student to compete everything required for a student to complete everything required by PMI, but USCE and the vendor will provide support and guidance. Getting the student to submit their package and set up a test exam date is the expectation on the student and the hope and goal of USACE with the vendor's technical support.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

4.Will the cost of student retaking the exam to be a contractor or USACE responsibility?

Student responsibility B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

5.Does the contractor require a physical presence in the Phoenix area or could the training and practice exams (steps 2, 3 and 5) take place at a suitable contracted location?

Contractor shall provide a location within 30 miles of Downtown phoenix for the training and practice exams

DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

6.In the SOW Step 4, it states that PMI will notify the student of the official date to sit for the exam. The normal process is after the student has paid for the exam, PMI will send a link to the student to schedule the exam at a self-selected location or on-line. This would mean that students may have a wide range of possible test dates and Step 6 could extend across a long period of time. Is it feasible for the Step 6 CRAM session to be scheduled at a class-wide convenient time and only last 3-5 days?

Contractor shall plan on providing cram sessions based on individual student testing dates.

DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

7.If materials are provided to students at Step 1, can we expect students to bring the materials to class with them without requiring additional copies of the material for the Step 2 training session? If extras are required will they be allowed to be invoiced for each use without a contract modification?

If materials are provided to students, they will be responsible for bringing the materials to class. Multiple copies of the same materials are not expected to be provided from the vendor to the students.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

8.Will it be expected that students preparing for the Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM) exam will be taking the training at the same time and using the same materials as the PMP exam students?

No DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

9.Section C.4. is confusing. It mentions the Contractor and the training contractor as different entities. Can you please explain the difference or clarify the roles?

contractor, training contractor, vendor are all of the same entity DSG 3-Mar-21

Sat 2/27/2021

9:34 PM

10.The image on page 13, shows different content from that in the body of the solicitation. Differences I see are the locations for the 5-day certification class and the Final on-line CRAM session. In the chart, the 5-day class is shown as “on-line”, while the body says at a vendor site in Phoenix. Also, the CRAM session in the chart is at the vendor site while the body says on-line. Can you clarify which is correct.

This is a typo on the chart. The 5 day class is NOT to be online. It is to be at the test location. CRAM session is expected to be ONLINE.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sun 2/28/2021 3:19

PM

1.On page 9 the 3-day cram session is described. This is referred to as “virtual”, although it is not 100% clear if this is virtual with or without an instructor. We are assuming without, since the timing of the cram session will potentially be different for each student if we are understanding correctly. The nature of the cram session is not clear to us. Are you anticipating that there be 3 days of on-demand training – prerecorded videos etc.? In our experience, 3 days prior to the exam each students needs will be different. Indeed some students who did well on the second simulator test may not need much formal cramming prior to their actual exam. Most will need interactive answers/explanations to specific questions in areas that they are weak, not a review of materials they already know. It would seem as though an appropriate strategy would be for candidates to dedicate these 3 days to self-study, perhaps with a suggested study plan provided by us, and that they be supported as needed by a virtual online instructor in a coaching style setting. Does this sound acceptable?

3 Day CRAM session is to be online/virtual. Expectation is for this CRAM session to not necessary require a "live instructor" but a "student self-pace study" online CRAM session is acceptable. Vendor would only have to provide "technical questions or support" if needed. To further clarify, CRAM session online with a structured "self-study" structure for the student is acceptable.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sun 2/28/2021 3:19

PM

2.“The CRAM session will include all aspects of exam requirements, case studies, focus areas, nuances, and challenges the students could expect to encounter with the contractor providing tactics, tools, and procedures to successfully navigate those challenges.” This type of information should already have been provided to candidates well before the last minute CRAM session?

Expectation of the CRAM is to provide methodologies for the students to review all of the materials again for the PMP exam, be exposed to more proactive problems, and attempt to discover any final areas of the PMP technical concepts where the student may need to focus their study efforts, memorization of key elements, or practice understanding of the

PmBOK PMP processes.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sun 2/28/2021 3:19

PM

3.On Page 13 there is reference to only two(2) project managers scheduled per session. Could you explain this reference in the diagram?

"Kick-Off" day is all students. 15-25 students per 5 day PMP prep class.

Mock Exams and CRAM session (online) is on a per student basis.

B. Carter 1-Mar-21

February 24, 2021 Questions Close March 1, 2021

Sun 2/28/2021 3:19

PM

4.On Page 13, the local for online “cram” session should probably be “Student

Location”?

Student Location B. Carter 1-Mar-21

Sun 2/28/2021 3:19

PM

5.The solicitation seems to requesting a fixed fee for each of the 2 sessions, regardless of the number of participants. Is this correct? (We would normally provide a price per person to allow for maximum flexibility and value to the customer.)

Cost are firm fixed price per RFP CLIN Schedule. B. Carter 1-Mar-21