QUESTIONSANWERS2.pdf

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q. Is there an incumbent to this project?

A. There is no incumbent. This is a first time requirement for our office.

Q. Is set aside only for SBA Certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program Set-aside (FAR 10.15)?

A. Yes

Q. Clarify for us whether or not proposals from organizations who have not worked with USACE will be considered.

A. Quotations that demonstrate experience in similar services with any federal agency will be considered. Companies who have a history of working with USACE or demonstrate an understanding of USACE will be evaluated more favorably.

Q. Will you be accepting bids for items 4 and 5 of the tender only?

A. No. All line items must be bid.

Q. I would like to know if I can set up a time to speak with you about this presolicitation?

A. No, there is an active solicitation advertised. In the interests of fairness, no private meetings or discussions with individual contractors will occur. All meaningful Q&A will be posted to SAM.

Q. Is the leadership coaching only available for local candidates? Can all of the training be provided virtually? Can you submit a bid to only provide the virtual coaching and the one monthly coaching sessions or do you have to provide all services?

A. There is no requirement to be local. Some of the coaching sessions must be accomplished in person in Omaha, NE. Any quotes that are responsive only to individual line items or offer partial services will be rejected without being evaluated.

Q. Will post award conference/period progress meetings be able to be conducted virtually?

A. The meetings in PWS Paragraph 5.6 can be conducted virtually. See the CLIN description for each coaching session’s forum.

Q. Will the annual division-wide team building session (CLIN0001) be for the entire workforce -contracting officers, contract specialists, procurement technicians, and administrative support?

A. Yes, the division wide team building will be all contracting staff.

Q. We assume that we are using the competencies from the DoD Civilian Leader Development Framework for the basis of the coaching, or are there other leadership models/competencies that will be important?

A. There should not be any curriculum to cover for the 1-1 sessions. These sessions are meant to help USACE employees establish and achieve professional and personal goals, as well as improve in areas such as emotional intelligence, conducting difficult conversations, and dealing with difficult people (list is not all inclusive).

Q. Will 1-1 coaching be available for the entire workforce - contracting officers, contract specialists, procurement technicians, and administrative support?

A. Individual sessions will be supervisors and perhaps some non-supervisory contracting officers.

Generally GS-13 or higher.

Q. How are individuals and teams assigned 1-1 coaching engagements? Are these identified on an “as needed” basis or is there a plan for certain people to go through the 1-1 coaching process?

A. There will be a requirement for each supervisor (approximately 17 employees) to have 2 sessions with times to be mutually agreeable between the supervisor and contractor.

Q. Should we assume there is a training/coaching needs analysis for each individual participating in the 1-1 coaching or will we need to conduct one?

A. Training/coaching needs should be established with each employee prior to the 1-1 session.

Q. How will the 35 sessions (and optional 35 more) be allocated by individual? Is there a set number of sessions requested per individual?

A. Each supervisor (approximately 17) is planned to have 2 sessions. The option will be exercised if new supervisors come on board or if existing supervisors request additional sessions.

Q. How many individuals can be expected to be coached at any given time? For example, can we specify this number to be no more than 10 per month?

A. The contractor can limit the number so long as it is reasonable.

Q. Is there an ideal number of coaches you will want us to provide to be pre-screened, or is that up to us?

A. The number of coaches is up to the contractor. However, familiarity with USACE is a key component and should be accounted for.

Q. CLIN 0003 identifies 35 individual coaching sessions. How many individuals will receive monthly coaching sessions? How many sessions will each individual receive? What level (rank/grade/position) are the individuals receiving coaching?

A. Approximately 17 supervisory employees will receive individual coaching sessions. Each supervisor is planned to have 2 sessions with additional sessions possible with the option. Supervisors are at the GS- 13 or GS-14 level.

Q. Will the vendor be invoicing monthly, upon completion of a CLIN, or upon completion of the entire contract?

A. Monthly invoicing is allowed in months where coaching sessions are conducted.

Q. What meeting software is approved (Teams or Zoom)?

A. Teams and/or Webex

Q. Will the contracting officer require International Coach Federation certification and credentialing for the coaches?

A. The Government does not require a specific credential. Qualifications are described in the PWS paragraph 5.1.1.

Q. Which USACE Omaha District Office will the training take place in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, or Wisconsin?

A. Omaha, NE (Zorinsky Federal Building, 1616 Capitol Avenue)

Q. Will all attendees be in one location, or will there be an in-person and virtual component to the training?

A. This is dependent on the line item. Division and branch sessions will be in-person and individual sessions will be virtual.

Q. What is the budget?

A. USACE has a government estimate, but that will not be divulged during the solicitation process.

Q. How is the award based (LPTA, Best Value, etc.)?

A. Best value. Refer to FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

Q. How much time do you anticipate between CLIN 0001 (Division Session) and CLIN 0002 (Branch Sessions)? WIll they be the same week? Will weeks/months elapse between them?

A. CLIN 0001 (Division Session) – PWS 5.2 - one 8-hour-day - most likely in April CLIN 0002 (Branch Sessions) – PWS 5.3 - ½-day most likely in October - should occur during the same time as the Branch Chief Session.

CLIN 0003 (Branch Chief Session) - PWS 5.4 - ½-day most likely in October - should occur during the same time as the Branch Sessions.

Q. CLIN 0003 identifies 35 individual coaching sessions. How many individuals will receive monthly coaching sessions? How many sessions will each individual receive? What level (rank/grade/position) are the individuals receiving coaching?

A. Approximately 17 supervisory employees will receive individual coaching sessions. Each supervisor is planned to have 2 sessions with additional sessions possible with the option. Supervisors are at the GS- 13 or GS-14 level.

Q. Will the vendor be invoicing monthly, upon completion of a CLIN, or upon completion of the entire contract?

A. Monthly invoicing is allowed in months where coaching sessions are conducted.

Q. May we submit our proposal electronically?

A. Yes, submit quotes to tina.l.keimig@usace.army.mil.

Q. Must vendors be registered as a Women-Owned Small Business with the Women-Owned Small Business program at the time of proposal submission? Or must they be registered by the time of contract award?

A. Vendors must be registered in SAM with WOSB at the due date or submit evidence that registration/certification are in process.

Q. Does the project represent a continuation of a past or current effort or is this a new initiative? If you have used a similar process in the past, what parts do you wish to retain, and which parts do you wish to improve or discard?

A. New initiative.

Q. Do you have an incumbent who provides similar services to those described in the RFP? If yes, what advantage, if any, would such a vendor have in competing for the current project? What was most and least useful about the experiences?

A. No incumbent exists.

Q. What is your budget or budget range or how much have you spent on similar work in the past?

A. Previously answered.

Q. What are the titles of those you anticipate receiving coaching and participating in team building?

A. Division chief, branch chief, section chief, contracting officer, procurement analyst, contract specialist, purchasing agent, cost/price analyst.

Q. If there is a face-to-face trainer/facilitator, can there also be a virtual trainer/facilitator?

A. Previously answered.

Q. Do you have a preference for local consultants, or any other preferences?

A. See FAR 52.212-2 in the solicitation for evaluation factors.

Q. Why are you choosing to outsource this project rather than staffing it internally?

A. We do not have this expertise internally.

Q. Will answers to questions from all potential vendors be shared among them?

A. Q&A are posted to SAM every 2-3 days.

Q. Will we be able to learn who the other bidders are?

A. Only the awardee will be made public by USACE.

Q. In our proposal, may we include references and hyperlinks to electronic resources, e.g, to web pages?

A. Yes, but references should be minimal. USACE is under no obligation to research links, especially those that might be blocked for IT security reasons.